Friday, September 30, 2016

Breakfast Emergency #FridayFlashback

WAFFLES:  Boss, we're not late, are we?



KATIE:  We better not be.




WAFFLES:  What if we missed breakfast? What're we going to do?

KATIE:  We'll likely starve to death, Waffles. Didn't you hear your alarm this morning?

WAFFLES:  No. Gloman's out of town. How am I supposed to know when to get up if he's not here?

KATIE:  Well for starters, you could wake up Glogirly.

WAFFLES:  Um–

KATIE:  You were sleeping on her pillow again, weren't you?

WAFFLES: Sort of. Just on part of it though.

KATIE:  Waffles, every time you sleep on her pillow she ends up oversleeping. And you know what that means, right?

WAFFLES:  Breakfast emergency?



KATIE:  This is not a drill, Waffles. We need to wake her up STAT.



About Today's Photos 
Every morning and every evening, just before breakfast and dinner, Katie & Waffles meet up in the kitchen to watch over each step of the meal-prep process. From the opening of the refrigerator and food containers to the sliding of the kitchen drawer and clinking of the spoons, they're right there hanging on every move.

Before any food is served up, Glogirly has to retrieve the empty dishes from the night before.

Katie's dish sits on the floor in the powder room off the kitchen (because Waffles is a food thief) and Waffles' dish is on the other side of the fireplace room on top of the cat tower. First Glogirly picks up Katie's and sets it on the counter. Then she heads over to retrieve Waffles' empty dish.

And every single time, Katie and Waffles spring into motion like Indy pace cars, leading the way. It's that trek over to the far food dish you're seeing in today's photos.

And in case you were wondering, we have plenty of crashes on the racetrack.

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Waffles & His Silly Love Songs #WafflesWednesday

♫♩
When I need you,
I just close my eyes and I'm with you.




♫♩
And all that I so want to give you,
it's only a drumstick away...




♫♩
Miles and miles of empty buckets between us.
The telephone can't take the place of your (extra crispy) thigh...







About Today's Photos
Today's photos are a flashback to our feline family vacation we took last year to the North Shore of Lake Superior in northern Minnesota.

Waffles and Katie were right at home in our rented townhouse by the lake. Lots of napping, sunpuddle bathing and of course... singing. That last photo of Waffles singing always cracks Glogirly up. With his upper lip pushed just a little bit up on top and his eyes scrunched closed, he reminds her of what a singer would look like at the most climatic part of their song. Or what Gloman looks like when he's playing the air guitar.



This just in...
Photography Tips from Glogirly (!)
We've very excited to announce Glogirly's second photography article has just published on the Live the Pet Life website! Her first article was so well received they invited her back to write another. The latest focuses on tips for capturing your pet's personality in photos and videos.

You're welcome to check it out (and see some of her all time favorite photos of Waffles too!)





Monday, September 26, 2016

Waffles Goes to New Heights in the Name of Breakfast

8:04am CST
The Townhouse, Minneapolis MN
WAFFLES:  Boss! It's like a gazillion minutes after 8:00. Where's breakfast?


KATIE:  Waffles, what on earth are you doing up there?



WAFFLES:  Looking for breakfast.

KATIE:  On top of the kitchen cabinets?


WAFFLES:  It says EAT up here. I'm just following directions.



KATIE:  Waffles, I'm not sure what's more surprising. That you can read or that you're 11 feet up in the air.


WAFFLES:  Eleven what? 

KATIE:  Feet. Up.

WAFFLES:  In the AIR?



 WAFFLES:  I've got to get down from here! Boss, how do I get down?



15 minutes and 1 broken vase later
KATIE:  Guess you should have thought about an exit strategy before you climbed up the 11 foot obstacle course we call the kitchen.


About Today's Photos
Waffles has a new thing. And it's got everyone just a little bit unnerved. 

After four years, he's discovered the tops of the kitchen cabinets. With the way they're built in and configured, access is anything but easy. Our extra tall ceilings mean Glogirly doesn't even get up there to clean. She installed those EAT letters 14 years ago and hasn't been up since. 

Somehow Waffles figured out a pathway up last week and despite his trepidation when it came to the descent, he's repeated the adventure again and again. 

We don't have the kind of kitty superhighways some of our friends have in their kitchens. Waffles has plenty of other climbing structures scattered throughout the house, but at least for now nothing compares to the allure of the kitchen and the mile high cabinets.


Friday, September 23, 2016

Waffles and His Flawed Theory of Feline Invisibility – Friday Flashback

WAFFLES:  *inaudible chortling* 



WAFFLES:  I'm SUPER WAFFLES! The Invisible Superhero Cat. No one can see me inside my magic super bag. Not even you-know-who. 



KATIE:  Waffles, I can totally see you.

WAFFLES:  No you can't.

KATIE:  I can hear you too.



WAFFLES:  But Boss... I'm Waffles the Invisible Superhero Cat.  

KATIE:  Yeah, about that whole invisible thing...



About Today's Flashback Photos
Today's photos are from way back in May of 2013. Waffles was about 8 months old and obsessed with hiding in bags. Ok, so he's still obsessed with hiding in bags. And boxes. And bathrooms.

Whenever he's hiding out, Glogirly swears he thinks he's invisible. But with a 15" tail, he's never very hard to find. (except that time he stowed away inside a box spring mattress... ok, that's a whole blog post in itself!) 



What's particularly special about the day these photos were taken is that this was one of the first times Katie engaged with Waffles in a playful way. Those of you that have been with us for awhile probably remember that Katie's world was tipped upside down and sideways the day Waffles came to live at the Townhouse. It's been a very slow road to peace and harmony. In fact we're still traveling that road. But for Glogirly, this day meant there was hope for her furry family and that someday, everyone would get along. 


Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Waffles Sings for His Breakfast

WAFFLES:  LA LA LA LA LA!!!  LA LA LA–


About Today's Blog Post
You asked for it. You got it!
Without further ado...

WAFFLES:  A Do? What kind of Do? Like a–

We're proud to bring you (actually Katie is rolling her eyes right now) the first-ever audio-video proof of the craziness that is... Waffles. 

If you're visiting us on your mobile device, click HERE to watch Waffles' Breakfast Song. Otherwise just click below. And although it probably goes without saying, you just might want to turn that volume up.



Just another morning in the townhouse. 


We know what you're thinking.
You've got questions. We've got answers.

Q: Does Waffles really do this EVERY morning? 

A: Yes

Q: What about Katie?

A:  Katie is all business in the morning. But she has her own special dinnertime song. 

Q:  So when's Katie's video debut???

A:  We're working on it!


Monday, September 19, 2016

Happy Meow Like a Pirate Day!

WAFFLES:  Hey Boss! Who turned out me lights???

KATIE:  Don't you suppose it's got something to do with that eye patch of yours?

WAFFLES:  Yeah but me ladies think I look hot in me eyepatch.

KATIE:  Anything for the ladies I guess.

WAFFLES:  Uh, Boss... speaking of ladies, I think your lady-beard is crooked.

KATIE:  Waffles, if you're trying to impress the ladies... pirates or no pirates, it's best to steer clear of any beard comments.




WAFFLES:  Ok, what about beard beads? Can I tell you your beard beads crooked? Because they're crooked.

Happy International Meow Like a Pirate Day!
Waffles and Katie may be meowing like extras in a Johnny Depp movie today, but come back on Waffles Wednesday to see AND hear the real Waffles sing for his breakfast. That's right, after many special requests from our friends and readers, we've managed to catch him caught on video during his morning routine. This is one you won't want to miss! 

Until then... enjoy shivering your timbers, Mateys! 


Friday, September 16, 2016

Flashback Friday, The Kitten VS Cat Musical

Today's photos are from WAY back in early 2013, just a couple of months after Waffles moved in and changed the course of our blog and our lives forever. Despite Katie's valiant attempts at training him in, Waffles hadn't yet figured out who was the Boss. 

WAFFLES:  Anything you can do I can do better. ♪♫♩

KATIE:  I can do anything better than you. ♪♫♩

WAFFLES:  No you can't. 


KATIE:  Yes I can.

WAFFLES:  No you can't.

KATIE:  Yes I can.

WAFFLES:  No you can't.

KATIE:  Yes I can. Yes I can!






WAFFLES:  Anything you can eat I can eat more of. ♪♫♩

KATIE:  Watch it, Waffles –



WAFFLES:  I can eat anything plus all your food. 

KATIE:  *sigh*


WAFFLES:  Anything you can be's not cute as me. I can be cuter than– ♪♫♩

KATIE:  Seriously? You can't play the cute kitten card with me. 


WAFFLES:  Yes I can.  ♪♪♪

KATIE: No, you can't.

WAFFLES:  Yes I can.  ♪♪♪

KATIE: No, you can't.


WAFFLES:  Yes I can. Yes I can. Yes I can! ♪♪♪




KATIE:  As a matter of fact – NO you can't! No you can't! No you can't!  *BOP!*


Musical Trivia Note
Waffles' song "Anything You Can Do" is from the 1946 Broadway musical, Annie Get Your Gun. It was made into a movie in 1950. And even though Glogirly likes to remind us that was WAY before she was born, she still imagines Waffles and Katie singing it everyday.

The song was recently recorded by another famous duo. Ok, not nearly as famous as Waffles and Katie. Barbra Streisand (that's StreiSAND like sand on the beach soft 's') and Melissa McCarthy.
If you're reading on your mobile device, click HERE to see Barbra and Melissa. Otherwise you can watch below. Enjoy!




Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Cat of 1000 Faces #WafflesWednesday

WAFFLES:  I smell breakfast. Do you smell breakfast? 



WAFFLES:  Because I totally smell breakfast.



WAFFLES:  Here it comes! That's my dish! 



WAFFLES:  Uh... that's not my dish.



WAFFLES:  Definitely not my dish. This dish is –



WAFFLES:  – EMPTY!


About Today's Photos
Lots of people ask Glogirly how she manages to get so many funny photos of Waffles, a.k.a. the Cat of 1000 Faces. Part of it is his expressive, albeit goofy, personality. He's a very communicative cat and frequently asks for what he wants, both with his voice and with his face. Whether it's to play, to eat, to cuddle, to nap or just to say, "Hey! I'm here!" Waffles has a specific meow and unique expression for whatever his heart is desires.


Photo Tip
One of Glogirly's favorite tips for catching a multitude of expressions with any cat is to be ready with the camera at mealtime. The anticipation, the satisfaction and the licking of kitty lips never disappoints!




Sunday, September 11, 2016

In Honor of Those Who Lost So Much

This post appeared on our blog last year on 9/11. We reread it yesterday, hoping to find the right words to share with you today. And then realized the right words were already here. We hope you don't mind us republishing Katie and Waffles' conversation about the day our hearts stood still.




WAFFLES:  What are you thinking about, Boss?

KATIE:  I'm just thinking about how lucky we are, Waffles.

WAFFLES:  Did we win a prize or something? 

KATIE: You could say that. 

WAFFLES: Did it come in a nice box? 

KATIE: No Waffles, what we have doesn't come in a box. 



WAFFLES:  No box?

KATIE:  Waffles, the things that really matter don't come in boxes. Things like friends, family, freedom. Most of all love.

WAFFLES:  I love YOU, Boss. And Glogirly and Gloman and chicken. And wand toys. Definitely wand toys.

KATIE:  Waffles, long before you were born, even before I was born, there was a terrible tragedy in our country. Lots of people, animals too, lost their loved ones. Nearly 3.000 people died. And all because of things like intolerance and hatred.

WAFFLES:  I don't know what those words mean, Boss. 

KATIE:  That's ok, Waffles. There are too many people, even cats, that do. 



In honor of those who lost their lives, and those who live with that loss.
We will never forget.





Thursday, September 8, 2016

bObsweep PetHair Robotic Vacuum in Action

WAFFLES:  Uh hello? Is anyone in there?



KATIE:  I see you met Bob.

WAFFLES:  Bob? Who's Bob?

KATIE:  You know... Bob. He's our new vacuum.



WAFFLES:  He's a VACUUM??? He doesn't look like a vacuum, Boss.

KATIE:  That's because he's a robotic vacuum. 



WAFFLES:  What do you mean... robot?

KATIE:  He's a bObsweep PetHair robotic vacuum, Waffles. Wait, you're not actually scared of Bob, are you?

WAFFLES:  Who, me? Scared?



WAFFLES:  Now listen to me, Bob. I'll stay out of your way if you stay out of–



WAFFLES:  OMG Boss! Bob's on the move – he's coming after me!

KATIE:  Relax, Waffles. He's just heading back to his charging station. He's probably hungry.



WAFFLES:  Hungry? I hope Bob doesn't eat orange cats.



Say hello to Bob
You should have seen the look on Glogirly's face when she heard we'd be trying out the new bObsweep PetHair intelligent floor cleaner. It's hard to say what she was more excited about... clean floors at the touch of a button while she puts her feet up and eats bon-bons or the prospect of shooting video of Waffles riding the bObsweep.

WAFFLES:  You want me to do WHAT with Bob???

We're pleased to report our floors are clean, the bon-bons eaten... but Waffles is, shall we say, just a little bit skeptical about taking Bob for a spin.


Bob's maiden voyage
We've never used a robotic vacuum before so we had a little bit of a learning curve to follow, but Bob's instructions for both set up and use were incredibly easy to follow. It took only a couple of minutes to get Bob all set on his charger. He came with plenty of power to get himself tucked in for the night. After an initial 8 hour charge he was ready for action.

Check out Bob, Waffles & Katie on the move. If you can't see the video below, click HERE to watch.



What does Bob do?
He vacuums.
He sweeps.
He mops
He sterilizes the floor using his UV lamp.
He even has a HEPA filter to clean the air.



How did Bob do?
Hardwoods
We put Bob to the test on a variety of floor surfaces. The majority of our townhouse is hardwoods and that's where Bob does his best. In addition to his main roller brush, he's got a cute little brush that looks kind of like a big spider protruding just enough to catch dust, hair and debris close to the wall and in the corners. His rubber wheels won't scratch the floor and there's even a couple microfiber mopping cloths included that you can saturate with water or your favorite floor cleaner if you want him to go deep.

Carpeting
Most of our carpeting consists of area rugs. They're very thick and each rug varies in height and texture with a mix of dense pile and taller loops pieced together. We were pretty skeptical that Bob would be able to navigate from the floor to the rugs without getting hung up, but he soldiered through just fine. Although Bob didn't do as good of a job as our upright vacuum on the rugs, he's perfect for quick cleanups in-between our regular cleaning schedule.

Undercover
It didn't take long to realize Bob's a master at reaching spots our upright vacuum just can't touch. He found dust bunnies older than Katie! This was one of the biggest and most fun surprises.

Noise
Though you probably don't want Bob to take care of business in the same room while you're watching Grey's Anatomy or The Walking Dead, he's much quieter than a standard vacuum. About 70 decibels, compared to the 90+ decibels of our upright. In fact, Katie wasn't even phased by Bob at all. Waffles was a little more of a scaredy cat, but that was more about Bob's movements than his 'voice.'

Cleaning Time
On a full charge, Bob can clean for 55-90 minutes. That's longer than even Glogirly can go!

Cleaning Bob
Maintaining Bob is very easy. He comes with a couple of brushes that get into the little nooks and crannies of his undercarriage and brush. He's got a generously sized (1000 ml) dust bin that opens up like a drawer for easy emptying. 


How did WE do?
We mentioned there's a little bit of a learning curve when it comes to a robotic vacuum like Bob. The first couple of times he cleaned, Glogirly supervised him so that she could take note of any spots in the house where he got hung up and then make adjustments.

For the most part he did great. But he got stuck in the kitchen when he became wedged between the bottom of the cabinets, the thick area rug and the hardwood floor. What happened is that one of his wheels was on top of the rug, the other wheel was on the floor and his font end was pushed at an awkward angle underneath the cabinet. Just a little shifting of the rug solved that problem.

He also got hung up between some of the dining room chair legs. The chairs are positioned very close together and just needed to be pulled out a little. Then he was fine.

But his sensors kept him from getting into any serious trouble, like off-roading down the steps.




The Final Analysis
Glogirly is something of a clean freak. We're not complaining... cats are fastidious groomers too. She does a thorough cleaning of the townhouse every two weeks. Bob can absolutely stand up to the vacuum and broom when it comes to sweeping the hardwoods. And he can reach many spots she can't.

He probably isn't quite as effective has her hand mop is for wet work and the upright vacuum has more power and suction on the area rugs. But Bob is GREAT for cleaning in-between her 2-week schedule. Now that we have dark walnut hardwoods throughout, dust and cat hair start showing up just a few days after the thorough cleaning. Dinner crumbs also make their way to the rug in the living room. She used to have to lug the heavy upright vacuum up and down the stairs to keep up with these messes. But now Bob is handling all of that. Go Bob!

Find Bob
Find the same bObsweep PetHair we have on his Amazon Shop.
Or Adopt a bObsweep on his main website.

Warning: Some cats may enjoy playing floor hockey with Bob's remote. This should probably be discouraged.








This post is sponsored by bObsweep. We received our bObsweep PetHair vacuum at no charge in exchange for our honest review. GLOGIRLY only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. bObsweep is not responsible for the content of this article.

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