I know it's been more than a month...

But we're all fine. Really. I'm taking an online class - it's going incredibly well - and that's taking up a decent hunk of my time. Also, now that Bill's back from school, we have lots and lots of little home-improvement projects to do. Like hang curtains (the upstairs had no curtains, only blinds/shades, and I didn't want to nail/screw into 100 year old plaster without using anchor thingies that Bill has, that I couldn't find, that... anyway, you get the idea.) and lights since two of the pull-chain lights went bad. And getting the yard dog proofed. Because, well, I got a dog while Bill was gone.

Meet Stewie, one of two new additions to the Jones household. 

Stewie is, as many readers probably see, a Beagle. We got him at the local animal shelter because he'd been a stray. As far as we can tell, he's a purebred - or at least damn close to it, not that it matters because the shelter had him neutered - and is somewhere between 1 and 2 years old. He's also a master escape artist, so much so that today Bill re-did pretty much the whole western side of our backyard fence.

He is so ornery yet sweet, and we dance around and go 'ahhhwwwooooooo-wwwooooooooo!' several times a day because he loves to 'sing'. He's a great size, and is friendly and helpful and gets along with the cats. Now if he'd just stop peeing on the rugs and escaping the yard, he'd be perfect. Mostly, he has the housebroken thing figured out and, hopefully, the new fence modifications will encourage him to stay home. So that's all good.

Our daughter's cat, Ghost, wandered off about a month ago and never came home. We kind of expected that to happen, he simply would not stop looking for a fight and, sooner or later, the other critter would win. So, with Ghost gone we decided to get a kitten, which The Kid named Malaysia. The ultra-ornery feisty little shit.

Please note her glowing evil eyes. I took four pics of her and EVERY ONE had glowing demon eyes. I think that's a message or something. ;)

Actually, she's pretty darn cool, she's just really, really good at playing rough and scratching the heck out of us. However, when she's in 'cuddle mode', she cuddles and purrs and is very, very sweet. Especially for a demon kitty.

Malaysia and Stewie are great buddies and often - um, well, almost constantly, actually - tear through the house chasing each other and running over furniture. And us. And upsetting the other cats. At least until they pass out, recharge their 'going apeshit' batteries and do it all again.

So, home improvement projects and insane pets running amok. Things are back to normal here at the Jones'. The Kid is off to college next weekend, and we're getting a SECOND dog the weekend after that - a 6.5 week old chocolate lab mix puppy. I do believe I've lost my mind there. If anyone finds it, could they box it up and send it back please? One dog not-quite housebroke and I agree to take on a soon to be a monster-dog puppy?!??

Yep. Lost my mind. 

Ah well, no one ever said I was sane. ;)

Have a great day, everyone and I'll try to post more often, now that my office is, well, almost functional. And Stewie can be left alone for five minutes. ;)