Aby-a-Day – 31 March: Stroller Derby

This was an awesome little thing that happened when Jacoby and I were walking home from the Apple Store last month.

We were walking down Boylston Street and saw a little boy in a stroller out with his mother and aunt.

The boy saw Jake in his stroller and started to wave at him!

His mom and aunt thought it was so cute that the boy recognised that the kitty was in a stroller just like he was.

I asked if he wanted to pet Jake, and they thought he might, so I pushed his stroller closer to the boy’s stroller.

He was a very nice, gentle boy, and of course Jake was so patient.

If anything, I think Jake wanted the boy to pet him harder. He was giving Jake those soft, tentative pats and Jake wanted some nice, heavy petting.

I love watching Jake interact with children, though. He has so little experience with them, but he’s always just so good!

Aby-a-Day – 30 March: Angel and her sisters

Aby-a-Day – 29 March: Here comes the bride (Cartoon Tuesday

Last month I shared some sketches I did during work meetings, including this one of me in my wedding dress with Gun-Hee back in 2008.

Well…my divorce will be final on 6 April, and then Björn and I will be married. So I was doodling today while on the phone and sketched this…

Which I like…but Jacoby looks so BIG! So I went into Paint for just a moment…

Well. It ain’t Photoshop…but it’s kind of cute.

Aby-a-Day – 28 March: Zootopia (Miniature Monday)

I saw Zootopia a little while ago, and I LOVE it. I really can’t wait to see it again in the theatre. Yeah, it’s that good.

I mean, how often do you see a movie that addresses racial issues, stereotypes, discrimination with witty but insightful commentary and has cute talking animals? Not to mention a few awesome inside jokes.

The main protagonists, Judy Hopps the rabbit and Nick Wilde the fox are among some of the best fictional characters I’ve ever come across.

I think Mini Jacoby has a little man-crush going on with Nick, actually.

Aby-a-Day – 27 March: Gun-Hee’s Easter

So today is Easter, which isn’t really that big of a deal for me or my family.

But I always think of Gun-Hee’s first Easter.

I had bought Kylie some of those plastic eggs last year for her first Easter, so I found them again and brought them out for Gun-Hee.

He had such a good time playing with them!

Aby-a-Day – 26 March: “Nuts” (Saturday Photo Hunt)

This week’s Photo Hunt subject is “Nuts.”

Jacoby doesn’t have his anymore…so I can’t exactly fulfill the Photo Hunt theme today, but hey. Close enough!

Abys are Everywhere: Today’s Mental Floss

Today’s Mental Floss gives us “7 Agile Facts About Abyssinians.”

Leaving out the parts about how they eat everything and how the males tend to be wrecking balls…

Aby-a-Day – 25 March: The first time Strollercat went to the Apple Store (Friday Flashback)

The very first time Jacoby went to the Apple Store was back in 2011, when we went to get our brand new iPhone 3. It was a Massachusetts sales tax holiday, so everyone was trying to get a phone to save money, and we had to stand in line for a while.

That was his first, tiny stroller.

He seemed to enjoy himself.

And then, just for comparison, here we are on our most recent trip.

He still enjoys coming out on errands with me!

Aby-a-Day – 24 March: Pulling up a stool at the Genius Bar

When you need to go to the Genius Bar at the Apple Store, you’re experiencing a multitude of emotions.

Of course, you’re totally stressed out and worried about your machine isn’t working right.

It’s almost like worrying about a sick loved one. Perhaps worse, since apart from AppleCare, your machine hasn’t got health insurance…which means it’s probably going to cost you.

Admittedly, there’s a certain thrill when you get to the Genius Bar.

And then, when you’re met and greeted by an Apple Store concierge, you feel so special.

But, once you’re checked in, you wait.

And wait…

…and wait…

Aby-a-Day – 23 March: Wordless Wednesday (Strolling down Boylston)

Aby-a-Day – 22 March: Here comes Jakey Cottontail (Cartoon Tuesday)

So this happened. I don’t know…Easter, Abys being known as “bunny cats,” a really bad pun and a chance to draw Jacoby being goofy and Angel doing one of her patented face-pawlms.

I really wish I had the time and braincells to do real cartoons right now. I miss Photoshop so much. However, I may play with this one some more using the iPad Pro.

Aby-a-Day – 21 March: Apple Over Boylston (Hipstamatic Monday)

Of course I had to play with Hipstamatic while we were at the Apple Store.

I love the randomness of it.

It’s like in the old days, when I had a little Instamatic and used 126 Kodapak film.

Except, you know, you don’t have to pay for the film and the processing.

But the funny thing is, the same number of good photos come out regardless of whether you take 24 shots or 2,400.

I thought I would miss using film…but you know, I really don’t.

Aby-a-Day – 20 March: Who doesn’t love a parade? Angel.

Hey! It’s the Sunday closest to St. Patrick’s Day!

You know what that means, right?

Right!! There’s a world-class parade happening right outside our building.

We are so lucky to live here!

Right, Angel?

Ehrm…Angel?

Don’t you love living in South Boston when the St. Patrick’s Day parade is going on?

No?

Yeah, there’s a reason there’s an “Angel’s okay with Jake getting more attention really” tag on this blog.

Aby-a-Day – 19 March: “Storm” (Saturday Photo Hunt)

This week’s Photo Hunt subject is “Storm.”

We’ve had some crazy weather lately. It’s been raining for two days (this was the sky yesterday), and it’s even supposed to snow tomorrow night!

But we all know the best place to be in during a storm, right?

That’s right! Your blanket fort!

Jacoby says he’ll be here till May…thank you and good night.

Aby-a-Day – 18 March: Approaching the Finish Line (Friday Flashback…sort of)

One month from today, on Marathon Monday, Björn and I are getting married (finally!) in Manchester, NH.

The 18th is a day for us. On 18 March 1992, I responded to that first letter he sent me, which started our 24-year-long friendship. We say that’s when it officially started, because it wasn’t a friendship until I wrote back. Before that, it was just a letter he sent to someone in the States.

18 June 2014 is when we reconnected and started messaging each other again after a few years of just thinking about each other, but not doing much more than liking the occasional photo on Facebook and sending Christmas cards. 18 June 2015 is the day we got engaged, in part because that’s the day his ring arrived. And 18 December 2015 is when I landed in Sweden for our first Christmas holiday together.

And now, 18 April will be our wedding. Considering how long we’ve been heading in this direction, what more appropriate date to start our marriage than on the day of the Boston Marathon?

Aby-a-Day – 17 March: Jacoby’s first St. Patty’s Day

For Jacoby’s very first St. Patrick’s Day, I bought him a little T-shirt at a cart in Faneuil Hall.

Even then – not yet a year old – he was such a good poser!

Not to mention a total chick magnet.

We even went downstairs to show the building concierge how festive he was.

He was also, as you can see, a total show-off at that young age.

I know I still have this shirt somewhere. I just don’t know where…

Aby-a-Day – 16 March: Wordless Wednesday (Where’s Jake?)

Aby-a-Day – 15 March: Playing with Pencil (Cartoon Tuesday)

So I broke down and bought myself an iPad Pro and an Apple Pencil to go with it. I haven’t had much time to play with it yet, but I did do this quick sketch of Jacoby.

It’s so much better than trying to draw on my Wacom tablet, but I still need some practice…

Other People’s Abys – Calendar Cats

Here’s today’s Page-a-Day Calendar for today. Oh, look! It’s an Abyssinian!

“Eight-month-old Khulan is just the right size for her owner’s terra-cotta saucers, which serve as a marvelous nesting place for the ruddy Abyssinian. She was named after one of the wives of Ghengis Khan, who traveled with the conqueror and held a special place in his empire – and his heart. Khulan, the cat from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, has also won the heart of her person, Don Martinson.”

Aby-a-Day – 14 March: Overlook at the Apple Store (Hipstamatic Monday)

When we were at the Apple Store, of course I posed Jacoby in front of the gorgeous Apple logo on the third floor window.

It really is pretty impressive.

And it’s definitely a photo-op.

So, here’s Jake and a really enormous Apple logo.