Counting down the days...

Four more days to do and then it's going home time!!  Yesterday was get the cats claws cut day... yes, it was pretty traumatic.  TomTom totally behaved himself and let the vet trim his claws and do his check up without any bother but.... Pandora didn't.  LOL  The vet was super impressed with her ability to climb straight up the walls and bounce around the room like the demonic kitty she can be.... ;)  In the end they caught her in a box and gassed her... poor Pandy!!  But she got her nails trimmed and passed her medical so they are both good to go for their flights next week.

This is them in their carriers prior to going to the vet... look at that little face asking what the heck was going on!!

I did get some bad news yesterday about their flight... it seems that British Airways, in their infinite wisdom, expect animals to be at the cargo warehouse FOUR HOURS prior to their flight, so they can't get on the flight we booked and planned and will have to overnight in Heathrow and get a plane up to Aberdeen the next morning.  Now how can that be pet friendly and caring?  I expect more from a nation of animal lovers... 4 hours?  Why would anyone want to force little animals to be shut up without food in a carrier any longer than absolutely necessary?  So a flight that takes 1 and half hours becomes some mega trip of stress... and this is after they just spent 11 hours on a flight from Calgary to Heathrow and three hours getting their paperwork and chips checked.  Pffft to BA and their thoughtless cruelty.  I did ask if they would be allowed to jump the queue and get seen quickly because they have an onward flight (and being that their trip is costing me $3500.00 I figured they should get some benefits other than being shut in a cargo hold of a plane) but they said no.  I am not impressed.... :(  So with us not being able to fly with them (because BA were $2000.00 more expensive than KLM for our business class tickets) and now this... I will be just glad to get home and then fetch them.

Pandy isn't one for playing nice when the camera comes out... she's a bit like a toddler that has to walk up close to the lens and stare inside... so when she is in the mood, it's fun to get some good pics of her!!

I had stripped the bed and carefully placed the duvet on the floor in the corner (ok... I threw the duvet in the corner) and the next thing I notice is a little miss looking very royal and comfy...

then she found the bathroom mirror... 

and a new friend to play with...

who was quite the copy cat!

and posed nicely for the camera...

but kept checking up on the new friend...

And it was a mini book today!

I am actually liking this living across the road from the scrap shop... popped in there today to do a mini book class and don't laugh... out of all the mini books I have made, I have never done one using paper bags!!  I know, how this oversight could possibly have happened is a complete mystery to me too!!

This is the front 'cover'... which is a paper bag, it was fun, quick and turned out cute!!

First set of pages

Second set of pages with pockets and tags

and the larger tags that go inside the paper bag pages...

Ideal for a quick present!!

On the way back from the scrap shop I have to cross Macleod Trail. That is a test of the nerves let me tell you, I always cross on the lights as its a highway with two sets of 4 lanes of traffic and someone in their wisdom thinks you can get across 8 lanes in about 23 seconds... the red hand turns to the little walking man and you start crossing the first four lanes and then the red hand starts flashing at you again which makes you put on a burst of speed for the next four lanes!!  

There is a short cut to my apartment block which saves you walking all the way around the mall of shops, it is tree lined on one side and has the back of the take away shops on the other...(and honestly, if you ever visited the back of take aways you might think again about visiting the fronts)  this afternoon I headed toward the short cut, following a young woman.  She glanced nervously over her shoulder and picked up speed... so I walked a bit faster too... she glanced back again and picked her pace up a notch... I looked back and could see nothing but also proceeded to pick up my pace.... I blame my son... visions of zombies in my brain.... the woman was now in a full trot and I was wondering if my little legs would last and then I turned into the cut for the apartment block.... I haven't a cookin clue what was chasing us but it sure scared the bejeebers out of me!! ;)

A card...

Today I woke up to sunshine and there was a class at the scrap shop to make a card... fine, that will do nicely, at least I am making something!!  I also learned a cool resist technique with PVA glue which I will definitely use again.

I am going back on Saturday for another class... it keeps me out of mischief and the expensive nail salons!! ;)

A few people have asked if the two cats have to do quarantine when they go home to the UK.  Luckily for them, no.  In January of this year the UK changed its rules and now if you have up to date and rabies vaccinations on them they can get in without any problem.  There is still a boatload of forms and stuff so I would always use a pet relocation company, because they do it all the time and know what boxes to tick and forms to have ready.  I would hate to overlook something and the two cats be refused entry or put in quarantine because their paperwork is not right!! :(  

The cats were supposed to be on the same flight as us but it didn't work out that way... so they leave the same day but on Air Canada to Heathrow and we leave on KLM via Amsterdam.  We will be home before them so can get their beds and litter tray ready and then drive back to the airport to pick them up in the evening.  Then they can start investigating home... we have had them 3 years but they haven't actually ever seen our home in Scotland because they flew straight from Saudi Arabia to Canada.  I am sure they will love it.... ok, maybe not the rain... or the wind... but I am sure they will love it!! LOL

I got Mail!!!

I went downstairs to the foyer this morning and checked the mailbox and I had a parcel!!!

with fabulous US stamps on it... and not one of them is franked... so maybe Elizabeth wants me to send them back to her instead of using them in my scrapping?  LOL  

Inside Elizabeth has sent me some of her lovely hand  made papers and the most stunning collection of her rusted linens... 

They are wonderful... I have wanted some of these for so long and lovely Elizabeth has given me an amazing assortment to play with, thank you, I will have great fun finding ways to incorporate them into a journal or mini book!

I have been apartment living for 3 weeks now and two left to go before I fly home to Scotland on 29th August... I have to admit I started to get a bit antsy with not having anything to play with and then realised that Scrapbookers Paradise is over the road from the apartment block!!  wooo hooo!  I know, a very dangerous situation given that I have only suitcase space but yesterday I took a walk over to partake of one of their tag classes...

This is the tag I made... it was great to get inky and have a play!!  I think I will pop over to the card class tomorrow... it should ward off any stir craziness!!

and this is what I look up and see when I go to make a cup of tea... yes, Tom-Tom is also a little stir crazy and has taken to the top kitchen cabinets in an effort to find an exit route I may have overlooked... ;)