Wedding thoughts

Just when you thought I wouldn't post, here I am again. 
Salivary gland issue resolved without surgery, yay. 
So I've booked the flight, hotel and car for your Mom's wedding - and funny enough, it appears that Great Grandma Susan, Uncle Tommy, Grandpa Don and Uncle Ian and I will be staying at the same hotel.
Was this planned? Trust me, no. 
If we all come out alive, I'll be forever thankful. If the hotel's standing I'll be even more thankful. 
So, anyway... when I come up we're doing the zoo, depending on weather and timing, we may do the amusement park as well. 
I can't wait to see ya'll. 

Now here's a test for Jess, who swears she reads my blog. 

Jess, I'm trying to find you the perfect wedding present. I'm searching for a babysitting service that'll give you a kind of a gift certificate for future use. 
If I can pull this off, you'll either know about it or be surprised. I'm betting on surprised. 
I'm going with legitimate services, not teenagers posting on Craigslist, btw. 

As the Cauldron Bubbles

So, today's dentist visit was extra special fun. 

Seems I have a blocked salivary gland, and got an emergency referral to an oral surgeon. 

Both dentist and surgeon weren''t happy about me dealing with it for about 2 weeks without attention beyond my OTC remedies. 

So he's (surgeon) treating with drugs for 2 weeks to see what happens, and if no change then it's biopsy. Yay me. 

He also adjusted my partial so it's not fucking with it as much. 

So now I'm on antibiotics for 10 days, along with an oral steroid cream that apparently insurance won't cover or doesn't cover without preauthorization. At $78 a tube.  

I told the pharmacist I'll make do with Orajel at $5 a tube first but to try for the cream. 

Don't ever get old. It sucks, and not in the happy spanky way. 

Cooking

Ok. Here's the pitch. 

In making chopped liver, I'm supposed to saute the chicken livers and onions in something called schmaltz, which is a kosher cooking fat made from rendered chicken skin.

First thing, because it's Kosher, it's pricey. And honestly, how many times am I going to make chopped liver? 

What I have, however, is a bunch of sliced, smoked jowl pieces... I was planning on using them to doctor the canned greens and peas I have...

So I'm thinking of rendering some of that to get the cooking fat, it'll be another layer of flavor and face it, there never was going to be anything kosher about this from the get go. 

I'm planning on sauteing the livers in the fat, with onions and garlic, and Gods help me, curry. 

Then I'll pulse them in the food processor and bang, I have chopped liver spread. 

Wish me luck. 

I wanted to get the recipe down, which is why I'm posting this. 

Addendum: 

Ok  so I took the fatback, cooked to a crisp, drained it and ran it through the food processor until it was a paste. 

Cooked the onions down, then pulled them out of the pan. Added more fatback and rendered it down, pulled it to drain. 

Added the chicken livers and cooked them with the spice mixture salt, pepper, garlic, curry, ginger and pinch of dry mustard. 

When done, added back the onions and cooked for another 3 min. 

Then I took the chicken liver/onion mixture and spooned it into the food processor, added 3 hard boiled eggs rough chopped. 

Pulsed it a couple of times, and voila, chicken liver spread. 

OMG it's fabulous.I have it chilling in the frig right now. 

Oh, and for the record, curry and chicken liver go together like peanut and butter. 

Well, curry, salt, pepper, garlic, ginger, dry mustard and good old fashioned pork renderings. . 

It's so good your Uncle Bobby would eat it and he hates liver.  

Of course, you couldn't tell him before you fed it to him, but he'd like it after the fact.

Jessica's Wedding - The Travel planning.

It's December 2014, and your mom's finally marrying Chris in May of 2015. 
Anyway. 
So Grandpa Don, Uncle Ian and I will be coming up for the wedding - however, as much as I love both of them, I'm not going to be trapped in a car with them for 18+ hours.  
I'm planning on flying in and renting my own car, so that way I'm not dependent on anyone's whims on where to go and or what to see and do. 
That being said, the issue of housing has come up.  
I suggested using AirBnB.com, so we can find a house and split it 3 ways. So far, I've come across a couple of spots, however nothing definite. 
I want to rent a big enough space that I can host a party celebrating the wedding. 
Nothing big, just a family cookout.   

So, right now I'm planning on arriving on Wednesday, (Jess, pay attention) - so I'm thinking arrival, unpack, quick social calls, and early to bed for Thursday. 
The wedding is Saturday, so Thursday is mine, dammit. 
(That's the part you need to pay attention to, Jess.) 
Pot luck cookout at where Grandpa Don, Uncle Ian and I are staying. 
Prepare for Grandpa Don to be a bitchy ass, but don't worry. He's all bark. 

I'll post more later. 

Grandpa Merlin

Oy

Let me start by telling you about this week. 

Saturday, check engine light goes on in the car. I can't do anything about it, it's Saturday and mechanic won't be open until Monday. So I promise myself and the car that I'll take her in Monday morning. 

Went to work Sunday, overslept on Monday and didn't get to the mechanic. 

Figured ok, tomorrow morning..  started for work, got 3/4 of the way there, and she died. 

There I am, in the left turn lane, dead in the water. 

I immediately throw on my flashers and call for a tow, call work and call the mechanic to tell them to expect me. 

Meanwhile, the light has cycled like 4 times, and there's a mini traffic jam behind me. 

Why, you ask? Because Atlanta drivers are idiots. They cannot comprehend that a stationary vehicle with it's emergency flashers on won't move just for them just because they're behind it. 

But truly, the cherry on that sundae is yet to come. 

The tow truck arrives, and has to back up to get my car loaded on its flatbed. 

So, the truck is facing the opposite of the traffic flow. 

He has his flashers on, and lets face it, a flatbed tow truck isn't small. By any means. 

So he has the car loaded, and we get in the cab, and this bimbo pulls up within like 6 inches of his front bumper. 

And then had this look on her face. 

Well, got to the mechanic, and they said it's the timing belt. $1200 

Then I had to rent a car for a week... that set me back $700 (but I'll get back the deposit)

The only bright side to this has been my mantra "at least it's not a car payment." 

TV Gold found while mining Hulu

I recently rediscovered a comedy classic while "mining" on Hulu. 
While I've long been a fan of Lucille Ball, she's probably more universally known for her work on "I Love Lucy", rather than "The Lucy Show" or "Here's Lucy". 
I grew up on all those gems, being lucky enough to catch "Here's Lucy" first run broadcast, as it was a show that the entire family enjoyed. 
(Yeah, back in the 60's families usually had only one TV, a console in the living room) 
Anyway, "Here's Lucy" for whatever reason wasn't put into syndication as her other shows were. 
Or rather, it never enjoyed the commercial success its predecessors did. 
That being said, I haven't seen the show since it's first run. 

I just discovered it on Hulu. 

And as wonderful a show as it was, it truly presents a time capsule view of the world at that time. Political correctness? The concept doesn't exist. 
And above all else, you have a glimpse of utter glowing nepotism at its finest.  
Nepotism? 
Think about it. 
"Here's Lucy" was produced by Gary Morton (Lucy's husband) at DesiLu Studios. 
Starring Lucille Ball, and her two children, Desi and Lucy Jr. 
  
And in re-watching these episodes for the first time, I'm honestly amazed at the cross pollination that took place, and the talent that Lucy was able to pull to do a sitcom. (I'm going to gloss over the burlesque racial stereotyping)  
As an example, the episode, "Lucy meets the Burtons" season 3, episode 1, had as guest stars, on a television sitcom for the first time, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. 
Something that would confound the first time viewer is the constant reference to "the ring"... quick backstory on that, Burton bought what was at that time, the world's most expensive diamond, and had it put into a ring he gave to Elizabeth. Hence, "The Ring". 
The episode provided for Burton to show off his Shakespeare, set up a wonderful demonstration of Lucy's physical comedy skills juxtaposed with Burton's epic stoic gaze, (aka Burton being Burton) show off "the ring", and above all else, the "power" of the show by featuring what was at the time the Power Couple, Liz and Dick and insuring top dollar for commercial time.

February 2014 update

Ok, it's February, and a week before my 53rd birthday. 
When I last posted, I'd just sent up your tablets, and your father gave them to ya'll ahead of Christmas. So, Happy Hanukkah. (It's so nice being multicultural)  
Aiden managed to prove why you shouldn't give tablets to toddlers, however I'm sure that got dealt with. Your mom hasn't said. 
(If not, please share with him when your mom or dad supervises.) 
I hope you're enjoying yours and it's helping with your schoolwork. 

So, being in the mid west, you get snow every year, in ungodly quantities, and it stays around, forcing you to deal with it. So, you're used to it. 
Well, here in the South, Atlanta to be specific, winter weather is a rare event, however every once in a while, we get slammed. (See 1977, 1983, 1994 legendary snow/ice storms, Atlanta.) 

That's what happened January 28th. 
The days before, we had been having a brief warm spell, with temperatures in the 50's and 60's - then, we get word that there's going to be a "winter event" but it's only going to be affecting the city south of I-20 ... accumulation of 3 inches (yeah, I know, you see that as a dusting) and temperatures in the 20's during the day, and low teens at night. 

Well, someone miscalculated and didn't account for drift. 

At around 11 am on the 28th, the ice storm hit. and in an act of utter stupidity, they closed businesses, schools, and government offices at the same damn time. 
Thus began a traffic jam of epic proportions. And the ice is coming down. Quickly. 
And when it hits the pavement and roads, it's melting and immediately freezing, adding to the traffic nightmare. 
So, I'm unaware of the traffic issue - but being the loyal employee that I am, I decide to leave the house an hour and a half early for my commute to work, normally a 20 minute drive. 
I think ahead, and pack my meds, along with a couple of changes of clothes, and grab a couple of frozen dinners, filling the cat auto feeder and water bottle, and I'm out the door. 
It's not that bad outside, however I'm a bit distressed when I see an accumulation of about an inch and a half on the railing outside my apartment. 
Regardless, I headed out. It's 1:30 pm, and I thought that the back roads would be my best bet. Apparently so did everyone else. 
I managed to get about 8 miles in 5 hours. And then, the car died. 
And it's almost sunset, meaning that the temperature is going to drop further, rather quickly. 
Thankfully, I got a jump from a Sandy Springs policeman, and was able to continue trying to get to work. 
However, some 6 hours later, the car died again. But this time there wasn't a nice policeman to jump the battery. And I'm blocking a lane of traffic, not that it's really moving, but still.  
And my blood sugars are crashing, because I haven't eaten anything since approximately 9 am that morning, and it's nearly midnight. 
I got rescued by Sandy Springs Fire Rescue, and taken to work. 11+ hours of utter hell. 
 Thank you, Captain Chris. 
Spent that night at work, and didn't get home until Thursday. 

So again, you can see why Grandpa Merlin doesn't do snow. 
Just wait until I hit the lottery. You'll only ever have to see snow again if you travel to it. 

Christmas 2013

Andrea & Aiden, this post is about the first time I probably really pissed your father off. 
Note, I did say first time. 
Undoubtedly, there will be more to come, but I'll write about those as they happen. . 
And always remember, no matter what squabbles we have, that I'll always love him because he was smart enough to court and marry your mother. 

Now because I live in Atlanta, and in 2013 ya'll were in KC, I didn't get to see you much. 
So, that's why whenever I did see ya'll, I tended to spoil you. Rotten. 

Anyway, back to the subject at hand, Christmas 2013.  
It just so happens that you're 5, about to be 6, Andrea, and Aiden, you've just turned 3. 
I kind of wanted to do something more for your Christmas this year, instead of just a gift card. 
However, I know from conversations with your mother that space at this time is an issue. 
And I know at your ages, getting clothing isn't an option at Christmas. That's when you get toys. 

Thankfully, tablet prices were dropping radically at this time. That's when I got the brilliant idea to get each of you a tablet for Christmas, something that would come in handy for both of you with school, and to help introduce you to technology. Besides, they're cool. 

A little research, and I found something called the Fun Tab 4.3 - it's designed for kids, with parental controls and reporting pre-installed. 
(Yes, that's how Mom & Dad knew you were playing games instead of doing your homework) 

So it turns out that your father is a bit of a Luddite when it comes to ya'll & tech. 
I don't understand it, I completely disagree with it, and that's how I pissed him off. 
I got ya'll kid's tablets for Christmas 2013. 

I don't know when he'll forgive me for this, however he's in the wrong and I forgive him for it. 
Besides, there's still the distance factor.  
Well, that's the story of your first tablets. They were meant as gifts for Christmas 2013.

It's not my fault if your father didn't give them to you until you turned 18. 
  

Pre psuedo Thanksgiving cheesecake mystery

As you know, (or, more accurately, will discover when you come down for a visit)  I cook cheesecakes - they're my "go to" dessert when I need to trot out the culinary skills. 
Now, over the years, I've developed a relatively fool proof basic recipe that I can take from a dozen "mini" cheesecakes to a 14" full size just by multiplying by a factor of 4. 
(1 egg, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 block cream cheese, room temperature, 1 tbs vanilla extract. Cream)

That makes 12 cupcake size cheesecakes. 

Or it did until tonight. 
Tonight, I was making a batch of "Berry Surprise" mini's for an early Thanksgiving dinner at Aunt Sheba's & Uncle Bobbie's. 
I figured I'd double the recipe, so I started working with 2 blocks of a new product, Cream Cheese & Greek Yogurt blend. 
Normally, I'd add some sour cream to make it a New York Style, but I thought "what the hell" when I saw the aforementioned. 
Here's where I also made a serious deviation from my usual. 
Instead of using a hand mixer, I elected to use the food processor. 

Never again. 

It broke the batter down to about half its normal volume. 
Additionally, because I didn't add sour cream, that was another 3 - 5 oz of missed volume. 


 So, instead of 24 "Berry Surprise" mini's, I now only have 12. 

Lesson to be learned? Only experiment when you're dealing with family. 

Fourth Quarter, 2013

Ok, it's November 2013.  
As you know, I work a corporate job. 
This means that I get benefits, one of the better ones besides insurance being paid vacation. 
Because I've been at this company for 18+ years now, (yes, 18+ years as of 2013) I get about 5 weeks of vacation a year at this point. 
Yet, with that much vacation available, in order to take advantage of it, you have to factor in your department, your co-workers, the particular responsibilities you handle, timing, etc. 
Which leads me up to what just happened in October. 
End of year is coming up, and both my co-worker and I have unused vacation time. 
I admit I'd been lax about the holidays, however was planning on using my vacation time at either Thanksgiving or Christmas, depending on what everyone else's plans were. 
Then, the coworker emails me her list of the days she wants off so she can use up her vacation. 
Well, a quick glance at the dates and a check of the calendar has her taking both Thanksgiving and Christmas off. 
Now mind, we're a two person shift. 

Did I mention that she's also on a "special schedule" ? 
Seems that Tuesday - Thursday, she gets to work noon to 8 pm instead of the shift, which is 3 pm to 11 pm. 
Normally, not a problem. Except that there's the little matter of a file transfer to the Federal Reserve Bank that has to be made nightly, Sunday - Thursday. 
And it's the responsibility of a total of 3 people cleared to make the file transfer at 9 pm, two of whom are on my shift. (Yes, myself and coworker) 
That information will factor in shortly. 

Allow me to digress for a moment.....  

Last year, I had plans for celebrating Thanksgiving with Aunt Sheba & Uncle Bobby, and Grandpa Don & Uncle Ian. Had being the operative verb in that sentence. 
Then, an "emergency" (and trust, the quotation marks are justified) came up and co-worker couldn't work Thanksgiving, so I had to. 
And I proceeded to continue to work my ass off, through the rest of the year, ending up setting the departmental record for OT, in this case 48 hours. (That's on a 2 week check, btw) 
I also ended up being unable to use over a week of vacation before the end of the year due to, again, co-worker's scheduling. 
I was allowed to carry it over to January that time, however that was apparently a one-off. 

Back to the subject at hand... so, she's effectively scheduled me to work, without asking me if I had plans or what I was going to do, and taken both prime holidays as well. 
Well, complaints to the supervisor about this went nowhere, she's the one who put coworker on her "special shift"... 
So I'm working both holidays again this year.  
And, trying to figure out a way to burn 4 days of vacation I can't schedule. 

On the bright side, I'm on track to beating that OT record this year.  
But, ya'll will like the gift cards you get from me. 

And for what it's worth, I've already booked my birthday vacation at the ranch.  

Just have to share - and truly indicative of the hour and my state of inebriation

Netflix has just put out season 4 of Drop Dead Diva on streaming. 
The show is pure crack. And I mean that in a "OMG they just put Season 4 on Netflix streaming... they're only 44 minutes, I can do one more." kinda way. 
Seriously, watch the show. 

Vacation countdown

Ok, it's less than 24 hours until my vacation starts. 
I'm going to actually have my very first extended vacation in over 10 years... well, more like 7 but I'm not counting the time your Grandpa Don and I went to Ft Lauderdale to see the King Tut exhibit. What was going to be a great time got ruined the last night there. 
I'm sure I blogged about it previously, you'll have to look it up. 
The suite I've booked has a garden Jacuzzi tub, which means for the first time in forever, I'll be able to soak in a tub. 
And scratch an item off my bucket list - actually riding a horse. 
I'll have pictures, don't worry. You can see how ridiculous I look - but I don't care. 
I'll be on a real, honest to Goddess, staying at a resort, VACATION! 

(if you can't tell, this is a big thing for me) 

Doctor's orders

Well, went in for my annual checkup, and everything is fine...except for one little thing. 
Dr. Springer and I were talking and work came up. I happened to mention that I'd set the departmental record for most overtime in a two week period (48 hours) and he asked what I was planning for a vacation. 
I mentioned that I wasn't really a vacation type person, and the crux of the discussion became that I was *going* to take a real vacation this year, no arguments from me. 
Well, that got me thinking about what I would like to do - beach? mountains? city?
Given that this discussion took place in January, going to KC was off the table. Grandpa Merlin doesn't do snow. (I know, Grandpa Don & Uncle Ian were just there...but they don't mind snow)  
And as I began listing choices, I got to thinking about whether or not I wanted "all inclusive" or "ala carte" so to speak. 
I checked out cruises, I checked out various resorts, I checked out vacation packages - nothing really seemed to fit, or there were potentially too many "extra charges" involved (as in the case of a cruise), not to mention the entire passport issue. 
Then I had an idea, and checked out dude ranches in Georgia. 
I came across one called Southern Cross, located in Madison, Georgia ... only an hour away. 
They offered a variety of packages, however the one that most interested me was their "all inclusive" - offering not only meals, but two riding sessions daily for the extent of the stay. 
So, next week, I'm spending a week (ok, 4 nights) at a dude ranch. 

A bit of a background on my equine history - I've only been on a horse 2.5 times in my life - once as a child on a led pony ride, once at a carnival on a fixed pony ride, and the last time when I was 17 and in San Diego. 
That was the half - that ride lasted only as long as it took for the horse to realize I had absolutely no clue what I was doing, and he didn't want to be ridden. The horse won. 

So that's what's going on. More later 

And Happy Birthday Andrea! 

Update: 
It was utter heaven. 
I actually rode a horse for at least 2.5 hours a day for 5 days - discovered I cannot do 4 hours on horseback though. 
And that tub. Oh. My. God. That. Tub. 
When you get older, you'll understand the sublime heaven that is a long hot soak. And since I'm 6'3" , I don't exactly fit in the standard tub. So I took full advantage of a tub that I could fit in, and soaked every night for at least an hour, sometimes more. 
Did I mention it was a Jacuzzi tub? 
And I didn't have anyone bothering me, asking when I was coming out of the bathroom, etc? 
When I wasn't horseback riding, I was reading...that's all I did, was relax, read, and ride horses. 
I'm going to do it again next year for my birthday. 

Shakira's big reprieve

Took Shakira in today for his neuter, and discovered that there may be an issue. 
For starters, he hasn't "dropped" yet. Not such a big thing, he's still a kitten. 
Although the vet did mention that he only felt one testicle, meaning the other literally, hasn't dropped into the scrotum yet. 
At this point, not a big deal. He's scheduled now to go back in a month, at which time I'm hoping that nature has taken its course, and everything is where it's supposed to be. 
However, if it hasn't, then what would be a relatively minor surgical procedure becomes complicated because an undescended testicle means additional surgery. 
Anyway, he got a reprieve. 

Update.... 
Took him back a month later, and he went through the procedure - so he's fixed. Yay! 
And he's undergone a name change... he's now known as Sharky, or occasionally, the Sharkster. 
That's because he bites. It's play biting, so you're forewarned. 
I don't know when you're going to meet him, but I know at some point you & Aiden will. 

Another update: 
He's not such a biter anymore, at least to me. 
Cleo on the other hand can be mouthy.  

Shakira's big day

Shakira's big day has arrived...well, actually will arrive tomorrow.   
He's going in tomorrow for his neuter. More on that after the surgery. 
He's scheduled to stay overnight, thankfully he's current on all shots.  

Results - not a pretty picture but they taste okay

OK, both of the cheesecakes have had time to cool and set, and I've tasted both.  
Now to analyze what happened. 

The watermelon cheesecakes over cooked for one, and the white chocolate managed to separate and melt into the cupcake liner. 
Note to self, monitor cooking time better. Also, ginger snaps not a good idea for crusts. 

The creamsicle are too heavily orange, in flavor and color. Better control on the pastry bag should cover one issue, the flavoring issue should work itself out in larger batches. 

Now I have to create a new batch for the holiday dinner at work - I think I'm going to go back to my basics, except that I'm using a shortbread for the crusts this time. I don't foresee doing more than 24 this time, which means basically a half batch. 

A little less muss and fuss, but it also means just one batch in the oven instead of multiples. 
Yay. 

Rainy Monday Cheesecake Experiment

So I've been kicking a couple of cheesecake concepts around in my head for a couple of weeks now.
Watermelon white chocolate chip and orange creamsicle. 
This was only because I came across some old flavorings I  bought a couple of years ago - but it did get me to thinking about cheesecake variations. 
So, I'm whipping up experimental batches today. 
By that, I mean that I'm doing a limited run of these to determine if the recipe is valid. 
I plan to dye the batter red/pink for the watermelon, and orange for the creamsicle. 

Since I'm doing the Paula Deen adaptation, (i.e. mini cheesecakes) instead of a full spring-form pan version, I'll have results in under an hour. 

For posterity's sake, here's my basic 1/4 batch recipe: 

1 brick cream cheese, room temperature
1 large egg
1/4 - 1/3 cup sugar
vanilla extract 
1/4 - 1/3 cup sour cream or
1 tbs whipping cream 

Cream all ingredients together until they become a batter. 
At this point, for the watermelon, I plan to add the flavoring and the food dye, mixing until incorporated and I'm satisfied. Then fold in the white chocolate chips, portion into already prepared muffin tin, bake at 350 until set and voila. 

For the creamsicle, I'll split the batter and add flavoring and dye to one half and massively up the vanilla for the plain part. 
Prepped muffin tins will get a layer of the "plain" batter then the orange batter, swirl with a butter knife, again baking at 350 until set and voila. 

Conceptually, I'm putting lemon crisps instead of vanilla wafers in the creamsicle, and debating gingersnaps vs vanilla wafers in the watermelon. 

I like the idea of the ginger and watermelon and white chocolate together.  

Okay, I have the creamsicle flavor in the oven even as I type. 
Short break to clean up and get ready for the big experiment, watermelon cheesecake. 
Discovered that the Orange extract may not be the way to go for the creamsicle, only baking will tell conclusively though. 
Also for the crusts I went with a mini vanilla wafer on top of a lemon crisp. 

So now for the watermelon, I plan on dyeing the batter pink/red and the white chocolate chips will represent the seeds. Thought about dark chocolate, but think better match with white. 

I'm going with the ginger snap crust on the watermelon. I think it'll meld well. 

The creamsicles are out of the oven and the watermelon are in. 
They'll be ready for taste testing in about an hour. 
Unexpected issues with the extract though. It didn't want to combine with the batter. 
Well, got that problem solved by kicking up the mixer a few notches. 
Tasted okay as a batter, but again, the proof is in the baking. 

Halfway point. 
A little more rise than I'd expected, however that may be due to the amount of whipping I did to get the extract incorporated. 
Wait and see. 

Okay, they're out of the oven now. 
Smell fantastic. However, they have to set and cool. 
More after taste test. 

Name change

OK, I've given this a lot of thought, and I've decided what the former Shakira will be called. 
Shakir, Ah! (And the comma and exclamation point are part of his name.) 
Because for one, that's the name he's been called for 4 months. And if I slip and call him Shakira, no biggie. 
And two, it's a pun. Because suddenly, he's Shakir, Ah! ... 
On the bright side, neutering is cheaper than a spay. And less recovery time and dangers from the anesthesia. 

Major news flash

This is big. This is REALLY big. 
Took Shakira in for the 3rd round of shots today - and then when I went to get her, the vet comes out and says "I have a big surprise for you ... you're going to need to change Shakira's name..." 
I immediately went "NO!" ... because I knew that meant both the vet and I had mistakenly sexed Shakira as female ... and he's actually a male. And for 4 months too.  
Not that I'll love him any less - but now I've got to figure out what his name is. 
Because Shakira isn't going to work. 

Wow. Took a female kitty in for shots and get a male kitty back. That doesn't happen every day. 

Shakira's accomplishment

Shakira has learned to climb the cat tree by herself. 
I regularly pick her up and put her on the top shelf so she can eat her wet food in peace, however she doesn't really do the tree beyond eating. 
So imagine my surprise today when I found her on the top shelf. 
She climbed up by herself! 
Alrighty then enough babbling.