(Still) Not a Garden Tour #8

On a recent Wednesday, the Human and her friend set out for the geriatric a/k/a "Blue Hair" matinee of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City, which has been made into a musical and may soon be headed to big, bad Broadway. The Human stuffed me into her purse and took me along!

Our first stop was the 7th floor of the Sutter-Stockton garage. I don't care for heights, so I went on down without her.

We cut through Union Square, where a so-so band was playing for free. They were not attracting too much of an audience. I relaxed briefly in the sun.

This guy's tum was yum! Irresistible! Very comfy!

While the Human took yet another photo, I hung out in the treetops.

This lady outside a Geary Street hotel looks like she's been waiting a long time. I tried to make friends but she didn't seem interested.

Look! They put me on the cover of the program! Do you think they'll give me a role in the show?

Well, no starring role, but Spitty scored himself a BOX seat, yes he did!

Afterward, we all went to a restaurant full of people who reminded me of the lady outside the hotel. This lady had mints. Drat--I was hoping for Valerian root.

This guy seemed pretty stiff, not like that great guy at Union Square.

This guy wasn't even a Human at all, stiff or not stiff. To be honest, he creeped me out a little. I didn't stay long.

The Old People matinee got out before the restaurant was even really open so they had to sit in the bar and get sloshed have a tiny ladylike cocktail. I kept an eye on them so they didn't get too out-of-control!

Okay, Kitties, that's our Not-a-Garden-Tour for today. Hope you enjoyed it! 

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

 Rutabaga*? That you comin' for me?

*Rutabaga is my most loving, affectionate name for Rupert of the Katnip Lounge, who believes he is my main rival for the affections of The Admiral. Poseur!

Too-Close Tuesday

Hello, Kitties, and welcome to an Up-Close-and-Fursonal-Tour of Spittola's grass munching technique (delicious grass, mmmmmm)!
Frankly, I find these photos a tad embarrassing and, well, intrusive, if you know what I mean, and I know most of you do. The Human has become even more intolerable than usual, pushing that borrowed flashy box into my little face and snapping/snapping/snapping/snapping/snapping and then snapping some more, just as fast as her fingers can push that button.
Sigh.

Practice, Part Deux

Daylight filtered through light curtains. Resized, but otherwise unretouched. I mean, I'm purrfect--right?

Daylight filtered through light curtains. Resized, unretouched.  I'm stunning!

Bright daylight. A little eye schmutz removed. Mmmmm. Nice ManCatly whiskers, dontcha think?

Wow! Look at moi! Such deep thoughts!

Well, my eyes look a little, um, scary. Not my best side. But close-up & not blurry!

No kitteh, so boring. Colors are true except plant (should be brighter green).

Well, Kitties, this concludes our test. We will continue to use this camera throughout the week, but the Human is pretty convinced she's going to purchase it (or one like it). She does have Photoshop Elements but has just started to explore its capabilities. Happy Mancat Monday, everyone!

The Human Ponders a Purchase

Hello, Kitties!  Ever since we started SpittySpeaks, the Human has been using an inexpensive Nikon Coolpix to take pictures of my glorious self. It has done a fine job, but lately she has begun to be frustrated by certain things: The long lag time between depressing the button and the picture actually being taken, the very poor results in low light, and the grainy/blurry result obtained by using the zoom feature or by taking a picture too close.
A friend (actually Chloe's Mom) offered to lend the Human her camera (a Sony Cyber Shot DSC-WX1 for any of you who know about such things--unlike my Human who is an ignoramus of the First Order when it comes to cameras) to try out for a week.
Well, she started fooling around with it this evening. Hmmmm. Some things seem better: The picture is taken very quickly when button is depressed, pictures taken in low light are not (as) blurry, but she is not yet completely happy. Maybe she should read the manual--ya think??

Here are a couple she took in medium room light with no flash:

Well, this is probably the best one, but it still seems oddly dim

On the plus side, this isn't blurry. On the down side, it's very dark. (Of course I *am* black, but still.)

Note the absence of a cat. Not bad but seems a bit flat and dim.

Overall, the pictures came out tons better than they would've with the old camera, but the Human will still need lots more practice and maybe some judicious use of the flash. Tomorrow I will pose and she will photograph me in daylight. Always more flattering to those of us with nothing to hide, MOL! Stay tuned!

Ess Is For Caturday

OMC, Kitties! It has taken me a week or so, but I am beginning to comprehend all the myriad uses of my new Ess. Today I found out it makes a pawsome resting spot. 

Who knows what other delightful surprises await?

Freshening Up for the Weekend

First, a ManCat must carefully moisten his paw.

Thorough facial scrubbing keeps a ManCat looking his best!

Careful attention to the nether regions is essential 

to good ManCatly hygiene.

Oh, wait--moth! I'll finish this later. See ya.

Avert Your Eyes, Kittehs

Kitties, today marks an unprecedented development in the annals of SpittySpeaks, as you will see with a quick glance below.

Most of The Human's friends are, as all right-thinking Humans should be, Cat People. However, even such a hard-and-fast rule as this must allow for the rare exception, and Chloe is that exception. Chloe's People are dearly beloved to my Human, so now and then the Human finds herself in the presence of this Woofie.

What is even more shocking, Kittehs, is that the Human cuddles and snorgles and scritches this creature with abandon. And do you know what? Do you? She likes it.

Quelle horreur!

The (semi-) Back of Disrespect for the camera as her Dad soothes her

Chloe's High Beams are charging....charging....get outta the way, Human!

One-Word Wednesday

H-O-T-S

The Color Purple

Remember this fun toy?

Well! Let me tell you, Kitties, I killed some of it this morning, yes I did. And then I toyed with the remains! Muah-ha-ha-ha!

ManCat Monday

Wherein Spitty gets his little headie petted and he purrs and asks for "More please?"

Table • Toy • Tummy

 

My black fevver toy is not my favorite one, but after those PINK counters (the Human says they are "raspberry," but we know better, don't we?) I felt I needed to play with a more Manly toy.

Have an Easy Sunday, Kitties!

All Your Kitchen Counters . . .

. . . R belong to me!

I mean, honestly, is there any good reason you need to be in here except to prepare my meals? I thought not. Goodness knows, YOU do not need to be snacking, and perhaps my furry presence here on patrol will remind you of that.

C-H-O-M-P!

NOMMY NOMMY NOMMY

(Still) Not a Garden Tour #7

The Human has lived in San Francisco for more than 40 years. In that time, she has been to just about every cheesy tourist trap delightful city attraction from Fisherman's Wharf to Chinatown. Many, many times.
But, until this very afternoon, she had never entered the Camera Obscura at Ocean Beach. Today, however, she ponied up the $3 admission fee and here's what she saw:

A camera obscura is basically a pinhole camera which projects an outside image via a lens onto a special surface in a darkened room. This one was built in the 1940s as part of the long-gone Playland at the Beach. The sign, she sadly notes, has a completely unnecessary comma after "astronomers," which hurts her English teacher's heart.

The Human was unexpectedly super-impressed! The live image projected on this slightly concave disc, about four or five feet across, is moving (the external "pinhole camera" revolves) and incredibly sharp and detailed.
As cheesy tourist attractions go, it was pretty cool and totally worth the three bucks.

(Oh, but the "Holograph Gallery" advertised on the big sign above the door? Ha ha ha! It consisted of a few dusty, crookedly-hung, badly composed 3-D images strung along the walls. Now that was the cheesy part!)

Well, that's our Not a Garden Tour for today, Kitties! Hope you enjoyed it!