Tell me again it's November 23:

Tomatoes still grow in the garden!
Roses bloom as if it was May!
Black Eyed Susan has n't a care in the world! There is also a huge clematis and a few malva blooms. Long ago I built a cold frame; so clever, I was going to have fresh arugula for a holiday salad. Looks like we don't need cold frames here now! I wanted to tell you I got a flu shot the other day and as I was walking out of the building, there was a car parked in front that had written on it "We Love You Aunt Patti!" Wow! Was that for me? Bhu don't care. He sleeps. I can't even find his head to give him a pet! zzzzzzz

Furrends Furrever!

Goma interviews Bhu on his blog today! They are very good Furrends!

xxoo Patty

The Sunny Spot of Life

Something about the winter light in the house . . . the morning sun pouring in . . . Bhu settling down for a little nap next to the 'puter station. Lovely, sweet moments of life.

Unfortunately, that was yesterday. Today it is raining heartily so it is the perfect Sunday to review applications for a student fiscal assistant position I posted last week. Don't ever let anyone tell you that grammar, punctuation and spelling aren't important -- especially in a resume. Don't start your cover letter thusly: "Hi. My name is Blow MyChance and I saw your ad for an open position." I can see your name there at the bottom of the letter, dude. Don't devote an entire paragraph talking about your years of customer service experience and forget to mention your Excel skills. Oh, and please spell it Excel, not "Exel."

"U R so crit ikal. And U iz makin' too much noize. Me is very good at comunikashun skills and me duz a gurrrate job at house security!" Well, Bhu, the qualifications for the fiscal assistant job are different than for house security jobs. "U should just hire the purrson who is fluffiest." THAT is a VERY good idea!! Thanks, Bhu. You are so adroit and skillful at human relations. "zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz"

From Wealth to Poverty: The Tale of a Tree

Sweet Gum Tree has lost most of its leaves and will be naked to the winter winds! Bhu is shedding, too. Are we ready for winter? NO! Papa has a chest cold and he is coughing and hacking and convalescing while reading "The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World." I made a big pot of Hot & Sour soup and it seemed to help a bit.

Many things have changed over the past week. The Retirement did not occur. My assistant accepted a different position and is leaving, thereby solving one of my problems but creating two new issues both of which are up to me to solve. So, I am stuck working, not retiring, for another three or four months. Of course, I could always just walk away from it all; unfortunately, I'm too conscientious. "U iz NOT konshee enshus! U iz something else that isn't the same as smart." Well, I've never heard it put quite that way, Bhu, and as usual you just might have a point. "Uh Huh, usually do!"

Ram Dass to the Rescue!

They told us we wouldn't have a colorful Fall because we had such a cool, rainy summer. EHHH! WRONG! Sweet Gum Tree tells no lies (seefururself).

"Did U retirez?" Well, Bhu, sort of. "What's SORT OF retiredz?" Rather than leaving abrubtly, I'm going to work half-time and take four weeks of vacation between now and January. I'm also going to have an apprentice! "Like Mickey Mouse and the Sorcerer?" Something like that, I guess. "How U make this desishun?" I consulted with a few Crones and then I read Ram Dass's book "Still Here." This more gentle transition seems to be righter, but you know I have a talent for making bad decisions. "Zzzzzzzzzzzzz."

Countdown: Day Three

"Me no care about ur report, which IS A DAY LATE AGAIN!" Sorry, Bhu. There is a new rub. "Belleh rub?" No, a new option I should say. "What's dat?" They are trying to get me to stay and work part-time and now I don't know what to do but I have to decide by Monday. So, we are taking a break from the Countdown to Retirement. "U iz so noo-rah-tik! Eithur U wantz to stay home with me or not. Simple choice." Well, I would be able to stay home with you more and sometimes even work in my jammies. See, they will give me more green papers to buy your Fancy Feast and Temptations! "Hmmmmmm. K. Maybe u better think about it morez."

Countdown: Day Four

"U did it again! Ur report for Day Four is one day late!" I know, I'm sorry Bhu. I had a rough day and a worse night. "Too much sinuses?" Yep. "Do U has pig flu?" Hope not! "So what about the countdown?"

I'm kinda bored with the countdown today, mostly 'cause I'm sick and tired from not sleeping. I have a lot of things to think about and I don't think well when I am sick. Today I might just stay home and drink coffee and eat Cream of Wheat. It's a gloomy, grey, wet, cold day.

Countdown: Day Five

"U missed yesterday." I did, Bhu. I mean, not missed it altogether but wasn't able to file a report about Day Five: Countdown to Retire- ment. "U makes it sound so exciting." Well, I thought you might need some help doing "house security" all day, so I would retire from my job at the University. "Me no needz halp furrum you." But wouldn't it be fun to be together all day? I would be able to give you Fancy Feast whenever you got a little hunger pang. "Furrrget it! U makez too much noise, always singin' and dancin' around. Plus sometimes U bringz out the VAKYOOM machine!" Well, if I can't stay here with you, where will I go? "Back to workz! House security is MAI job, not yours." Hmmmmmmm.

Countdown: Day Six

Only an hour and 30 minutes to go on Day Six: Countdown to Retirement! Last night I worried about if I was doing the "right" thing and, of course, I NEVER do the right thing, so what's the diff? But I thought [out loud, by the way] "If I go to work on the 28th, nothing good will happen to me. If I don't go to work on the 28th, something good might happen." It's the old bird-in-the-hand dilemma.
"Boidz in teh hand? Where iz the boids? Me missed them! That looks like fish to me!"
Yes, you are astute, Bhu! That is, indeed, a fish and that is your nephew Walker and the photo commemorates the first fish he ever caught. Now, do you think he would have caught that fish if he'd gone to school that day?
"Maybe, if his school is on oshun or lake or river. That's where the fish R."
Well, most schools are NOT on the water, so there is not a very good chance of catching a fish in school.
"But doesn't fishes travel in schools?"
Hmmmm. So this is what I get for all my good work: a kitteh that seems to be the reincarnation of Gracie Allen!
"U iz loopy. Wut number comes next in countdown?"
Tune in tomorrow and see!
"Tuna tomorrow!?! YAY."
mrrrrffff

Lookz What Sweet P Sent:

Sweet Praline did not forget mai purrfday and sent me this purrity card!  Thanks to effurryone who wishes me a good day.  Me hopes ur purrfdays are good, too!  Papa gave me lotsa Temptations!  xxoo Bhu