Tortie Tuesday - Happy Birthday to Us!

Ivy: What is that, sis? You think they forgot our big day?


Holly: No way. Just look cool, Ivy. They are trying to surprise us. Wait . . . what is that noise?


SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Holly: See, Ivy? I knew it! I'm always right.

Ivy: Yeah, but while you are over there looking all cool, I'm busy getting into the cake!


Happy Birthday to two of the most terribly cute tortie twins in the blogosphere!

Mommy: I love you very much, girls. Thanks for adopting me and making my life better.

Mancat Monday and Awards

Sometimes a mancat just has to get a better view of his domain. The top of the fridge makes a pretty good lookout point.


I can hardly believe it! I have been honored with two more awards!

The lovely kitties of The Cat Realm gave me this wonderful award. It is called the "Premio Dardos" award, and this is what it means:

"With the Premium Dardos, recognize the values that each blogger shows each day in commitment to transmit cultural values, ethical, literary, personal etc. that, in short, demonstrate their creativity by alive thinking that remains intact from their letters and words."

Wow! It is a great honor to be given such a high honor!

I would like to pass this award along to:

Diamond Emerald-Eyes
Daisy
Angus Mhor

And speaking of Diamond Emerald-Eyes, I also received the Brillante Weblog award from her!

Here are the rules:
1) Put the logo on your blog.
2) Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4) Add links to those blogs on yours.
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

I would like to pass this award on to:

The Purrageous Pirates
Jimmy Joe
Shadow and Molly
Monty Q.
Abby and Stygian
Billy Sweetfeets Norton
Isis, my new doggie friend


Also, tomorrow is the Tortie Twins' birthday! They will be four years old! Please join us tomorrow for the big celebration!

Friday Movie Review - The Great Mouse Detective

For this week's movie review, I am covering what has to be the most classic mystery movie to ever involve mousies, rats, doggies, and kitties.

The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
Directed By: Ron Clements
Burny Mattinson
Written By: Peter Young
Vance Gerry

Basil of Baker Street is a famous mousie detective who just happens to live in the home of the even more famous bean detective Sherlock Holmes. With the help of Dr. David Q. Dawson, Basil takes on the case of the missing toymaker, Hiram Flaversham, who was mousenapped on his daughter Olivia's birthday. While at first unwilling to take on Olivia's case, Basil soon becomes more enthusiastic as he learns that her father was mousenapped by a peg-legged bat . . . the very same bat that is employed by his arch-nemesis, Professor Ratigan!



Ratigan is known as the "Napoleon of Crime," who, while most definitely a rat, hates to be called a rat. Professor Ratigan even keeps a pet kitty named Felicia who helps him to keep his employees in line by disposing of those who displease him. Ratigan has kidnapped Flaversham in order to force him to build a mechanical replica of the mousie queen, which is all a part of Ratigan's elaborate plan to take over the entire British empire! Can Basil, with the help of Olivia, Dr. Dawson, and a doggie named Toby, put an end to Ratigan's foul plot? Or will Ratigan succeed in becoming the leader of all British mousedom?


This movie is full of comedy, suspense, and action. There is a little something in it for everyfurry. While Ratigan is most definitely evil, he is still likable since he has the good taste to take care of a kitty, and to see a kitty's potential as an enforcer. We kitties make great enforcers of mousies . . . I know I discipline my mousies all the time. Basil is very open-minded to allow a doggie to help him in his sleuthing, even if he does mainly use him just for transportation. (Dana thought Toby looked like just her kind of doggie!) Also, there is a very daring and action-packed scene at the very end, when Basil finally faces off against Ratigan. I give this movie two paws up and a tail poof, for being exciting furry fun!

Thankful Thursday and Award

Many grateful thanks to Diamond and her new tabby brother for giving me this totally pawsome award!

I know a lot of kitties have already received this award, but I just wanted to pass this on to the entire catblogosphere for being such wonderful and supportive friends!

Mommy is also grateful for all of the great advice (and sympathy) she's gotten over Ivy's new "Velcro Kitty" situation. She is planning on looking into getting the calming spray to see if that helps. Mommy managed to work in an extra hour of sleep the other night before Ivy started her forceful lovefest, so she has her fingers crossed that it may be getting a wee bit better. I have my paws crossed, too, because I want my mommy back!

(Mommy says she can forgive the ex-Almost Dad for a lot of things, but she can't forgive him for breaking her baby girl's heart.)

PS: Keep your paws crossed that Mommy finds gas today, otherwise she'll have to miss work tomorrow, and she's pretty hissed off about that.

Wordless Wednesday - Helping Mommy Blog

Tortie Tuesday - Ivy Worries

Mommy is worried about me.

At first, she thought I was being all in her business (even more than usual) because I could feel Fall in the air. After all, Tybalt and Holly and the doggies are friskier than usual, the way they get every year as the seasons change.

But instead of just playing thundering herd of elephants, or playing scream at mommy to be let out even though I know I'm never allowed outside, I started being more of a Velcro Kitty.

I started acting like Tybalt.

And then, I started becoming even more of a Velcro Kitty than Tybalt. And mommy didn't think that was possible.

Mommy hasn't slept in four nights now, because I won't leave her alone. And I don't leave her alone in very kittenish and painful ways. I talk constantly, in a little kittenish quack/squawk. I sit on her. I walk on her. I pat her face and her arms . . . with my claws fully out. I burrow under the covers and bite her. If she gets on to me or puts me off the bed, then I just jump right back up and scream at her, and then get her with my claws again. I sit on her head, like Tybalt, and hold on to her for dear life . . . with all of my claws extended and digging in to her scalp. If my mommy finally has enough and puts me out of the bedroom and shuts the door, I sit right outside of it and scream and claw at it. No matter what she does, I won't leave her alone, and she gets no sleep.

Mommy has checked me out. I am perfectly healthy. I don't have an earache or a toothache. My tummy is fine. My appetite is healthy.

Mommy has come to the conclusion that I am lonely and having separation anxiety. I was the only furry baby that bonded super close with the ex-Almost Dad, and she thinks I finally understand he isn't coming back.

Mommy has been giving me extra attention and doing her best to be patient with me, even when I dig in all of my claws and scream for attention in her sleeping face.

If anyone has any more suggestions about what she can do, please let her know. Mommy really needs her sleep, and she really needs her babies to be happy.

Mancat Monday - Where Mommy Was

I did not get a lot of time with Mommy this weekend.

Instead, on Saturday, she spent most of the day at some place called Turner Field, watching some people called Braves play with other people called Mets.

Mommy said she watched them play together from a place called the Nosebleed Section. That doesn't sound like a very nice place to be to me . . . and she could have had a much better time watching Tybalt play with the Tortie Twins, if you ask me. (And without having her nose bleed.)



Mommy said a good thing about the Nosebleed Section was that you got a great view of the Atlanta skyline.


Mommy had to BUY tickets to sit in a place that made her nosebleed. She says she got them cheaper because it was Alumni day from where she graduated college. There was a parade around the field that mommy didn't walk in, but she got to see her college's mascot. His name is Scrappy. He's a yummy, I mean, cute owl. Here he is. Just look at all those feathers.


Mommy made Uncle Sean go with her. He isn't into sports. He thought he'd be bored. This is how seriously my Uncle Sean took having his nosebleed while he watched Braves and Mets play together.

Mommy said the Braves won, 4-2. She said they only won because she screamed orders at them the entire game.

Maybe mommy was delusional from all the blood loss.

Friday Movie Review - Blackbeard's Ghost

Arrr, Me Kitties! It do be MEOW LIKE A PIRATE DAY!

In honor of this fine occasion, I have chosen to do a review about one of the fiercest pirates of them all: Blackbeard!

Blackbeard's Ghost (1968)
Directed By:Robert Stevenson
Written By: Bill Walsh
Don DaGradi

In this Disney family classic Dean Jones is Steve Walker, a college track coach who has just accepted a position at Godolphin College. When he arrives at his boardinghouse, he finds a fundraiser in full swing to save the old house, which was once the home of none other than Blackbeard himself! His and his crew's descendents, a bunch of nice 'little old ladies,' are about to lose the historic home if they can't raise enough money to pay the bank. In a moment of kindness, spurred on by some shady gangster characters seated in the back of the auction, as well as the charm of a lovely auctioneer (Jo Anne Baker played by Suzanne Pleshette), Steve bids on and wins a bedwarmer, owned by a former wife of Blackbeard. Not only was she a former wife of the infamous pirate, but it seems she was accused of being a witch as well! When Steve gets to his room later, he accidentally breaks the handle and finds what appears to be a spellbook. Thinking it is all in fun, he reads a spell . . . and finds himself face to face with Blackbeard himself!

Now that do be a fierce lookin' pirate, am I right, mateys?

It seems that Steve is stuck with Blackbeard, unless the spell can be broken . . . and the only way the spell can be broken is for Blackbeard to manage to do at least one good deed! This is very hard for a fierce and selfish pirate such as Blackbeard . . . can he do it? Or will Steve have a pirate for a roommate forever?


I do be givin' "Blackbeard's Ghost" two paws up and a swash of me buckle for being good fun for the whole crew, cabin kits and Capn's alike!

Thursday with The Doctor

I know that some of your mommies are into Doctor Who as much as my mommy is.
Grandmama actually found this and showed it to mommy, and when I saw it I thought it was good enough to share with the rest of you, and I am even dedicating it to my sweet Sammie-pie . . . .



Enjoy, ladies. ;)

Wordless Gingers Day with Cousin Rudy

Tortie Tuesday - Catgirls

As many of you know, or have guessed, our mommy loves Japanese animation and comics (anime and manga.) One day a long time ago mommy wondered what we tortie twins would look like if we were characters in a manga . . . so she sketched us as catgirls!

I bet you kitties can tell which is which, right?

Mancat Monday - Praline's Visit

Praline and I had a wonderful time on Friday!

First we went to the Atlanta Zoo, where we spent a lot of time chatting to our big cousins, the tigers and lions!



Then we went to the Georgia Aquarium, where we watched lots and lots of big fishies swim around.


All of that fishie watching got us hungry, so I treated Praline to lunch at Atlanta's world famous Varsity! Mommy is right - they do have the best chili dogs!


After all that excitement and our big lunch, we stopped by Centennial Olympic Park to have a nice nap on the grass.


But you will never guess what I found on Mommy's camera, Praline . . . just look!


That's our mommies!!! Can you believe it? They managed to sneak off and have fun without us!

DRAT!

Until we meet again, Pixie

We wish you an endless supply of nanners at the Bridge, Pixie.


Until we meet again . . .

Friday Movie Review - Dr. No

I thought I would continue on the British spy theme with a cool British classic . . . James Bond! This week I am reviewing the very first James Bond movie ever made, "Dr No!"

Dr No (1962)
Directed By: Terence Young
Written By: Ian Fleming (novel)
Richard Maibaum (screenplay)

Mommy loooooves James Bond movies, especially the first ones starring Sean Connery, so you can bet your whiskers that I have seen all of them! Dr. No is fun to watch, simply because it is the very first James Bond film. As with most of the early Bond movies, the plot can be hard to follow. We know from the beginning that someone has gone missing in the Bahamas, and that Bond has been sent to find them. And we know that he certainly knows what he is doing, romancing the ladies and sneaking around all stealthily. And we most certainly know that Dr No is the evil villain, especially since he has his own secret island base. What it is always hard to figure out, no matter how often mommy and I watch it, is exactly what Dr No's nefarious plot is, and exactly what he plans to accomplish with it. It has something to do with a rocket and NASA . . . beyond that we can never be exactly clear.

But mommy says who cares, when you have this to look at.

And even when you don't know what Bond is doing, he always looks so cool doing it.

Mommy has taken "Which Bond Girl Are You?" quizzes many times (I told you she is a fan), and everytime she takes one she gets the same answer: Honey Ryder.

You are Honey Ryder -- free-spiritied, nature-loving, and adventurous. Your response to "you can't do that" has always been to do it, and you're way to smart to get caught. You're a bit of a loner, but that just makes you more mysteriously attractive.

"Dr No" is the Bond film that has Honey Ryder in it, as portrayed by the extremely lovely ladybean Ursula Andress. Mommy looks like this in her dreams.

To take the quiz for yourself, click here.


Mommy is MORE than okay with being Honey Ryder, because that means that this can happen.


I give "Dr No" two paws up and a stealthy stalk, for being not only the film that introduced the world to James Bond, and catapulted Sean Connery to stardom, but also for just being plain fun to watch!

Thursday Awards and a Special Visit

Kitties, I don't know if you have noticed it, but my mommy has been pretty lax in helping me blog lately. Sometimes I get to visit all of my friends, but most often I don't. And then there are all these great things like AWARDS that my friends are nice enough to give me, and then Mommy doesn't help me put them on my blog or thank them or give out the awards OR ANYTHING! Last night I had a heart to heart talk with my mommy, and after I explained to her how I felt (and put the bitey on her nose) she finally told me she was sorry and she helped me with my blog.

I would like to thank my totally pawsome friend EG for giving me this GREAT award!

Here are the rules:
Give this award to five friends (and only 5) who are dedicated followers of your blog - one has to be a new blogger in a different part of the world. Link back to whoever gave you this award.
We're going to tag:

Hmm . . . this might be hard. (The last requirement, anyway.)
I want to give this award to:

1. My sweet Sammie-pie and her mancatly brother Tig
2. Camie's Kitties
3. Parker
4. Victor the Vampire Kitty (you know how my mommy loves vampires!)
5. And for my new blogging friend who lives in a different part of the world, I'd like to give this award to Castle's new brother Timmy! Welcome to your new forever home, Timmy!

Phew!

And Beau Beau and Angie gave me this award! And so did Scotchy, Stryder, and Sugar! And Praline! WOW!!!! I am SO honored!


Here are the rules for this one:
1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog
2. Link the person you received your award from
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs
4. Put links of those blogs on yours, and
5. Leave a message on the blogs that you've nominated

Okey dokey . . . here we go again . . . it is always so hard to choose!

1. Dr. Tweety and the Fab Five
2. The Purrageous Pirates
3. Sweet Praline (right back at ya! ;) )
   
4. Zoolatry
5. Jimmy Joe
6. Kazuko Neko
7. The Royal Kitties

Ok . . .I think I am done with the awards now. If you gave me one and I missed putting it here or mentioning you, I am VERY sorry . . . and I'll make sure to put the bitey on mommy extra hard for her neglect. Promise.

Now . . . for my very special visitor!


Today and tomorrow, Praline's mommy is going to be here in Atlanta. Which means that her mommy is abandoning her AGAIN.

I am sure we can all agree on how absolutely unacceptable this behavior is! Therefore I have invited Praline to come and visit ME while her mommy is here having fun without her. So Praline and I can have fun without our mommies!

I have hidden the nip from Ivy, and I've gotten all my mousies together . . . I have fresh temptations . . . extra stinky goodness . . . and soft blankies to nap on. Am I forgetting anything? Do I need to do anything else to get ready for Praline's visit?

Oh, I can't wait!!!

Wordless Wednesday - Lazy Afternoon

Tortie Tuesday Tattle

Holly here, with a tattle on my sister Ivy. This may embarrass her just a little bit.

In the wee hours of the morning, mommy had to get up to let Loki outside to potty, because he was whining. (He's been whining to go outside a lot ever since the tortoise excitement.) Anyway, while she was up, all groggy-eyed, she noticed that SOME tortie had opened the kitchen drawer again. When she walked over to close it, she noticed that all she could see in the drawer was Ivy bum! Ivy had kicked out some towels and made herself a little bed in the drawer, and was asleep in it headfirst. Mommy thought it was cute, so she went to fetch the camera. By the time she was ready to take a picture, Ivy had woken up and was yawning and jumping out of the drawer to see what mommy was up to. So Mommy didn't get a cute picture of Ivy's bum in the drawer, but she did get a pretty interesting action shot.

Mancat Monday Tattles

Kitties, on this Mancat Monday I have a tattle on my doggie brother, Loki. You can see him here, stealing mommy's spot on the couch with her favorite "Captain Jack Sparrow" blankie.


When Mommy came home one day last week, she looked out the window and saw that Loki had something big in his mouth. Okay, more than big. Let's say HUGE, because it barely fit in his mighty doggie jaws. And he was romping around and tossing it and nudging it and laughing. Mommy went out to see what he had found, and it was this.

A tortoise! A cute little tortoise. Mommy had a heck of a time rescuing it, too. Loki thought she was playing and didn't mean business at all. Mommy had to wrestle the poor tortoise away from him so that she could put it safely in the front yard where Loki couldn't get it again.

Mommy told me she has a bad feeling that the tortoise makes its home in the backyard, though, and that she will just wind up rescuing it again from Loki later.

I hope that poor tortoise didn't get sick from all that tossing around it went through before mommy came to its aid.

(We kitties had a good sniff before mommy put it outside again, and we didn't think it was all that exciting. Silly dog.)

Feel Better, Roscoe!

Friday Movie Review - The Pink Panther

Well kitties, we still have a few Reader's Requests that we haven't gotten to yet, but mommy needs to add them to her Netflix so that I can watch them and give you the proper critique. This means that while I wait, I am opening back up the request line for anyfurry who would like me to review a film for them. I plan on starting back up the Reader's Requests by October at the latest.



In the meantime, mommy and I have been watching a lot of BBC America lately, and this past Monday they had a "Pink Panther" marathon. I was understandably excited about seeing a fellow kitty so honored.

The Pink Panther (1963)
Directed By: Blake Edwards
Written By: Maurice Richlin and Blake Edwards

Kitties, this film isn't what I expected. With a title like "The Pink Panther," a mancat would expect to see a lot of, well, a pink panther. Sort of like this:

But guess what the pink panther really is! It is this:


Yep! A pink diamond.

When you get over that disappointment, the film is actually very good. It is funny in that combination of clever writing and slapstick humor that the 60s comedies are known for. Peter Sellers plays the french detective, Inspector Jacques Clouseau. He is a very clutzy manbean who tries very hard to make it look like every mistake he makes is deliberate. (Inspector Clouseau is where a lot of the slapstick humor comes in.) The Inspector is trying to track down and discover the secret identity of the infamous Phantom, a notorious and mysterious jewel thief whose only trace left behind at the crime scenes is a single monogrammed glove.


Inspector Clouseau's lovely wife is, unknown to him, not only the lover but also the accomplice of the notorious Phantom! And the handsome and debonaire Sir Charles Lytton (David Niven), who has the room next to them at the ski resort, is not just a wealthy playboy after the stunning Princess Dala, he is the Phantom! And he is most definitely scheming to get his hands on the Princess' most famous and valuable jewel, the Pink Panther.


Things get even more complicated and tricky once Sir Charles' nephew George arrives on the scene. Not only does he discover his uncle's secret, he also attempts to seduce Inspector Clouseau's wife away from Sir Charles! Oh, what a tangled web! And it is all good fun. (Mommy wanted me to point out that the nephew is a very young and very "hot" Robert Wagner.)

I give "The Pink Panther" two paws up and a trill, even though it could have used more kitty action.