strange kitten

here's a quirky thing about cracker: we bought her one of those fishing pole toys - you know, they have a little pole, a long string, and some sort of toy on the end that the cat is supposed to chase and attack. she broke the toy off of the end of it and has begun to do something very odd with the remaining pole/string part: she picks the string up with her teeth and drags the toy around with her everywhere. EVERYWHERE. when she eats, she puts the pole behind her bowl and the string inside the bowl while she chomps on her food. she puts it in the water bowl while she drinks, too. a minute ago, i watched her pull the toy into the litterbox with her while she used it. she then covered up her mess and pulled the toy back out with her and back over to the food bowl. yuk! she also likes to pul the toy into the bathtub and onto the furniture using the most difficult methods imaginable. for example, she doesn't simply jump onto the couch with the toy in her mouth. instead, she jumps up onto the arm first, which causes the pole to get stuck in the space between the arm and the cushion. next, she spends 20 minutes jumping up and down off of the arm and batting the toy with her foot until she dislodges it, which, inevitably, makes it fall on the floor again. she does this over and over until she finally gives up and pulls it into the bathtub.

here's another thing about her: she ripped a hole (bugger!) in the lining of the box spring on our bed and curls up in there. it's a nice new house for her. i found three balls and a mouse in there the other day...

she's the cutest baby! a total imp, but very sweet, and i love her lots :-)

have been very sick for over a week. went to the hospital last night because i was coughing up blood and my throat was on fire and nearly swollen shut. yikes! learned that i have strep and an infection in my left ear. am now taking the most enormous amoxicillin pills known to man and a bunch of syrups and pills for coughing, body aches, congestion, and other yucky things. i have missed a whole week of work. thankfully, i have a very cool boss who told me to take as much time as i need to get well. am very bored - daytime television is unbelievably bad! but can't sit at computer for long. hence, lack of posts. will be better at writing when i feel better. am up at 4:14am because i can't stop coughing. thought i might write something to let you know that i am still here.

have smeared vicks all over myself, and am not coughing as much. might try to go back to bed. more in awhile.