Dad got in trouble

So on Tuesday we had the delivery men coming. Well, Monday night Mom and Dad were watching tv and they both fell asleep on the couches. They slept until about 5:15 a.m. The whole time, we were playing in the garage with the door to the house cracked for us to come and go. We were very happy that they forgot the door was open. Well, when Mom woke Dad up at 5:15 and said they needed to go up to bed Dad called us in from the garage, saw Maggie, then turned his head to check on HB and Josie. Well, Maggie was quick and slipped back into the garage and Dad ended up locking her in the garage. Fortunately, the delivery guys called around 9 am and said they were on their way and Mom went to wrangle us. She was a little panicked when she couldn't find Maggie. Then she checked the garage and Maggie was crying at the door with a scared voice. (I think she was just working it for the attention.) So Dad got in trouble for that (although he says Maggie bears 10 percent responsibility).

The delivery guys took about three hours to get everything in and set up, but Mom and Dad did get a new washer and dryer, and range and microwave. So overall not too bad. But Mom switched to a gas range, and has told us to stay back from it. No singed cat hair here.

Josie was watching the washer work and she's not to sure about it. It's a front loader so we was watch things swish around. Mom and Dad must have watched it for several minutes. I don't get it, it's not like looking out the windows, or even the tv, but they seem pretty fascinated by it.

TP Thursday

Oh Maggie, Maggie, Maggie! ::shakes head:: You see, Maggie has this thing for the toilet paper roll, but it seems to only be the one in the hall bathroom. The other day Dad found it on the floor, so he thought he'd be bright and put it on backward (backward to him is rolling under, not over) so when Maggie tried to unroll it it would just spin instead. Well, Maggie showed him!

As you can see, Maggie went into shred mode, making TP confetti instead of just unrolling it. She even put the toothy death on the roll!

I like the paper hanging from her mouth... nothing quite says caught-in-the-act like that!

And of course the finished product... Maggie managed to knock the entire roll in the trash can, where it belongs after her work.

PS Mom finally posted the raspberry almond cake on her kitchen blog.

A very scary moment

The weather has been so nice here that we've been enjoying some open window time. Tonight Mom had opened the front windows in the dining room that are low to the ground. Mom and Dad were eating dinner while watching some TV when suddenly there was this crashing sound. They rushed in to see the screen pulled out, bent toward the outside, and with Maggie near the windowsill. It was dark outside and Mom and Dad couldn't see if any of us had jumped out, but a quick headcount revealed all but Josie. Mom went outside to look and Dad got a flashlight. Mom found a cat (Zoe, the neighbor's cat) and Dad found Josie inside (thankfully). Apparently Zoe saw Maggie and pulled the screen out trying to visit. This screen wasn't in the best shape, Dad suspects, which is why it could be pulled out, but now Mom and Dad are on high alert with the open windows. And with that screen messed up that means another closed window...

Cord Chewer's Anonymous

I think I need to enroll in Cord Chewer's Anonymous. I just can't help myself. Dad busted me for chewing through the charger cord for the cell phones. He taped it up and if it lays the right way it still works. He has another one, but he can't remember which box he saw it in. I tried to distract him by pointing out that someone other than me had clawed the dryer vent hose and ripped two big holes in it that he had to repair last weekend before the humidity drove Mom insane. But I guess they're still on cord watch for me. I do have a history, I guess ... maybe I'm just born to chew. It all started the first day I was adopted and I chewed through the power cord to the cordless phone. I've been addicted ever since. Maybe it's just the rush, the thrill, the danger. Maybe it just teases me to be dangling there, waiting to be chewed...

Ear bites

Someone bit Maggie on the ear. She had a little scabby spot that Dad washed off and cleaned up and Mom monitored to make sure it stayed OK. It didn't seem to bother Maggie, and she's all OK now. Mom and Dad asked us what happened, since it happened during the night, but we had our story straight (although implausible) that Maggie bit her own ear. And we'll leave it at that...

Maggie vs. Iced Tea

Last night, Maggie had some issues with Dad's iced tea. He had placed a glass on the floor by the sofa, and Maggie ran past playing ball and barrelled over the glass, spilling tea everywhere. Dad cleaned it up, shaking his head but knowing it was his fault. While Dad was cleaning up, Mom got a phone call so Dad fixed a second glass of tea and came upstairs to the computer to read his comics. Maggie followed and chaos ensued. Maggie was persistent in her pursuit of the ice cubes in Dad's drink. Dad gave her a cube in the tub for her to play with, but that did not pacify her. Finally, Dad had the glass on the desk supported by one hand when Maggie jumped up. Dad used his other hand to get Maggie from the desk, and with the last hair of her paw she managed to tip Dad's tea all over the desk, the keyboard, Dad and the floor. Expertly done, but Dad was not pleased. He even raised his voice at Maggie, although I think he was more upset with himself for having drink around the computer to begin with. Everything cleaned up fine (although Mom found more tea this morning) and no important papers were destroyed, but I think we all learned a lesson from this. (Dad's lesson, don't have tea around the computer. Maggie's lesson, persistence pays off, although I think there could be another lesson for her in there somewhere.)

If the tree's a'rockin'

Last night Mom and Dad put up the big Christmas tree, which means twice as many trees for Maggie to terrorize. The backside of the smaller tree is nice and flattened from her lying across it. Dad piled the presents around the tree thinking this may form a wall, but Josie quickly proved that that was a silly idea. With Maggie watching, Josie carefully approached the gifts, then hurdled one of the tallest boxes to land perfectly in the empty space behind the tree. Then Maggie found a small tunnel between boxes and, with one quick burst, dove head-first through the gifts. A small scuffle ensued behind the tree and Dad coaxed them out with treats. I've behaved, but all the others have taken their turns around the tree. This morning Dad came down and heard the familiar tink, tink and said, "Maggie, you'd better just be under the tree" and then the tree leaned slightly and Maggie's tail popped out from about midway up the tree. Dad quickly removed her, but he's now working on ways to secure the tree. (This is a new tree so we're still adapting to the base, and this tree is thicker so Maggie ends up more on the outside edge of the branches which makes it wobble more...)

We got some good pictures last night so I'll try to get them up today or tomorrow...

Josie got in trouble

Mom felt so bad, having to yell at Josie, but Josie knew better ... On Sunday, Mom was preparing a ham tray for a Christmas party she was helping organize, so her hands were all covered in ham. Josie was on the back of the new couch in what has become "her spot" and then, for no reason, Josie started to scratch at the arm of the couch. Well, with her hands covered in ham, Mom could do nothing but yell at Josie. Josie looked so scared and ran upstairs and hid for a little bit before coming back and mewing at Mom and rubbing on her leg. Mom felt so bad yelling at Josie and scaring her, but she can't rip the new couches. When Dad got home they trimmed Josie's nails and gave her so love. Tonight is HB's and Maggie's nails. Mom and Dad are discussing trying the soft nails on them, but just don't know. Maybe they just need mittens.

Maggie vs. paper towels

Dad had turned his back on Maggie and the paper towels and it seemed there was a disagreement because before you knew it Maggie had put the bite all over this roll of paper towels. She almost had the whole thing shredded. That, and getting paint on her paws, is how she likes to help Dad paint.