Snow is Falling! Time for Cats and Stockings!

I wonder where the week went!   I'm beginning to feel like I'm in the Movie "Groundhog Day"  Or in the Navy SEALS during Hell Week.  Basically,  time seems to mush together and you repeat the same process over and over again.

Lucky for me,  I keep this blog....To remind me that a 24 hour period has passed.   It helps keep me in the here and now.  Sometimes.

We got lucky today when we went out for a run.  The snow,  which was predicted for today, held off for the entire run.  We even commented that the lack of wind and slightly warmer temps ( 24 degrees) were what was causing the air to seem warmer.
 I managed to capture what I think was an Owl in the woods.   The picture is not the best as I had to pull off several layers of gloves to snap the shot.




After the run, we headed to HyVee and got some kibble.  And that was when the Snow began to fly.

Luckily, it remains a small dusting and has not really accumulated much. Perhaps we may be able to run on the trail tomorrow.  We shall see how Cheryl feels.


Then back to stockings.  33 total today!   It is currently 9:30 and Cheryl is packing up the last of them now.   My job is to keep her company for the half hour it takes.  I do this by  blogging during my moments of restraint.


I also get to drink beer.   After all the stockings are made,  I'm pretty much off the hook...so I get to try a new beer and write about our eventful lives.  Today I'm "enjoying" the Dark Truth!   Sounds so mythical, doesn't it?   I say I'm enjoying it, but this Dark Stout is typical of all dark stouts I do not like.  Namely,  it is a rich smoky flavor.   I used to call it "inky"  but I think Smoky is more accurate.  I would not say this is one of my favorites....But I thought I would give it a try.  What is life without trying new things?

Lots of Cat Stockings

So many types!

Even long hairs!  With Names!

Today, the cat stockings ruled the waves!   I can't remember doing this many cat stockings at one time.   Sure, there were plenty of dog stockings as well,  but it was kind of cool seeing all these versions of cat stockings on the table.

And a few Dogs...as always.

Cheryl noted that she finds it hilarious when people tell her how she can do her job.  It is easy to forget that everyone who is not doing this job seems to be a professional stockings maker that is better at this than we are.  If only they would have offered their advice when we were starting out.... and their money.  Not that we would have believed them to begin with.   I guess that is just the people we must be.

Hiro Hides from the Shop Cat responsibilities. 

Red....The Mythical Shop  cat.

As mentioned before,  the last remaining "Shop Cat" is Hiro....and he does not want the job.  Today he darted out into the falling snow and hid under the neighbor's wood pile to avoid the shop.   I don't blame him much.  I'm sure, if given the opportunity,  Cheryl would follow the same option.

Those rough times were made bearable 

But while blogging yesterday,  I was reminded about our former Shop Cat ( Red) and how he took command of the situation...no matter how bleak events might have been.  Those were good times.  Small flashes of inspiration in otherwise "Dark Times".  I shouldn't bother Hiro with comparisons.  Red was a truly tough cat to follow.  But perhaps Hiro will find his own voice someday.   We shall see.   Thanks for stopping in.

Another Big Day for Stockings! IKEA, Felt, And The End of the Driveway Saga?

Finding it difficult to dig in the Frozen Ground!

This morning started off with the promise of light at the end of the tunnel.   Namely:  The construction guys came back for their stuff.

It was ironic that the soil was so rock-hard frozen that they literally could not get the dig into it.  They tried ( and kinda failed) to smooth out the mounds of dirt still adorning the landscape.   All of it was set up more solidly than the concrete they poured three days ago!   

IKEA furniture?   When did we order this?

The guy was cool though.  I talked to him on our way out to the street...where we were forced to park our cars....for an entire two weeks.   But I tried not to dampen his spirits with my complaints.   He was nice enough to inform me that they were done and would come back in the Spring to "finish the landscaping."   I'm "OK" with it as long as they do not tear up any more driveways in the process. 

Cheryl did not run today...choosing instead to focus our energies on catching up a few stockings.  It was terribly cold today and she needed a day off anyway.  What better time to divert that extra energy and time to the stocking shop!   

Felt, Buttons, And "other" things.

We arrived home to see that IKEA furniture had been delivered.   It was a good thing the driveway was finished,  or else the poor guy would have had to lug all that junk down the 1/4 mile of driveway...In the COLD! 

My button collection....replenished!

About a half an hour later,  UPS arrived delivering felt, buttons, and numerous other things Cheryl has been ordering behind my back.  The UPS guy is a trooper!   He has been having to make all of these deliveries following the same procedure we have....  Namely:  Walking down the entire driveway while the truck remains parked on the street.  Several times he has had to deliver even larger boxes!  We'll have to give him an extra special Christmas treat this year.  

And then on to stockings.  40 total today!  I forgot we did 36 yesterday.   40 seems a lot like 36...but it is currently 10:15 P.M. and Cheryl is still packing things up. And we did not run today....so I'm not sure if the time is the same. 

Hiro, the "Unwilling" Shop Cat!

Hiro,  the "conscripted" shop cat,  sometimes tries to help.   Sometimes he almost seems to care.

He's trying to go outside, not inspecting.

He looks so bored....And not very helpful. 

 But his unwillingness to do the things that shop cats are meant to do is always obvious.   I remember Red and Rashe....  Oh! Those awesome shop cats! I miss them so....  especially on long days like today. 

So another mountain of stockings for us....and now we are down to only 49 open orders!   However,  many of those orders are of 4 stockings....  so that might still be a serious effort.  We shall see.

And to Celebrate our achievement?   The Calling IPA from Boulevard Brewing Co.  I really like their Wheat Beer and I have been enjoying these special season limited releases.   I have yet to try the sour ale ( probably will not.) and their special Dark beer.   But who knows.  We have not been in the spirits section in a while.   And with Wisconsin beer on the Horizon,  it is possible I might miss out on any new seasonal beers.   But we shall see how it goes.  

Hope everyone is staying warm   Lots to blog about at the moment....and A motivated, unemployed writer at the ready.  It makes for longer blog posts, I guess. Thanks for reading and stopping in.  

The Last of the Prototypes, With the Shop cat's Approval

Well, Cheryl sewed up the last of the prototype stockings ( i.e. NEW designs) And we took their picture yesterday. I like them and I'm hoping that the rest of America ( and the world) like them as well. And who knows? Perhaps some inspiration will hit us later and Cheryl will designs another new one in a different color. In the mean time, Hiro is working hard to replace the old shop cat. I'm not sure he is doing the best he can. Mostly he gets in the way and knocks stuff on the floor. He also Meows way too much! It's almost ( ALMOST) as bad as having a crying kid in the room. Whenever he meows, All I hear is "Look at me! Pay attention to me! I want to go outside!" Rasha has handed over the shop cat title since we moved to Iowa. She used to come over and hang out while I was painting seats. Now she would rather sleep in the cushy bed or stylish couch. Hiro has his moments of cuddliness. But he has a long way to go to become a lap cat full fledged shop cat. There is much more training!

Civco, Spring, And a Week without the shop cat..

It has been almost a week and a half since Red decided to leave us for the happy mousing grounds in the sky. And we miss him. Cheryl says it is like that radio in the background that is alwasy playing but you really don't notice until one day it is not playing. I miss taking Red for walks out in the yard. And, it is finally warming up a bit here so he would actually enjoy it more. On a brighter note, Cheryl and I got a temporary gig at Civco and it makes the time go by a little bit easier. Civco is a local company that manufactures Medical Equipment. It's actually not so bad. Perhaps a little boring, but quite easy. We work in the clean room folding plastic bags and packaging latex covers for equipment. They make lots of stuff from disposable covers to full blown machines ( they have a machine shop with all the really cool "toys" where they make probes, ultrasound machines, Etc.) Our focus is limited to the clean room, however, so I don't get to play with an industrial lathe or bansdaw. On the downside, it does pretty much kill the day so there is not much time for blogging or checking in to the shops. I guess it is a trade off no matter what. Hopefully I'll get to blog a little more often, but every time I say that, it seems like the gaps get wider and wider between posts. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Farewell, My Dear Red Shop Cat

Tuesday marks a very sad day for us here as our dear Shop cat, Red, died. It happened so fast, we barely had time to rush him to the vet to figure out what was wrong. Sunday, I was playing with him in the yard, And by Tuesday night, he spiraled out of control. We bundled him up in a blanket at 3 am on a cold rainy morning for a trip to the emergency vet, but by the time we arrived, his temperature had dropped severely and the vet gave us the grim prognosis. There was only one option, and after seeing Red's condition plummet over the past 24 hours, I was in agreement.
Over the past 15 years, we have had a total of 6 cats, and for me, Red was one of those cats that was truly unique. I really don't know how to describe him in terms that people would understand. I mean, all of our cats are great in their own way, but with Red, it's like there is something noticeably missing in our lives. He was not just a cat, but a friend...if that makes sense. He would sleep on my shoulders while I painted, climb on my lap while I folded, and steal my milk whenever I would drink coffee. He had to be on me whenever I sat down and would follow me everywhere. He was probably one of the oldy cats I was able to take for walks without him wandering away ( too far anyway). He was handsome, easy going, and well behaved. And he would get along with any cat and most dogs ( at least all the dogs I've ever seen him around) instantly. He was just so likeable to everyone and everything that ever met him. It happened so fast, and even now, I am still stunned by the loss. He had no health issues ( other than chronic bad breath) and was frisky and cuddly just two days prior. Perhaps it is a blessing that he did not linger for two weeks like poor Zulu ( another Awesome cat!) with the vets scrambling to figure out what to do while our bank account dwindles! Anyway, This blog post might be a little sad, but he was a great cat and I'm sure impossible to replace. We still have two cats that are wonderful in their own way, But cats like Red only seem to come around once in a blue moon. I look forward to seeing him again, someday. Because I'm sure that he'll be waiting for me in heaven along with Zulu, Sasha and Orange. Rest in Peace, Red. Your light was very bright and over much too quickly. And I will miss you very, very much....