Pumpkin Penne Pasta with a side of cat nip on a bed of fabric softener.

So it's been a little over a month since I last wrote on here. I haven't been procrastinating, I just really haven't had anything going on to write about, so I thought I'd give you all a little update as to the happenings in my life.

Michael and I have been living together for a month and actually things are going very smoothly. We've divided our chores equally between one another and it's really working out. Of course you've read in my previous posts about my profound hatred for laundry, so obviously Michael has taken on that task. I tell you what, my laundry has never smelled fresher and never been so bright, I don't know what that man does to my spin cycle... but Wow... I am impressed. He tries to explain to me his try-ed and true method of professional laundry, but it goes in one ear and out the other with me. I just take my nice wrinkle free and fresh clean clothes, hung so neatly in my closet out and take a whiff and say, "That's nice dear" ... Wow... I sounded like a man just there didn't I?? Either way, next time you see me, you'll be amazed at how bright my clothes are looking these days, all because of my fella. Ohh and please try not to give him too much hack over being a laundry efficienato, it might damage his manly reputation. Ohhh hell.. what man in America's "manly reputation" ISN'T at stake when his wife or girlfriend fires up the Blogger.Com or Myspace and starts sharing their humorous, yet private moments for all her girlfriends to see or posts pictures of their man in an apron whipping up some brownies??? I think men are used to this by now.

Aside from Michael's laundry duties he has now become the new parent to P-Kitty. Yes, my fat cat has taken quite a liking to Michael and it seems the feeling is mutual. I walk in the front door, that cat doesn't give me the time of day anymore! Mind you I saved her from the streets of Riverside 6 years ago, and gave her a home, and fed her and cleaned her cat box, despite my gag reflex when it comes to animal feces... or ANY feces for that matter, cleaned up her hairballs... Yes... I have given that cat quite a good life. If you have any doubts all you have to do is take a look at her gut, which is now starting to drag the ground as she walks. Apparently she doesn't like to exercise after her 25 meals a day... go figure! I decided a few months back, that she needed to go on a diet and she's hated me ever since. I fear I will wake up in the middle of the night with my cat standing over me with a cat nip mouse in one paw and a kitchen knife in the other paw to rid the world of my hateful cat dieting techniques. You think I am joking.. I am not.

Anyways, Michael has now become her new best friend. Despite the fact that on Fridays when I am at work and Michael has the day off that they lounge in bed and watch the news and the Nascar qualifying, or that now Michael is trying to teach her tricks with a red ribbon he found underneath my bathroom sink and a vehicle antenna that he make-shifted into some toy, that my cat finds thrilling. Nevermind the fact that she has an ENTIRE spare bedroom filled with cat nip mice and little furry things attached to strings... NOOO.. that's not good enough.. she likes Michael's toys better. Aside from there sleeping in and "America's Greatest Cat" training, they now share lunch together... Yes.. the fat cat that's belly drags the ground that is SUPPOSED to be on a diet, is being fed tuna when I am not around. Michael walks into the kitchen to whip himself up a tuna sandwich, and then takes the can and leaves a few pieces in it for P-Kitty and places it on the ground in the kitchen for her to eat. Ohhhh yeah.... she's not spoiled at all right?? Now, because of their little lunch sharing game, that cat has become a monster. Everytime I am in the kitchen she starts meowing at me, like I am going to reach into the cabinet and grab her a can of tuna. She also has a ear for the opening of a can. Now, I don't have an electric can opener or anything, I have an old fashion open a can by hand doohickey that takes 45 years to open a can of soup. I could be in the kitchen with the TV blasted, stereo on, water running and the cat could be upstairs asleep and as soon as she hears me opening a can, man that fat ass cat is down the stairs in 1.4 seconds flat meowing at my feet hoping I am going to give her some tuna. So of course, I don't because she's supposed to be on a diet and then I look like the bad guy. So I am sure, since today is Friday, that as we speak Michael is standing in our kitchen, watching my cat enjoy a can of tuna while telling her, "let's not tell your mom about this". Michael also decided that she needed a little cat playhouse, so he bought her the Mercedes model of all cat playhouse at Petsmart... Unbelievable!! Yeah.. buddy... you may be on that cat's good graces NOW... but just wait till Christmas time rolls around this year and YOU have to be the one to throw out her Christmas tree.. yeah the gloves will with off then and it doesn't matter how many cans of tuna you bribe that cat with, she's going to have it out for you again.. you just wait!!

So one of my little duties is I cook everynight, a well balanced meal, so Michael can have it for lunch the next day. Since we both don't like to eat late and Michael doesn't get home from work till almost 7:30 or 8 o' clock, we don't really eat dinner, but I make sure he has a good lunch for the next day. Now I actually enjoy cooking and I love to experiment with new recipes I read about in Everyday with Rachael Ray or see on the Food Network. I actually have done pretty good most of the time and Michael hasn't complained once... except for what I like to call the disaster of the Pumpkin Penne Pasta. I got the Fall edition of Everyday with Rachael Ray and she had this recipe for a Penne Pasta in a Pumpkin Cream Sauce. It looked sooooooo good and I had try my hand at it. I went to the grocery store for the week to grab everything for Michael's lunches and had the ingredients included for the Penne with Pumpkin Cream sauce. One of the ingredients called for pure pumpkin puree, which I couldn't seem to find. I walked up and down every isle at Stater Bros. and alas no pure pumpkin puree. So I finally find something close in the baking isle, that is a can on pumpkin pie mix, so I figure that's got to be what the recipe was calling for right?? WRONG!!!! I went home and started chopping up my parsley and sauteing my onions and boiling my penne and excitedly working on my little fall creation dinner. So I mix together the pumpkin cream sauce, which included a can of pumpkin pie mix as opposed to pure pumpkin puree and go to take a taste.... good God almighty it was disgusting. It tasted like somebody dropped a pumpkin pie onto to some noodles and garnished it with parsley and onions. By far the worst thing I think I ever tasted. But... did I throw it away?? Nope... I packed it in Tupperware for Michael to have for lunch the next day! Hey... I am not an evil person.. in all fairness, he took a taste and said it tasted good and he would have it for lunch the next day, it was obvious he was just being nice. So the next day I get my usual text message from him after lunch but this time it was just complimenting me on my grilled asparagus I made for his side dish, apparently the next day wasn't took kind to my Penne with Pumpkin Cream Sauce. So... lesson of the day, NEVER substitute pure pumpkin puree for pumpkin pie mix.... the end result isn't quite the same.