Part 1 – Basement Living || Ziva's Blog

Clothing Wars

I swear my mother is a clothing dunce.

I don’t know how many times I have to pick out her cloths for her before she somehow understands what she should and shouldn’t wear. She leaves in what I can only say was an obvious attempt at grunge cloths, then comes back smelling like baby and immediately pulls down one of the suitcases to pack.

So, she’s packing a bag again. I don’t know why. I don’t care. All I know, is that she just seems to keep either ignoring me or grabbing more cloths that I continue to only have one thing to say; “NO!” Why is it I’m the one with a sense of style?

———

It’s been a running joke for a long time that Ziva helps me pick out my cloths. She goes and sits on one of two options I set on the bed, or she straight up pulls it out of my hand. This time, the crazy child is all kinds of vocal. I’m packing for a weekend back in Ohio for my sister’s graduation. So, I’m pulling things out of the closet in contemplation, and the dresser. She keeps watching me pull them out without a word, then pounces and knocks them off the bed onto the floor, screaming the whole time as if nothing is acceptable except two pairs of jeans and a blue three quarter lengths shirt. I mean, it started off as if she was almost just saying, “No, Mom. Not that.” Then, it turned into, “SERIOUSLY? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? Do you seriously not understand the words that are coming out of my mouth? I said the *fill in the blank with whatever piece of clothing*!”

Addendum: Ziva has since silently watched me pull out my red skirt and another, cooler, shirt…and knocked the blue three quarter lengths shirt to the floor and curled up beside the other two. I guess she approves?

Ziva and the Road Trip

I think my mother enjoys torturing me.

First, she is out of the castle for a whole blooming week. Apparently, she was sick, and felt better at Bow Tie’s home than at our castle. Whatever that means.

So, I get a small cold.

Then, she comes back and starts running around packing boxes. She’s been doing that for the past two days! They locked me up in my chambers yesterday and disappeared with a dozen or so packed boxes. What I didn’t know yesterday….

Today, I found out where the boxes were going.

Mom put me back in that…that…cage!…and then took me on a “little trip” as she called it. The trip itself wasn’t so bad. What the main problem I had was being in the cage again, and then the destination. She…took me…somewhere else!!! Then she asked me what I thought of the new castle! I defended myself behind her shoes while she unpacked some boxes with fragile things, then in the closet when she was unpacking some boxes of cloths so the boxes could be reused.

Then, she had the audacity to pull me out of the closet! I proceeded to find shelter under a pile of her cloths…to which she found funny for some reason. Then, she put me back in the cage, and brought me home again. I don’t know why she took me away in the first place. But…then…she keeps calling it the new castle. I…I…

…

=O.O=

Ziva and Mom in the Morning

9:30

Mom rolled over and woke me up. Turns out she was checking her phone. Apparently, the noise it makes when she receives a text woke her up finally. I’ve heard people talk about some thing called Remmy sleep before. I wonder if it’s the explanation for why she can go most of the night without appearing to hear it go off, and then magically she hears it at some point in the morning, but yet she isn’t done sleeping yet. Although, she might be! I could possibly convince her that it is indeed time to wake up. First food. Then cuddle. Then play.

9:36

Alas, my plans were thwarted. Apparently, her state of tiredness was stronger than state of awakedness. That’s fine, I’ll accept food and cuddle and take play later.

11:04

So, here I lay, stretched out next to Mom. She appears to finally be waking up. Maybe? It is very hard to tell. She rolls over more in the morning than she does at night, so I can’t get a good fix on the eyes. I wonder if this is her playing. I don’t like the mind games nearly as much as the other games. Wait! I do believe….I’ll pet her some more, maybe she’ll wake up all the way.

———

So, this morning, I woke up to my arm being stroked. Needless to say, it was kind of like that image you may have seen around facebook where one side is sketched or something of what it’s like to be startled awake by the alarm, and then on the other is a picture of a woman stretching, and the sun streaming in, and it’s what it is like to wake up naturally. The only difference was that this time I woke up to my little brat trying to pet me awake, and then batted her little kitty eyelashes at me and pulled an, “I’m cute!” Pose. Not gonna lie, I do not have a problem waking up to this face looking at me in the morning. Captions and pictures are already on my Facebook photo album called “Children.”

Are you awake yet Mom?

Because I’m cute!

And every day should be started….

…by playing with the cat.

Let’s play Fling ^_^

Tomorrow: Minesweeper.

Ziva and the Great Outdoors

My mother is a genius.

Or at least that was what I thought earlier today. The jury is out presently. I may still think so tomorrow.

Mom bought me a fairly comfortable harness and a leash. They hardly show up on me. Gotta love black. I wasn’t much of a fan of it yesterday, and am still not entirely happy while she puts it on me. It is ignorable though.

Especially once she pulls out a toy, or the leash as a play thing, or when she took me outside today. I went out yesterday to, but the dog was not ignorable.

Today was brilliant though! At first, I must admit, I didn’t believe her. But she both left the door open and say in the way of it for my own good, and it worked out well. I love it outside!

So, I’m outside. The door is angled. Mom’s blocking me from getting in the open door. So, she’s the reflection, I’m not. Cool huh?

Here I am scaling the stairs.

At last! I made it!

It didn’t take me all that long to be okay with some of the noises. Passing cars and the electric saw down the street soon became nothing but background noise and part of the experience.

Then the landlord’s wife came home and didn’t use the garage entrance to enter her home. If you ask Mom, I flipped out. My opinion? Alright, fine. I flipped out! But I still am insecure in the castle with new people! Outside on day two and random people walking towards me? What would you do?

Mom says with time and practice I will become a seasoned friend to the outside world. She says she can teach me to have less chance of going out without her or the harness. I want to know why she thinks I could ever feel safe out there otherwise! She says she’s gonna start teaching me tricks to go along with more obvious leash behaviors I need to learn and that they’ll help too. I think she’s crazy, but she is Mom, so I’m sure she knows what she is talking about.

In other news, she came back with an iPod touch for me. Uncle Neil is the best! I mean, they say he gave it to Mom, but I know that they know what is Mom’s is mine. It’s fun! Possibly better than the computer! I took me a MySpace style picture. Mom says I’m silly, but I think it’s a great shot!

See! All from above shot and everything!

Sorry, it may have uploaded out order, and possibly at the end of the post, but this is my first entry typed up on the iPod.

———

I love my cat. That is all.

Ziva and the Humble Court Jester

A lot has happened over the past weekend.

The old one was abducted by her Mother. I have entirely mixed feelings about her absence. I am glad she is no longer here to assert claim over my domain, but I can’t help but feel that this big castle is a bit emptier without her presence. And shortly after, my Mother left me. I cannot say for how long, but the Other One ensures me she’ll be back soon.

With my Mother gone, I can hardly stand to be out of our chambers throughout the days. I never venture to my Mother’s desk, to peer out the windows as I would with my Mother here, and which the Other One graciously opens every morning for me, just in case I decide to grace him with my presence.

The Other One has taken temporary possession of my Mother’s Throne in her absence. I do not think he has evil plans to take over the kingdom, because he always puts the Throne back in its exact spot at my Mother’s desk when he’s not sitting in it. I have taken the liberty of looking at the Other One’s designated chair, and I cannot blame him for borrowing my Mother’s throne. His chair has fallen to disrepair, and looks mightily uncomfortable. I’m sure that my Mother has done all she can to replace his chair, because I know my Mother is kind and loving to the Other One, even going so far as to call him “Brother” upon occasion. So I know my Mother has done all in her power to replace or repair his chair.

The Other One is a peculiar one. He seems to lead a lonely life when my Mother is not around; either that or he is very loyal to the Crown. He never leaves the Castle, except to carry out chores. He always opens the blinds and the door, in case I decide to grace him with my presence, and gaze out upon my domain as I would with Mother. He makes sure I Have plenty of food and water. And he proceeds to guard me even more protectively since Mother is not here. He comes to my Chambers, to check upon me at random times through the days. He sits upon my and my Mother’s bed, and waits for me to reveal myself to him, and deign to sit close enough that he may gently stroke my fur, and give me all the attention that I would normally receive from my Mother.

He is not very security conscious though. For he leaves the doors to My Chambers open all day and night. I have often ventured out during the night, and watched him through the darkness. He sits, or lounges as may be the case, before his computer and stays awake to guard me through the night. His senses must be quite acute, for he can usually tell when I’m about and turns around and calls out to me. I have often taken an interest in calling back to him, to let him know I am well, and then we would proceed to carry on a short conversation. When he does retire to his chamber, he leaves his doors open and informs me that if I get lonely through the night, that I am always welcome to sleep upon the bed he had set up for the Old One, next to his bed.

I took him up on his offer once, and slept comfortably on the bed of the Old One. The Other one is odd, he doesn’t sleep. He lays in bed, awake, unable to sleep. When I grace him with my presence he often reaches over and gently strokes my fur and talks softly to me. Telling me that he hears me at night, calling out for my Mother, hoping she hears my pitiful cries and returns to me…

I hope my Mother returns soon.

———

Guest entry by the “Other One” while I was gone to Ohio for my sister’s birthday. I was thinking about tweeking it some, for varying reasons, but I’ve decided to let it be. He may have made her a bit less…well…half evil, but I suppose since I was gone….

Ziva and Spring

Day two of birds, sunshine and the heater not being turned on in the castle. Mommy says I missed a cardinal right in front of my face, staring right at me, yesterday. I told her she was crazy, and that she had no proof. Now she says she has every intention of providing me proof next time with that blasted camera phone of hers. I told her to have fun trying to catch me on film.

Then, she told me it’s not film; it’s digital. She called me old fashioned.

In reality, I am but a simple girl.

I want nothing more than to feel the wind in my fur, and chase after those wing-ed creatures that zoom about through the air on the other side of the glass enclosures. Or, at least I would enjoy, greatly, screens in my castle windows, and the screen door that has only glass.

Though, I do think I would like some things I’ve seen to be in my life.

Mommy went online and browsed around these places with “Pet” in the titles. There are a fair amount of things I wish I had, though, none look like the Tardis…or the Enterprise. She showed me a tribble, I stared at it curiously and then hit the screen with my paw. She seemed to think I was trying to play with it, but in reality I was telling her I wanted it. She doesn’t understand me sometimes, I’m quite sure of it.

I asked her for a sonic screwdriver, but, alas, we couldn’t find anything I liked. I told her to make me one. She said she’d have to put some deep thought into it. I think she just doesn’t want to get me nice things.

I don’t know, I may be wrong. She did get that far off look in her eye off and on over the past couple hours after I looked up new things and asked her if I could have them.

One thing she has fixated on, that I am very unsure of is a harness. She wants to let me have access to the out doors, but fears me getting scared and running off. She said something about an image of reading a book or doing homework outside while I pounce around, attached to her wrist, and not wanting to choke me. I found one I kinda liked that would be soft on my little body if I pulled to hard on it, but she seemed skeptical.

Ultimately these are things I want in my life:

Climbing Tree
Sonic Screwdriver
Phaser
Tribble
More catnip mice
TARDIS
Starship
Tribble
Sonic Screwdriver
More catnip mice
Litter box with a lid
Tribble
Cozy harness and multi-length leash
TARDIS
Brush/comb/combo thingy with four grooming options
Sonic Screwdriver
Claw trimmers
Tribble
Sonic Screwdriver
More flee and tic stuff by June
TARDIS
Treats I actually like
Toys
Tribble
TARDIS

* pushes buttons on computer screen till the Monkeys start singing * “I wanna be freeeeeeeee!”

She keeps saying something about “training” and “teaching” me to do things, like how I already come when I’m called, or something about putting my toys up when I’m told. I don’t know what she’s talking about. It is not she who trains me, it is I who train her. One day she will understand this. This “home-shkewl” thing she says I’m starting tomorrow does not exactly sound like fun.

She said something about how training would help make outside a safer experience, then started talking about bugs, but she already fleed me Sunday.

Obviously, she has a list of concerns about some of the things we discussed, and ways to make them not be problems, and reasons why these things could work. She said I’ve become a different cat, and that if I weren’t such a “Mamma’s girl” she wouldn’t contemplate these things with me, except the toys and the screens in the windows.

My mommy thinks I’m special. =^.^=

I think she may be serious about letting me be more active, and I kinda think I might like the idea. I like spending time with Mommy. We shall see what the future brings!

———

It’s the best thing to watch my cat now that Spring has come back. She’s absolutely adorable. The birds in this big window thing are just too much for her to ignore. She chirps at them like her siblings chirp at bugs back in Ohio. The other day I opened the front door and locked the “screen” door to make sure she didn’t accidentally push it wrong and open it, and instantly she was like a little child trying to look over the counter, and the child that sees the toys on the inside of the store and pushes their nose to the window to see it.

So, we sat at the computer together looking at things, and had priceless moments when she attacked the screen, without claws, or looked at me like she understood what was on the screen and thought it was the best thing ever. She was probably just saying, “I love you, Mom…pet me.” But still!

There are some things I’d like to get her. Some things I’d like to teach her. Some things I’d like to do with her. I know all the risks for some of the things that risks exist, and I think, if she also wants to do them, I’ve got ways to make them happen without having to “worry” about those problems.

I won’t completely say much about them because I know people will just point out the problems I already know, or possibly tell me I’m crazy and it won’t be good for her. I actually beg the differ, and don’t think I’d think about them if it were another cat. I also know that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to, and that *I* am a quick learner, which I think is important while trying to teach a cat when cats are not cut and paste identical, like children, and that she’s already picked up some habits that I didn’t actually teach her. So, research starts officially, instead of sporadically, tonight, and lists will be made, and plans laid out.

She’s cute, and quirky, is it absolutely insane that I want to make her more unique and quirky? She’s even kind of a nerd. Hehe. At least, that’s my interpretation, because I can.

The music thing actually was pretty legit too. She [accidentally] stepped off the desk onto the roll out keyboard thing and bumped the mouse and moved it to the iTunes thing. music was already playing, so I entertained myself, and opened it. She then stepped on the keyboard [while getting back up on the desk], and scrolled from the song that was playing, to the Monkeys, on “I Wanna Be Free.”

I love my cat.

Ziva and the Shower

So, I’m on the tail end of an evil cold that has been reeking havoc in most parts of my day-to-day life. I decided today that I need to get back into my creative side. I haven’t been writing, or doing anything artistic. The closest thing I’ve come to doing so is writing in this journal thing for my sister, and occasionally putting something up here.

After making that decision, I made preparations to hop in the shower. I figured a nice warm shower would be a great way to feel refreshed and in good spirits to write or whatever.

I was not wrong, but there was one thing I did differently than normal that made the whole thing just that much more interesting.

I left the bathroom door open.

Now, no worries, I am a tad on the weird side. I locked both the door knob and the bolt lock on the apartment door as if someone is going to walk in on me while I’m showering or something. I left the bathroom door open just a little, without realizing it. The next thing I knew, I could hear Ziva walking in the room, then having a freak out and skittering back through the door, hitting the walls in the process into my room where she would call out pathetically as if she thought I was being tortured or something.

I could hear her do this a handful of times, the start of the skittering potentially getting closer and closer to the shower. Finally, I glanced down and saw her little black nose between the wall and the curtain. I could see her sniffing, and sniffing, and sniffing, till she sent herself into a series of sneezes. She then proceeded to skitter back out of the room, sneeze some more on my bed, then call out pathetically for a little while.

The next thing I know, she hasn’t just slowly made her way back into the bathroom. No. In fact, she galloped back in to the room and slid to a halt with her whole upper body past the curtain as if she’d slid with her butt on the floor and her two front paws holding her up. She looked around, leaning forward and back as she fluctuated between brave and wary, then sauntered off when I accidentally splashed water in her direction.

She came up to the shower once more, this time reaching in as if she was either trying to attack the water, pull me out to safety, or some combination of both.

The last thing she did was gallop back into the room as if she’d decided she couldn’t stand it anymore! She bulldozed into the room, slid past the shower, plowed her way into the shower just enough to reach me, and bit my ankle.

That’s right. She bit my ankle and acted like she was trying to drag me out.

Once I turned off the shower, she let go of my ankle and started looking around as if she was confused. She then looked up at me, blinked a couple of times, realized she was wet, sat down, and meowed pathetically at me. She was far happier once I’d wrapped her up in my towel and dried her off.

I do believe the Dark Empress of All has learned something new today.

Ziva and the Left Overs

Mom has Olive Garden left overs.

And she is not sharing with me.

I have tried all possible ways to let her know I want some. Just a taste!

I’ve tried sniffing and looking innocently at her.

I’ve tried looking over my shoulder, out of the corner of my eye, at her, then the dish, then her again.

I’ve tried crawling in her lap after it.

I’ve tried distracting her by going for her water dish.

I tried crawling in her lap again.

I’ve tried distracting her by going for her headphones.

I tried crawling in her lap a third time.

I’ve tried distracting her by going for the pen holder that hangs on high.

Oh, wait. What is this? She is setting it aside? For me?! Blast, she pulled it away again. Does she not know that whatever is Mom’s is to be shared with the Dark Empress of All? I am quite sure I would love whatever it is she has. After all, I do like anything she eats. Plus, I smell cheese!

I tried just simply reaching out after the bowl in an effort to hook some of the yummy goodness on the edges.

I tried staring at her intently, aiming to get the bowl as a prize for winning the staring contest.

I tried coming at it from behind.

I tried coming at it from the left.

I tried coming at it from the right and below.

I’ve even tried licking my arm and getting my tongue stuck out of my mouth for the cute factor.

Sadly, all to no avail.

Mom is just too good!

Wait, what? Hold the phone….

…

At last! She is allowing me my turn!

…

I must make sure this isn’t a trap. I shall make subtle moves in it’s direction.

…

No counter actions? Really? I can have it? At last! Mom does love me after all! Om nom no…

…

Too much sauce and not enough cheese Mom.

———

And that was when she galloped off to the water dish on the other side of the room as if to get rid of the nasty taste on her tongue.

The Dark Empress and the Devil

Caught!

I have the proof!

I was right!!

MUAHAHAHA!!!

The Stuffed Red Devil and the Bracelet.

The Dark Empress of All has a new habit. She likes to pull Mom’s stuff off the dvd shelving unit that Mom uses for a nightstand instead. The red devil and the teal bracelet seem to be her favorites….

———

The stuffed Valentines devil that came in a V-day care package from Mom’s sister one of the past couple years, and the Ovarian Cancer awareness bracelet were fine up until the past week. Last night was the third time I have come in to find them on the floor. Should have known things only seemed safe for so long.

She’s also finding it a fun thing to pull two of my stuffted’s off the chair they’re all sitting on when she’s being impatient with me because I don’t think it’s time to get up yet. I keep telling her she has no reason to be jealous of them, she’s the only other thing that sleeps on my bed at night!

Edit: New thought. The devil was on top of the blanket she sometimes sleeps on that’s on the floor. Maybe she’s cuddling with the stuffed red devil? Surprised? Not in the least.