Mr. Mystery

From my recent trip to Minnesota I was allowed to go to Games by James in the Mall of America with Rach and Molly. There I purchased another mystery puzzle in utter glee and abandonment of how I really am trying actively to become an 82 year old woman.

This one is easier to put together than the previous one because it is actually in color. The other one I bought was Alfred Hitchcock and it was black and white. It took forever.

So the puzzle has overtaken my kitchen table and I've spent hours separating and piling.

Look what I found this evening on my table.


It was a new Mr. Bandito crime detective! He wanted to look over the murder scene and figure out the answer to the puzzle! (The puzzle has no picture and you read a 'murder' and then put it together to find out who the killer is and why you think that).



Somehow he had not knocked over my piles of blue with black edging in it, blue with jewelry, etc. It seemed that he was just thinking about putting the puzzle together himself. Which was kind as I was about ready to go to the office for internet and writing night with Nikki.


It was when he sensed that I wanted him to move that he laid down and tried to blend into the puzzle. This might have worked with the B&W one Mr. Bandito, but you can't pull that over on me tonight.

He is still Mr. Mystery and I know just to spite me he got back up on that table the second I left the house.

I know I would have.

Cats are pretty much made of awesome.

Ceasing Ramble.

A Kitty Love Story...

I came home from Minnesota and Bandito followed me around the apartment meowing and merr-ing as talkative as a four-year old asking you questions repeatedly.

I crawled into bed still feeling my Iowa hangover and generally still sick and crappy for the fifth day in the row.

I then saw that Bandit was cuddling up to his twin.



I could barely tell them apart. I knew one was a shoe and one was a cat, but which?!

And then Mr. Bandito started to get into protective mode over his new girlfriend Ms. Sole Kitty.



He was ALL over her and then he attacked me.



Well... actually he didn't he just continued being really cute and cuddling up to Ms. Sole Kitty.


I hope she doesn't break his heart.

Ceasing Ramble.

I Want to Go to There!

Al had mentioned how Mr. Bandito loves windows so he can feel the breeze along his fur.

He's been very thankful for the trucks, cars and hordes of screaming children along my street.



Sometimes I forget that he has been with me for such a short time.

Le sigh.

Ceasing Ramble.

The Story Hour

Normally when I get ready for bed it actually means I'm getting ready to lay in bed and read for an hour. Bandito takes this as time to lay on my chest as I normally sleep on my side and he isn't liking trying to sleep around my constant moving.

It's annoying.

All you have to do is look at him when I ask if he wants to try to sleep on the bed. He jumps off in a huff. And then returns around 3am and then 6am just to ask me if I'm awake.

I wasn't until you woke me up cat; thanks for asking.

I have so much Bandit pictures though that I need to start putting them up.

So these are from The Story Hour, we were reading Fool by Christopher Moore. I highly recommend it, as does Mr. Bandito, literary critic.

It made him laugh.

It made him wide-eyed with the suspense and shock of some passages.


And sometimes, sometimes he was rapt with attention, reading along with me.


But mostly he liked laying on me, his warm personal pillow/heater. Tonight, we're reading The Daily Coyote by Sherve Stockton. It's fantastic. Mr. Bandito likes that there is a cat in it too.

Ceasing Ramble.

Mr. Bandito at Work

Bandit is progressing nicely.

He has even decided to help me catch up on some work at home.





How nice of him. Soon I'll just send him in to my actual job. I'm sure they won't notice.

And the shoes?

They get around.

Ceasing Ramble.

A Box by Any Other Name Would Smell...

As cardboardy.

I just keep giving him paper products and he keeps being happy.



I know it looks like deep concentration, but he kept getting distracted by my blanket.

The new thing he is doing now is jumping up on my lap when I'm sitting by the computer and using the keyboard as a place to scratch his head.

Inventive.

We'll see how much he likes me after a couple days by himself when I'm in KC for Opening Day.

I feel like I'll be ignored for a couple days afterwards.

If not... he just wouldn't be a cat.

Ceasing Ramble.

100 Dollar Scratching Post

Yesterday marks the day that Bandit decided he liked me.

I'm not sure if it's because I took two hours to get home after work or if it's because I brought home a scratching post for him to sharpen his imaginary claws on.

A note on how fantastic my landlord is... I caught her and we chitchatted about this and that when I dropped off my rent check. I mentioned there was a 100 dollar hike on there because I got a cat and he meets all the specifications that she wanted for me to get a cat.

Her eyes widened and she cackled (that lovely laugh of older people with genuine glee and you hear the wear of their voice over the years, like an old record) and told me she had picked up this perfectly nice scratching post from her neighbor yard. They were going to throw it away!?

A lot of things in this apartment are from finds that my landlord makes at rummage sales and the like, my new cabinet in the bathroom being one of them. I love her utter glee in free things.

And she told me that I was more than welcome to have it. I reminded her that Bandito does not have claws and she prattled on adorably about how they still 'do it' right? I mean, sharpen claws even though they don't have them.

She then gave me my 100 dollar scratching post and I brought it home.




Bandit likes it.

And then he curled up beside me on his paper bag. His most loved possession.

He likes me though, purring and jumping up and laying on my lap. Dany says it's because he wants food... false! He still had food in his bowl. Take that cynical Michigan-ite!

Ceasing Ramble.

But I'm so comfy here...

Bandit has been progressing much faster than I actually thought he would be at my apartment.

Since I work close to home I can come home during lunch and check on him and his vigorous napping. He's really good at what he does. Sometimes I wish I had the stamina for a multiple siesta day.

I went and picked up a few cat things I realized I needed and when I arrived home a mere hour after 5... I found Bandit to be zipping around my house. I think he is feeling a bit more at home here.

I left a paper sack on the ground he almost got in it, which I would have picked him up instantly, but alas, he got out.

And then he decided to try it out for the comfy factor.



He's still on it an hour later sleeping peacefully.

So, a bag.

Okay I can get you paper bags kiddo.

Ceasing Ramble.

Adoption

Today marks the day of an adoption.

My friend Adrienne woefully spoke of her cat Bandit at "New Year's in St. Louis" (which happened in March) and how he was not getting along with his new dog siblings inherited from her marriage.

After talking about Bandit and realizing he meets all of the specifications my landlord said a cat would need to live in my wood-paneled abode I let Adrienne know I would be happy to adopt Bandit.

I mean, he has his own theme song.

Beth, being the biggest pal ever, shuttled Bandit to me today...

I let him be to wander around my apartment and get to know it. He mewed, he hissed, he stared out windows.

And then...





He decided to take a nap on my treadmill. This was made of awesome.

And get ready for Bandit Watch to see when/if he decides he likes me.

Ceasing Ramble.

Update! Bandit has now found that the papasan chair is actually more comfortable than the treadmill.