To those of you who were waiting with bated breath for me to post about the final day of our Machu Picchu trek, I really apologize. We didn't fall off the mountain, and we both came back in one piece. One day soon, we will get around to writing the post about that Lost City and the conclusion of our trip. Spoiler alert: We had the best time doing almost nothing during the final four days in Peru. It's quite true that travelling is no vacation. It's a lot of work; rewarding, glorious, fulfilling work, but it's not relaxing. We spent the last week of our trip relaxing. More on that later.
On Saturday, October 5th, we decided to have a casual 30th birthday celebration for the big guy (Jeff) which entailed several of our closest pals meeting us as our house for bagels and beers and spending the rest of the day on a bike ride bar crawl. What's this you ask? It's exactly what you might think. We rode bikes from bar to bar all day, with a few additional stops, including the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk to ride the Giant Dipper and the Log Ride and to take some of the most epic amusement park ride photos you've ever seen. These are now proudly on display as magnets on our fridge.
However, none of this is whay I originally started this post. On October 16th, we adopted the most amazing little gray kitten you have ever seen. She was 10 weeks old at the time, and 2.5lbs. Supposedly, she was the runt of her litter, but there is no way to confirm that. We rescued her through the ARFP (Animal Friends Rescue Project) and she, and a few others kittens from her litter) were found stray when they were only 4 weeks old. After she was spayed, vaccinated, and microchipped, we met her and fell in love. Introducing Nala Bordeaux Lentz-Halper:
The first time we put her on the bed. Sweet little thing is just learning how to jump up and down on here own now. She was much too small at first, and had stitches from her spaying
This toy was a recommendation by my dad. I wasn't super sold on having this in the middle of my living room, but it's become her favorite thing to play with, and keeps her off the real furniture. An added bonus is that it folds up and can be stored anywhere (like the sun visors for a car). Dads are so smart.
In case you are wondering how the name was chosen, I will tell you. Nala is the name of the girl character in the Disney movie, The Lion King. Our little lion was born on 8/10/13 (a Leo, just like her Uncle Adam) and needed such a fitting name. Bordeaux, while a somewhat unconventional middle name, happens to be my favorite type of wine. I love wine almost as much as I love this kitty. It's a wonder I didn't name her after a cheese....
She was litter box-trained from the minute we brought her home and so far she is very well-behaved. On our first Vet check-up, the doctor said she seems perfectly healthy, and may always be "petite". I'll tell you, she has an appetite that won't quit and she is gaining weight just like she's supposed to.
She has a lot of energy (like kittens do) and has several toys and scratching posts to keep her busy when we are at work.
I was able to find a litter box that isn't atrocious; it looks like a wicker basket and has a lid and door so that everything is well-contained. Given my somewhat OCD tendencies, I'm a warden about sweeping each morning and putting everything back where it goes so there is nothing for her to hurt or that can hurt her. While, it's taking a bit to get used to, it's fantastic that my house is always perfectly picked up! So much less hassle.
I'm loving having her around; such a cuddly addition to our little household.
That's all for now.
