Well Swirl’s tower has finally arrived.  We got it Monday and it was really easy to put together.  Eric and I did in in less than a half hour. I guess this officially makes the crazy cat lady, but whatever. Swirl didn’t really know what to do at first.  I tried putting him on it but he jumped right off.  We tried to bribe him by putting treats on the lower levels and his night time food on another level.  Still he had no interest in it at all. That was not a good sign.  Actually he sat on the floor and glared at me when I put his food on the new tower. I’m sure he was thinking, “You evil bitch, how dare you put my food in a place I can’t reach it”. It really made me sad, I spent all this money on this new toy and Swirl prefers the old one.  Great, another piece of useless furniture taking up space in the house.  So last night, I switch the spots of the new tower with the other tower.  At first Swirl sat on his old tower glaring at me, he was pissed because I moved his old tower away from the window.   After a little coaxing with the rope toy on the new tower, Swirl finally got interested in it. And after that he started climbing the tower, sitting in the little house or on one of the platform, looking outside. He seems to love it now.  He hasn’t ventured up higher than the house part, but we are working on it…I hope my silly cat isn’t afraid of heights! I’m sure in the beginning he probably thought he wasn’t allowed on it or something. Who knows, but doesn’t this look like a cat who loves his new tower?

Eden Prairie Community Band “Stage and Screen” Concert 

Hopkins Raspberry Festival, July 20, 2013

Captain America March, Silvestri/Brown

Gonna Fly Now, Bill Conti/Mortimer

He Can Do It, Peter Udell, Gary Geld/Nestico

March from "1941", John Williams/Lavender

Hogan's Heroes March (Cl. Choir Feature), arr. Osterling

Seventy Six Trombones, Willson/Anderson, arr. Bocook

Bricusse and Newley on Broadway, arr. Warren Barker

Great Waldo Pepper March, Henry Mancini/Moss

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Andrew Lloyd Webber/Sweeney

Swirl is quite an entertaining cat. Yesterday Swirl displayed his thieving skills. First, I was eating a Chicken Caesar Sandwich and Swirl stole my lettuce. He stole the lettuce when I was taking a BITE! Crazy cat. He ate the lettuce even though it was covered in Caesar dressing.  Next I was sorting music for my concert today and he took off with one of the pieces. I'm not sure why he is obsessed with paper.  We have to flip all the Kleenex box over because he was shredding the Kleenex.  Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of his thieving activities. I could take a picture of my "angel" sleeping, but there are enough of those out here.

So my concert today is in Hopkins. It is the annual Hopkins Raspberry Festival.  The funny thing is I've never seen Raspberries for sale at this festival. You go to the Broiler Days and you get chicken, go to Cheese Fest, you get cheese, you go to Raspberry festival...no raspberries.  LOL!  Every year they have the "Festival of Bands."  5 or 6 area community bands play for an hour each. We have played almost every year. Usually it is hot but today it isn't too bad.  Thankfully!

Speaking of hot, this week has been quite hot and humid.  You would think I would have spent it at the water park, but alas no.  Eric went to school every day to work on his paper.  That means I've been riding the bus home. :( I'm so spoiled being picked up every day that riding the bus seems uncool. Eric has class today.  Poor guy.  So I've been a widow all week and weekend. 

Apparently Abbie is spending the night tonight. She has state soccer in Hugo today and tomorrow she is doing something at Canterbury Park. 

Well maybe I'll go for a bike now.   I was going to earlier but it was raining. 

Last night Eric and I went to a painting class so Eric could discover his creative process. It really is lame.  He had to participate in some creative activity…the teacher suggested a Poetry Reading.  Eric said NO! And decided the lessor of all the creative evils was painting. I think he picked it because he knew I would go with him. He is so smart.  Here are pictures of Eric’s masterpiece in process and our final product. It was fun, I’m not too happy with this one like I was with the birds but it is way better than the stupid wine bottles I did last year. By the way, Eric was the token man in the class. Every class I’ve gone to has had only one guy.  Last night was Eric’s turn. LOL!