There’s an App for That

If you have embraced technology at all, you probably have oodles of apps on your smart phone. I do, though, admittedly, there are only a handful that I use on a regular basis. Did you know that there’s an app that can help answer the ever popular (and sometimes dreaded) question “What do you want for Christmas?” Giftster to the rescue!

Image from DepositPhotos.com

We were introduced to Giftster several years ago by our youngest son’s (now ex) girlfriend. I think we were all a little leery but decided to give it a try. Now, many years later, we’re still using it. (One of my daughter-in-law’s lists is even named “I concede. This was a good idea.”) Giftster allows you to create a group and then invite members; each member can then create multiple lists. This app has allowed us to stop the annual tradition of “harassing” everyone about what they’d like; it’s easy to just stop and add an item to your list whenever you think about it. When someone purchases a gift, they can mark the item so that others know it is taken. And, no worries, Giftster does not tell the list maker which gifts have been purchased so they can still be surprised on the Big Day whether it be Christmas or another gift giving occasion.

Of course, some are still resistant to the app. The only two members of our group who are inactive? Our sons.🙄For the most part, our oldest son is fairly easy to buy for, the youngest not so much; once the youngest out-grew dinosaurs and Transformers knowing what to get him has been… difficult. I have to give our daughter-in-law props – not only does she maintain her own list but she also created and maintains lists for their three kids.🏅Thanks to Giftster (and those who maintain their lists, LOL) I’m almost finished with my Christmas shopping. Stocking stuffers are the only thing left and that is my favorite type of shopping.

What are your favorite/most used apps?

Cat Math

In one of my last posts I wrote about the death of Marvin (one of our outdoor cats), my plans to move his sister indoors and stop leaving food out for animals passing by. (And how Kenn and I somehow completely reversed our normal positions on the topic of cats.)

As of this writing, Nellie (Marvin’s sister and our only remaining outdoor cat) is still outdoors and is ignoring all of my attempts to get her to try the cushy life of an indoor kitty. We also have at least four cats coming by to partake of our food on a regular basis. (We’re going through so much more food, LOL.) I was surprised that the presence of Marvin and Stumpie was such a deterrent as they were both neutered males. (Nellie is spayed as well so she is not luring in new cats with her feminine wiles, er, pheremones.)

Proof that anything can be found on the internet.

Since we now have regular feline visitors to whom we have never been properly introduced, we decided to come up with our own names for them. These names get used when we are talking to them (from whatever distance they will allow) which is one of the first steps in helping them learn they can trust us. Here are our regular visitors (for now):

  • Tiger – Tiger is one of the cats cared for by our elderly neighbors and is the only one who’s name we actually know. Confusion arises because Tiger is our Nellie’s doppelganger. I’ll think I’m talking to Nellie and only realize that it’s Tiger when s/he freaks out because I’m getting so close. Or, I think I’m talking to Tiger only to realize that it’s Nellie. (Tiger and Nellie are both silver tabbies.)
  • Crow – Crow is a handsome black cat. (I love cats of all shapes, sizes, and colors but have an extra big soft spot for black cats.) Kenn announced that he would be calling the black cat Crow or Calypso depending on if it were male or female. Crow rarely gets closer to us than ten feet which would have made the sex determination difficult if he had been neutered. However, even from ten feet away – with the right angle and lighting – it was easy to determine that Crow is an unneutered male. However, if we can ever get him socialized, this situation will be rectified.
  • Bruiser – Bruiser is an unneutered brown tabby with white feet. Bruiser made it a point to square off with Stumpie on a regular basis so I was forever running him off. Now that he’s not stirring up trouble I have no problem with him coming over but I’m probably going to have to work extra hard to earn his trust.
  • Ghost – Ghost, appropriately enough, is a gray cat and by far the most skittish of our new visitors. I have only seen Ghost twice. Both sightings were only glimpses of a gray blur disappearing across the back yard after I apparently scared the crap out of him/her by walking across the deck to the car port.

So, somehow losing two cats has resulted in gaining four. Cat math is weird. Sigh. Lucky for them, I’m a complete sucker for animals in need.