No more titles.

I wish my posts didn't have to have titles. It's hard enough to write.. and it's so hard to think of titles that aren't stupid. Maybe I will start using dates. Or days, like my mom. Her emails, unless they have a specific subject, are always titled "Hello (whatever day of the week it is)." Like: "Hello Friday." B finds this very amusing.

Above is a blurry Instax photo of a set of little succulents I bought last week from the Barton Springs nursery on Bee Caves. I pass by that place almost everyday on the way home from work. Bee Caves is 40/45 mph slow, but during rush hour, 360 south is even worse! It is one example of highway fail. Anyways, I was trying to be open to new hobbies, and I wanted to see if I could actually keep a plant alive. The mint egg I started last year at Kinney never even sprouted. JJ had all these varieties of succulents in a cutely assorted pots on the back porch that I loved. She got them from her boyfriend, who actually works at this nursery. I like the way succulents look, and I think they're very appropriate for the dry Texas weather.

At the nursery, I wandered around the leafy patio, unsure where to start. A nice old man stopped and asked if I needed any help, and after telling him I knew next to nothing about plants and plant maintenance, he gave me a little tour. He informed me that herbs are pretty easy to grow, but they need to be transferred to the ground eventually. That was not an option for me, as I live on the 2nd floor of a duplex. He kept wandering around and lovingly touching and smelling the plants, telling me some of their characteristics. I eventually settled for 4 small succulents, because they were $2.50 apiece, and because the old man admitted that they would probably do alright on a sunny ledge. I haven't really checked on them yet, because this weekend has been tumultuous because..


We got another cat! A kitten named Snorri. I kept talking about wanting my own cat, even though I loved Boyd. I just didn't feel like he was my own, and I definitely did not feel obligated to take care of him all the time. Cleaning the litterbox is a major source of household contention for B and me. On Saturday, we went to an Austin Pets Alive adoption event at the Petsmart off 183. After playing with a few kittens, I chose the one who snuggled up in my lap after I picked it up. He wasn't the prettiest one there, since he had a scab/scar on his nose and wasn't as arresting as the pretty gray tabby. But we got him, and he matches with Boyd, as they are both orange. I took him to the vet this week for his first checkup, which is a new experience for me. The nurses and doctor were very helpful and kind when I explained I was pretty much a first time pet owner. Along with Yelpers, I also highly recommend University Animal Clinic. I was made aware that pet expenses can be as much as human medical expenses- Crazy! I don't think we can afford pet insurance, so we hope that Snorri will continue to stay healthy. They said that indoor cats tend to live longer and contract fewer diseases, so we've got that on our side.

This has been a challenging experience for me, as I thought I could just get a kitten and have him love me and everything would be great. But what has really happened is that Snorri is a curious kitten who doesn't want to snuggle all the time, and he seems to like B more. Whenever I pick him up, he sorta squirms away. When B picks him up or pets him, he stays there. That really bummed me out initially. Apparently I am so sensitive that rejection from an animal hurts me. But Snorri actually likes sleeping on my pillow and at my side at night, so I guess that is a fair trade-off. He and Boyd did not get along the first few days, because Boyd was super jealous that there was another cat we were paying attention to. Boyd would hiss at Snorri and try to claw him when we weren't looking. Thankfully, Boyd has come to terms with this change and is now affectionate towards him.

Yesterday, I went to my first class of Drawing I. It's through UT Informal Classes. I signed up for it because the fee was much lower than other places, and because I have always wanted to learn how to draw. Attending the Loya Jirga art show at Space12 last Friday, where the Wilson brothers displayed their art, made B and I wish we were more creative. So I did something about it. We did a few exercises in class, like copying a drawing upside down to see an image as lines instead of "things" like arms and a head. I thought that I would be the most absolute beginner in the class, but I actually was not. The teacher even complimented me a few times. : ) After the night was over, I was pretty beat. Drawing is hard! For me, the quality is mostly determined by the amount of effort. It's really difficult to keep things in scale, and I hate erasing. One of the signs of a perfectionist, do you think? I want to get it right each time the first time. Also, I couldn't help feeling good because I was in the Art building in a classroom. I felt like I belonged there, and it was nice to have a teacher providing feedback. B is right that I like being a student, but that is not necessarily the best way I learn. It's so passive, and I know I need to become more active. I can't help but think I might end up like Buster in Arrested Development. He is a man-child who lives with his controlling mother, has never had a job, and is a "professional student." He's so funny because he's so pathetic. Taking heed!