Happy Hump Day - The Blue Sky Edition

In honor of Hump Day (and the work week being half over!) I’ve decided to start posting hump day pictures of things that I think are pretty, cute, cheerful, fun, interesting, or some combination thereof. I think we can all use a little of that halfway through the week.

We’ve had rain for almost a week now, and while I know we needed the rain, I’m desperately hoping for blue skies and sunshine soon. So of course today’s hump day theme has to be blue skies.

Are you getting drenched too? I hope your skies are blue and sunny. If not, hopefully the pictures can help tide you over too.

Jump Off Rock

Riverbanks Zoo

I-40

Charleston Harbor

Folly Beach

Blog Ahead 2015

Sign Up Here

Anna at Herding Cats & Burning Soup is hosting the 2015 Blog Ahead event during the month of October. The idea is to build up your number of scheduled posts by 31 during the month of October by writing and scheduling 31 posts during October that won’t publish until after November 1^st. You can read more, and sign up, here.

I don’t normally schedule very many posts ahead of time. I like the idea of having posts scheduled; I just never get around to it. I have two scheduled right now, which is actually a lot for me. 

I do like the idea of guaranteeing that this will be the first year I don’t blog less than the year before, so I decided to sign up this year. I’m really not sure about getting 31 posts scheduled during one month, so I’m setting my goal a little lower, at 15 posts. That seems a bit more doable to me, and means that as of October 31^st I should have 17 posts scheduled for November 1^st and beyond.

So what about you? Do you usually schedule your posts ahead of time? Are you participating in the Blog Ahead event?

Joey

We’ve added another cat to our household. I know, I know, we’re pretty much crazy cat people at this point. Joey was already in the family, he just didn’t live with us until recently.

My parents adopted Joey over eleven years ago. He and his litter mate Harry (who now lives with my sister’s best friend) were dropped off at the feed store where my sister worked. I’m not sure if you can tell from the picture, but Joey is missing his back right leg.

Joey had the leg when he was dropped off, but it was mangled, and bent the wrong way. My parents saw him and wanted to save him. My mom loves all cats, and Joey’s plight really spoke to my dad because my dad has severe back and leg problems. He couldn’t stand the thought of Joey not getting the treatment he needed.

So Joey became my parents’ cat. We named him after Joey on Friends. We were all addicted to the show, and we decided that everyone loved Joey, and that our Joey was going to need that to get through everything. He had multiple surgeries in an effort to save the leg, but it was just too damaged, so the vet ultimately recommended amputation. Joey gets around fine without the leg, and most of the time people don’t even realize at fist that he’s missing a leg. He’s so fluffy it seems to hide it a little bit.

Recently my dad’s back and leg problems have become much worse. He has a degenerative spinal disease, and his mobility is becoming more and more limited. He will eventually become wheelchair bound, though he’s hoping that doesn’t happen for a while.

Joey’s favorite hobby is doing figure eights around your ankles. He likes to be right underfoot, and wants to be touching you at all times. This wasn’t good for my dad since his balance isn’t very good. After falling over Joey a few times, they decided it would be better if Joey moved in with us.

He’s adjusting well to life with us. He already knew Emma and Duke from all of the times they’ve visited their grandparents. Joey isn’t overly friendly toward other cats, but everyone seems to have declared a truce (though it’s uneasy at times). Like his namesake, Joey loves food, and is always happy to be given treats. He also loves to be held and cuddled. And I think he likes it here.

September 19th

September 19^th is a pretty important day for us. It’s the day Nick and I met in person for the first time. As I’ve said before, we met on E-Harmony. My Mother-In-Law met her husband Alan that way, so Nick decided to give it a try. My Aunt Diana met her husband Lane that way, so I decided to give it a try.

Nick and I were matched, and went through E-Harmony’s guided communication process, then we exchanged emails and phone numbers. After several very long conversations we decided to schedule our first date. It ended up being September 19^th, at a little Italian restaurant.

I didn’t know it at the time, but September 19^th is also Nick’s grandparents’ anniversary. I love that we met 48 years to the day after they said "I do". Today is eight years for us meeting, and fifty-six years for the Grands’ anniversary.

It’s also International Talk Like a Pirate Day. I found this great Pirate Personality test to determine what kind of pirate you are. I hope you’ll take it and share your results in the comments. Here are mine:

You are ...
The Cap'n

Profile: Some men and women are born great, some achieve greatness and some slit the throats of any scalawag who stands between them and unlimited power. You never met a man - or woman - you couldn't eviscerate. You are the definitive Man of Action, the CEO of the Seven Seas, Lee Iacocca in a blousy shirt and drawstring-fly pants. You're mission-oriented, and if anyone gets in the way, that's his problem, now isn't? Your buckle was swashed long ago and you have never been so sure of anything as your ability to bend everyone to your will. You will call anyone out and cut off his head if he shows any sign of taking you on or backing down. If one of your lieutenants shows an overly developed sense of ambition he may find more suitable accommodations in Davy Jones' locker. That is, of course, IF you notice him. You tend to be self absorbed - a weakness that may keep you from seeing enemies where they are and imagining them where they are not.