The cat does not offer services. The cat offers itself. - William S. Burroughs

Monkey Cat rests after a long twitter session (yay! a Mac-cat!)

When I left New York, one of the hardest things I ever did in my life was to leave Henry and Ralph behind; there were logistics and other factors that made their transport impossible, but not a day goes by that I don't think about them. I miss them terribly. What fills the void, not completely, but certainly makes me smile everyday, are my "anipals" I follow on Twitter. I know that to a lot of people it seems silly, but for me it certainly helps ease the pain of having had to leave my kitties behind. You can find my feline friends at Cats who Twitter and at Twitter Critters. But my furry friends are not just cats, there is also Max the Golden, a golden retriever who loves his tennis ball! It still may seem silly to some of you humans out there, and while it is not a replacement for the real McCoy, all you need is some animal appreciation and a little suspension of disbelief and you can feel some of the love offered by a pet. And, so I'd like to say hai! *headbutt* & *nosetap* to all! (and feel better Oscar!)


Brewskie Butt (artwork by BZTAT at www.artadventuresstudios.com)

All the attractions of a house were concentrated in one room; it was kitchen, chamber, parlor, and keeping-room...

While my version of Walden is not limited one room, I am still going to try to stay true to this idea by allowing the different rooms to serve different functions. This is the plan for Thoreau's kitchen. It very basic. Along the window on the left are two stools against a raised counter so he can look out the window while he eats or enjoys a cup of coffee. He can entertain a friend or enjoy his solitude. He can read or write in his journal, or, perhaps, simply do nothing at all.

These are the appliances I have chosen. I still haven't chosen the cabinets or counters. (I intend on having hardwood floors throughout the apartment). The sink, as mentioned in a previous post, is an acid-resistant ceramic over cast-iron apron sink. I am thinking of some sort of green distressed wood cabinetry and wood counter tops, perhaps birch or some other light colored wood. I'm still looking. Ideally it should be recycled or reclaimed.

The pocket doors on the right lead to the bedroom. Between that and the kitchen along the top wall, is some sort of plant. I am placing greenery in various spots around the whole space, as Thoreau did love nature, though I may choose to put the cat's (Ralph) food and water bowls in that spot.

If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them

Let's get to some architecture... I got some positive feedback from my teacher, which is quite encouraging! My big project for the semester is to design an apartment for a famous person; I have chosen Henry David Thoreau and am creating a modern day Walden (which he will share with his cat, Ralph ;) ) Of course, in the plan I have included his MacBook (it's drawn to scale... the apple logo isn't)

It is Super Bowl Sunday, not as exciting as last year, when the Giants won, so I will not be staying up to watch it, and I am sorry to be missing the Puppy Bowl.

Here's a photo of Ralphie. I really miss him and Henry. I am so sorry that I had to leave them behind when I relocated.