Nigella …

Where are the aliens? From Independence Day.  Here it is July 4 and there’s been no lights in the skies (except planes and stars and what you’d usually see).  Ah well, maybe next year.  Before that though, M Kaz is going off to see Jurassic World: Rebirth.  I’m not sure if she is more excited about the movie or the merchandise.  Hmmmm.

It is still cold here at Jannie – so cold that when M Kaz takes herself off to the water in the morning, she’s sometimes wearing FOUR layers, and a hoodie (if M Sooz is wearing the beanie in bed – and no, I don’t know why they don’t have two beanies so they can each have one).

It’s not even that warm in the sun at the moment so I am spending a fair bit of time inside, either on  my bed or one of the Mummies’ beds – and certainly at night I am sleeping cuddled up next to M Kaz (mostly) – I just wish she took up less space in the bed and would stop complaining about where I’m sleeping – in the middle up the top, in the middle down the bottom, or just in the middle of the bed.

I think it’s time for me to go to the nail-clipping place. Every time I try to cuddle M Kaz’s legs at the moment she carries on like I’m intentionally trying to sink my claws in to the delicate flesh on her legs. She does whinge a bit about it. And speaking about whinging – how am I supposed to know when those Mummies have refilled my cookies. I don’t go and ask for more unless the last time I was there I could see the bottom! It’s their fault for not putting them in a cone-shaped dish so they’ll fall into the middle rather than just being pushed to the outside of the bowl, where they stay and when I push others away, I can definitely see the bottom of the bowl. I think it’s their fault really for not being a bit more proactive.

I would have thought those Mummies would have put more effort into their Anniversary – but no. It was started out as ‘just another day’ here at Jannie with M Kaz taking herself down to the Broadwater in the rain (it often is not raining when she gets there) and M Sooz continuing to snooze in bed. I could have stayed with her but took myself off to my bed where the Mummies have put down a furry brown coat for me – which I adore. Mind you, there’s not much around here that I don’t adore – that Applaws food keeps on coming (thank you R), and the Fancy Feast cookies and the clean cat litter – and M Sooz choosing not to move me when I was in her recliner the other day. She really is kind … actually, they both really are kind to me . . . except for where they make me go Outback in the freezing cold (day and night) to use the litter tray.

The days have started getting longer again – as of the 2oth, 21st or 22nd. The jury is still out on that – when the shortest night is and therefore when the longest day is. Those Mummies have different opinions on it but at least they didn’t embarass me by taking themselves off to Tasmania to take part in the Dark Mofo swim where, according to the headlines ‘Thousands take a nude plunge for Dark Mofo winter solstice’, ‘Swimmers’ annual nude plunge into chilly Tasmanian river marks the winter solstice’, and ‘Wild scenes as thousands strip off for icy nude swim at end of Dark Mofo’ … and that’s just a few of them. The Mummies have been talking about it – after the fact, because M Kaz can’t work out how they all would have found the right sets of clothes afterwards, and what would have happened if they didn’t. I know, you’d think she’d have other things to worry about. Like the roof (and finding someone to give her a second quote to fix the leak), finally getting the shade sail people out to give a quote on putting it back up or putting the blue flexiskip up – and starting to fill it. M Kaz has managedto give some stuff from the laundry cupboards away and while she’s feeling a bit chuffed about it, she shouldn’t celebrate prematurely because there is still lots and lots and lots to sort and move out of Jannie.

Hang on. Was that a duck I just saw outside? I know it’s wet today but I wouldn’t have thought it was that wet. I wonder if this means we are in for more rain? I hope not (because of the aforementioned roof issue). Do they make raincoats for cats? Do we wear them?

Brrrrrrr. It is cold at Jannie these days. I’d like to say those Mummies have even considered using their reverse cycle air conditioning but they seem to have forgotten they have it. I’m not complaining because I have my coat (and the Mummies’ coats on their beds) to keep me warm but I do worry about them sometimes. It’s not that they complain about the cold – it’s just the incessant chattering of their teeth that’s the issue.

M Kaz is the worst one, especially when she’s getting ready to leave for the Broadwater in the mornings, in the dark. It would be easier if she slept in her clothes so she was ready to go and didn’t have to change from her pjs into her long pants, flanny, vest, coat, beanie, long socks and shoes – you get the idea. At least she leaves some on the bed for me. Actually, I’m also grateful that she leaves room on the bed for me – it can’t be easy for her sleeping with her feet dangling off the side of the bed. On the bright side though there’s new research that suggests that if you sleep with one leg out of the bed, you can get to sleep more easily. With two out of the bed she must really be able to get to sleep quickly. And she does – just ask M Sooz. She’ll tell you.

I’m still grateful to Uncle Wayne for building the Outback for me. At least I can get out there and in to the sun – kind of, through the shade sail – and warm up. It’s a bit of a double-edged swordy-thing though. Because my tray is out there and they’ve shown no intention of bringing it inside for the Winter. I’ve asked; I’ve begged; I’ve pleaded; I’ve cajoled; and I have a thesaurus! But nothing … except they’ve part-way closed the door between the kitchen and the laundry – enough so I can get in and out, but I’m sure it has more to do with keeping as much warmth in and as much cold out as possible. And to think we’re only two weeks into Winter!

Those Mummies are still watching ‘Claire Hooper’s House of Games’ each night on the ABC. They like it very much and they laugh and laugh and laugh and try to answer the quiz questions. They’d don’t get them all right but they don’t get them all wrong either.

How busy is M Kaz? Too busy to be honouring her commitments it seems. She used to be quite reliable – makin’ time to transcribe my blog a few times a week but that’s gone by the wayside. We are not sure what she’s been doing but I did catch her scrolling (and scrolling and scrolling) through Facebook late this morning. She seemed happy enough until she told M Sooz that she’d just wasted a couple of hours (that she’ II never get back). That declultering will have to wait.

M Kaz has bought me a new throw with bunnies on it. It’s a very pretty pink. I’m not sure why or what it’s for, but there has been mention of nails but also, and this was quite confusing, of wrapping M Kaz’s lens in it. I’ll just have to try to be patient until we know a bit more.

Why was there a person on Jannie’s roof on yesterday morning?  Was it Brian the roof tiler? M Kaz was out when the man came with the ladder, propped it against the front of the house and then scooted up to the roof. I don’t know if he was wearing a harness! M Kaz hopes it was Brian the roof titer but there’s been no word from him, either before or after the visit. There’s nothing like a little mystery to keep the Mummies happy.

They also like word and trivia games which could explain why they’re addicted to the ABC’s ‘Claire Hooper’s House of Games’. They particularly like the last game of each night: Answer Smash. They play along at home, of course, and they’re pretty chuffed when they manage to get an answer right.