Does anyone care if I shave my cats?

My 2 little (OK, big) furry cats are going through their teenage angst phase (even though they are technically middle age). Or they have decided to hate us for getting the Loggerhead puppy.
In the last month, I have come home from work, exhausted, fishing around the wall for the light, only to step on broken glass. My lovely cats have decided they are now allowed on the counters. They have also decided when Richard and I are not home, drinking glasses look much better smashed on the kitchen floor. I don't know if its the swinging tails, the playful paws, or the gyrating tummies that are pushing the glasses over the edge.
Richard and I have resorted to the spray bottle technique. Maddy is fast though. She leaps off the counter before I can grab the bottle. She knows she is not suppose to be up there. They both know.
The problem is once they see us glaring at them, voices raised, feet stomping, their first reaction is to jump down, onto the floor. But Logger sits there, waiting. Waiting for them the leap so he can chase them. So they have to jump from counter to counter to dining room table (their safe haven from the dog). It's as if they are jumping over a crocodile with its snapping jaw.
Does anyone have any other suggestions to keeping them off the counters?

It's Contagious!

My bestest friend, Molly, had a large wedding party. 7 girls. 7 boys. (I say it is large because I had 4 people TOTAL!)
My point is of the 7 girls and Molly, all but one now has a blog. Nikki, our high school friend who migrated south east, has just started her blogging adventure.
Check out the other bridesmaids' and Molly's handy work:
Molly
Chris
Emily
Angie
Chelsea

Friends & Wine

Molly and Ryan's Annual Wine Tasting Extravaganza!
Richard and I drove to Red Wing early. I haven't seen Molly in over a month! I wanted to be selfish and have some time with her all to myself. Richard and I helped her clean and organize. Richard kept Ryan company while he sashayed around the kitchen making delicious, rich appetizers (he even improvised on a few recipes to make a meatless version for me!). I was Molly's little helper for the wine tasting. I made labels for the bottles and assisted her when bringing out the new mystery bottle (the wine tasters had to guess types of wines from 8 different varieties). Richard, who has never liked wine, even tried a few and liked some.
It was fun to watch reactions to different types of wines. The bitter, the overly sweet, the just plain bad.
Oddly enough, and without purpose, Molly chose all wines with animal names! I wish I could remember all their names....
It was a fun night, filled with conversation, tasty food, and good friends.
By the end of the day, Logger was exhausted. He loves to play with Penny (Molly's Golden Retriever). But he gets overwhelmed when Zephyer (Molly's giant lab) joins in and double teams him. Angie and Lane brought their dog, Bear. Bear was obsessed with Logger. She followed him all night, nose stuck in his behind. If he stopped for a second, she would try to mount him. By the end of the night, you can imagine Logger was tired of this. He began growling at her if she even looked at him. So Richard and I took turns scooping Logger up and holding him on our laps.

Zoo Boo

The weekend before Halloween, my parents, my sister Kim, her boys: Antonio and Jack, and I went to the NEW Zoo Boo.

Antonio dressed up as a Boxer and little Jack was a skeleton. Antonio loved the Trick or Treating part of it. He would scream, "Trick or Treat" at the employees working the Trick or Treating stations. And he always thanked them for the generous handfuls. Of course, with large amounts of candy, came the hunger for eating the candy. He would tell Kim specifically which candy he wanted: "I want a Tootsie Roll."

Antonio rode the Merry Go Round of Endangered Animals.

He also danced with Ema (my mom) and a group of employees dressed as lions and skunks and other animals.

It was so much fun to see him run and get excited for candy. He is at such a fun age.

Earlier that day, he ran laps around my parents couch. Logger would chase after him. Logger would shower him doggy kisses. Antonio would giggle and exclaim, "Logger is crazy!"

Don't Worry...

Be Happy! (sorry)
Because I will be posting soon. I didn't forget about my blog. Just haven't had time.