Musings

My protector.

Matt went out of town last week to head up to a conference in London, leaving me for 7 days. It always bums me out when he goes out of town for longer than a couple days, because let’s face it, I’m marrying the guy so I must enjoy his company! I find it easy to be on my own, though, since I did live by myself for quite some time following college. There’s something nice about cooking whatever you want, whenever you want, and coming and going on your own time; sharing a car down here has produced its fair share of difficulties.

So what does a gal do for a week while her significant other is out of town? Well, for one, the little fur ball and I became the best of friends. I’d always said I would never let a pet sleep in my bed with me, but for a full seven days, the two of us snoozed at night side-by-side. Over the weekend, I also let him play outside quite a bit. At one point, I was in the kitchen making myself breakfast, the sliding door open to the beautiful day, while the kitten stretched out on the patio in the sun just outside of the door. It’s like he knew that while Matt was gone he was supposed to look after me, because he never ventured far from the house during “play time.”

Photo courtesy of {how sweet it is}

I also cooked some food I’ve been interested in trying, but couldn’t because I knew Matt wouldn’t like it. The crazy guy hates fish, but I love all kinds of fish, shrimp especially as of late. I know it’s not difficult to prepare two different meals, especially if the sides are the same, but I just find it so much easier to eat the same thing – call me lazy. That’s why while he was gone, I finally made a recipe I’ve been interested in trying – Spicy Parmesan Shrimp Skillet, courtesy of a food blog called “how sweet it is.” Not only was the preparation quick and perfect for a weeknight meal, it was tasty and I got my shrimp fix! I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite shrimp dish, though – I still think the shrimp taco recipe I recently  found takes the top spot.

In addition to my time with the General and the modified menu choices catered to my taste buds only, I caught up on some “girly” movies that Matt isn’t really interested in, but that I’ve been wanting to see. My favorite of the bunch? Pitch Perfect. Now, I had my doubts about this movie. It seemed a bit corny and as singing movies/shows go, I’m more of a serious musical fan and less into the “Glee” craze. However, this movie was so entertaining! While it definitely poked fun at the genre, the music was great and the cast was delightful.

Saturday was a particularly gorgeous day, so I went for a run around the neighborhood, read a book on the patio and then grabbed dinner with some friends. Team activities after work kept me busy on a couple evenings, and a lovely lunch was spent with a girlfriend – we had a great time gabbing and catching up. I have to say, I really appreciate my friends who keep me busy while Matt is away. Otherwise, it would be a long week. And as always, I got a great Skype call in with my family, which always fills a lonely night – it’s as though they are there on the couch with me.

All in all, there was nothing extraordinary about being alone for seven days, however, there were some nice changes to the normal routine. However, even though I was able to keep myself entertained, there was nothing better than seeing Matt’s face in the crowd when I’m picked him at the border on Sunday evening.

Who wouldn’t love this face?

For a little Friday fun, I thought I’d give an update on how our adopted kitten is doing since he joined the family on November 3rd. Not a cat person? Neither was Matt until this little cutie joined us. His personality is certainly unique and he’s made me a very happy lady.

To start, we had to leave the General behind for 24 days while we travelled back to the US for the holidays. This extended holiday was the main reason we were so reluctant to adopt him in the first place. I was worried about finding him a decent place to live while we were gone. However, as one of my friends pointed out, “almost anything would be better than living under a fountain in the cold and rain, not knowing where his next meal would come from.” It was that sentiment that pushed us to take him and in the end, everything worked out.

The General and his girlfriend!

Some co-workers of ours offered to take McFluffybutt for the extent of our stay. They too have a kitten, which I think we all worried might not work out – what if they hated each other?! And to be honest, according to their updates (which I got quite often, pictures included…best cat-sitters EVER), they did have a couple fights. However, towards the end of our stay in America, I started receiving pictures of the two kittens licking each other, snoozing together and chasing each other playfully. Our very own love story.

When we got back, I had a new worry – that he’d be unhappy coming home with us. However, I’m pleased to announce that the General is back to his normal self. He still sits on top of the couch while we eat dinner at the dining room table, hoping that Matt will turn around with a little treat from his plate. He also loves to saunter into our room almost exactly 30 minutes before the alarm is set to go off in the morning, jump onto the bed, and rub his head on my face. If that doesn’t get me up, he’ll start biting my cheeks and nose. He still climbs the couch like a tree (goodbye renter’s deposit) and sits by Matt’s feet while we watch TV so that he can monitor the activities happening outside.

A couple things have changed, though, which I think is just a sign that our little kitten is growing up. You can now scratch his belly without the fear that he’ll attack your hand with his teeth and claws. While he used to only lay on the couch with us at night, he now likes to lay on the soft things we’ve placed on the floor – Matt’s USC blanket, a little bed my Mom sent me back with, etc. Apparently, he also likes to tear things apart now…I found a ripped up tag that used to hang from one of our guest room beds the other morning. I guess it’s doors closed from now on!

All in all, I’m glad our little family is back together. And with neither Matt nor I planning on travelling together for an extended period of time for quite awhile, he can rest happy knowing that at least one of us will be there with him in 2013.

Here he is, shamelessly waiting for an opportunity to steal a bit of “human food.”

Me and my little man, the General, shortly after adoption.

As promised, I now give you the tale of how a kitten came to be part of our family…

We eat at La Finca, the Thai fusion restaurant in our neighborhood, quite often. If you are a follower of this blog, you’re saying to yourself, “Oh yeah, I’ve heard that name a time or two.” Well, it was during a meal there one evening that we noticed a kitten lurking about. One of the owners told us he’d taken up residence in the tree in their front courtyard, and while we were there, he kept scampering underneath a stone fountain. Week after week he continued to reside in their courtyard, while talks of us adopting the kitten were thrown onto the table. Neither Matt, nor I, were 100% sure it was a responsibility we wanted to take on.

When the weather started to take a turn for the south, however, I started to change my mind. It became chilly overnight and the Andalucian rains started to roll in. We’re talking constant downpour. The thought of this little kitten living out in the cold, wet wild made me sad. Then, I also remembered that La Finca closes for two months in the winter and I thought, “who will feed him when they’re closed?!” I finally voiced my thoughts to Matt, who agreed that adopting the kitten maybe wasn’t such a bad idea…on one condition. Matt told me we could adopt the kitten if he could pick his name. Thus, the plan to make General McFluffybutt a member of our family began.

With the help and advice of our friends, and fellow cat owners (they have 4!), Damon and Jo, we hatched a plan to rescue the little guy on Saturday night. They let us borrow their kitten crate and we went armed with tuna. Unfortunately, part one of the plan didn’t exactly go off without a hitch – General McFluffybutt wasn’t there! The owners of La Finca, though, were more than happy to take the crate, corral him when he finally turned up, and give us a call to come get him. About 30 minutes before we were to head out for dinner at Kamakura, they called.

Let’s hope this cutie gets a clean bill of health!

We brought General McFluffbutt home to a fully pimped out “cat home.” In anticipation for his arrival, Matt and I bought a three story climbing tree, a scratching post, a comfy bed, toys, food, litter box and everything a kitten could need. I was nervous our first night with him – but he popped right out of the crate and started sniffing around. By the end of the night, I was snoozing with him in my arm.

That isn’t to say it hasn’t been a little touch and go. To be expected, he’s a little anxious about his new surroundings. He likes to run to the basement and hide under the couch, for example. Yet by the end of the day on Sunday, the three of us were watching movies on the couch. He was stretched out, purring, sleeping and playing. The past two mornings, he popped out of his bed as soon as I filled his bowl with food and began eating immediately.

And as I watched the pouring rain and whipping wind outside the other night, with the General safely passed out against my leg, I was so happy to know that he would never be stuck in that again. Keep your fingers crossed, though, that his tests for diseases comes back negative on Thursday! I’ve bonded with him too much to get any really bad news.

He’s already a USC fan!