Man Oh Manny!

What I did on my Summer Vacation (eat)

2010-10-15T13:25:00.000-05:00

What to blog, what to blog, what to blog.

I’m not sure, I just know that I want to start making it a regular habit, again.

Need ideas.

Manny is hip to my blog (or lack thereof) and saves all his cute and funny activities for when I am not home. I’m convinced. He can't be sleeping all that time. Or maybe he can be.

I guess I can tell you about what I did on my summer vacation! The Husband and I did some long weekend trips to Philadelphia; Chicago; D.C.; and Lake George, NY.

When in Philly, my trip wouldn’t be complete until I had a Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich from both Pat’s and Geno’s.

In Chicago, I HAD to have a Chicago hot dog and deep dish pizza from Pizzeria Uno. One slice of the deep dish pizza just about stopped my heart, but it was really gooooood. Not NY good, but good.

If I found myself in your neck of the woods, what would be -the- must have food I would have to eat or my trip would be deemed incomplete?

Don’t be shy.

New Directions.

2010-07-16T13:22:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, in life, things unexpectedly change. You can be headed down one path, blissfully happy with the direction you’re headed in, when BAM! Out of left field, and in my case, on the most gorgeous April day, you’re blindsided, and left spinning in circles. When you finally stop spinning, you realize you’re on a completely different path, blindly feeling you’re way towards a different direction. You feel uncertain about this new direction and maybe shell shocked. If you’re lucky, you’ll have friends and family help push you along as you figure out this totally unplanned route. Some days you move forward, some days you take a few steps back, but one thing is for certain, you learn to adjust whether you like it or not.

I’m not going to get into details or explain the above further. The Husband, Manny and I are on a different path. Thankfully, were on this different path together and at the end of the day, what more can you really ask for.

I haven’t written here in a really long time, and I thought maybe I was done. Until someone reached out and whispered, “I miss you…” (cough, Helen, cough) So here I am, thinking of something humorous to share.

*************

And what can be more humorous than the NYC subway system. Well, I’m sure fellow New Yorkers would find a more…colorful…word to describe it, but let’s go with humorous for now.

Up until last Tuesday, it hadn’t rained in my neck of the woods for three weeks. Then, one day. The Heavens opened up and it rained for most of the day. The rain drove the subway system into a complete tailspin causing delays the next morning due to flooding, signal problems, and whatever else. So, of course all this happens at the height of rush hour in the morning. There is nothing more frustrating than sitting on a subway car that’s not in any rush to get anywhere. The conductor made an announcement that because of train traffic (mmmm hmmm) we would be delayed, BUT, no fear! The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will now generate excuse notes for your inevitable lateness at your request! They will even send it via email to the supervisor of your choice.

Whaaaat?

Of course I had to go on the MTA website and check this out myself. So, I finally found a form and began filling it out. The form took me longer to fill out than the actual subway delay, but I persevered. There was a box on the form that said reason for delay. Oh boy. My initial thought was to write the following:

Well, MTA. The delay was because of a natural Act of God, called rain. It rained a total of 0.0002 inches for the entire month of June and half of July combined and the minute it does rain, -- and we are by no means talking about rain so bad we started building an ark, just so we’re clear - the subway system ceases to run. Flooding in the stations caused delays. Signal failure caused even more delays (by the way, MTA, I’m on to you….I know signal failure is MTA speak for who the F knows why we are running late today but lets just tell those poor saps something).

But I had a limited amount of space to describe said delays, so I simply put, subway delays due to rain. So, now that I filled out the form and gave all the pertinent information, I’m supposed to have an excuse note direct from the MTA.

I’m hoping the excuse note reads:

Please excuse my passenger, Gina A------, for being late. We suck.
Fondly,
the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

See? Humorous.

What Does Not Destroy Me...

2010-01-05T13:21:00.005-05:00

Yesterday as I got close to the Times Square subway station, I pulled out my MetroCard and on the back of it I noticed the following quote:

Train of Thought: What does not destroy me, makes me stronger. (Friedrich
Nietzsche 1844-1900).

Now, I have heard this quote a billion times before, but seeing it on the back of a Metro*Card (or as I like to call it, my train ticket to Hell) reeked of pure irony. My daily commute to and from the office on the subway is filled with enough things that's probably making me stronger. Or at the very least, a more tougher, jaded commuter. I present you a list of said things in bullet format:

· Every day, at this one station where I transfer to another train, hoards of people REFUSE to step aside and let the passengers off the train. Instead, these hoards of people try to squeeze their way onto the train before letting anyone out. A huge pet peeve of mine and a subway rider no-no. You basically have to sharpen your elbows if you want to make it out alive. What does not destroy me, makes me stronger.

· If you time it just right, you can be the only person trying to make your way down the stairs while throngs of people are stampeding up the stairs. What does not destroy me, makes me stronger.

· Things are always frenetic in and around subway stations - especially high traffic stations. Stations are filled with people whizzing by; tourists scratching their heads; and people beating on drums; playing pan flutes and break dancing all for some loose change or a dollar if they’re lucky. It's always noisy no matter what time of day. What does not destroy me, makes me stronger.

· Subway doors are unforgiving. They will close on you whether or not you, your limbs, or your personal property are on the other side of the doors. The Husband and I have been separated many times because he is able to jam himself inside while the doors snap shut in my face. The rule is, if one makes it on without the other, they get to feed Manny his Fancy Feast. What does not destroy me, makes me stronger.

· The 7 train is notorious for too small seats. Unless you’re built like a pipe cleaner, if you want a seat, you’ll have to wedge yourself in between two people. One of which is probably a guy who has to sit with his legs wide open. What does not destroy me, makes me stronger.

OK, that’s enough for now, I don’t want to scare my out-of-state readers from ever coming to the Big Apple or deter anyone from using our transit system. The MTA is already in a budget crisis, so we need all the dollars we can get. I just love how poetic my Metro*Card is this month.

I can’t wait to see what other quotes land on my $89 a month unlimited Metro*Card. . .

New Twitter Name...

2009-11-25T20:43:00.003-05:00

I interrupt this blog for a brief public service annoucement...

My new twitter name has changed from ginabeana to cassalvarez. Follow Me. Please. It's lonely over at my new account. : )

We will now continue with manohmanny already in progress.

Reinvention

2009-11-18T17:00:00.004-05:00

So I’ve been doing some thinking about this little blog of mine. I miss blogging, but I feel like all the Manny stories I have is a repeat of something I have already posted. So, time for a lil reinvention. Nothing drastic. In addition to writing about Manny, I think I will include more posts about me and my daily adventures. I live in the boroughs of NYC. I see crazy happenings all the time – I should be able to find something in my day to write about. Let’s call it a switch from a blog about my cat to a “life blog” as Kim would call it. Speaking of Kim, she’s having a Homemade Holiday Sweets Giveaway over at her blog. Even though it will lessen my chances of winning, I encourage you to enter. I’ve been on the receiving end of her homemade goodies and they are seriously. good.

See? Goood Stuff.

And not to exclude Manny, I caught Manny picking out my Christmas gift the other day.

Uh huh. The boy's got good taste.

Dear Manny,

2009-08-18T13:16:00.006-05:00

Dear Manny,

I heart you Manny, I really do. You are a big mush when you want to be and your grooming habits are impeccable. You are a connoisseur of kicking back and you come when you’re called – how could a person not love that?! I love how you show me your belly when I get home from work. It's OK that you showing me your belly leads to rabbit kicks to my arms. I don’t mind your mood swings or the occasional hair balls you leave on the floor for my bare feet to find (OK, maybe I mind a little). I don’t even mind your cries for food every time I walk in the kitchen. But I have something to tell you, sweet Manny. I need to get this off of my chest:

I have a crush! It’s true – I can’t help it! I didn't want it to happen. I don't even know when it happened. It wasn't planned. Although miles and miles separate my crush and me (how far is it from NYC to Chicago?) – I still can’t help oohing and awing over him. I can’t help staring at his pictures or giggling at his you tube videos. Siiiigh.

He’s just so different from you. He’s dark; he loves going for walks; doesn’t mind a little vacuuming; and takes lounging to a whole new level. A seriously whole new level. I’m not saying he’s better than you, just different. His name? Data. Yes, he’s a cat.

Alas, he belongs to Kim, but I can’t help loving him, too. Click on the links, you'll see what I mean.

don't worry -you'll always be my Mannicotti Biscotti.

Love,

Me.

This blog inspired by Kim's blog post entitled, How to Make Your Cat Jealous.

Owned

2009-07-14T08:10:00.002-05:00

But we already knew that.

Manny pulls out the high-pitched cry talked about in the below article when he hears anything remotely similar to a can opener or when he's ready for us to go to bed. Feel free to discuss your thoughts on article. Does your cat own you?

***********************
Livescience.com
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20090713/sc_livescience/catsdocontrolhumansstudyfinds

If you've ever wondered who's in control, you or your cat, a new study points to the obvious. It's your cat.

Household cats exercise this control with a certain type of urgent-sounding, high-pitched meow, according to the findings.

This meow is actually a purr mixed with a high-pitched cry. While people usually think of cat purring as a sign of happiness, some cats make this purr-cry sound when they want to be fed. The study showed that humans find these mixed calls annoying and difficult to ignore.

"The embedding of a cry within a call that we normally associate with contentment is quite a subtle means of eliciting a response," said Karen McComb of the University of Sussex. "Solicitation purring is probably more acceptable to humans than overt meowing, which is likely to get cats ejected from the bedroom."

They know us

Previous research has shown similarities between cat cries and human infant cries.
McComb suggests that the purr-cry may subtly take advantage of humans' sensitivity to cries they associate with nurturing offspring. Also, including the cry within the purr could make the sound "less harmonic and thus more difficult to habituate to," she said.

McComb got the idea for the study from her experience with her own cat, who would consistently wake her up in the mornings with a very insistent purr. After speaking with other cat owners, she learned that some of their cats also made the same type of call. As a scientist who studies vocal communication in mammals, she decided to investigate the manipulative meow.

Tough to test

Setting up the experiments wasn't easy. While the felines used purr-cries around their familiar owners, they were not eager to make the same cries in front of strangers. So McComb and her team trained cat owners to record their pets' cries - capturing the sounds made by cats when they were seeking food and when they were not. In all, the team collected recordings from 10 different cats.

The researchers then played the cries back for 50 human participants, not all of whom owned cats. They found that humans, even if they had never had a cat themselves, judged the purrs recorded while cats were actively seeking food - the purrs with an embedded, high-pitched cry - as more urgent and less pleasant than those made in other contexts.

When the team re-synthesised the recorded purrs to remove the embedded cry, leaving all else unchanged, the human subjects' urgency ratings for those calls decreased significantly.
McComb said she thinks this cry occurs at a low level in cats' normal purring, "but we think that cats learn to dramatically exaggerate it when it proves effective in generating a response from humans." In fact, not all cats use this form of purring at all, she said, noting that it seems to most often develop in cats that have a one-on-one relationship with their owners rather than those living in large households, where their purrs might be overlooked.

The results were published in the July 14 issue of the journal Current Biology.

Pictures

2009-06-20T11:14:00.009-05:00

As promised.

Oh and just for kicks - here is a picture of my Orchid.

It's dead now. Well, I'm not sure if it's totally dead. The flowers fell off but the leaves are nice and green.

Hola!

2009-06-15T11:11:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone! So sorry for the long time no write. I know some of you have been worried about Manny because of the lack ‘o blogs, but he is doing great. Life got difficult there for awhile and I needed a little blogging break. We are all fine and happy, but I had to focus on life and give it it’s fair share of attention.

Manny is doing really well. He has adjusted to his new home beautifully. The stairs are his new playground – he likes to race me up and down, and beats me every time. It’s getting really competitive, I must admit. He fights dirty. Manny likes to cut in front of me; and I know some day I will get to the bottom of the stairs before he does, but I think it’s going to contain a nasty spill (me) and I’ll most likely not land on all four feet.

Manny’s getting more vocal. I like to greet him in a high pitch (no idea why) voice when I come home from work, and he likes to match it. He’s probably telling me to take it down a couple of notches, but I like to pretend he’s actually answering me, when I squeak out “and how was YOUR day!”.

The other day The Husband managed to brush enough fur off of Manny to make another cat. I have no idea where Manny is storing all this fur. He enjoys depositing some of it when he finds a discarded shirt on the floor. It’s my fault, I still haven’t learned to pick up my clothes off the floor on a regular basis. It’s been a problem since childhood, right Mom. So instead of my Mom telling me to pick the clothes off my floor, now I find Manny laying all over my sweat shirt or gym clothes. As a reward for being lazy, I get a shirt (probably a black shirt) with orange fur all over it. YAY! So, I’m taking matters into my own hands. No, I did not become neat. I got the BISSELL PET HAIR ERASER. Or as The Husband likes to call it, THE PET ERASER. He thinks it’s funny.

He’s been the target of my camera lately. I love interrupting his nap time(s) with my camera. He hates the camera and flinches whenever I pull it out. I’ll post some of them soon. Yeah, I know I’ve said that before, but I will! Promise.

WANTED: GUEST BLOGGERS…

I’m thinking that it would be great to hear from some of my readers. If anyone is interesting in being a “guest blogger” and posting a story or two about your beloved cat, let me know! Perhaps it will clear some of this blogger’s block I’ve been having. Email me at mannyed924@hotmail.com if you would like to share a story on Man Oh Manny!

oh yeah....

2009-03-11T20:29:00.002-05:00

Alrighty....I think I owe you all an update. I hope no one was holding their breathe waiting...I could be in big trouble.

So, I think I left it that we were waiting for Manny's test results. I received a message with the test results about a week and half later. He tested negative for both FIV and Feline Bartonella. But. The lab was unable to test for FeLV because the vet didn't take enought blood to test for all three tests.

*&%^!!! Whaaa?

The vet then asked on the message she left for me if I could bring Manny back in for more blood work.

@%$^*!! Whaaaaa?

My favorite part of the message: the vet said I wouldn't have to pay for the test (that I already paid for) since they didn't take enough blood to actually run the test. Um, gee, thanks.

Let's rewind a little bit shall we. I already took him two weeks in a row (one of those days being Valentine's Day) to the Vet and now they want me to bring him back for a third time. Do they know how hard it is to get a Manny in a cat carrier?!

Luckily this was all said on a message and not "in person" because it gave me some time to think about my next move. Ah, who am I kidding, it gave me enough time to rant and rave and then think about my next move. I was beyond relieved that he tested negative for two of the tests but was worried about the one outstanding test. I figured my options were to either 1.) wrestling Manny back in the carrier for a third time in one month for more blood work or 2.) hold off on the test; and ask the vet about the next step.

After discussing it with The Husband we decided to go with option #2 and the vet was okay with that choice. She said the next step was to try out Clinda-guard, an antibiotic, orally for 10 days and to bring him back after we were done to see if the medicine helped his gums out. If there is no indication that the medicine helped at all, we will go back and test for FeLV.

So that's where we are at now. Administering anything orally to a cat is pretty complicated. We got away with it for ohhh, about one day. Now we are just adding it to his Fancy Feast and are keeping our fingers crossed that it will be good enough.

Other than having his Fancy Feast spiked with medicine, Manny is doing well. He likes to talk to me when I get home from work and he likes to be thisclosetome when we go to bed. He spends most of his time purring away, and that's how I like it.

'Til next time...

V-Day

2009-02-17T21:00:00.003-05:00

For some, V-Day could be short for Valentine’s Day. For others, namely Manny, it probably means Vet Day.

Manny was back at the V-E-T on Saturday. Yup, I took my beloved cat to the vet on Valentine’s Day. For blood work. I suck. But as I explained to Manny, it was for his own good so we can figure out what is and what isn’t causing his gum issues. He is being tested for FeLV; FIV; and Feline Bartonella. He has tested negative for FeLV; FIV before but I don’t think he’s ever had the Bartonella test done. Apparently there is a link between Bartonella and oral disease. We should know the results within the next few days.

I hated seeing him get blood work done. I was such a baby and started tearing up when they laid him on his side and pulled out his back paw inorder to find a vein. I guess this is a prime example of why I could/should never be a Vet. Or a Doctor. Or a Nurse. Manny handled it way better than I did and the Vet called him a Champ.

Upon recommendations from my previous Vet, I had been mixing Science Diet Oral Care with his regular food. The Oral Care food has big chunks of dry food goodness that is suppose to help a cat break up plaque and tartar. I decided to take out all those chunks from his food in case it was aggravating his gums. I think he appreciated the gesture. He’s not really digging the Agua Dent no matter how much I dilute it so I’ll probably just have to give up on that option. He also gets to have his Fancy Feast more often. Lucky guy. He doesn't have a problem with that one at all.

When we got back from the Vet he ate a little and camped out in his hideout for the better part of the day. He did come out later on, purring and rubbing against my leg for some pets. I do like his forgiving nature. I'm lucky he didn't pack his bags and find another home having to go to the Vet two Saturdays in a row.

So, we’ll take it one step at a time to see what’s going on with his gums. Stay tuned.

New Vet City

2009-02-11T14:46:00.002-05:00

We took Manny out on a lil excursion last Saturday. We frolicked in the park; chased after birds – ahh, ok, we went to the vet. It really wasn’t time for his annual vet visit, but since I moved, it’s been on my mind to get some recommendations on a good vet in the new ‘hood. We finally secured a good recommendation, did some quick research and made an appointment with a local vet about a 5 min. car ride away.

I also made the mistake of teasing Manny about the upcoming vet visit. He was prepared come Saturday morning and he put up a good fight about getting into his cat carrier. Although, I must note that he calmed down a lot quicker than usual after he was inside the carrier. Note to self: don’t utter the word vet, even in jest.

I was pretty happy with the new Vet. When she saw Manny she said, “oh, this office loves orange cats”. Insert beaming pet owner face right about here. I loved hearing that, and I’m sure Manny thought it was cool, too. She also told me she used to have an orange cat named Manny, short for Manouri, a greek cheese, and got a kick out of hearing that my Manny was short for Manicotti. There is just something about orange cats named after ethnic foods that really makes me smile.

Aside from that, the Vet gave Manny a really thorough check up. She told me some cool facts about orange cats that I never knew. For instance, the little black mark on Manny’s nose and on the inside of his lips are common for Orange cats as they get older. I guess you can call them age spots, just don’t tell Manny that.

Then we looked inside his mouth and found some trouble. She was able to get Manny to open his mouth really wide and we saw some gum bleeding going on and some plaque buildup which concerned the Vet. I was immediately alarmed because my former Vet never really alluded to this and Manny just saw him in September. I take Manny to the Vet very regularly to keep him updated on his required shots and for checkups. About two years ago my former Vet just told me that Manny had some redness on his gums and to try using a dry food geared to oral care for cats. He was never able to open Manny’s mouth as wide or for as long as the new vet did. She suggested that I get Manny’s records from the old vet so she could take a look and decide the best course of action. She told me about CET Aqua Dent. It’s a odorless, colorless, additive that you can put in your pet’s water. So I bought and put some in his water bowl. So because it's ordorless and colorless, Manny knows something is up with his water because he’s stopped drinking water after I put in the stuff. I switched out the Agua Dent water to see if he goes back to drinking. He’s always been a good water drinker. The Vet even mentioned that he’s well hydrated. So, I’m keeping a close eye on his drinking habits (that sounds funny) and will discuss treatment options for his gums with Vet after she reviews his medical records.

Manny doesn’t seem to be in any pain and he has a good appetite so I don’t think his gums are bothering him too too much. I do, however, want to get his gum situation in check. He’s a pretty healthy cat otherwise. When we got home from the vet, Manny sat on the couch and watched TV with me, so luckily, he forgives me for the vet visit.

2009: The Year of the Cat Nascar

2008-12-31T12:36:00.005-05:00

I would say that Manny sleeps and/or naps for approximately 23 hour a day. Not really surprising as he is a cat, but what is surprising is the amount of activity that cat can cram into his one hour of sleeplessness. Also interesting is the time of night he chooses to engaged in what I like to call, CAT NASCAR. Last night it was 3 AM. So, I guess I should change "last night" to "way way too early in the morning.

I have no idea what brings upon this sudden burst of energy, but when it happens Manny hits the ground running. Literally. He jumps off the bed, lands on the floor with a loud thud that usually signals the beginning of his laps around the house. He runs from room to room on the second floor until he realizes that “oh yeah, we have a second floor” and bounds down the stairs and back up and back down. Every once in awhile in all his excitement he misses a step or two and you can hear the extra galloping it takes to regain his momentum. Then its back on the bed so that he can jump back off and then back on. Repeat. Run around the 2nd floor a few times; downstairs to his water bowl; maybe a pit stop at the litter box; and back upstairs where he usually runs into a fake toy mouse. Throw the fake toy mouse into the mix and it sounds like someone let a herd of horses into the house [actually being that I live in Queens, I'll liken it to a runaway subway car]. Manny has been getting more talkative so while he does his laps and fake toy mouse throwing, he likes to squeak. Well I guess its meowing, but it sounds more like squeaking. I’m pretty sure his squeaks are directed at me, as in, “get your lazy arse out of bed and entertain meeeeeeeee”. Of course his energy wanes and he’s back on the bed to make himself comfy for the rest of the night/early morning; the following afternoon; and evening.

This morning when I went to make the bed he was still wrapped up in a ball (as seen in the picture from last post) recuperating from his early morning shenanigans. I gently picked him up (he squeaked at me) and placed him on the floor. I turn back around and he’s back in the spot I just removed him from. I try again. He manages to sneak back to his warm and cozy spot in super stealth mode before I can attempt to make the bed. I try again. And again. Eventually he gets bored of this “game” we are apparently playing and jumps off the bed and goes to his under-the-bed oasis (aka his hideout) to resume his sleepy time.

Tonight, I plan to ring in the New Year by chillax-in' at home and playing Guitar Hero like a wannabe rock star. I haven’t been at home on NYE in a awhile, so I’m looking forward to it. Manny will be conserving his energy for the next bout of CAT NASCAR.

Whatever your plans are tonight - Manny; The Husband and I wish you a safe and fun New Years. We hope that 2009 will bring you an abundance of blogging material – all good things, of course.

Reworking a Classic...

2008-12-24T04:18:00.010-05:00

Not a creature was stirring, not even a Manny...

....on Comet! On Cupid! on, Donder (Donner ?) and Manny!

...Manny Christmas to all! And all a good night!

****

Manny archives

http://manohmanny.spaces.live.com/

Happenings

2008-12-15T14:22:00.002-05:00

Manny is still sneaking into the 2nd bedroom to spread out on the day bed, but he has learnt to jump off and sneak out of the room when he hears someone coming. If he’s napping in the room and gets busted he knows enough to at least look guilty. So, yes, I’m making progress.

Lately he’s taken up an interest in kitchen cabinets. When I come home from work I see the pantry doors slightly ajar as well as the cabinets under the sink. I have no idea what his fascination is with them, but I’m thinking of investing in child safety locks to keep him out. The good side is that my house will be child proof well before a baby pitter patters into the picture. At first, I thought The Husband was being overly lazy when he went into the cabinets and would “forget” to close them, but he swore it wasn’t him. So then I thought “Great. I moved into a house with ghosts…” Luckily, I caught Manny in the act (because thinking you live in a ghost infested house is not fun). He pries the cabinets open with his paw and then rubs his face on the edge of the door and walks away.

We’ve put up the Christmas tree and Manny’s been pretty good with it. Cabinets and daybeds excite him more I guess because he hasn’t really gone near it much. When we brought it in the house, he supervised from the steps.

Speaking of the steps, the stairs are now his new throne. He likes to watch what his people are doing from high places. When people come to visit he sits on the stairs and watches. You need to climb the steps if you want to say hello to Sir Manny. He doesn’t come to you. As if.

I bought an early Christmas gift for me – actually it’s for my camera. I bought my camera a Christmas gift. The Camera got a Canon EF 50 mm F/1.8 II lens to play around with. Manny’s been my (un)willing model. Every time I take out the camera he flinches. He’s not a big fan of the flash so every picture I take of Manny his eyes are closed. I have nice squinty pictures of my cat. I’ll post them on here soon.

That’s about it for Manny happenings. Just trying to get ready for the holidays which means chasing Manny around with his Christmas collar. Stay tuned.

***

Looking for Manohmanny archives?
http://manohmanny.spaces.live.com/

This belongs to Manny...and so does that, and that...

2008-11-11T11:14:00.005-05:00

When we first moved into our new place, we used the second bedroom upstairs as a dumping ground for miscellaneous boxes and items that we weren't sure where we were going to put them. Among these items were Manny's litter box and food stuff. We decided to keep his stuff in the second bedroom while we worked on arranging (and rearranging) downstairs. We didn't want to keep shifting his food and litter box every two seconds.

This past weekend we made some great strides in organizing the second bedroom (it can actually be used as a guest bedroom now!). We finally found a couple of spots downstairs that work for Manny's food and litter box and shifted his stuff downstairs. That transition went well for Manny and he just continued eating and using the box in the appropriate places as if nothing ever changed. The daybed that we bought for the second/guest bedroom is set up with bedding and blankets waiting for potential over night visitors (hint, hint family!) to use it. Yesterday, I walked into the room to look for a miscellaneous box, and there staring at me from the bed, was Manny. He looked at me like, "uh, don't you ever knock", and I looked at him like, "uh, what are you doing on *this* bed...". So I went over, picked him up off the bed and carried him to my bed explaining to him that he can not possibly take over every piece of furniture in this house -one bed per customer!". He noted his dissatisfaction by a few tail swishes but eventually plopped down on my bed to continue his snooze.

Fast forward a few hours later. I was walking up the stairs when I heard the unmistakable sound of paws landing on the floor. I looked toward the second bedroom and saw Manny sneaking out of the guest bedroom heading towards my room. I followed him into my room and watched him curl up on my bed.

"Manny", I said. "I know you think everything in this house is yours, but seriously, do you think I can have just one thing that does not have orange fur all over it? I would appreciate it, and future guests would appreciate it - do you think you can make that happen?

I got a tail swish in response.

I'm pretty sure his orange fur is the equivalent to human's leaving yellow sticky notes with the word "MINE" all over their belongings.

So now I am on a crusade to reclaim the guest bedroom as the guest bedroom and not Manny's Domain East. Even if it means having to leave yellow sticky notes all over that bed. I have a feeling it will be a losing battle, but we'll see if it can be done.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-30T08:51:00.005-05:00

Or Happy Man-Oh-Ween as I like to say! Check out the card Kim sent me this year for Halloween! Kim and Courtney have the amazing ability to alway find the best cat cards - I'm glad I get to be the lucky recipient! This particular card captures Manny's personality perfectly!

THANKS, KIM!

Ps..Feel free to comment - a blogger or google account is not required in order to leave some love.

Home Sweet New Home

2008-10-18T08:41:00.001-05:00

We are back from Ireland and have moved into our new home! We've been very busy unpacking and settling in, but I'm happy to say, we are all accounted for. Yes, The Husband; Manny; two "fishies" and I successfully moved into our new home. One couch and one box spring were not so successful. It was a tiresome move with some tears (mine); cries (Manny) and plenty of cursing (everyone).

But I'll cut to the chase, I know everyone wants to hear about Manny and how he handled the move. He was a champ! The vet gave Manny Acepromazine to help Manny get through the hour drive and subsequent move. It worked! Manny cried a little bit when we first put him the dreaded cat carrier, but once in the car he surprisingly settled in for the ride. His calm demeanor obviously had a lot to do with the tranquilizer, but it was a relief that he didn't spend the car ride meowing in feigned agony.

When we arrived in the new place, we put Manny in a spare bedroom that we were going to keep closed during the entire move. We set him up with his water and food bowls; the litter box; and his beloved fish towel and blankets that we kept in his hideout (under the bed) at our old place. He snuggled into the blankets and napped. He was pretty much out of it for the rest of the day. A couple of times when I checked up on him, I saw that he had wrapped all the blankets around himself. He looked like a lil pig in the blanket.

Towards midnight, the Acepromazine wore off and he started to meow to be let out of the room. I was nervous about letting him out but didn't want him to spend his first night crying. When we let him out we brought him into our room, hoping that we could confine him in there until morning. He was completely fine with that. I think he just wanted him Mom (and Dad). He sniffed around our room for a bit and once he was finished jumped onto the mattress and purred away.

The next day we let Manny explore and he had a busy schedule of sniffing boxes and inspecting the furniture. When he wasn't sniffing around, he was busy trying to wedge himself under my dresser. It's amazing how he is able to flatten himself out and squeeze himself into the smallest of places. It's like he unhinges all his bones and just slides right in. I am so glad he had a collar on because it allowed me to find him when he hid amidst the boxes.

We have a second floor in our new place and Manny has been completely intrigued with the stairs. At first he just stood at the top looking at me like "you have got to be kidding me, where is the nearest elevator?". But his curiosity got the better of himself and he gingerly walked down sideways to visit the downstairs. Now, about three weeks later, he runs up and down the stairs like he's running a marathon. He's back to jumping up on the couch to watch TV, although he prefers to stay upstairs for the time being. He still goes to his hideout, and The Husband and I joke that he's busy redecorating down there. He's been eating and purring - two signs that give me great comfort. It basically let's me know that he's doing ok and is pretty content with his surroundings.

I'm sure there will be more Manny adventures headed our way and we'll be back to share them with you soon. Excuse me while I figure out what's in box no. one hundred and fifty five.

King of Queens

2008-08-28T05:47:00.001-05:00

One of my long time readers, Helen, gave me a lil nudge the other day. She politely pointed out that its been over a month (cringe) since my last post and her cats (pictured below) were desperately waiting for another post. Okay, maybe I added the desperately part, but nonetheless the picture worked and we can all thank Helen for this post.

This time I have a pretty valid excuse for not posting in over a month (cringe, again). We're moving! By October. So for the past several weeks my house has been in total disarray with boxes everywhere. I can not be creative in such cluttered conditions! Not buying it? Ok, well, there are still boxes everywhere and if I'm going to do anything after I get home from a long day at work, I'm going to sit on the couch and watch tv - err...pack. Packing leaves little time for blogging about my favorite orange fur ball.

Manny is taking the move in stride. I keep reminding him that he will be moving and needs to start packing his things. He stares blankly at me when I tell him that. Actually, so does The Husband now that I think about it. Since we started putting our possessions in cardboard boxes and shoving everything into the dinning room Manny has turned into the Move Inspector. Every morning I find him sniffing things and walking around the room just checking things out (how he found space to walk around in is beyond me). In fact he's sitting under the table as I write this under the same chair we find him every morning. The Husband thinks that Manny is watching over our stuff. I think Manny, not literate in calendar, is just making sure he is not going to be left behind come move day. As if that would happen. If I could put him in a box marked fragile now I would, but I'm pretty sure he would hate that.

So now besides packing (I hate packing) The Husband and I are in discussions over the best way to move Manny. The vet suggested valium. For Manny, that is. We also need to figure out a way to move that Godforsaken fish tank. The vet suggested valium. For me, not the fish. With all that to think about, I'm surprised I just don't sit on the couch and watch the Family Guy after work -- oh wait, I do.

With that said, I'm excited to be moving. My faster commute to work will be a dream; and I'm ready for a new adventure of sorts. Now if only I could snap my fingers and everything would be done for me, I'd be golden.

P.S. I leave for Ireland today. Yup, I'm a glutton. Good bye disarray, hellooo Emerald Isle.

Eddie, Esme and Simone, left to right in the photo. Helen writes, "Eddie gets called Eddie Spaghetti, and Simone is Simonee Spumoni - we haven't come up with an Italian connection for Esme". Mannicotti Biscotti loves the Italian nicknames, btw.

Manny Knows Best

2008-07-22T21:00:00.001-05:00

You think I would understand that little mantra by now, but nope, can't say that I do. I do know that if I wanna pet Manny it's best that you stick out your hand for the little orange guy to sniff and pet him ONLY where he wants to be pet. Manny will make certain to direct your hand in the right spot by giving your hand a little brush with his head. I know that just because Manny rolls on his back, doesn't mean that it's an open invitation to rub his furry belly. I know that it doesn't matter if you're trying to write a long over due blog - if Manny wants to play with his mouse - we play with the mouse. So in some aspects I know and respect the Manny Rules, but then incidences like the one below will crop up totally setting me back from being a full fledged Manny expert.

Even something as innocuous as testing out a new can of food will wreck havoc on the household. It all started out so innocently. It was a sunny day and I had just emerged from Penn Station on my way to the office when I spotted a well-know cat food company giving away samples of their new wet food "in a convenient pour and serve pouch". The Husband and I scored some "real tuna dinner" pouches and thought Manny would like to try something other than Fancy Feast for dinner. Seldom right and wrong again. That night I decided to forgo the Fancy Feast in favor of my newly acquired free sample. I opened the pouch and poured some into his bowl - they were right, it was convenient - however, the pouch eliminated the pop top tin can sound cats know and worship. Strike one. Manny looked like at me like I was a crazy fool (and I was) for serving up something other than Fancy Feast. He sniffed it, looked at me, then walked away. Strike two. When hunger won out, Manny came back to his bowl and gave the tuna a try. He ate the whole thing and I thought we might have a winner - SCORE!

I came home from work the following day and was greeted by a nice pile of cat regurgitation. Lovely as that was, I wasn't all that concerned as I cleaned up the mess. When I went into the bathroom something in the bathtub caught my eye. Oh. no. he. didn't. Oh yes he did. I called The Husband over to show him that Manny decided that the tub would be a good place for a second litter box. Upon seeing Manny's bathtub deposits, The Husband mentioned that he better check out the (real) litter box asap. That was a another nice surprise. It looked like a battled was waged in that box and I felt awful. I realized then and there that Manny's tummy had totally revolted the "real tuna dinner". I gave Manny some extra pets that evening while apologizing over and over for being so stupid. I also praised him for being so totally smart when he decided to grace the bathtub with his presence, instead of, oh, I don't know -- the carpet.

Another lesson learned. Stick to what you know or rather what your cat knows and likes. Manny likes his Fancy Feast, so Manny will get Fancy Feast (and only The Feast) Note to self: don't pick up cat food samples on the corner of a Manhattan sidewalk. It's not going to score me any points.

P.S. the rest of the samples we acquired by sticking out our greedy little hands are going to Manny's former shelter. There has got to be a cat in there that will like it!

Manny FAQ's

2008-06-24T10:38:00.007-05:00

Man Oh Manny! How time flies in between blog posts!! I've been so incredibly....[lazy]...about writing down Manny's antics. Actually Manny's been so incredibly lazy, hence the post-less blogs. It's so much easier to push the blame onto a cat that spends 23 hrs a day sleeping.

A few people have asked me some Manny related questions recently so I thought I'd do a little Manny question and answer session post. You all will have an opportunity to ask your questions and the end of the session via blog comments and emails. Please, hold your applause.

Here goes.

Q. Does Manny still spend most of his time in his hideout?

A. Not really. Only when the vacuum comes out, but honestly, in my house, that's not a frequent occasion. Manny much rather hang out on top of the bed laying across pillows and making himself comfortable on the Duvet.

Q. Does Manny wake you up when he's hungry?

A. Nope, I'm happy to say that he only wakes me up when he wants to be pet. He likes to poke me in the head with his paw. Over and over and over and over. In the middle of the night. During the week.

The only time he begs for food is when the fridge opens, the silverware draw opens; he hears his treat jar; when we open a cabinet; when we walk into the kitchen or when we cook chicken. Go figure.

Q. Is he still shy?

A. Not if your blonde and female. He loves girls. There are certain visitors that he gets all mushy for and will flip over and show off his belly. He purrs really loud and just totally eats up all the attention. Manny will bond with you if it's on his own terms. Just stick out your hand and he will show you where to pet.

Q. What are some of Manny's dislikes?

A. My camera in his face; loud noises; the Mets; football season; cat carriers; meat flavored fancy feast; and a messy litter box.

Q. ...and his likes?

A. Me; yoga (it might have something to do my Denise Austin yoga DVDs...); the Yankees: Fancy Feast days; sometimes The Husband; treats; and surprises that comes for him in boxes.

Q. How has Manny been getting along with the fish lately?

A. Swimmingly. Just this morning I caught him with his faced pressed against the glass undoubtedly wishing the fish a good morning.

Q. Has manny found any rogue blueberries?

A. Funny you should ask [Kevin!] I just got a good sale on some blueberries over the weekend. Maybe I will let some blueberries lose on the kitchen floor and let the mayhem begin.

Feel free to send/comment any of your Manny related questions!

More Manny can be found @ manohmanny.net

Eire

2008-06-03T13:05:00.004-05:00

So, I think I pretty much have plans for a trip almost, sorta, kinda, just about nailed down. In a few months I should be hopefully possibly going to...IRELAND!

On one end of the spectrum, I'm beyond excited about the potential prospect of visiting Ireland for 10 days with The Husband. Ireland has been on my travel list for so long that it will be just plain awesome to actually go. However, on the opposite end of the spectrum, I'm a little more than apprehensive on what to do with Manny if and when I'm in Ireland. I know: crazy cat lady, but I'm kinda freaked out about my options. I have the best cat sitters (The Twin; his girlfriend; and my Mom) in the world, but I really would hate to impose on them for 10 or so days. That's quite a commitment and I do actually recognize the fact that my tried and true cat sitters actually have other things to do with their time instead of hanging out with Manny every single day. How many times can I ask them to drop everything and watch Manny while I get to indulge in some travel time? If they all didn't have cats of their own I would consider considering to ask them (read: bribe them) to let Manny hang out at their places, but its not an option. So, I feel like my last option is boarding my lil orange boy at the Vet's.

The thought strikes fear into my heart.

All I can picture is Manny cooped up in a cage for oh, about 100% of the time acting all depressed and/or agitated. Should he survive his extended stay at the Vet's (dramatic much?) I'm afraid he's pretty much going to hate us for the rest of our lives upon our return from the Emerald Isle. I'm not saying that the Vet wouldn't take good care of him, its just I never had to board Manny before and I have no idea what to expect.

So, blogging buddies, what can I expect? Tell me about some of your experiences with boarding a cat. Can I be all neurotic and ask the above mentioned cat sitters to please, please, please check up on him every few days? Do the cats have to stay in a cage for their entire duration? Did your cat claw you piece by piece when you came to pick him up? Will Manny eventually forgive me?

I might be able to figure out a way not impose on my cat sitting saviors and skip the potential boarding, but there may be a time when not boarding Manny is not an option, so I should know what to expect when boarding.

Do tell.

Lost and Found

2008-05-19T13:00:00.011-05:00

I know its been a while since my last blogger post. I've been hemming and hawing about whether to post here or to continue on MSN Live Spaces. I think I'm ready to make the move. Think sticking your toe in a pool, I'm about there. Plus, do you know how hard it is to get a cat in a cat carrier in order to switch blogs? So for now, I'll be double posting on here and MSN.

[Orginally posted on Live Spaces:]

Yesterday, I lost Manny for approximately 45 minutes inside my house.

I'll just let that marinate with you all for a second or two.

Ok, here's what happened. I was just minding my own business whilst doing some spring cleaning when all hell broke lose. I made the unfortunate mistake of vacuuming under the bed (aka Manny's hideout). It's not something I do often because it sends Manny into a tail spin, but I had to do it! I have allergies! I had to get rid of the accumulating dust and fur colonizing under the bed. So, of course, the minute I dragged the vacuum into the room and moved the mattress aside to do some cleaning, Manny bolted out of the room. This has happened before - usually he just finds a temporary hideout until calm returns so I didn't think much of it.

When I finished, I decided to look for Manny and make sure he was okay. I checked all of Manny's secondary hideout locations with no signs of orange fur anywhere. At this point, I enlisted The Husband's help and we looked high and low and in between but the there was no sign of Manny. I called his name, shook his treat jar, I even pulled out the laser toy thinking he would come out to play. Nothing.

I was getting a tad panicky and started jumping to conclusions. I kept thinking he snuck out of the house, even though he hates going near the front door (vet portal). The Husband took a look for him outside while I continued the search inside. I checked closets, cabinets, shelves, behind the entertainment unit - nothing. I was on the verge of hysterics when I remembered the Power of the Fancy Feast Can.

I stood in the living room, popped open a can of feast and heard the faint jingle of his cat collar (score one for the cat collar)! Oh thank the Good Lord that Manny was inside the house, but where?! As the smell wafted to Manny's little nose, I saw him gingerly come out from behind the La-Z-boy. I swore up and down to The Husband that I looked behind the chair. Baffled, I went to pick up Manny and he scooted out of my arms and ran back into hiding, which turned out to be UNDERNEATH the La-Z-boy. How he squeezed under a lounge chair, I'll never figure out. I'm just glad I didn't decide to take a nap while he was under there! Yikes!

I gave Manny a stern talking to and treat for his troubles.

More of Manny and his archives can be found @ http://manohmanny.spaces.live.com/

manohmanny.com

2006-11-29T14:15:00.001-05:00

Visit me @ http://www.manohmanny.net/

My current blog is on MSN, but as soon as I can coerce Manny into his cat carrier, we shall be posting over here as well (maybe even moving to Blogger permanently). Stay tuned.