tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210741902009-12-18T08:05:24.709-05:00<p><b>What is the sound of one student napping?</b></p> <br> <p>Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence. <br> --Robert Frost </p> <br> <p><i>NOTE: The contents of this blog are not approved by my employers, nor do they represent my employers' opinions on any subject. The opinions expressed on this blog are mine and mine alone. I have changed all names (denoted by an asterisk).</i></p> <br>Miss Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210249894351503887misskitty_ep@bellsouth.netBlogger1194125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21074190.post-71421784729788856682009-12-18T05:03:00.001-05:002009-12-18T05:03:00.122-05:00

I have entered final grades for Fall Semester 2009, and am DONE until January 12. HOORAY!In the meantime, there's a lot going on. My sister, whom many of you know is also my best friend, is here for an extended visit, and we've been having a good time.Any Pixie visit means that we have to go fabric shopping with Mom (don't worry, you'll get all the crazy pictures & details!).There will be a large

Miss Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210249894351503887misskitty_ep@bellsouth.net0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21074190.post-65563514481087725822009-12-17T14:15:00.001-05:002009-12-17T14:59:22.341-05:00

This was lying on the steps outside my doctor's office last week. So many ways to interpret this image, so little time.

Miss Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210249894351503887misskitty_ep@bellsouth.net0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21074190.post-85358899647861406392009-12-15T05:03:00.006-05:002009-12-15T11:44:04.904-05:00

For weeks, I've been trying to find a vertical 24" x 36" poster of Elvis Presley in his white bejeweled jumpsuit—one that looks much like the old velvet Elvis paintings, but is in poster form. Sadly, I can't find one just on paper, and I can't justify spending $200 on something that will go in my office. Anyone out there know where I could find the cheesy white-jumpsuited old fat Elvis in poster

Miss Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210249894351503887misskitty_ep@bellsouth.net5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21074190.post-20425705072621684862009-12-14T10:41:00.004-05:002009-12-14T10:57:54.001-05:00

Grading Hell is here, so all I can post for this Chicken Monday is a re-run of a previous poultry video. Yes, I need to film a new one, and will do so while my sister is here visiting. (She arrived last night! Hooray!)

Miss Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210249894351503887misskitty_ep@bellsouth.net0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21074190.post-82068357419977808792009-12-12T05:03:00.002-05:002009-12-12T05:03:00.439-05:00

A powerful storm blew through Small Town early Wednesday morning, and very gently placed this 16-inch-long piece of dead oak branch between the passenger-side window and mirror on my car. No damage, thankfully, but it certainly startled me to see it lodged there—especially when there were so many other small branches scattered around my driveway and yard.

Miss Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210249894351503887misskitty_ep@bellsouth.net1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21074190.post-55255385969204960512009-12-11T05:03:00.002-05:002009-12-11T05:03:00.322-05:00

Everyone's favorite kitteh-with-an-attitude, Mooakura, takes a moment to enjoy her breakfast on the Happy Kitteh Cottage porch.

Miss Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210249894351503887misskitty_ep@bellsouth.net5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21074190.post-89965380624164724752009-12-10T05:03:00.015-05:002009-12-14T10:58:29.395-05:00

Even though this is supposed to be a joyous time of the year, people tend to get very stressed out. All those expectations (spoken or otherwise) from society, family, and our First National Church of Wal-Mart consumer culture sure can make the winter holidays into one long torture session that makes Abu Ghraib seem like a Sunday School picnic.And that, dear hearts, is why Ask Mom™ is here to help

Miss Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210249894351503887misskitty_ep@bellsouth.net3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21074190.post-91487959422629082662009-12-09T05:03:00.009-05:002009-12-09T09:26:33.101-05:00

Just in time for Hell Week—also known to college professors as The End of the Semester—Student Essay Insanity returns to brighten your day! Or make you weep and gnash your teeth. Either one.This batch of boo-boos comes to us from the Division II University Freshman Writing Improvement Project (FWIP). The essay prompt asked students in many different courses (the sciences, math, history, English,

Miss Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210249894351503887misskitty_ep@bellsouth.net8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21074190.post-60199374887402736862009-12-08T05:03:00.002-05:002009-12-08T05:03:00.241-05:00

Not even fierce little Prue, the HKC's most bad-ass outdoor cat, can believe it. No, she is NOT impressed with how slowly this week is going. Not. at. ALL. And neither am I.

Miss Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210249894351503887misskitty_ep@bellsouth.net1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21074190.post-10061296258085946772009-12-07T05:03:00.009-05:002009-12-07T05:03:00.300-05:00

Today's Chicken Monday consists of pictures from July 2009. Chickens, a kitteh, and a puppeh—who could ask for anything more, Toyota?

Miss Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210249894351503887misskitty_ep@bellsouth.net4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21074190.post-59208146305896197452009-12-05T11:02:00.002-05:002009-12-05T11:35:26.952-05:00

Yesterday afternoon, the Colonel surprised me with an early Christmas present: two sets of top-of-the-line satin sheets, in black and red. Somebody cue the porn music!Of course, before we could even try them out, the kittehs beat us to it. [sigh]

Miss Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210249894351503887misskitty_ep@bellsouth.net5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21074190.post-67949464691350767202009-12-04T05:03:00.001-05:002009-12-04T05:03:00.272-05:00

This installment of Friday Kittehs features photos from July 2009.Squirrel, Kamakura, and Erngeakura hang around on the front walk after breakfast.Stripeakura wants to know who the hell is rustling around in the azalea bushes by the porch.Davy (aka Shithook) glares at Elvis from his perch by the steps.Clark, meanwhile, girths it up while waiting for Mama to let him back in the house.

Miss Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210249894351503887misskitty_ep@bellsouth.net2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21074190.post-43077633966359085152009-12-03T09:40:00.002-05:002009-12-03T10:04:04.009-05:00

Today is my last class with my three sections of Comp I. And what better celebration for young people than a good old-fashioned diabetic coma?!?Seriously, though: all these goodies are for last-day-of-class celebrations in each of my Comp I classes. Students are often 90% of how a class goes, and thanks to the 48 wonderful and diverse young people in my English 1101 sections, this has been the

Miss Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210249894351503887misskitty_ep@bellsouth.net6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21074190.post-80303144341892802712009-12-02T05:03:00.019-05:002009-12-02T05:03:00.183-05:00

Whew! Thanksgiving's over, and we can breathe easy for a fraction of a second before Christmas comes barreling along. But Mom's certainly not taking a rest—she's still "got plenty of shit to do," in her immortal words. And that includes answering some long-overdue questions from faithful E&P readers.Dear Mom,What kind of gifts do you recommend for the older woman who has everything?Thanks,Darra (

Miss Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210249894351503887misskitty_ep@bellsouth.net11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21074190.post-18878397954335888912009-12-01T10:30:00.001-05:002009-12-01T10:30:21.404-05:00

Beignet has slowed down a little since she got spayed a couple weeks ago. A little.Here, she's snoozing, between acts of Evening Crazies: The Musical. And those are old issues of Yoga Journal serving as her bed.

Miss Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210249894351503887misskitty_ep@bellsouth.net4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21074190.post-41898048326288534942009-11-30T14:31:00.000-05:002009-11-30T14:32:49.110-05:00

Even though we're well into fall, there's still a lot of activity in the chicken pen here at the Happy Kitten Cottage. Everyone's still eating well and looking beautiful. (From background: Henrietta, Leroy, and Big Chicken #2.) Isn't Leroy a pretty bird? He certainly thinks so. He's also King of the Coop, much to the chagrin of Big Chickens #1 and #2. But B.C. #1 is still gorgeous, even if he's

Miss Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210249894351503887misskitty_ep@bellsouth.net9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21074190.post-74433931113409152222009-11-26T14:22:00.001-05:002009-11-30T10:35:18.660-05:00

Thanksgiving finds Mom, Steve, and me at Waffle House. Pixie and Guy arrive this evening, and our Turkey Day feast will be tomorrow, so we're not at all disappointed with waffles and hash browns today.

Miss Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210249894351503887misskitty_ep@bellsouth.net2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21074190.post-72123656267295542132009-11-26T05:03:00.001-05:002009-11-26T05:03:00.364-05:00

Hold on, kitteh! Mom's workin' on that pie!Hope you're all having a wonderful Thanksgiving. Pixie and Guy fly in this afternoon, and our family's official Thanksgiving dinner is tomorrow.

Miss Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210249894351503887misskitty_ep@bellsouth.net2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21074190.post-88759511580561641312009-11-25T10:00:00.000-05:002009-11-25T10:00:06.222-05:00

It's been a looooong time since Ask Mom™ was last featured here on E&P, so what better time to bring it back but Thanksgiving?Face it: it's MOM's advice you want when you're faced with an undercooked turkey, a pie that just spilled its soggy contents into the bottom of your oven, relatives who've been drinking since 9:00am (and it's now lunch time), and a house full of screaming kids who don't

Miss Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210249894351503887misskitty_ep@bellsouth.net6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21074190.post-67549251201128792042009-11-24T08:56:00.001-05:002009-11-24T10:45:22.586-05:00

Two days 'til Thanksgiving, and Squirrel is incredibly disappointed in the entire holiday season scramble; another EPIC DISAPPOINTMENT. It's tough being Squirrel when everyone and everything let you down. [deep sigh]

Miss Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210249894351503887misskitty_ep@bellsouth.net3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21074190.post-60778792989586716252009-11-22T13:57:00.010-05:002009-11-22T14:10:47.543-05:00

A recent series of mishaps—the last of which included a fellow truck driver dragging his trailer across the front of El Seebeno's parked truck, completely tearing off the front end—have culminated in Seeben's being assigned another truck. A brand-new truck, at that! "Captain's log: Hard as a rock." (Thank you, Seeben.)El Seebeno had to watch three training videos before management would even give

Miss Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210249894351503887misskitty_ep@bellsouth.net1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21074190.post-10026701924804296152009-11-21T10:30:00.001-05:002009-11-21T10:41:04.085-05:00

Today is November 21, but for this Kurume azalea in my front yard, it's April 21. Weird weather here in Small Town: low 60s and rainy. Where's the cold weather?!?

Miss Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210249894351503887misskitty_ep@bellsouth.net3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21074190.post-32459488841400585822009-11-20T09:29:00.001-05:002009-11-21T10:14:45.446-05:00

The party's over! Beignet is at the vet's office today...getting fixed when she wasn't even broken. Poor kitteh!

Miss Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210249894351503887misskitty_ep@bellsouth.net3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21074190.post-82839608501188341572009-11-19T05:03:00.014-05:002009-11-19T10:41:37.621-05:00

We're nearing the end of a fairly good semester, and lately I've been thinking that it's simply too good to be true. And it is! To wit: the e-mail I just received.Prof. Kitty,I am having a difficult time choosing a topic. I have no clue about what I want to write about. Any suggestions will be great.My reply:Okay...remember that I'm asking you to write on something that's related to what we've

Miss Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210249894351503887misskitty_ep@bellsouth.net9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21074190.post-62291175978911382992009-11-18T10:31:00.001-05:002009-11-18T10:31:58.722-05:00

I didn't think camellias were supposed to bloom until late December, but here's a gorgeous pink one in all its glory on November 18.

Miss Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210249894351503887misskitty_ep@bellsouth.net4