Whenever anyone doesn't update for a while, they always give the lame excuse that no one really cares about, so here's mine:

Last weekend, I was flying to Ohio and running around with my sister. Christmas Day, my family and I drove to Pittsburgh, where the bulk of our relatives live. In Pittsburgh, we stayed with my grandma. No internet access. Hell, she doesn't even have a computer. We just drove back to Ohio today.

I'll cover Christmas and peace and love and blahblahblah all that other crap later.

But there's a story I've been dying to tell you for a week. It's about Budina, everyone's favorite potty-trained cat.

So Neal and I are all moved into the new place. Now I get the enviable task of packing my bags for my trip up north, also called, "I'm headed to Ohio and I haven't worn anything heavier than a T-Shirt in 10 months and I am NOT happy that in 2 days, I'll be freezing my coconuts off and WHERE the hell are my sweaters again? In the box? Which box? Our apartment is nothing but boxes, dammit!"

And we're also getting ready to be apart for both Christmas and New Years. So we're cranky, but trying to fit in last minute love and stuff. And the cat is still not used to the new place.

We're both a little surprised when she leaps up onto our counter and jumps into the sink. Neal and I stand there slack-jawed, staring at her.

Neal: "What is she doing?"

Me: "I don't know. She likes to sit in boxes... does she think the sink is just a shiny cold box?"

Neal: "I'm not sure."

Me: "Is she settling in?"

Neal: "Kinda looks like it."

Me: "Well, we should probably say Bad Kitty! or something, right? I mean, we don't want her hanging out in the kitchen sink when we have dishes in there or something, right?"

Small pause.

Neal: "You're not going to believe what she's doing."

Yup. She peed in the sink.

I was kind of disguisted, picturing future meals tinged with the faint odor of cat urine.

But good ol' Neal busts out with, "What a smart kitty! We have such a smart cat!

I guess it's all about the perspective.