Spring today, snow tomorrow

I love the seasons--really I do--but just when the weather was perfect for tulip and iris-growing, it snowed again. It's supposed to snow all week, and right now it looks like tundra outside.

In case you are wondering whether Oscar is still cute, I am going to give you an update. He is definitely getting furrier. We were worried that because of his age and all the stress he was under during his time at the shelter, his glorious fur might not ever grow back. (You might remember that after Sput got sick last Christmas, the fur that was shaved on his neck and leg never did grow back.) Does an animal's fur stop growing when it's sick? Here you can see Oscar's muscular legs (mostly hair, actually) and his slightly-furrier bod. I think he's gained a little weight. Cute little man.


And in bird news, the starlings have returned. Starlings are pretty --black with white spots and a long, bright yellow beak--but they're also kind of creepy because they travel in huge groups, which always reminds me of the movie The Birds. They're also nasty, so they make a lot of noise when they're here because they're always hogging the food and fighting with each other.

Today, though, my all-time favorite bird, the northern flicker, came to feast on the suet. I like flickers because they have pink cheeks (at least the males do) and they make this cool high-pitched sound just before they get here. Really--I always run to the window to see them when they announce their arrival. Today I watched a flicker peck and lunge at the starlings over and over again, because they were ganging up on him and trying (unsuccessfully) to interrupt his meal. Yay northern flicker! Boo obnoxious starlings! Action photo:


And finally (big news day today), Bob and I went to see Arlo Guthrie at Kingsbury Hall tonight. He is adorable. Arlo is a legendary singer/songwriter who performed at Woodstock, and wrote "City of New Orleans" and "Alice's Restaurant" (the song and the movie). It was fun not only because Arlo tells fantastic stories, but also because the audience was filled with 50-60-year-olds with long, curly, flowing white hair--men as well as women. Check out these young/old photos of Arlo:

Arlo Guthrie, 1968

Arlo Guthrie, 2009

Arlo's father was Woodie Guthrie, also a legendary folk singer/performer, who wrote (among other things) "This Land is Your Land," which was performed by Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen (go figure) at Obama's inaguration. I swear that song should have been our national anthem; I can remember singing it in elementary school right after the pledge. This post is already way too long, so what the heck, I'm going to be totally excessive and include a clip of Arlo Guthrie and Pete Seeger singing "This Land is Your Land." I'm pretty sure some the younger members of the band on this clip are his kids. (Check out their noses; they match the dad's.) One of his sons performed with him at Kingsbury tonight.

Gore summer grant

This year I applied for a summer grant. My proposal was to write a short book on the organizational principles of W.L. Gore & Associates....and I got the grant!

You might remember that I planned to write this little book last summer, but never got around to it. Here is the reason I think I will get around to it this summer: In September I have to write a report on how the project went, and present it to the members of the Gore foundation. This is pretty good incentive to finish the book.

I will now present to you just a few of the useful things that have been invented by the fine folks at Gore:

Gore-tex, useful in building warm jackets

Elixer guitar strings for your strumming pleasure

Glide dental floss, good for flossing several times every day

Yippee! I have a summer project, and I'm gettin' paid to do it!

Happy birthday to Duncan!

Ding, ding, ding! Tomorrow is March 20, the day we celebrate the birth of Duncan. I have four amazing visual presents.

Present one: Vintage photo of Duncan with Logan, Lindy....and Chuck, AKA Charles Aloiscious Steak!

Present two: A thrilling rendition of Happy Birthday performed space aliens. Eeeeeeee! When they say, "happy birthday to.....mmmmm...." you say "Duncan!"

Present three: Burt and Ernie sing Happy Birthday to U! No one is better than Burt and Ernie--no one.

Present four: Cat plays happy birthday on the violin. You can't beat this kind of realism mixed with artistic quality. Play it over and over and over until it totally drives you batty!

Happy birthday Dunc! I love you tons and I hope you have a fabulous day!

New cat officially (and fully) named

Oscar Hammertime

You asked if Oscar has a middle name, and the answer, now, is yes. We know he is an official family member because he has claimed his couch (the one that used to be "Bob's couch"), and he he now has a complete, given name.

Here we see him modeling his cool hammertime legs. (Sorry for the fuzziness; he would not stand still. Consider it an action shot.)


Here is Oscar's inspiration and role model. Notice any resemblance?

Oh, and in fashion news, hammerpants are beginning to appear on runways in Europe, so it's only a matter of time before they become available at your local Nordstrom. Apparently the defining feature of hammerpants is that the crotch is placed at the knees, making it impossible for the wearer to walk normally. Check this out if you don't believe me:

And as if all of this great news isn't enough, on Friday I was notified ("with great pleasure") that my promotion to associate professor was officially approved by my (1) faculty colleagues, (2) dean, (3) provost, (4) president, and (5) board of trustees. This must have been the most important decision in the entire world, given the number of people who had to vote on it. Not that I'm complaining. And who cares, anyway? I have a cool new cat who loves me.

Ode to joy and chickens--just for Lindy

Today I thought I would regale you with two videos from your past. Do you remember Beaker and Gonzo from the Muppets? Here are the most adorable You Tube videos ever:

Home sweet home/healthy cat

First, the big news: After trying a bunch of names on our new cat (thanks again for all the suggestions) , we think Oscar fits him best, so Oscar it is. Now that he has totally settled into his new home, he asked me to tell you how delighted he is to have his own bed, no barking dogs, a constant supply of food, an entire house to wander around in, people who fawn over him all day, and semi-tolerant siblings. (Kibby "noticed" him for the first time today, and said, "Hissss....," but so far, no altercations.)

Second, Oscar is now walking around like a regular cat--not like a 22-year-old cat. My hypothesis is that when you live in a cage for three months or more, you forget how to walk. That--in addition to being weirded out by a new house and the hardwood floors--is why I think he was having so much trouble walking when he first got here.

Third, we went to Dr. Dave (our no-nonsense vet) today, and here is what we learned:

1. In fact, Oscar is not blind; his retinas are intact. Somehow Dr. Dave could tell this by peering into Oscar's eyes with a super bright flashlight. However, he did say Oscar's eyes seem to be cloudy, suggesting that his peripheral vision is probably not great, hence his tendency to bump into things if he's moving too fast. Dr. Dave said we'll know when Oscar's sight is gone, because he'll stop jumping up on things like couches and beds.
2. Poor little Oscar only has four teeth left! Luckily, they are the "most important" teeth, and Dr. Dave was unconcerned about it. He (Oscar) seems to have no trouble eating crunchy cat food, but his toothlessness explains why I never hear crunching when he eats. Apparently he is swallowing his food whole.
3. After looking at his coat/skin, Dr. Dave concluded that Oscar doesn't have ringworm, so we don't have to give him those ridiculous pills. Yay! He says we'll definitely know if Oscar gets ringworm, for his hair will fall out and disgusting leisons will appear on his skin. If that happens, he suggested we bring him in for treatment right away. Good to know.
4. Dr. Dave thinks Oscar may have a hyperactive thyroid, which apparently is common in older cats. This may be why he (Oscar) drinks and eats so much. I am still convinced that Oscar has been eating constantly mainly because he has been stressed for the last three months and is starving. He doesn't strike me as hyperactive at all.
5. Oscar is a gregarious cat, according to our no-nonsense vet. This observation made me unreasonably proud, given that I had nothing to do with his upbringing, but still....

And finally, I wanted to mention that whenever Bob sits on the couch to watch pool or basketball--which is, like, several times a day--Oscar jumps up beside him to purr and sleep, just like Sput did. This leads me to believe that Sput is in heaven directing all things cat-related in our house, just to make life better for us. Oscar is a fantastic addition to our family, but Sput will always be the spiritual cat-leader in our house.

Our new little/old man

No name for the cat yet; we're waiting to find out more about him before we decide. Dunc and Betsy, that was a fantastic array of tough names, and Logies, that black-and-white list was also very impressive.

Getting to know our new little man has been interesting. For example, he was exposed to ringworm at the shelter, so we're supposed to be "pilling" him once a day, but so far, we can't get him to take a pill. We tried (unsuccessfully) this morning, after which he went into his room to sulk for about 30 minutes. Also, we think he may be blind, given that he keeps bumping into things like wastebaskets and coffee tables, and he had trouble finding his food bowl this morning. When I talk to him, he looks at my mouth, not my eyes, and he never looks right at me like our other cats do. It doesn't really make any difference since he's an inside cat, but we're eager to take him to our vet to see if there's a way to find out for sure if he can see.

I suspect that he's older than ten--either that, or he's had a very hard life, because he doesn't walk around like a middle-aged cat. He's weirded out by the hardwood floors; I know this because he takes tiny, stiff kitty steps when he's on them. To get down from the couch, he slides off rather than jumping, which could be due to the fact that his front feet have been declawed--can you believe it? Declawing is inhumane. I'm fine with him being an old guy though. At least he gets to live out his years in comfort, rather than being freaked out at a shelter.

Overall, our new little/old man seems content in his new retirement home. He's grooming himself now--he is so dignified! He' stretches out confidently on beds and couches, purrs constantly, head-butts whoever is sitting nearby, and eats about eight meals a day. (He came to us really, really skinny.) Lindy, he has become very attached to your room and especially the bed/comforter, and he spends a lot of time there. He seems oblivious to the other cats. Janie is still a little uneasy around him, but so far, the other cats haven't noticed he's here. Or maybe that's just an act: Ignore the new guy.

I think we'll decide on a name tomorrow. Later!