Evil Cat Strikes Again

Phillip was the first to notice that our fridge was not as cold as usual. In fact, it was getting downright balmy. This was driven home when, a few days later, he got a nice big mouthful of sour milk with his morning cereal. He was kind enough to warn me not to risk the cream in my coffee as he left for work. I felt loved.

So, I dug up our warranty and discovered, naturally, that it had expired almost exactly a year ago. After calling Sears and rolling my eyes at the minimum $250 visit (the fridge only cost $600 when we moved in), I called a local company and booked a visit. When all was said and done, it turned out that the condenser / fan had failed because it was clogged with our dear cat's Evil Tumbleweeds of Death. Add this to the recent spate of vet bills and medications and the Ice Princess has cost us over $2000. We've considered a "catch and release" scenario at the zoo.... I wonder if anyone would notice the new addition to "Cat Canyon"?

Another thing about the fridge that has always been a bit of an issue is the fact that the water dispenser is located inside and pouring a glass of water involves standing there with the door open. That, and it drips on the butter. Who designed this?! When Nikki and Mario were visiting, they resorted to buying bottled water because they found San Diego's highly chlorinated water - even that which came from the filtered fridge dispenser, both unpleasant to taste and hard on the stomach. I have noticed a funky smell as well. Altogether, this led to the purchase of a Big Ass Brita (aka "UltraMax!"). It does a very good job of making the water taste softer and saves energy since we just keep it on the counter - I prefer room temperature water anyway. Appliance adventures, whee!

Amidst the hassle of cleaning all of the bad food out of the fridge, we were readying for the event of the season. Our good friends Kristina and Kevin, who have been together for about eight years, got married in September. We enjoyed ourselves very much - particularly impressed by the Star Wars theme song played by a Scottish piper. The location was great; the rooftop terrace of an otherwise quaint B&B called "Cardiff by the Sea Lodge" was the perfect setting for the intimate ceremony. Cardiff by the Sea (the town) is located only thirty-five minutes north of San Diego and is a typical little SoCal spot with an enviable stretch of coastline. From the terrace of the B&B, we had a spectacular view of the Pacific, and after the sun set, there was a cozy little nook with an outdoor fire-pit. We ended the night at a luxe restaurant down the road with an outdoor patio literally steps from the crashing waves. Very nice.

Back at home a few days later, I had my Eureka moment. Yes, I've graduated my Massage Therapy program, but it really sank in the moment I sent off my certification packet. Phillip came home to a very giddy and happy wife. We ate out, and my grad prezzie is awesome: a new MacBook Pro! I promised not to spill coffee on this one. Now I will be sitting on pins and needles, sprucing up my resume for job-hunting, while starting the study process for the National Exam Certification. If California certification was a sprint, the National Exam is a marathon. I'll keep you posted.

Phillip's moment for drama came a few days after that.  Of course it involved soccer. This time he returned sporting a very obvious goose-egg on the side of his noggin, just above his ear, and the promise of a black eye. Both injuries were due to the same guy! ("At least it was a guy this time!" he interjects with ruffled feathers...) First, they were just being clumsy and ran into each other head-first while trying to track the flying ball, and secondly, the guy was wearing a ring and was flailing his arms so that Phillip got a sudden back-hand to the face. Nice cut, but happily, no serious damage. He's healing quickly! ("Just in time for the next game." he adds dryly...) I don't get the appeal. I really don't.

This weekend has been semi-busy. I spent a good part of Friday cleaning and organizing the house for my graduation party, which at that point, was starting to feel like an obligation. Phillip had to work late, which was a bummer, but thankfully, ordering in a boatload of Indian food and reminding myself to just relax made it all better and we ended up having a great time. I love the sound of happy, chatting people filling the house, and the bonus was that we achieved a small, but important revenge on Scuttle, who spent the whole time hiding on the balcony.

- K.M.