…hanging out with friends, trying to figure why the same printer that printed off a sample of Jane’s cover very well last time is screwing up the image this time. Patricia and Mike Briggs (and Sparky) [if you haven’t read Patricia Briggs you should] are there—great chance to hang out, laugh—the cats are of course Concerned because the Food Sources have been late returning, but hey, they need new experiences. At the moment Shu is sitting on the paper as we’re trying to straighten out the ‘old’ printer…we have a cat-jam, or as a repairman legendarily said on a note to Marion Zimmer Bradley regarding why her under-desk printer wouldn’t work, “removed 10 pound cat from paper tray”.
Apparently it was Fluffy’s favorite spot to nap, especially when the machinery was running.
Off-topic, perhaps. But I just ran into this “Cat Olympics 2012” over on Galaxy Zoo.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7264/7725628788_35cf85553a_z.jpg
Galaxy Zoo, really? And I thought it was just for astronomy! I like the Beach Volley Ball best.
Well, it is, and we just got a new “data release” with more coverage. 🙂 (It’s amazing now many galaxies turn up in small patches of sky.) But we also have “community fora”. (Better watch my pluralization here! 😉 )
Will you be at Worldcon?
No, alas, too spendy.
Hah, great story about MZB’s cat and the printer.
There is a plastic spoon (see, there *is* a spoon!) taped over the on/off switch on my desktop computer. This is to prevent sudden and premature session termination by the felines in the household, either as they like to nap on top of the tower, or use it as a stepping stone into the window. (I still need to replace the blinds after kitteh abuse of said blinds. This week.)
I’ll check Patricia Brigg’s books. I’d heard a good review of her stuff from Dragon Page Cover to Cover a while back. Meant to get a book or two, but I don’t think I got one of those round to-its.
It sounds like the perfect con. Hang out with friends, meet new people……do con stuff and then go home to your own kittehs and beds at night.
There’s nothing like being able to sleep in your own bed! 😉 🙂
Got three of Patricia’s books in the queue. I’ve not had trouble with kitties interfering with the operation of the printer, but I have one who treats the output tray like it is the chute of a vending machine and tries to eat the page that just printed. He’s the reason why I keep my bathroom doors closed when not in use, and when I get a tissue, I poke the tissue that pops up back down into the box. (Nothing like reaching for a tissue only to find it’s been munched on!) The sound of me cutting paper with a scissors attracts him like a magnet. He shows up in record time and tries to crawl up into my lap to get whatever it is I’m cutting. He’s also the reason all my waste baskets have lids. If they didn’t, he’d knock them over and dig out all the paper.
Patricia (Patty) Briggs is that rare combination of an incredibly brilliant (and good-hearted and talented) human being who happens to write something that accidentally took off as an NY Times best-seller Urban Fantasy. If you don’t happen to go for Urban Fantasy, read one of her books (she has writen other things) still–because her quirky humor and good characters just might persuade you that you DO like Patty’s books. She’s a remarkable human being as well as a fine writer.
Kittehs? Let me tell you Shu has some habits that I’ve never permitted in any other cat I’ve ever associated with… why? Because he’s the most curious cat we’ve ever had. He has to ‘see’ what’s going on or he will absolutely burst. You look up—at whatever you’re doing—and there will be Shu, at some higher vantage, trying to look over your shoulder. If he doesn’t land on it—your shoulder, that is—with no claws deployed, just with that amazing Bengal balance.
I really enjoy her ‘Mercy Thompson’ books.
I wasn’t much of an urban fantasy reader, but after your recommendation here when you added Patricia Briggs to your left sidebar, I started with The Hob’s bargain, and loved it. Now I’ve got all her books and liked them all, even the ones with werewolves and vampires which I don’t usually go for. I second the motion: go try them out, if you haven’t read any of her books before.