Real Cat!

It's been a big weekend. First, the addition to the household of this incredibly adorable formerly feral 4-month-old kitten; thousands more pictures to come. He doesn't have a name yet but goes by Little Boy, Purr Machine, Purrkins, Shrimp, Sneezy, Sorfle, Snork Maiden, and Ex-Blaine. As you can see from the names, he purrs constantly (even when hunting . . . I think he has a lot to learn), he curls up like a shrimp on your chest, he has a cold, and he really likes to cuddle.

Emily, his fairy kitten godmother, and I had an eventful weekend on non-feline fronts as well. We took a water-taxi to the new Sculpture Park where the highlight for me was an incredibly charming rotating ampersand. We saw the Shins play for a small crowd at a beach cottage. We were treated to several hundred courses of brunch with a water view at a fancy restaurant: moule moule moule, plus crab legs, and a bag of donuts for good measure. We came too late for kayaking but had sunset margaritas, and next morning watched salmon, pleasure boats, and a really huge mad scientist experimental barge being moved through the locks into the city. The whole experience really made me like Seattle.

I also taught more or less the same test prep class three times, to GRE, GMAT, and SAT students, which really teaches one a lesson about audience. I'd forgotten how different high school kids are from college kids. Really different! But in a fun and sweet way, more or less. Then I collapsed exhausted into a bowl of pho. Now I'm going to home depot to look into screen doors.