Life Update and Birthday Kitten Journal 2025! + Kaffre talks Candy #90:

Greetings loyal journal readers and welcome to a long-overdue Kaffre update!

First, I feel I must apologize for the... 5 month delay in providing you all with the quality kitten-based content you've come to expect from me - or not. I have no real excuse and doubt very many people noticed and fewer still cared, I feel guilty anyway... *apology hugs*

So, what *have* I been doing? Well, I've been watching a lot of anime having finished all of Higurashi and Umineko stuff I mentioned in my previous journal and overall, I enjoyed the experience: Higurashi Season 1 was an engaging albeit sometimes confusing thriller and Season 2 did an admirable job explaining what was *really* happening in Hinamizawa while still respecting the intelligence of the viewer. The OVAs were... a mixed bag, but I didn't find them as terrible as most reviewers. Finally, Gou and Sotsu weren't as terrible as I was lead to believe, but also didn't really do much for the franchise except maybe add a more concrete crossover between Higurashi and Umineko which doesn't matter right now, but who knows what the future may hold? Umineko was.. frustrating the set-up and mystery were enticing, but the lack of an 'explanation' season means there's no resolution unless you want to delve into the kinetic novels which I may do at some point, but not now. I also finally completed Aggretsuko after stopping a few episodes into S3 for... some reason I can't remember. It was fun to see the characters again and watching the seasons all at once really highlights their growth throughout the series. Beyond that, I've been playing a few gatcha games: Magia Exedra and Uma Musume: Pretty Derby and while I haven't devoted money or even much time to them, it is at least something to talk about...

In other news, we went to Poutine Feast again this year and I tried the Vegetable Poutine. It came with sauteed onions and bell peppers as well as the standard fries, gravy and curds. The vegetables themselves complimented the other components nicely, but the juice made the fries at the bottom kind of bitter and some of the cheese was cold overall I give it a B-, but think the concept has potential and I just got a bad batch. We also went to Gem Storm, but due to being a bit short on funds I didn't buy much - we got a commemorative 'crack your own' geode for $40. Still, it was a fun outing and I have lots of ideas for next year!

Now for the sad part of my journal. My cat, Noob Saibot passed away at the start of August: He'd been losing weight for some time, but given he was badly overweight and on a diet, we didn't notice anything was wrong until he stopped eating and by then it was too late - while searching for him to take to the vet, I found him under my bed already dead. He wasn't a very old cat when he passed, but he shall be missed. And continuing in that vain, my maternal grandmother has recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer and given a tentative 3~6 months and that is, apparently very optimistic. We were extremely close in my youth - a stronger relationship than I had with my parents and while we haven't seen as much of each other the last few years as either of us would have liked, this is still a painful time for me, but one I actually feel sort of equipped to handle.

Hmm well, let's move away from all that death stuff and move on to life! Today (29 October) is my birthday and as per usual I'll be poofing into a cuddly newborn kitten form to receive hugs and pets from friends and admirers. Of course, that interferes a bit with cake and (most) presents, but it can't be helped I suppose.

Thanks again for reading all this and I sincerely hope it wont't be 5 months until my next journal! *hugs*

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Kaffre talks Candy #90:

Name: Kit-Kat, Chocolate Frosted Donut
Manufacturer: Hershey
Size: 42 gram bar (4 segments)
Where Purchased: Neat Things
Description: Consists of a standard Kit-Kat except that the 'base' connecting the wafers is a sort of light brown colour.
Opinion: A special product that I received as a Christmas present. The 'chocolate glaze' was impressively replicated giving a richer and sweeter taste than the standard Kit-Kat chocolate and I think I could taste 'donut' as well, but it was subtle, difficult to describe, and possibly psychosomatic. Overall, I enjoyed this product and would definitely buy it again, but it's a bit gimmicky and I'm not sure how many I'd have before just opting for a donut (or regular kit-kat) instead.

Name: Kit-Kat, Pink Lemonade
Manufacturer: Hershey
Size: 42 gram bar (4 segments)
Where Purchased: Neat Things
Description: Consists of a standard Kit-Kat, but with pink 'chocolate' and with a strong lemony aroma.
Opinion: A special product that I received as a Christmas present. Since there doesn't seem to be any universally accepted definition of 'pink lemonade', I'll not bother trying to vouch for authenticity. Initially, the lemon is very aromatic more a smell than a taste, but it grows in intensity until it's about the level of your average lemon-creme cookie. Overall, despite some intial apprehensions, I liked this product and would purchase it again, but can't really say I liked it better than the standard Kit-Kat and I there is some concern that the novelty might wear off quickly.

Name: Ruffles Spicy All-Dressed Chips
Manufacturer: Frito-Lay
Size: 180 gram bag
Where Purchased: Food Basics
Description: Consists of ripple-cut potato chips with a slight orange colour from the seasonings used.
Opinion: An item I grabbed as quick snack, these chips are supposed to be a spicier version of 'All-Dressed' (a staple Canadian flavour combining Ketchup, Sour Cream & Onion, Barbecue, and Salt & Vinegar). In this, I can say it was successful adding a noticeable amount of heat to the classic tangy taste of all-dressed chips, but for me at least the difference was rather too minute. Overall, I liked this product and would definitely but it again, but at the same time, I don't really brings enough to the table to justify seeking it out over regular all-dressed chips.

Name: Terry's Chocolate Orange Snowy Crunch Bar
Manufacturer: Terry's Chocolate
Size: 90 gram bar
Where Purchased: British Isles Shoppe
Description: Consists of a large bar of orange flavoured milk chocolate with 'sugar-coated chocolate candy beans' embedded throughout. The bar has been molded into an unusual shape that resembles two adjacent columns of eleven orange slices that overlap slightly.
Opinion: Another Terry's Bar I decided to grab on a whim. The slightly terrifying sounding 'chocolate candy beans' refers a small chocolate coated candy similar to small smarties (or M&Ms for Americans) which didn't really affect the flavour of the chocolate which tasted very much like the classic Terry Chocolate Orange, but it did look a bit like snowballs and lent the bar a pleasant crunchy texture which I do think added to my enjoyment. Overall, I liked this bar and would buy it again, but I'm not sure I really prefer it to the standard bar it's based on.

Name: Terry's Chocolate Orange, Snowball
Manufacturer: Carambar and Co.
Size: 147 gram sphere
Where Purchased: Shoppers Drug Mart
Description: Consists of 20 wedge-shaped segments of orange-flavoured milk chocolate, with 'crunchy chocolate pieces' embedded in them, that have been arranged radially around a central point and fused together.
Opinion: A Terry's product I'd not seen before and decided to pick up on a whim. The flavour is similar to other Terry's oranges having a strong, but smooth orange flavour that, while somewhat controversial, I personally enjoy. The candy bits, which do somewhat resemble flakes of snow, provide a pleasant crispy texture, but don't really seem to contribute to the flavour so far as I can tell. Overall, I enjoyed this item and would definitely purchase it again, but I'm not actually sure whether I prefer it over the other varieties of Terry oranges.