Well, golly, the holidays are expensive, what with all the jet-setting to Paris and Rome, and the helicopter trips to Aspen and and gifts for the doormen.
You know?
Oh, wait. What I really mean is the property taxes paid just at the due date (ahem), and the $700 repair on the brakes that went out (I drove the car to the shop, thinking that I had more braking power than I did -- turns out I'd bled the brakes dry of fluid by the time I got there. The master cylinder had blown. I wasn't stopping when I tried stopping. Eeep!) on Lala's car last week, and the $600 repair on my car yesterday (serpentine belt and oil leaks and various other things), and the (ALSO YESTERDAY) $400 repair on tiny Miss Idaho whose tiny chihuahua teeth are apparently made of gold. We are thinking of getting her a teeny little grill so she can be fly. Yo.
Sigh. Good thing that we like thrift stores, cheap wine, and staying in.
And speaking of pets -- and I have to tell you this or I'll explode because it's so funny, and you appreciate a good Digit story, but it's not couth, so forgive me.
You know how cats sit in warm places? Our central heat registers are in the floor. Very sensible. Heat registers that are in the ceilings make me crazy, since hot air rises. But ours are done right, and old Mr. Digit really loves to sit on top of them, letting the hot air blow all over him. Last night, while we were eating dinner, I saw him washing his bottom next to the heat register. When he was done, he backed up to it and air dried himself, like a person holding his hands up to a hand dryer in a public bathroom. Only, well, it wasn't his hand.
What?
It was priceless. (To those of you who have come over from BookClubGirl, welcome! I hope you're not horrified by the cat-butt story. To my regular readers, go over there and check out how I learned about Santa Claus. SPOILER ALERT - I TALK ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT HE'S REAL. Not for the faint of heart.)
Digit is obviously a very smart cat to have figured that out! My cat Emma has discovered the radiator cover my BF made this winter, and she loves to perch on it.
If you're going for the grill, just don't get the diamonds. They're plaque and tartar retentive - defeats the purpose. But that would be a bad@$$ chihuahua!
Posted by: JJ | Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at 05:20
Hi Rachael,
Will your book "How to knit a love song" be available for the Kindle? I could not find it on the Amazon Kindle site. :(
Love your blog...
Lydia
Posted by: Lydia | Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at 08:21
ugh. I'm with you. Car repairs...headgasket in Oct...$2400..new transmission....$3800....car would've gone to subaru heaven in Oct if I'd known about the transmission.....
our kitty Meggie sits on the vents as well. Too cute about Digit's butt though!
Posted by: stephcat | Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at 08:28
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
That is all.
Posted by: Michelle | Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at 12:58
He's his own little toto washlet - complete with the warm air dryer. See here - http://www.totousa.com/Default.aspx?tabid=111
Posted by: Stashhaus | Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at 14:17
That Digit is too funny. We're fortunate to have radiators in our house and they are definitely cat magnets. The sad thing is that Bosco has taken over all of Emma's favorite radiators.
Posted by: Teri S. | Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at 15:53
Great Digit story!
W have those ceiling registers. I hate them! I loved standing over the register as a kid in my flannel nightie with the warm air trapped under it. Good times!
Posted by: Maia | Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at 16:31
Funny story about Digit! I just read about your Santa story. My girl is just about to turn eleven and loves reading. I am thinking a copy of Little Women will be the perfect gift. Your story of how you found out about Santa sure touched me.
Posted by: RC | Thursday, December 17, 2009 at 07:42
Awesome Xmas piece!! Little Women is important. Also, I have a bunch of cat food I want to give that pet place.
Posted by: kryystyyy | Thursday, December 17, 2009 at 07:54
Digit is such a smart boy! Also -Little Women was the first book that made me cry. When Beth died I stopped reading it for weeks. I couldn't believe Louisa May Alcott would let that happen.
Posted by: janna | Friday, December 18, 2009 at 15:22
I would have loved to see the butt drying. As promised, I've finally added a shot of my Sherkahn, who looks so much like your cat I called my husband to the computer to see!
http://pamelafryer.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-sometimes-muse.html
Merry Christmas!!
Posted by: Pamela Fryer | Tuesday, December 22, 2009 at 20:44