"Tails" of the Tape...

In this corner, we have a 9-year-old cat from Qingdao, China.
Weight: 33 pounds
Waist: 31 inches
Length: ??? - this one I'd like to know, I have a feeling that cat is much shorter.
Age: 9 years old
Eats: 6 pounds of meat daily
Nickname: "Monster Cat"

Representing the US of A, Lincoln from Des Moines, Iowa.
Weight: approx. 30 pounds
Waist: 28.5 inches
Length: 22 inches
Age: approx. 6 years old
Eats: 1 1/2 cups of Iams lite cat food daily, (plus whatever Belden pukes up during the day)
Nickname: "Cats Domino"

Some more comparison shots:

Lincoln can at least jump about three feet up to reach our bed, so he's not as out of shape as that cat. Plus that guy holding him probably weighs like 90 pounds.

Cool Doggings...

Being an Olympics junkie...I found this little tidbit on MSNBC about one of the US skier's dogs:

Rahlves drives 'Chevy' all over Turin
U.S. ski star even has all-access pass for Siberian husky, courtesy USOC


I never thought I'd see a lanyard look so cool!

All You Need is Luck...

So we, or really, I, thought it would be "cute" to get a Valentine's Day picture of the entire Hennig Zoo. Especially with the gang wearing their festive gear. Just set up the camera with a 10 second delay, point and click, run to chair and grab hissing gray cat, run over to couch with wriggling, growling gray cat (who also has a full set of finely sharpened claws), keep oversized cat perched on the ottoman, make the dog sit up and not lay down, and then get the critters to look up and ahead at a blank wall...no problem.

Take 1...Relax Matt, It's Fun!


Take 2...The Flying Biscuit Prop


Take 3...Well, At Least the Bipeds Look Nice


Take 4...Here Comes Another Milkbone


Take 5...Animals 5, Humans 0


Well, in theory it was a good idea, but much harder to execute even with handfuls of Pounce treats and Milkbones.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Superbowl Sunday...

I don't look at this as Superbowl XL as much as a Superbowl XX 20th Anniversary Celebration.

Seahawks, Steelers...so what! It's all about DA BEARS...I'm not talking Grossman and Muhammed and Urlacher, it's McMahon, Wilson and Dent (and Singletary and Gault and Butthead and Mongo and hell, even Gary Fencik). The best NFL team EVAH!

In January 1986 (back when they used to play the Superbowl in late January) as a 5th grader in downstate Illinois I had the entire '85 Bears roster memorized along with the words to the Superbowl Shuffle. We made posters for the Superbowl party drawn in crayon and we watched the celebration ticker tape parade in Chicago a few days later on WGN. Ah, good times.

From the Tribune in honor of the 1986 Superbowl Champs Bears Story

So I raise my beer in honor of the 1986 Superbowl Champions, from a certain city dat starts wit' a 'C', ends in an 'O' and has a 'HICAG' in da middle. Bear down!

The Hennig Zoo...

It's small, medium, and large animals in descending order! I think Lincoln and Belden are looking at each other saying, "What IS this thing?"

The Otto-man Empire Begins...

Disclaimer: I cannot take credit for coining that phrase, my brother-in-law came up with it and I must credit him for it. Thank you, Chris!

Meet Lincoln's new friend and Matt's 31st birthday present...Otto von Moritz Hennig. He's called Otto for short and we picked him up at the Heartland Humane Society in Ottumwa, a very nice no-kill shelter. He's about 1-2 years old, and 75 lbs. of gentle German Shepherd. Extremely well-behaved, smart, yet doesn't quite know what to think of stairs or his two new feline siblings.

To explain his name, Otto is Matt's great-grandfather's name and Moritz is my great-grandfather's name. We found out that German Shepherds (the fancy pure-bred show variety) are typically given a name with "von" (in English it means "from") in it to imply nobility. Well, we decided immediately to "classy up" Otto and give him a proper German name. I'm sure somewhere two fine old German great-grandfathers are rolling in their graves, with the knowledge that their progeny decided to honor them by naming their dog after them.

He arrived at the shelter by showing up on the shelter director's doorstep with another dog. Ads were run, people were inquired and while someone claimed the other dog, no one claimed Otto. We look forward to it as an opportunity to give him a good home and get a family companion as well.

I particularly will be getting used to having a dog, as I am a self-avowed cat person, one cat away from Cat Lady territory (Cat Lady should always be cat-i, I mean CAP-italized because it implies a known medical condition). The rule of thumb is that you can have two cats, with the argument that they keep each other company, but cross that line to three cats and you are on the Crazy Cat Lady Slippery Slope...I mean, what's 4, or 5 cats when you've passed 2?).

It's 'B' Day!

Bear Down, Bears!

Food, Folks and Felonies

There is a serious epidemic lurking in Iowa...starving thieves. Some sort of bizarre food-related crime spree appears to be taking place. No pork chop or petits fours is safe. Recent stories from the Register's Crime Section confirm this disturbing trend. Hey, I will take this anyday over being the murder capital of the US...

Hungry thieves take 50 pounds of chicken legs
Dated 1/13/06

Hungry burglar made pizza before fleeing
Dated 1/12/06 (from Cedar Rapids)

Man robbed after he bought suspects beer
Dated 12/28/05 (from Council Bluffs)

Doughnuts help police track down suspected lottery machine thief
Dated 12/20/05

Love that Chicken from Iowa Part 2

I saw the following article in the DM Register and I had to mention Popeye's again...
Cajun lovers happily form long lines for Popeyes

Will somebody please explain this to me? Anyone? I'm seriously grossed out that anyone would wait two hours to eat at Popeye's. Calling Popeye's "Cajun cuisine" is like saying the Olive Garden serves "rustic Tuscan fare"...and really meaning it.

I'm not getting it...really. It's a slightly spicier KFC, folks, that's it. And not even really good spicy southern chicken (again, my partiality to Bojangle's).

Now wake me up when a Crate and Barrel or Trader Joe's comes to DM...

Cheer, Cheer, For...?

I'm somewhat conflicted. I always root for my alma mater, but DePaul hasn't had a football team since the 1930's. Who to root for in college football? Well, any good Catholic will pull for Notre Dame, especially one who has lived in the Chicagoland area. But when it comes to basketball, the loyalties go to the mother school. Like yesterday. DePaul 73, Notre Dame 67. Well played, Blue Demons. If I actually remembered the fight song, I would hum it.

In Honor of Felis Catus

I think this passage from Nicholas Wade's extremely well-written article "DNA Offers New Insight Concerning Cat Evolution" in Friday's New York Times just sums up the domesticated cat perfectly:

"Later, several American cat lineages returned to Asia. With each migration, evolutionary forces morphed the pantherlike patriarch of all cats into a rainbow of species, from ocelots and lynxes to leopards, lions and the lineage that led to the most successful cat of all, even though it has mostly forsaken its predatory heritage: the cat that has induced people to pay for its board and lodging in return for frugal displays of affection."

Yes, we're the suckers who spoil our two fat, non-predatory beasts. While one is almost needy with seeking affection, the other is most frugal indeed with his displays.

Full article here.

Lincoln's New Year Resolution...

Mischief the Cat: The Poster Cat for Pet Weight Loss
This cat lost 11 lbs. last year to win pet slimmer of the year 2005 in the UK.

From Reuters:
Pets losing battle of the bulge?
Fri Jan 6, 2006 9:41 AM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - Just like their owners, a growing number of British pets are becoming obese and face chronic illnesses such as heart complaint, diabetes and arthritis, according to research Friday.

A survey of British vets and owners showed that one in three pets, or 33 percent, were considered overweight and 38 percent of pet owners said their animals put on weight over Christmas.

Despite this, few owners plan to put their pets on a diet.

"Pets, like their owners, tend to expand a little over the Christmas period," said Frances Wright at Halifax Pet Insurance, who conducted the survey.

The survey said signs of obesity included a sagging stomach, bulging sides and a reluctance to take exercise.

How exactly do pets put on holiday weight? Mine will only eat their Iams pellets, drink their water and they won't touch human food, except for the occasional bit of ice cream.

Hmm, sagging stomach, bulging sides, reluctance to exercise, check...check...check. Of course, we're talking about the cat here.

All I want for Christmas...

1. The NFC North ...check
2. A first-round bye ...check
3. Sweeping the Packers for the first time since 1991 ...check
4. A offense that can score ...it's getting there! :)

Happy Festivus...

Frank Costanza: Many Christmases ago, I went to buy a doll for my son. I reached for the last one they had, but so did another man. As I rained blows upon him, I realized there had to be another way.
Cosmo Kramer: What happened to the doll?
Frank Costanza: It was destroyed. But out of that a new holiday was born . . . a Festivus for the rest of us!
Cosmo Kramer: That must've been some kind of doll.
Frank Costanza: She was



Airing of Grievances Worksheet
Festivus Poles
Festivus Book

Hang Those Nerdaments...

We did get a Christmas tree - a lovely $10 special from Menards that is only slightly lopsided. Oh, and we had to hack about a foot-and-a-half off of it, so it ended up only being 6 feet instead of the glorious 10 foot tree I originally envisioned with the high ceilings in the entry/front room. Ah, well, there's always next year and it turned out really nice:


But that's not where the decorating ends. We had to spruce up the fireplace as well...


Yes, there are stockings up there. Yes, there is garland, and a red reindeer (we found it in front of Matt's old apartment and ended keeping it a few years ago) and yes, there are red lights. But there is more, much more, nestled deep within the faux greens you see. I think we need to take a closer look:

YES! We have a Star Wars Hallmark Nerdament. The word "ornament" just doesn't quite fit, as these splendid decorations do not just merely hang, they emit light and sound, bringing sheer delight to all those within their presence. And in case you were worried that the Star Wars Nerdament family was hogging the spotlight:

Beam me up, Scotty! Star Trek is representin'! We roughly estimate Matt has amassed a collection of about 20 of these beauties. For a long time, he would get them every year for Christmas. And yes, I did offer to have them hang on the tree, but he found it really hard to get them even attached to the strands of lights (they need power, nerd power, in order to work, you see), so it was easier to "showcase" them on our mantle.

Hey, it beats having a leg lamp!

Love that Chicken from Iowa!

First of all, welcome home to the Iowa National Guard's 224th Engineer Battalion. They returned today after spending a year in Iraq. What a wonderful holiday it will be for them and their families.


Secondly, sad news from the Iowa sports page: University of Northern Iowa Panthers reached the I-AA NCAA championship game, but alas, did not win, falling to Appalachian State...cue "Dueling Banjoes". As usual, the Register really overdid it with the headlines of "Purple Pain"...trying to be dramatic, or a sly reference to Prince's Purple Rain? Hmm...I think I'm giving them too much credit with the latter. Anyway, well done on a great season, Panthers!


Final note from here, there is a hot new restaurant in town that just opened...it's all the rage apparently. World-renowned for their deep-fried Cajun cuisine, Popeye's, the fried chicken chain has finally reached the Hawkeye state.

There were actual write-ups about it in the papers this week about how it was "worth the wait" and there were enormous lines out the door. Yikes...obviously they've never been in a Popeye's in the South Loop. Even Matt avoids Popeye's...and we're talking about someone who would regularly eat at Mr. Submarine. I must admit I'm a bit partial to Bojangles, having grown up with one down the street from me in W. Columbia. I even took Matt there on our trip out to SC so he could experience true, spicy Cajun fried chicken.

Snow Leopard Lincoln

We got about 6-7 inches of snow in the last few days. Lincoln wanted to go out and look at it (for only a few minutes), Belden wouldn't have anything to do with it. He's a photogenic fellow, isn't he?

Lincoln: Hmm...it's white and fluffy


Belden: I'll stay here and chew on the fake garland...

Oh the Sweater on Vi Looks Awful...

The first sign the holiday season is upon us here in Iowa...

The Christmas Sweater As Office Wear.

'Tis the season!

A Certain City Dat Starts Wit a "C"...

This is from Halloween 2005. Do you note the "Chicago" theme with both of our costumes? Matt as a Super Fan is a bit more apparent than mine because I look nothing like Catherine Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelly in that certain movie which takes place in that certain city...so, do you get it now? :) We hung out on the Court Avenue bar district that night with some people from Matt's work. Apparently, some of them left the downtown area because it was a much better "scene" on the "west side". I fail to understand how happening a scene on the "west side" can be when it's in a strip mall next to an auto glass repair shop, but then again, I'm a curmudgoney 30-year-old. :)

Oh and in case you were wondering, I did not dress the cats up in costumes, but Christmas is just around the corner...

We have a bed...

Actually, we have a *real* bed, with a full-fledged frame, not the $30 metal one with wheels they give you at the mattress store. Furniture finally arrived this week and looks great...we're adjusting to not having to split a tiny 5-drawer dresser with cat claw scratches on it, and having our furniture against the wall, instead of bunched into the middle of the room, as we kept it weeks after we painted the walls.

Regal Beast

I like to call this photo "Lincoln in Repose" as he holds court on my new ottoman...large enough for a hefty feline!


I have to include a picture of the Bel as well...please note that her baseball loyalties lie with her beloved owner. She has a sassy Cardinal red collar to match because the hat doesn't quite fit. Needless to say, Lincoln formerly sported a royal blue collar which fell apart, much like his other owner's favorite team...

Garden pics

Here are some pics of the gardens that the previous owner planted. These were taken in June, so we've enjoyed seeing new flowers appear the last few months. Other than planting some perennials in the front yard, we've been basically maintaining the current landscaping.

Another Month Bites the Dust...

I've sorely neglected this as we've been busy, busy busy! My weekends are jam-packed full of projects.

We're both into our second months at our jobs which are going well. I have more than enough home-improvement magazines to keep me busy and inspired. Right now my latest project is building a headboard for the non-existent queen size bed we are going to eventually put in the guest room. I have an image of guests parking their aero-beds under the headboard I'm working on. Mattress and box spring are on the list of furniture to buy.

Speaking of furniture, we've hit the jackpot with it in the past month. We purchased a bedroom set, dining room set, armoire (French for "fancy TV stand"), and this darling couch, ottoman and oversized chair set for the front room. We're set - other than getting a couple mattresses for the guest rooms...NO MORE! We are quite anxious to get the bedroom stuff, as it was supposed to arrive in 3-5 weeks, it's seven weeks now and it may take another week to get here. Our room is in eternal painting mode, as we painted the MB about a month ago and are too lazy to move the furniture back, figuring we'll have to move it out anyway when the new stuff arrives. In honor of that, here is a picture of our bedroom in its current unkempt state:



Note what is sitting on the nightstand - our obect d'art:



The tin of Kodiak adds a certain touch of class to the picture, no? I have to find the perfect place to put the frogs on of these days...
And the Link-ster, we both swear that he has lost a few pounds - he's looking more spry and is definitely a happy fellow. It's been hellishly hot out the past two weeks, so he and the Bel have been waiting until we get home to go out in the evening when it cools off.