Tabby Cats for Christmas

My two tabby cats, Tiziano and Torre (aka TnT) were extra frisky last night. I think they were happy I was back from my trip to Georgia. They've been getting used to my frequent travels. I, on the other hand, am not.

I'm really worried about my tiny tabbys. They need so much attention. Torre is used to climbing into my lap every time I sit down at my computer to type. He naps and purrs if I can stay still long enough.

Tiziano loves it too. Over the past two months, I've started to play fetch with him. I pick up a toy ball, one of the plush type that he can grip in his mouth. I toss, and VROOOM! He's off like a rocket, and back a moment later with a the ball in his mouth. It's the cutest thing. Who ever said, "you can't teach a cat to play fetch." Tiziano sure does!

I was so happy to see them, I decided to finish posting a photograph of TnT that I entitled "When Kitty Eyes Are Smiling." It works well for them considering I play Celtic music. Of course, that is a parody of the Irish song called "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling."

Well, after a busy evening, we snuggled up to watch a couple Christmas movies like Scrooged with Bill Murray and the classic It's A Wonderful Life. Yes, it was a good time to be lazy. And lazy I was. I fell asleep around 10:30pm with Torre between my legs and Tiziano nestled up on my right side.

I wonder who turned off the TV?

Irish Session in Switzerland

Exerpted from the newsletter of Heidi, Stef, and Bow Triplets, the premiere Irish-Celtic music group of Switzerland.

Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards soon in Switzerland

The famous Brobdingnagian Bards are said to be one of the most productive Celtic bands around and they play live all over Texas, in Lousiana and Georgia. Every year, they attend Texas Renaissance Festival in Plantersville and Louisiana Renaissance Festival in Hammond.

Songwriter and autoharp player Marc Gunn and Stef have been in contact over the internet for many years (Marc is also the editor of the excellent magazine “Celtic MP3s”) and on Sunday the 19th of December, we will finally meet him in person. He is visiting us on his way down to Italy. We certainly will sing a few good songs together and swing a jolly pint of Guinness down at Brennan’s Irish Pub in Neuhausen that very same Sunday. Come all ye and join us on the 19th December, after 8 pm.

Listen to the The Bards' Free Music Downloads
Listen to the Marc Gunn's Free Music Downloads
read Marc Gunns Celtic music magazine

Archos Gmini 400 Review

Tehe *beaming* I'm pretty happy. Since I'm leaving early for Christmas, I got my presents from my half of my folks (the other half being in Italy). So I got two KILLER presents, a beautiful, warm coat for my the cold weather of Europe (looks like the highs in The Netherlands and Switzerland are in the 40s), AND I got an Archos Gmini!

If you're looking for a portable MP3 player, skip the iPod, get a Gmini. This thing rocks. Not only does it have all the functions of an iPod at a slightly smaller, more portable size, but I can transfer photos from my camera and store them on the Gmini while I'm in Europe, and it also allows me to play movies through your television.

So if all goes well, I'll have the Extended Edition of Return of the King ripped and uploaded to my Gmini. That way I can watch it while I'm flying to Europe while others have to suffer with the inflight movie. ;)

Course the only downside is that it has an internal battery that lasts ten hours with audio and five hours with video... I'm not sure that's long enough. I forget how long is the extended ROTK.

Ah well... I like to sleep on International flights anyways.

As I was learning about the Gmini, I learned a wee bit about another cool feature Andrew told me about. You can use it as a personal recorder. So tonight, I recorded "Wild Kitty." The sound quality sucks, but you can listen to it as the featured MP3 for today. The quality is bad (I never checked how to adjust it), but it's fun nonetheless.

Then, I also went over to my Deviant Art site and did a wee work, uploading the picture you see above of my young wee kitties called, "When Kitty Eyes Are Smiling." Yes, it's been a busy day.

- Problems with the Archos Gmini 400

Ren Faire Story about Dragons and Virgins

We get ALL kinds of funny stories that revolve around one of our most popular songs, "Do Virgins Taste Better Medley." Recently, I heard this one from Magdalene

A story from faire a few years ago.

I'm being a little raggedy peasant wench. On the road, I see a three-year-old boy in a dragon costume. Too cute. And I decide right then and there to go for it.

I threw myself on the ground, screaming, "Oh no! It's a horrible fearsome dragon!"

Kid immediately gets into it--raises his hands over his head, forming claws, and stomps towards me growling all scary-like. I am, of course, absolutely terrified and am begging for help.

When he gets close (and by this time, we've got quite a crowd around us), I say, "Oh, please don't eat me Mr. Dragon! I'm just a poor lowly wench, I wouldn't taste good at all!"

Dragon-Kid stops dead in his tracks. Looks confused. Then announced, "Dragons don't eat girls, we eat pizza!"

Poor kid was sooo confused when all around him started laughing. I somehow kept a straight face long enough to thank him for sparing me. Soon as me and my friends turned the corner, we just about wet our pants laughing.

So what's the lesson to be learned here? Got me? Maybe it's give the kid a copy of A Faire To Remember in a decade or so, and see if he still agrees.

Announcing Cats with Opposable Thumbs!

I picked up the scooper and emptied the litterbox into the trash can. It was now clean for use. I then placed the trash can back under the sink, making sure the baby locks would keep out my little tykes. All was good.

Then I saw him. Once again, Torre, my grey tabby cat, seemed to have a fascination with the fact that the door under the sink props open a little bit. I've never really bothered to figure out why. I guess it's just a fault in the design.

Torre was staring at it with interest. He put his left front paw up to it and batted it with curiosity.

I needed to get to brush my teeth and go to sleep. I really didn't feel like being bothered by a kitty playing with the door under the sink.

"C'mon Torre, leave it alone. Pssst. Go away."

I took my knee and closed the door all the way as I brushed my teeth. Then I could see the wheels in his little head turning. He backed away a couple feet, but still stared with interest. His eyes started looking at both of the doors that hold the secrets to what's under the sink. He was devising a way to get in.

I'm certain he was thinking, "If I only had an opposable thumb, I'm sure I could take this door off the hinge." Alas, he did not have an opposable thumb.

I finished brushing my teeth. Who cares if he plays with it now. I walked into the bedroom and turned off all the lights except the one by my bedside.

*thunk, thunk*

Blast it! Torre was playing with door trying to feign like he had that thumb he longed for. I needed to blow my nose anyway. So I grabbed a kleanex, blew my nose and opened the door to throw it away.

Out from under the sink ran my tubby brown tabby, Tiziano, "Dang it, Daddy! Stop locking me away in places."

"Well, if you'd stop crawling into closets and dresser drawers, this wouldn't be a problem!"

With stories like this, I'm sure you can see why am creating a CD of cat songs called Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers. The new website is now up and I'm building a great list of quotes from cat lovers who getting the crazys with the idea. The only problem I'm having... raising money. Guess that will come with time.

The Coolest Cat CDs

Yes, I know I'm a bit of a psycho cat fanatic. So putting together a group of Cat CDs makes perfect sense.

Okay, I didn't go digging to find the best. Instead, I just picked the ones that sounded cool and might fit also with my Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers CD theme. So there are a couple of Irish CDs, but most of it is about bands with cat names, CD titles that are cat related, Cat CD covers, and of course, a lot o' cat songs.

It's a fun mix worth taking a listen. It might just make ye purr.