Java Brigitte Colantonio

Welcome home Java! On Sunday I went to the shelter to look for a cute little kitten to bring home. After playing with a few, my heart was sold on her. Small enough to pick up with just one hand, she is feisty, has lots of spunk, listens well, and loves to cuddle! She's entirely black and has greenish/amber eyes just like mine. It was meant to be. Here is a little photo gallery of Java Brigitte Colantonio:

She already knows where her food and water bowls are, and her litter box as well. It took no time at all for her to get used to her new domain.

Maybe by perching atop her pet carrier she'd get a better view... I don't really know.

Exploring the rest of the apartment. For the most part she follows me around, constantly near my feet. She also listens when you call her name across the condo, she'll come running to you.

Yes, those are regular small place mat for a table and she fits on it with extra play room to spare.

Peaking outside on the windowsill...I foresee many an afternoon sun bathing for her.

Whenever I am sitting on the ground, she will come over, pounce into my lap and lay there purring with not a care in the world.

I guess the smallest of cat beds is still a little too big.

Java is about 2 months old. She still has super long skinny legs, and kind of wobbles when she tries to run. I am working on trying to puncture a hole in the collar that I got her, since the last hole is still too big. The cutest thing she does right now is when she wants to pounce, she'll crouch done wiggle her butt then jump.

This morning I couldn't help but laugh. I was doing my hair and had left the door open to the shower room. The glass doors were shut, and Java had been trying to see over the ledge. Then the next thing I know, I look over and see her ready to pounce. She did her little butt wiggle and jumped.....and splat she just slammed head first into the glass door. Poor thing! It was horrible to laugh but I just couldn't help it. She's OK though, she just stumbled away a little shaken but walked it off. :-)

Ashes Ashes Everywhere

With all the fires throughout Southern California, the ashes, smoke and dust are now coming our way in the hills. On Tuesday morning I woke up to a red sun, and on the way to work there was a blanket in the sky of just pure ash and smoke.

This is the view of the sun from outside my bedroom window.

On my way to work, it was evident that the wind was bringing the rest of the dirty oxygen deprived air.

On the road to work this is the view that I get. In the lower left hand corner where there is a cloud of smoke coming from the hills is the Foothill Ranch fire, still burning.

Then this morning, Thursday, the dust is even thicker. I was barely able to sleep because the smell of smoke has now seeped into the walls it seems and the condo even smells like it. The sun was hard to see piercing through the sut.

And here is the same view driving to work, with even less visibility than Tuesday.

Besides the horrible air conditions, the fires have stayed a safe distance away from the hills in Laguna Niguel near the ocean. We are hoping that the fires don't change direction and all that we can complain about is the air, because breathing this in is a load better than not knowing if your house will be there in the evening. My thoughts go out to everyone that is affected by these fires.

The Beginnings of the New Condo...

It's official! At the beginning of October, Tiffany and I moved in to a new place. It is still a work in progress, trying to get things decorated, and make it feel like home. But we both agree that it already feels like home without a lot of nic-nacs, although couches would be nice and also a table. But those pieces are soon to come (cross our fingers).


Bright and early on Saturday September 29th, Mom, Arnaud and myself got the first loads up and ready in the cars, and started the caravaning back and forth. With three cars it only took two trips to fill up with stuff and get everything from one place to the next. Once everything was brought in the organizing began....


The condo is the upstairs unit. You have to go up the stairwell that has hairpin turns, which made the moving in of the furniture a very interesting adventure.

This is the front, porch and stairs. The the top window is our kitchen window.


And here is the side view of the exterior. The upstairs room that jets out is the window in the dining area.

This is a picture looking up our stairs that lead to the porch.


This is the view to the left from of deck in the back.



Here mom and I cleaning the kitchen before putting anything in it.



Mom and I cleaned as the men were in the bedroom piecing together my bed and other furniture.



After the furniture was built and the non-living room furniture put away, we took a breather in the empty living room. (soon to have furniture)


Here is a picture of my room, at the moment, from the doorway.



And this is the opposite wall that one faces when lying on the bed.


The bed is placed in the corner with the low ceiling.


I hope to acquire a large bookcase to place along the wall that the fan is on....that is also where the vaulted ceiling shoots up.


This is the entrance to the bathroom, it is open right now, but I am contemplating placing one curtain drawn to the side to break up the room. (yes, that is an added bottle of wine, for character, and the label is French Cat, how fitting I know)


To the left you enter the toilet and shower/tub room.


To the right you enter the walk-in closet. (~no comments please~)



And here we have the kitchen.



And finally, the very large, spacious living and dining room. This is the view when you enter from the front door. The glass doors at the far end lead to our small yet quaint patio. We have the minimalist furniture theme at the moment.



The fireplace. My bedroom door is right there as well.


And a picture from the opposite end of the room looking towards the front door and the kitchen is to the right. If you make a left there is a small hallway that contains the washer and dryer. And also the door that leads to Tiffany's suite.



The entrance way has plenty of storage space as well, with the cabinets and a coat closet.




I am very excited about this new chapter in my life. I feel like this is my newest home, and will be that for a long time coming. It's nice to finally say I have my place, and I go 'home' at the end of a long work day.