tiny living room tigers

and their adorable accessories

to do

• reports
• procedural notes
• clean up cat nonsense
• make room for more of it
• make charger holder thing for cell phone/ear piece (car)
• locate or replace latest favorite bowl that /mysteriously/ disappeared
• clean house
• label things
• buy outdoor light for backyard wall

I really like what my shrink said yesterday

which was basically, "well, if I said that, then I don't like what I said last week". So nice to just not worry about taking something back, changing your mind, and all without even having to confront the idea that someone might have misremembered something you said.

be my guest

I was once going to start a blog on which I answered manners questions, largely unprompted. I guess rather than devote all kinds of notspare time to that endeavor, I'll ask them here. Though I suppose asking when no one's listening is just like telling.

I just sat down at a restaurant that has two outdoor tables—one small and one large. When I parked the car, it looked like they were both occupied, so I left the dog locked up, even though he'd be so much happier outside. As I walked past the tables into the restaurant, however, it looked like the two ladies sitting at the large table (seriously—big enough for six) were paying their check. In fact, had paid their check. I stepped inside, chatted up the cook and the waitress, asked quietly whether it would be ok for me to take the table (she said yes, they've paid, they're leaving). I waited a few moments inside. I stepped outside and waited. At this point one of the ladies is still sitting there, but apparently just waiting for the other lady to finish in the bathroom (there's nothing left on the table but a credit card receipt—not even a glass of water). So I turn and say to her "I don't mean to hurry you or anything, but would you mind if I sit down with you for a few moments?". "I'm leaving" she says, and then (after I put some things down on the far corner of the table and walk away to let the dog out of the car) "Jesus Christ." Sure sounded like it was directed at me. Seriously? So, since the point was to let the dog out and not to take her precious table, I didn't hurry back—stayed half a block away watching the dog pee on things, pretending to look for a leash (which I'd already realized I'd left at home). Managed to occupy myself for long enough that I thought "now, Kate, you don't know what she said that about—maybe she read a text message she didn't like, or sat on a thumbtack" and started to feel bad and she started to walk away and I started to head back at which point she turns to her companion, then looks back at me and says to her buddy "I'm trying not to be a bitch right now".

all those common complaints

I really think it's time for me to buck up and stop griping about the stuff that always happens. I think it a lot. Not enough that I actually do it, mind you, but enough that I feel really bad when I don't.

Like just now some old guy walked up to my dog and said "What's your name?". And he kept going with it—"How old is you, sweetie?".

I feel pretty bad about not saying anything.

ad cents

I could use help with an ad. The last one looked like this:

Cute girl offering backup/lead vocals. Fluent in alt/classic country (Neko Case/Patsy Cline) and corny vocal jazz. Also interested in Belle and Sebastian/Rilo Kiley-type covers. Am creatively starved and out of practice, but reasonably talented. (Also, have 13 years of piano experience, though no technical expertise.) Any questions/possible interest should be directed to ...

and resulted in this:

This time, though, less time, fewer friends, and (if possible) a greater need. Also, I now officially play the ukulele.

That or, doesn't anyone know a group of 60-yr-old men who play Benny Goodman tunes at weddings in their spare time?