We Only Have Ourselves to Fear

Recently, the husband received an email with a powerpoint presentation about how amazing it is that children of the 70s and 80s managed to survive to adulthood. The presentation listed all the things that parents allowed their children to do and all the freedom that they used to enjoy. The most basic things that the parents of today try their best to protect their children from such as walking alone to a neighbour's house or to school or even to the bus stop, sharing food and drinking cups, climbing trees and generally spending time outdoors exploring, making mischief and getting hurt. All the things that me, da husband and most of our childhood friends did when we were young.

So, with the thought that we soon will have someone to be paranoid over, we asked ourelves why are parents now so protective and afraid of almost everything? And yet, at the same time, they allow their impressionable kids to watch movies with occasionally gory scenes, heavy sexual connotations and foul language, play violent video and computer games and go online for hours on end.

I'm not pretending to know any better, heck I'm probably the most ill-equipped person when it comes to having this baby but more and more questions come to mind and I just wonder.

Why are we so afraid? What are we so afraid of? Sexual predators? Drunk drivers? Kidnappers?

And then I come across stories like the one below and I realise we have more to fear from our children at times more than adult criminals.

By RAMIT PLUSHNICKMASTI,Associated Press Writer AP - Monday, February 23

WAMPUM, Pa. - Fifth-grader Jordan Brown boarded the bus and headed to school like he did most other mornings in this rural western Pennsylvania community.

But before he left home on Friday, authorities say, the 11-year-old boy had shot his father's pregnant fiancee in the back of the head as she lay in bed. He then put his youth model 20-gauge shotgun back in his room before going out to catch his bus, police say.

Brown was charged Saturday as an adult in the death of 26-year-old Kenzie Marie Houk, who was eight months pregnant, Lawrence County District Attorney John Bongivengo said. Houk's fetus died within minutes due to a lack of oxygen, Lawrence County Coroner Russell Noga said.

Houk's family and friends, who gathered at her parents' house Saturday night, told The Associated Press that there had been past problems with the boy.

"He actually told my son that he wanted to do that to her," said Houk's brother-in-law, Jason Kraner. "There was an issue with jealousy."

Pennsylvania State Police found Houk's body in the rented farmhouse after her 4-year-old daughter told tree cutters on the property she thought her mother was dead, Bongivengo said.

The boy told police there was a black truck on the property that morning _ possibly the man who feeds the cows _ sending investigators to follow a false lead for about five hours, Bongivengo said. Inconsistencies in Brown's description of the truck led police to re-interview Houk's 7-year-old daughter, who implicated the boy in the killing, Bongivengo said. State troopers went to get the boy at school.

"She didn't actually eyewitness the shooting. She saw him with what she believed to be a shotgun and heard a loud bang," Bongivengo said. The gun was found in a "location we believe to be in the defendant's bedroom."

Brown was arraigned and was being held in the Lawrence County Jail, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for Thursday.

"An 11-year-old kid _ what would give him the motive to shoot someone?" said Houk's father, Jack Houk. "Maybe he was just jealous of my daughter and the baby and thought he would be overpowered."

Defense attorney Dennis Elisco said he plans to ask Monday for the boy to be released on bail and for the case to moved to juvenile court. Elisco and police said they had no clear motive for the shooting.

Elisco said he is waiting to see physical evidence that ties his young client to the killing.

"I don't think he knows what's going on," he said. "I walked out of there thinking he was innocent. I believe Jordan did not do this."

The boy's father, Christopher Brown, is "a mess" and had no indication his son had a problem with Houk, Elisco said.

"He's in a state of actual shock and disbelief," he said.

The shotgun used is designed for children and has a shorter arm and such weapons do not have to be registered, Bongivengo said. Jack Houk, 57, said the boy and his father used to practice shooting behind their farmhouse, and the two enjoyed going hunting together.

Wampum is about 45 miles northwest of Pittsburgh.

What kind of world is this when we have weapons, deadly weapons, that is specially designed for children? Who would be so out of his mind to produce weaponry that is available and legal for CHILDREN to use under the cover of hunting sport? As far as I'm concerned, hunting is not and never wll be a sport.

Sport is something one engages in to encourage the spirit of sportsmanship, friendship, comradeship and cooperation that extends beyond the human species. Sports should also encourage empathy, generosity, kindness and respect for one another. I doubt hunting teaches much else apart from seeing animals as an object to kill and not out of need but out of fun. It is fun to kill. And now children have the shotgun that has been specially designed to allow them this fun.

I am absolutely disgusted by the actions of this boy and the circumstances and environment that he was surrounded by prior to these horrific events. No action that the deceased woman could have done against the boy earned her this punishment while in a vulnerable situation and which involved an even more defenceless life.

Looking at another life as simply an object is a growing problem among our young. Such apathy for life as demonstrated by all the senseless killings done by seemingly younger and younger kids! The possibility of encountering a sexual predator or a kidnapper, I believe, is a lot lower than an encounter with emotionally or physically abusive children also known as bullies, a child deeply fascinated by objects of torture or pain as more and more of these images permeate into the very environment that is supposed to nurture and educate the child or even peer pressure that encourages the early cultivation of of habits such as drinking, smoking and casual sex.

I am afraid for my future children. Not with the idea that someone may take my child while he or she is on a walk alone on the way to school. We can always teach our children to be aware of adult strangers. But how does one teach one's child to be aware of other children? How do we tell them that it may be their very friends or peers that will lead them to danger and pain and that the most danger comes from what is the most enjoyable in their young minds?

A big dilemma to me and my child is not even born yet. But these are questions and issues that never really entered my mind while I was living in the protected and relatively safe bubble called Singapore. But the longer I live in this land of snow and observe all that is around me and begin to truly fathom what I've only ever seen on tv or read in articles. It's not that this is an unsafe place. On the contrary, Sweden is a very safe and child friendly country...but it is still a western country with western cultural roots some of which I do not wish my children to be influenced by but such is the world and with that I must face my future as a parent.

Where's Sussie?

As most would know by now, Sussie my cat is black. Really black with big green eyes. The husband and I have gotten used to the fact that Sussie is a little kookoo, has a tendency to stare into nothing for long periods of time before settling down into a nap and thinks quite often that she is being chased.

Anyway, back to the black. The fact that Sussie is black can make it a little difficult sometimes to catch sight of her, especially since so much of our interior decor is dark. To make my point. let's play a game ala Where's Wally?.

Sussie can be found in all of the photos below. See how long it takes you to find her. For the husband and I, we have the advantage of almost sitting on her to find her. heh heh...

Laundry day for us but husband dear got distracted by dearest wife on his way to carry the bundle of dirty laundry to the machine.

She is pretty easy to spot here. Her favourite place to sit and contemplate the meaning of life, possibly.

Towards the end of laundry day, so that means this is a bundle of CLEAN laundry on the sofa. I have a feeling Sussie likes laundry, both clean and dirty.

Another favourite spot for naps and such. Especially on a sunny day.

Nice and sunny. Aaaahh..

Now it's getting a little harder to spot her, right? And don't blame the flash! I used soft flash.

This is a place she loves to be when she wants to nap after the sun has gone down or when she wants to lick herself.

I say she is the hardest to spot here. Trust me, even when I was there, it took me a minute to actually find her. It's even harder when she's napping and curled up like a dead worm.

See what I mean? Plus the fact that she isn't the most talented of cats in terms of meowing, she's like a silent, sleeping ghost just waiting to be sat on. Good thing she's got the quick reflexes of a cat.

Zoning Laws

Since getting pregnant, I've been overwhelmed by all things symptomatic of the first trimester.

Nausea? Check.
Puking? Oooh...check.
Dizzyness? CHECK!
Tiredness? Absolutely. Check.
Backaches? Check and a little more.
Inability to sleep well? Check. (to be honest, I don't even know if this is a symptom)
Sensitivity to smell? Check.

The list goes on and on but these are my main highlights of torture right now. But my point in mentioning this is that because I feel so tired and so bad, I stay in bed most of the day, watching tv, reading or simply thinking (dangerous stuff, if you were me.).

One of the things that I of cos think about is the baby and how it affects my body. Any pregnant woman's body, as a matter of fact. When I met the physiotherapist, he explained that the reason for backaches and especially aches in the hips and joints is due to the fact that my body is acknowledging the fact that a baby is growing inside and needs space. It is also acknowledging the fact that eventually this little troll (yes, that's our nickname for the baby right now) will need to come out. So what does the body do?

Apparently, to allow greater mobility and flexibility in the hips, my hip joints have loosened and spaced out a bit so that my hips can broaden even further and move in a way that it has never been able to before. Wow...I have disjointed hips now. As strange as it may sound, it actually makes sense. How amazing the woman's body is, right?

I started thinking about my own body and all the different functions that the various parts will play before and after birth. So I've decided to divide my body into different zones that caters to the needs and wants of the troll.

The Zones:

The VIP Room (The stomach) - This is where it will be most obvious to others come the 2nd trimester onwards that a woman is pregnant. This is also where food that mother consumes goes to and where the worst battle scars of pregnancy will be (stretchmarks! UGH!). Like any VIP Room, all cuisine that enters must be top notch and with many VIP Rooms, what goes in looking good, may sometimes come out through the entrance instead of the exit, looking and feeling like crap. In terms of the asthetics of the VIP Room, one must ALWAYS ensure careful maintenance with frequent polish and shine (make the anti stretchmark cream your best friend), especially when one starts reaching maximum occupancy.

The B Zone (The womb) - The most important zone before birth cos this is the Baby Zone, where the uterus is and where the baby will grow bigger and bigger. And according to the doctor who examined me, I've got PLENTY of room in my B Zone for the baby to grow in so it's all good to go. Now what I wonder about is how does the doctor figure that out? Does she spread my Red Zone (we'll come to that), look in and if an echo comes back when she talks, it's spacious? I'm starting to feel like a piece of real estate now.

The Red Zone (Birth Canal/as what my mummy would call it, the Flower) - The reason why this is called the Red Zone is simple. Nothing to do with blood or any of the gory stuff you may be imagining. I'm terrified of the actual birth and I KNOW that it will be painful and screaming will be mandatory. Imagine that I will have to squeeze something between a grapefruit and a melon (depending on how much weight it puts on from me)through my red zone!! Just the thought sends chills up my spine and down my disjointed hips. All this pain, anguish and horror culminates neatly into one big, vibrant colour RED.

The Dungeon (The Back and Hips) - From medieval times, the dungeon has always been used for torture and captivity. It is a symbol of pain and misery and of the almost impossible chance of escape. My back has been a source of my pain and misery since the start of this pregnancy and I know that it can only can get WORSE as the baby grows bigger and heavier. Before the troll made its appearance, my remedy for backaches and muscle pains would usually be a dose of the strongest painkillers or muscle relaxants around and a slathering of the most potent and effective muscle cream or even better numbing cream so I can happily drift off into sleep and wake up refreshed and pain-free. But now...all I can take is 2 panadols which does nothing and some cream called Ormsalva (translated snake cream but I think it's just called that to give it a facade of menace) which does not provide the relief it promised. I see no reprieve from the pain until my dear king (ie. husband) comes riding in and fights his way to the dungeon with help from a heating pad and warm towels to give me a glimpse of relief and escape ...aaaaahh....my sweet prince.

The Loading and Unloading Bay (The arms) - It's pretty self explanatory, right? You pick up the baby with your arms, you put the baby down with your arms. You fold up the ridiculously complicated pram that you thought was so cool when you first buy it and carry it into the car with your arms, you unload the pram and unfold it. All within the loading and unloading bay.

The Lunchroom (What else? The breasts) - For the first few months of the troll's life, it will need to come directly to the lunchroom for all meals and snacks. The troll will have choice pick of left side or right and will always be first in line. Unfortunately for the daddy, since he enjoys most of his meals and snacks elsewhere, he will always be last in line to the lunchroom.

The No Fly Zone (The hair and Face) - It is very important for the troll to understand from very early on in life that this is a strict No Fly Zone until it has reached the appropriate age (can be negotiated once eye hand coordination has stabilized). If by any chance, the troll does trespass into this zone, it will be passed on to a nearby Loading Bay where the No Fly Zone rules are less strict (ie. the father). Why? Cos NOBODY messes with the do and the kup. (If you don't know, the hairdo and the makeup. Come on, people, pay attention here!)

These are the various zones that I have so far. I'm sure more will come as the months pass and more needs turn up. But please, do share any other zones that you think should be included. I'd be more than happy to update. *wink*

The Toilet Incident

For the past few weeks I've had numerous close encounters of the puking kind with toilets, be it at home or in public. It's uncomfortable, gross and highly unpleasant especially for me.

But the husband being the wonderfully endearing man that he is, tries to be there for me. Of course he can't follow me into public toilets to help me but he's right by my side the moment I feel bad at home. You know how many say you always know who your true friends are when they hold your hair back as you puke your guts out after a wild night? Fine, my nights may not be wild anymore (not sure when it ever was) but puking my guts out is definitely in the cards nowadays and dear husband does hold my hair back and rubs my back (thinking it does any good. I just don't have the heart to tell him it doesn't) as I hold my face firmly in position above the toilet bowl for any incoming attacks.

And so one night, about a week ago when my nausea was at its peak, we had just returned from window shopping at Ikea (fine, we started out with the INTENTION to window shop but came home with a carpet) and I had spent a large part of the day in toilets doing the nasty. I was NOT feeling well at all and could feel another attack coming as we parked and walked up to the apartment.

So we rushed up and I hurried out of my jacket and scarf and hat and gloves (damn this winter season!!) and didn't make it to the boots before I plunged face first for the toilet and blew a Mt. Vesuvius into Tubby our toilet bowl (yes, we name our toilet bowl. He's done so much to fulfill our worst needs, we think he at least deserves a name). The husband, having removed all of his winter paraphernelia, was instantly by my side, pushing my hair back and rubbing my back and occasionally scolding the baby for not being nice to me (it's so cute when he does that. Absolutely useless but so cute).

Now, in our household as in most, we divide up the chores and among other things, I do the cooking and most of the washing and he's in charge of all toilets including the cat's. Unfortunately, with me feeling so sick or otherwise working, nobody has really hounded Mathias to clean the toilet and with him being so concerned about me, he forgets more often than not. So it had been a while since he cleaned poor Tubby even though the usage had increased in ferocity and frequency and I'm not just talking about me.

So there I was, leaning into the heart of Tubby, feeling really bad and I get a panoramic view of the surroundings that ONLY the toilet cleaning bottle opening should ever be subjected to. It was not a pleasant sight but that was not to be the end of my ordeal. Pregnant women develop a super keen sense of smell which becomes a great disadvantage because that in turns makes them hyper sensitive to smell and therefore easily nauseous by various smells that may or may not be detected by the normal human nose (ie. the husband's nose).

As I lay sprawled over Tubby, winter boots still on and feeling like I'm gonna die, a whiff of something nasty tickled my nose and flooded my senses. Oh no, I thought, it's not just dirty it stinks too!

So I screamed in frustration to husband, Why haven't you cleaned Tubby!? It's so dirty and it smells of ass!! I think I'm gonna be sick again.

Husband replies apologetically, I'm so sorry honey! I'll clean it tomorrow. I promise. You're right. It does smell bad.

And I scream some more (a pregnant woman in discomfort is no comfort to anyone), Why haven't you cleaned it earlier!! It smells so bad in here!

Quiet pause before husband replies very hesitantly, Well...well...actually I think it smells of ass cos I just farted.

WHAT??!, you guessed it..I screamed.., why didn't you go outside if you needed to fart??You know I feel sick. And it smells so bad!! Oh my god!

Matter of factly he says, I did go outside to fart but I guess I should have waited a little longer cos my farts do tend to stick to my pants.

Hai....and that was our little toilet incident that would have been hilarious to me if I wasn't feeling so sick.

It is now time to reveal...

Now that all the people nearest and dearest to both me and husband know about it, it is safe to tell. I'd been waiting WEEKS for my lazy husband to get off his butt and finally call his best friend to tell the man the news.

And now finally I can put it into my blog and finally be able to vent all my frustrations and miseries and happiness online instead of crying my eyes out in the middle of the night and not letting the husband get a wink of sleep.

The poor man. He says he's totally fine with it but I know the man is almost as miserable as I am at times.

Yes, we're expecting...no, not a call although it would be nice for me to get a call from someone once in a while for a chat.....we're expecting a BABY!! YAY!!

It was planned but we're very surprised that it happened so quick. Like a close friend screamed at me when I told her,' I knew it! I knew you're the fertile type! You got the look! The fertile look!' (sigh...I can so imagine Cheryl rolling her eyes at that. I miss her, by the way). I'm not exactly sure what the fertile look is but apparently she's been able to see it since we knew each other at 15. She's got superpowers too!

I hadn't planned to take the pregnancy test since I was sure my period had come but certain differences in the pains I had and a certain gut feeling just made me get up that morning while husband was making breakfast before work and sneak into the bathroom to do the deed.

Minutes later came the results that is to change our lives popped up and I was so shocked, I thought I had read the results wrong. I held the test in one hand and the instructions in the other and headed into the kitchen where husband was spreading butter. He looked at me and frowned in wonder at my shocked look.

'I think I'm pregnant.' was all I could muster.

'What?!' was all he could say as he almost dropped the butter and sandwich.

That was the day before New Year's Eve. What a wonderful gift for the New Year and great beginning to a very exciting year.

Things have been up and down the past few weeks but recently they have been more down than up and it's not a particularly jolly period for me. I wish so bad sometimes I can go home to my mummy and have her take care of me and be able to eat all that I crave because there isn't much that I can eat and that I crave except for Sg food!

I have been dreaming of prata and curry for the past 2 nights. That's how strong the cravings have been but it's miserable when I can't get hold of it and I can't cook it cos I can't stand the smell of the kitchen...hai....

Can't wait for this whole period to be over and the baby to come. January has been the slowest month for both me and the husband since we've met each other. And it's not even over yet!!

ARGH!!!

I would like to thank....

Thanks to Malin who has so kindly and very unexpectedly given me an award for my blog.

'THE CUTEST BLOG AWARD'

I am soo honoured and absolutely shocked by this award (tears streaming down my cheeks and looking at the 'gleaming' statue I've conjured into my hands) that it's difficult to put into words the emotions running through me right now.

I'd like to thank first and foremost my parents without whom I wouldn't have existed and been as voluptous as I have become (I tribute to my mum's ample bosom and my dad's formerly big boned frame. Hey old people shrink, I've accepted that, you should too). And to my husband without whom I wouldn't have been forced to move to a tiny town in a cold country in a part of the world where pronouncing my own husband's name was a challenge... (soft, soothing music starts playing indicating it's time to wrap it up..). All the inspiration I've gotten....(music crescendoes further by the second)...and..all the people who have in..spired (music is now on full volume, the mic is off and the gorgeous escorts are escorting me firmly by the arms off stage)...

(Mouthing to the wonderfully attentive audience as I'm hustled off stage like a loony through the gates of the asylum) Thank you! Thank You! I love you all!!

Made For The Sun

I'm a tropical island girl...always been, always will be. I love the sun (but not it's tanning powers), I like the heat (esp when I'm entering a cool shopping centre AWAY from the searing heat) and I love the fact one doesn't need to dress so heavily every single time one steps out of the front door. When it takes me almost 10 minutes to put on clothes on top of he clothes that keep me from walking around naked just so I can step out in the cold, that's too many clothes. But damn if they weren't essential! Layers and layers of wooly things that stick to my lips and itches but which I have to endure just cos it keeps me warm and most importantly ALIVE.

I'm NOT loving the cold.

My first winter last year was extremely mild and the temperatures hardly passed -10 and that was only at night when I would be nice and cosy in my warmish apartment.

But this year...ugh! The temperatures have dunked to -15 while the sun is out! I get fooled all the time, thinking that it's not so cold outside cos the sun is shining so brightly into my apartment, warming me and Sussie. The sun feels so good that Sussie even abandons her morning naps to play and go crazy chasing her tail and her imaginary friends in the sun and warmth. But then I look at the outdoor thermometer and it reveals the truth about the devious weather....-17 degrees celsius!! Shite...I don't dare to go out much cos it's just so cold and my face feels frozen 5 minutes from leaving the building. I need to cover half of my face with my wooly scarf just so that my face and especially nose would not hurt but then the wool bits get stuck on my lips and in my nose so it's really uncomfortable.

Then stop wearing the wool, you say? I wish I could but it's so cold that I need something that thick to keep me semi decently warm.

But it's not all bad. With the temperatures dipping so low, it's given an opportunity for the lake to freeze over enough to allow skating on the lake which is so cool to watch! I was so sad that neither Mathias or I had skates so we could not go ice skating on the lake but we did walk over the frozen lake. The fact that snow covered almost all the icy surface made it much easier to walk over the ice with our winter boots and it also took away some of the freak out factor I would otherwise have from looking straight down into the frozen lake and possibly seeing fish and other water creatures that may exist beneath the water surface.

The snow gives so much more to the landscape in terms of beauty, silence and a sense of calm and serenity. Walking by the lake when the sun is just setting gives one a sense of awe at just how beautiful nature can be, untouched by man.

Regardless of where one lives, there will always be pros and cons. The good and bad of living in a new environment, adjusting to changes big and small and simply making the best of life wherever that may be.

I'm not unhappy and miserable living in Sweden although I can certainly have miserable moments. I'm actually happy with my life, setting up house and home with a loving husband and building up our family and settling down to family life. I think I have licence to complain sometimes living in cold Scandinavia cos I'm a girl made for the sun and the winter season just dampens that sunny spirit of mine.

Swedish Super Powers

I've been meaning to blog about the incredible powers of Swedes who live in small towns but something else always comes to mind when I start blogging. I realised this amazing ability that they have early on in my move here but as the months passed, I experienced more and more of this and was awed by the efficiency and accuracy of their abilities.

I've learnt that the older one is, the stronger the ability and only those who live in small towns or villages and have lived there for years and years have it. Big city people are too caught up in their own big city lives to be able to develop this power. The smaller the place, the older the people and the longer their stay means greater accuracy, efficiency and strength in this power. And I will tell you why.

When I first moved to Askersund, I always looked at the husband funny cos he would occasionally, as we are walking or driving thru town, raise up his hand and nod. I would have no idea who he is nodding to, if there really was someone there and it was certainly not to me. So I would ask him, what was that for?

And he would calmly turn to me and say, Old neighbour from upstairs. Or something like that. And I would stand there looking around and see nobody. Where?, I ask.

And he says, Oh the one in that blue car that just passed.

The blue car that just passed?? I looked to the road and saw cars of all colours passing us by, the sky is dark and everyone is wearing a thick jacket and hats in their cars. How the heck did he recognise one man in a blue car among all the men in blue cars driving past? I couldn't see inside the cars even if I squinted and stared and yet within a split second, my husband managed to pick out the right blue car, narrow in and identify the man, catch his attention and wave in greeting.

What?! Seriously....what?

So many questions pop into my head. Firstly, how does my dear husband know what kind of car the man drives? (That's the car he's been driving for a few years now. I think his wife has her own car, says husband.).

Their amazing ability to see and recognise someone in a passing car. even if the car is driving past at 50km/hr among other cars still astounds me. The older one is and the longer one has lived there means that they have had the opportunity to learn the make, model and colour of the cars of all their acquaintances and friends in town. And that is half the battle won.

But it is the other half that still amazes me. It can be 8pm, streets lit by lamp posts and the car interior as dark as it can ever be and yet people walking by can still see the driver, recognise him and wave in greeting. How the heck does one do that?? Unless one has supersonic eyesight or something cos I definitely cannot see anything past the car windows. I can't even tell if the driver is male or female! And it is especially freaky when it is the driver of the car that initiates greeting cos it is always easier to make out the person walking surrounded by light than someone sitting in the darkness of a car, driving.

I thought that perhaps people just wave and nod to almost every car and vice versa so I do a little test sometimes. It's not particularly scientific but nothing I do is ever particularly scientific. Everytime the husband waved to a passing car, I never fail to ask who that was. And he would be able to tell me, matter of factly, without effort or strain. And sometimes the accuracy of his power is proven when we meet the person he had been waving to and they start talking about having waved to each other earlier (not the most stimulating of conversation, I know, so I usually pretend I don't understand what's being said).

This phenomenon does not occur in big cities like Stockholm or Gothenburg, possibly does in the suburbs but I don't know. It doesn't even happen in smaller big cities like Örebro cos not everyone knows everyone else and their personal details. Everything becomes less private in small towns and a lot more familiar. And now that husband works in Askersund itself, the waving and nodding have upped in frequency and accuracy.

I doubt I'll develop that power but I still stand in awe of it. Something so simply yet so impossible for me to do myself.

The arrival of 'Civilisation'...thru my eyes

I've accepted and resigned to the fact that I live in the countryside (can't say that out loud tho..hee hee!). I'm even beginning to see the silver lining of living in a small town of population 12,000 (and growing...slooowly....) where nightlife is when you forget you need milk at 9.55pm and rush like a rabid dog to the ONLY store still open, tiny supermarket (one of 2 in this town. A fact we are ALL proud of) which closes at 10pm and you meet some other desperate people running in for last minute groceries, usually light beer, chips and magazines (items of choice especially on the weekends).

Don't get me wrong, I really like Askersund. It's a nice, calm town with a beautiful lake across one side of the town and where most people nod and smile when they pass each other (but that's usually cos everyone knows everyone...especially the old people, the majority demographic of this town). We have at least 1 of almost everything. I town square, 1 bookstore, 1 pharmacy, 1 toystore, 1 knit store, 1 spa, 1 hotel, 1 electronic store, 1 sports store, 2 flowershops, 2 bakeries (Swedes love their flowers and bread), 4 cafes (2 of which belong to a B&B), and for some strange reason, more than 5 hairsalons. I'm not sure how this is possible but they all manage to stay open for business and yet I never see anyone in the salons. Oh and Swedes love their pizzas and kebabs so we have 4 pizza places, 3 of which are a block from each other and an Asian Restaurant that is open only during the warm half of the year.

Everything but 1 cafe, 2 restaurants and the supermarkets close at 6pm on weekdays and beyond 10pm, you'd be lucky to buy a coke anywhere. When I first moved here, like any tourist, I looked out for certain stores or things that are international and familiar. So of cos, I looked for things like Burger King, KFC, Body Shop and 7-11. Of the 4, I found 2 that are within 45min drive (and that is considered close by), KFC does not exist in Sweden (sent shock waves thru me) and husband told me that 7-11 can only be found in Stockholm and Gothenburg, mainly the really large cities.

Darn it. After living in Thailand where 7-11s are found on every street and appreciating the selection of 7-11 foods when I worked the late shifts in Singapore, I became a 7-11 lover. And to hear that there is no 7-11 within a 3 hour drive radius made it feel like I truly lived out in the wild. I may be exaggerating but take the 7-11 away from a girl like me and you can only get drama.

But perhaps someone up there heard my silent cries of frustration cos 2 weeks ago, civilisation, as I see it, arrived in Askersund. We found out that the gas station by the harbour has now opened a 7-11!!! I almost did not dare to believe it. Here in tiny Askersund!! We have a 7-11!! Yippee!!! Granted that it is only open till midnight but in Sweden, that's considered all night anyway.

I am sooo glad!! We were so excited, both husband and I, that we actually went down to the gas station just to have a look around the place. I was in awe and checked out every shelf, every magazine (good selection of porn mags, according to husband), every coffee machine and every hot food item they had. We could tell just how recently it had opened since most of the items and shelves were without price tags and half of the shelves were empty with cartons lying around. I hope they have a slurpee machine soon but I'm not holding my breath. I'm just glad there's a 7-11!!

And now dear husband knows exactly where to head to if I ever get a midnight craving. hahaha!!

Much Ado About Nothing I know About

Have you ever been in a situation where someone is talking to you while you are doing something and under normal circumstances you would be able to both do that something (eg. folding clothes or stirring something in a pot) and listen to the person talk at the same time but this time that person decides to go into a topic you have no idea about and they are super enthu about it so suddenly the clothes or the pot becomes so much more interesting and your mind starts flying off into space?

Well, that happens to me more often than I dare to admit. And it happens when the husband starts talking to me about music.

Don't get me wrong, I love music. I love listening to music, dancing to music and singing off key to music. And I certainly can talk about music if the situation appears BUT the husband... he's on a whole different music plane.

The man is a musician who used to play electric guitar in a band and who loves rock music as much as he does chocolate and has an in depth knowledge of the history of rock, the technical aspects of playing and performing and of producing music. So I NEVER talk music with him, not that it stops HIM from talking music with ME.

You know, after the first ex a lifetime ago, who loved rock music and told the most outrageously lame rock jokes (remember Rock Never Dies, Praisie? haha!!) I told myself never a rock enthusiast ever again.

Never say NEVER. Not only did I fall in love with a rock enthusiast, this time the man has an even wider, deeper knowledge and love of the music I call noise. Hai...

Every once in a while, he would start quoting some bisarre sounding lyrics from some little known song by some rock group that I hadn't known existed till that very moment. And it can be a little sad when the husband starts rambling some lyrics with a twinkle in his eye and an expectant laugh to me and for the life of me, I have NO IDEA what the significance of that lyrics would be and the silly man actually acts like I should have known all along. It's times like that when I have no idea to get truly annoyed with him for wasting minutes of my life with such inane trivia or to laugh at the patheticness of the situation.

How can I laugh along with him if I don't see the funny in it or even who the heck he's talking about? He's talking about artistes and groups and songs from the 80s! Talk about blast from the past.

Of cos if he had been discussing this with his own band members, each and every one of them will be laughing till they turn blue while their wives look on in disbelief and slight embarassment, or maybe that's just me?

I listen to BEP, Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Josh Groban and Michael Bublé. How am I supposed to know Kiss, Metallica, Toto and Pink Floyd and the names of every single band member, alive, dead or booted out??

So when he starts rambling about music...I secretly roll my eyes and wish the phone would ring just so he would have to stop talking and answer and hopefully forget his train of thought. Just wanted to vent...I just had to go through another rock music trivia with husband dear. Sigh...

Belated Birthday Party

It is tradition (Sweden is always about tradition) in the Sjöberg family that when someone has a birthday, a party is expected and all the family is invited. This is a whole new concept for me cos my family stopped having any sort of birthday celebrations when I entered my teens. Sure I've had dinner gatherings with friends to celebrate my birthday even until now but that's just another excuse for all of us to meet up and enjoy a good meal together. But with family? Hmm...a new and strange concept to me.

It doesn't matter how old one is, a Sjöberg (at least our branch of the extensive Sjöberg clan) is always expected to plan a party which is just another excuse for the entire family to gather which is also another unrelenting tradition in this Swedish family of mine.

So even though it was more than a month AFTER my actual birthday, I still planned my party like a good Sjöberg does but of cos me being me, I did it my way...which is definitely NOT traditional. But before the party, I was gonna experiment with my brand new Kitchen Aid stand mixer (my very expensive birthday present from husband dear) and baked cake after cake just to test out the machine and also to try my hand at frosting cakes.

My first attempt was a simple madeira cake (they call it sugar cake or sockerkaka in Sweden) in my new teddy bear cake tin and very simple lines of frosting to outline it's face and big belly.

Fine, I'm not the neatest of frosters or bakers but for a first attempt I thought it looked alright.

Husband dear said that the belly outline looked less like a belly and more like the male anatomy of the southern region. Hmm...upon hindsight I have to actually shamefacedly agree.
TOTALLY not my intention. Serious!!

My next attempt was for a full sized cake in my brand new heart shaped cake tin (yes,I went crazy cake tin shopping when I was in Singapore. There are no baking supply stores anywhere here!) I think this 2nd attempt turned out much better and the frosting tasted great too. I used a white chocolate frosting that used less icing sugar which made it fractionally less sweet. But found a cool trick to reduce sweetness in frosting. Just add some salt!

I actually really like frosting cakes although it takes a long time for me since I'm still just a beginner. There's a certain calming therapeutic sensation that comes with focus needed to frost. And husband loves the fact that whatever I bake is all for him.

But of cos all that baking and frosting was in preparation for baking my own birthday instead of buying one. A very untraditional thing to do. Plus the fact that it was banana cake (which one CANNOT find in any bakery here) with white chocolate frosting. But hey, my party is all about twisting tradition right?

And since I love butterflies, I decided to draw out a butterfly outline and put in colourful sprinkles just to give it some colour. It was either that or write out something. But I think my cake turned out quite pretty although one can tell it's an amateur job.

Birthday girl cutting the cake, another untraditional thing cos usually the person sitting closest to the cake cuts it but husband dear moved the cake to my side so I could cut it. Here I am, happily brandishing my knife next to MIL. See the fear in her eyes?? Hee!

So anyway, that was the cake for my party. Something else I did for the party was I actually kind of transformed the flat into a restaurant of sorts. I made 5 different Asian dishes, 2 types of rice and served it buffet style complete with condiments and sauces. And another thing that is strangely untraditional in Sweden? We had ice to go with the drinks. I know I know...you're thinking ICE?? But they don't have ice here. Nobody sells ice. We went to the supermarket to ask for ice and since it's such a rare request, we got it free.

Unfortunately I did not manage to get any pictures of the buffet table since it was quickly ravaged through. But the guests loved the food and even more the variety. Surprisingly, it wasn't as much work as I thought it would be. So the menu?

Chicken Rice
Steamed white rice
Prawns in plum Sauce (also known as Prosperity Prawns)
Oyster Sauce Beef
Pan Fried Breaded Chicken
Chicken Satay
Spicy Baked Chicken Wings

And after dinner and cake, we played PS2 although not for as long as we had hoped. Oh and the cat was thoroughly freaked out during the entire party and stayed well away from open spaces. Don't blame her.

So there we go, I'm a certified Sjöberg, parties and all, but with a twist. Always with a twist.

Operation Save Sussie

Husband had a 3 day weekend so we had a grand 'ol time just enjoying each other's company and playing on our PS2 (I'm starting to get pretty decent on Guitar Hero) or simply being.

Anyway, on Monday, we decided to go into town (seeing how small our 'town' is, we call going into the nearby BIG town, Orebro, going into town.) and set off before lunch. It was a nice day out and by the time we came home, it was evening.

Our cat, Sussie, would usually meet us at the front door when we come home even when she has been sleeping. In which case, we can tell she's still got the sleepy eyes as she stretches and greets us at the same time. It is quite rare that she doesn't come out to at least have a look before sauntering off to a quiet corner. But that night, she didn't come. Although we both thought it strange, we shrugged it off and knew that she would make an appearance eventually. So we settled in the livingroom and ate dinner, watched tv and talked. But after an hour and still no Sussie, I started to get worried. This was very unlike her to hide away and refuse to come out, especially since we didn't have any visitors so I started calling out for her. The good thing about my kitty is that she always comes when me or husband dear calls her. But she didn't come this time which of cos set off even more alarm bells in my head.

So we started looking in all her usual hiding places. We crawled all over the apartment searching under sofas, the bed, toilet, closet and still nothing. We opened all the cupboards in case she had somehow locked herself in (she's a VERY curious cat) but still no Sussie. Not even a tiny pip from the cat could be heard. I started getting a little hysterical (yeah, the melodramatic in me kicking in full force) and husband pulled on jacket and shoes and started searching outside for her. I began opening windows and looking out while shouting out her name. A number of people looked up at me, probably thinking I'm a crazy lady.

And still no Sussie.

Husband searched all the corridors, basement and ven parking lot but nothing. Our apartment building is constructed such that the stairway is in the middle of the building and there are doors opening into the stairway for every corridor that remains closed throughout the day. So the possibility of Sussie running off somewhere was rather slim but worried as we were, everything was possible.

And still no Sussie.

I began opening kitchen cabinets (just in case) while husband was outside. When I opened the cabinet below the sink where we keep the trashbin, I saw right at the back of the cabinet what looked like a hollow space leading into the back of the neighbouring cabinets. I started wondering if she had gotten in there when husband came back in from the cold. Seeing how big and brave the husband is, I instantly suggested that he go down on all fours and look into the hollow space.

I handed him a flashlight and climbed into the cabinet (not fully of cos since as mentioned above he's BIG) and that was when he caught sight of our little black cat. Sussie was found!! YAY!!!

But there was one problem. She was stuck.

My curious kitty had apparently gotten into the cabinet and walked into the hollow tunnel like space without realising how small the space is. The space is very narrow, about the size of the cat itself, but quite high. By the time she reached the end of the 'tunnel' which is longer than my arms length, she couldn't turn herself around and so she essentially got stuck. As curious as my cat is, she's not exactly the sharpest knife in the kitchen so for the life of her, she could not figure out that to get out, all she needed to do was walk in reverse. When I peeked in, she was literally pressed up against the end wall of the tunnel and could only turn her cute little head to look at me. I guess she must have thought the best thing to do was walk as far in as she could, pressing herself even more against the unmoving wall instead of walking backwards back into the open cabinet.

Hai...smart cat.

As relieved as I was and frightened as she looked, I couldn't help but laugh my head off before formulating a rescue strategy to get my silly cat out of there.

First, we needed to get her turned around since she's so far in, I couldn't even reach her. So Mathias handed me a stick for me to prod her so she would (hopefully) turn her body around. Narrow as the tunnel is, it is also high so could actually turn around by standing on her back paws. Anyway, I prodded and prodded and finally she did turn so she was facing me. I bet she must have been relieved to be able to rest on all 4 paws on the ground instead of being pressed face first into a wall. Haha! That was hilarious.

Anyway, by this time Sussie was too afraid to move or even make a sound so it was up to me to try and get her out. I tried treats and other cat food but she wasn't interested in eating at all. It looked like she had hurt one of her eyes as it was very runny and we became worried again. Mathias said we would have to go to the vet since she's hurt but my first priority was Operation Save Sussie. Since she wouldn't move by herself, I decided that I will have to pull her out myself. Afraid that she would scratch or bite me, I pulled on gloves and got down to work. I first pulled at her collar but she wouldn't budge and the collar snapped open. (Don't worry, it didn't hurt her. Turns out the collar snaps open with the slightest pull). Even though she refused to come out, I was glad that at least she didn't move backwards deeper into the tunnel.

I was getting desperate so I decided to go for it and grabbed hold of the back of her neck and pulled and pulled till she couldn't fight back and I grabbed hold of her and pushed her into her box and locked her in while husband dear called the vet.

Sussie eventually calmed down and turns out she didn't injure her eye but probably got some sand or dust into it while she was stuck and it cleared up when I placed a small bowl of water into her box in case she needed to drink and she accidentally tipped it over her face. Cool! Eye cleared!

When we had ascertained that she wasn't injured, I opened the box door and she ran off under the bed where we left her to lick her injured pride. But Sussie was soon back to herself and within half an hour, she was back to jumping up on the sofa and onto us.

And such was the little adventure that little Sussie got herself into. And to be honest, I don't know how long she was stuck in that space since we were away all day. Poor cat!

Just the beginning...

I was lucky last year when I first moved to Sweden. The winter, although cold and snowy, was considered really mild and even though I did contract pneumonia, I handled the weather pretty well.

But I'm not so lucky this time. The winter this time round is much, much colder and I am barely weathering it through. I hardly go out of the apartment now and as much as the sun shines through during the short daylight hours, I know just how cold it is. And this is just the beginning of winter, it can only go downhill from here.

I had to go out today and walk to and from my home. Even though the walk was short, little more than 5 minutes, I felt every single gust and breeze. With every sudden gust of the icy cold wind, I felt it go through my jacket, shawls, hat, gloves right into the bones. My fingers ached, my knees creaked, and my face was frozen. And now I can't really bend my index and middle fingers of my right hand fully cos it hurts so bad.

The daytime is cold, the night time is colder, the apartment is always cold now and my toes are ALWAYS freezing.

Just wanted to complain....needed to....winter bites....literally.

Anniversary Weekend

Can hardly believe that it's been more than a year since I got myself hitched and flew me over here to Sweden and settle in this tiny town of Askersund. Like any other newly wed couple(am I still qualified to call myself a newly wed? hmm...), we've had our ups and downs, hits and misses and ridiculous moments together. It's the toughest year for any couple and definitely deserves a celebration. So we celebrated...the whole weekend. hee hee...

Our anniversary was a few weeks ago on a Monday but I guess one can say that we began the 'festivities' on Saturday when we travelled to the capital city of Stockholm for an overnight stay on a company leisure trip. And right after that, we headed on to Orebro, a big town close to Askersund to spend the next night in honeymoon bliss.

At the train station waiting for our train to Stockholm! Very excited cos it was my FIRST train ride in Sweden. YIPPEE!!

The men chose to stand and try to look all important. The men in glasses are the brothers/bosses/owners of the company. They're really nice.

Our train arrives!!

Our entire group of 12, all dressed in black and pulling rolly bags. Dear husband was the only one wearing blue jeans...ok fine..LIGHT blue jeans.

Me, happily getting on the train. Little did I know that I only had 5 minutes to get my butt ON the train before it leaves the station. A bit goondu lah but what to do, I was a train virgin.

Finally all settled into our seats after much disorder and confusion. This is Katarina, the bosses' sister. She intimidates me a little but friendly-ish..is that an oxymoron?

Patrik, dear husband's colleague and partner in crime. He brought his gf along but for most of the trip, he chose to sit with the bosses, saying she's grown up and can take care of herself. Hmm...not sure if I would forgive Mathias if he ever did that to me.

Bengt is the handyman/deliveryman/cleaner/jack of all trades but sales man and Katarina's husband. Mathias thinks he's 400 years old cos he's done pretty much all jobs in the world when he tells his stories. Eg. construction worker, farmer, property evaluater...

DH and I happily settled in our seats. Well, I wasn't so happy since my seat is nestled between 2 windows which means that even though I got a window seat, I don't have any windows. Which sucks cos I wanna look at scenery!

When we arrived in Stockholm, we dropped off our bags at the hotel and headed straight to this Asian restaurant. Apparently it's a very posh place and Swedish celebs go there all the time. But to be honest, the food was so so (supposed to be fusion-ish) and I can't even remember the name of the restaurant!

Our group table. Youngsters (me included of cos) sat on one side and the oldies sat on the other. And the only time that Patrik sat next to his gf for a meal on that trip. So lunch was high class Asian Buffet which included Sushi and sashimi. Totally thought of you, Praisie when I saw the sashimi.

Happily posing for the camera the only time Mathias remembers to take my picture.

The food may be so-so but I love the interior of the building. I believe it is an old building that was converted to a restaurant.

The ceiling is so high and the chandeliers really add a touch of glam and pompousness. I guess I can understand why celebs like coming here. It's the place to see and be seen. Many of such places here in Stockholm. And sushi. Stockholmers LOVE sushi. I think they consider it high class Asian food.

The restaurant is located right next to the Chinese Theatre where we went to after lunch to watch The Producers!! I loved it even though it was in Swedish. The fact that I had watched the movie before helped..a lot. But the actors were all FANTASTIC! I love it! Love it! Love it!

These Indians are buskers that perform close to our hotel everyday and play excellent, soothing music. They don't just busk to earn from passers by but also to promote and sell thier own CD which has a really nice cover to it. Very haunting music.

One of the things I like about Stockholm is all the old buildings and architectural wonders abound. It's sometimes difficult to fathom that some of the buildings are hundreds of years old.

This is a metal statue of a famous Swedish writer whose names eludes me right now. But what is significant about this statue is that the entire front and especially tummy of the statue is so nice and warm even though it is blisteringly cold. I almost thought that the statue is heated until I felt the back and realised it's cold as ice. It is the morning sun that keeps this statue nice n warm.

The National Theatre where all the bigger plays, musicals and performances are staged. It's the Stockholm version of our Esplanade but so much more beautiful in architecture and presence.

Our hotel room at Hotel Scandic Royal Viking, my 5 star Swedish hotel experience. It was so so. Nothing really spectacular about the rooms or service. The Rooftop bar had a fantastic view of the city but is way too small and cramped and the bar staff aren't particularly helpful or eloquent which I would expect them to be since they hardly have a comprehensive menu.

The room is quite small but a very large mirror spans almost one entire wall, which comes to think of it, makes the hotel room rather sexy. And yes, it's not an afterthought. Luckily, I did think of that ..uh hum..factor while I was still staying the room. *wink wink*

The bathroom is not too bad and unlike all other hotels I've stayed in in Sweden, the bathtub is actually built into the wall so one doesn't accidentally tip the tub over a little. Yeah...personal experience.

After Stockholm, we continued on our little getaway and this time to Orebro where the rarely romantic husband surprised me with a booking at one of the boutique hotels, The Berhn Hotel, I've always wanted to stay in. And not only that, he had us booked in a 2 storey suite!! Ooh! Even better than our honeymoon!

The hotel is located in an old style building that has 4 tornets which makes it look like a small castle and our suite is up one of the tornets. So I kinda felt like a princess up in a tower looking down at the parking lot downstairs. Hee hee! The suite is divided into livingroom and bathroom downstairs and the bedroom upstairs.

That is the top of the tornet which is about 5 meters up from our bed. And blinds are installed which shut parallel to the floor so we can shut out the 4 'skylights' at night.

The stairs up to our bedroom. The only thing about the room is that there is no bathroom upstairs so one needs to walk downstairs even for the middle of the night number 1s.

Jacuzzi in the bathroom!! We used it a few times...on an overnight stay...heh heh...

The lovely couple on their way out to a nice Greek dinner. One of the surprisingly few pictures we took together that entire weekend. I must say, Swedes are really no good at taking picures.

My anniversary weekend was a blast which began on a train to Stockholm and ended with bowling in Orebro which the husband is very proud to announce that he won. Even though the very first time he ever tried his hand at it was when I brought him to a bowling alley a few weeks before. Good food, good company and lovely memories..that was my first anniversary.

My Crazy Cat, Sussie the Pussy.

My dear, darling and naughty cat, Sussie. Difficult not to love a creature like her and yet all her crazy and usually very un kitty like antics makes a mess of our house and I pause to wonder...what did we get ourselves into???

Let me list some of the strange things that she does, some of which is done while we're asleep. And I shall compare it to normal cat behaviour in similar situation.

Situation: Toy rat is idly lying on the floor. Cat spies it from a corner of her eye.

Normal cat will... pause and crouch down low in a hunting position and eye the target for a while before lunging at it and playing with it for a while. Cat may or may not roll around with toy rat but will eventually leave ratty alone in somewhat similar location.

Sussie will... see the rat and stop in her tracks. She looks around to make sure nobody is going to catch her in action (but we usually do) and lunges for the toy rat, grabs it by its neck and starts running around and around the house with ratty in her mouth, like a dog holding a ball. She will run at least 2 rounds into all the rooms of the flat before hiding the rat in a deep dark corner under our bed where I'm sure she does unspeakable horrors to poor old ratty. We may not see the rat for a few more days more.

Situation: Cat is under the sofa or bed, relaxing or playing.

Normal cat will...usually be licking itself, playing with some furball or toy it found or simply sleeping.

Sussie will... figure herself to be Ethan Hawke from Mission Impossible or that creature from Species and hang onto the bottom of the bed or sofa with all 4 paws so she is essentially hanging upside down and start crawling like that, sliding herself across back and forth the bed or sofa. She doesn't shred the underside of our furniture but just uses it as the medium that will allow her to do her 'spy-ish' activities. Once I caught her doing that under our bed cos she came too close to the outer edge and when we made eye contact, she froze for 5 seconds before running away. Cos she knows she'd been caught on a mission.

Situation: Cat wants to enter a room but has not been able to all night because room door has been closed. Now door is finally open and cat can enter.

Normal cat will... slowly and catiously walk towards the door, making sure that it is safe to enter before entering and surveying the room and doing who knows what it wants in there.

Sussie will... run like a cat high on Ecstasy towards the door but screech to a halt at the doorway and look around her very very catiously to make sure that neither me or the husband is going to chase her out or scold her before she rushes again under the bed, which in her mind is the safest place possible.

Situation: Nice new blanket has just been bought from IKEA and placed at an accessible spot on the sofa in case of chilly TV nights.

Normal cat will... perhaps consider it warm and cosy and paw the blanket into a comfy bunched up shape before curling down into it and sleeping away.

Sussie will... eye the blanket all night and when husband and I are asleep, pull it from the livingroom into our bedroom deep under the bed where she will paw it into a comfy bunched up shape before going back to the livingroom to sleep on her already comfily bunched up towel under the sofa. There will be no trace of new blanket the next morning when we wake up and all I have is a strange feeling that something is missing while standing in the middle of the livingroom. Blanket is found later in the day when we realilse what exactly is that missing something.

Situation: Potted plants are placed in various locations all over the house.

Normal cat will... consider it fun to paw into the dirt in the pot since it's an indoor cat and doesn't get to play with dirt very much. It's like a kid and mud. We understand. What one will be left with is a dirt-y (heh heh. no pun intended) mess all around the affected pot with trails of dirt where the cat headed to after it's fun with the potted plants. And after a while cat is relatively clean since it then spends hours licking itself of the dirt.

Sussie will... consider it fun to paw into the dirt in the pot since she's an indoor cat and doesn't get to play with dirt very much. But what I am left with is a dirt-y (heh heh..again pun not intended) mess all around the affected pot but no trails. My cat manages to make a mess at the scene of the crime and then perhaps tiptoe off before leaving a spot of dirt 3 meters away or more often in the next room. And yet not a speck of the plant dirt anywhere else but that lone spot a good 3 meters away. To this day I still wonder how the hell she does it. And after a while my Sussie is relatively clean since she spends some time grooming except for a spot of dirt at the tip of her nose, revealing what she'd been up to. Did I also mention she likes to eat dirt?

Situation: After a wild night, the house is littered with colourful confetti. Cat is given some treats and wet food is put into the food bowl.

A normal cat will... run for the treat and perhaps meow for it if one is too slow in handing it out. Then cat will possibly head on to the food bowl and attack the wet food. It had been a wild night after all even for a cat.

Sussie will... look at the treat with some suspicion, eye the wet food and give that some consideration. But ultimately, she will turn and spotting some loose pink confetti lying on the ground, run to it before gobbling it down like it was the best treat in the world. Did I mention that my cat likes to eat paper and chew on book covers?

That is the story of my crazy cat..or at least part of it. As she grows she will hopefully tone down a little in craziness but one never knows. But for now, it's just fun to see what else she can come up with.