Cafe Neko

decaf cafe

2009-11-16T20:16:00.002Z

After nearly 20 years of drinking on average 8 cups of coffee a day I am (as of now) been 'clean' for a week.

I was the only kid in primary school who was drinking coffee at lunchtime. I was the only kid in high school who had a near indestructible flak you could savagely beat a bear with. To my knowledge I'm the only person that I know who at university drank a 'triple latte'.

This isn't the first time that I've attempted to stop drinking coffee. After trawling through the archives of an old blog I did at least find the 'fail' post:

November 11th 2004

[if you imagine sepia tone here it helps]

mission...failed.

subject was unsuccessful in keeping his paws off coffee for a week

It's true, half an hour into my lecture I was hit with yet another splitting headache and walked out (I returned soon after with a cup in my hand) Sorry, seems I've failed you guys...

[imagine full colour now]

I think that was my second day into the drought as well.

This is also where all these pictures are coming from as they were used in the original post all that time ago (recycling!)

So, how did I manage it this time? Bearing in mind that I had at work 3 different types of ground coffee beans and a large jar of instant coffee available. I'm hoping some of this information might help other people wanting to give up the cup.

If you drink a lot of coffee then I recommend just cutting down for a few days. I started with 1 cup first thing in the morning, one about 2pm (when the headaches start) and then maybe another after work and a fourth late night (because lets face it, if you drink as much as I did coffee has no effect on your sleep)

I eventually wound this down to 3 cups, then 2, then 1. If/when you finally switch to 0 cups (cold turkey) then you will likely get withdrawals. This can be a myriad of things but for me I had splitting headaches, loss of concentration and lack of any motivation. Taking painkillers is a good idea, especially aspirin but if you're not too bothered you could just have a cup of coffee as this would do the same.

You can also switch to tea, it also contains caffeine which is the addictive substance but in smaller amounts. Or you can switch to caffeine free teas which are usually advertised as such in supermarkets.

The benefits? I'm not quite sure, as I've only been free for just over a week but what I have noticed is the following. Less rambling thought (though I could just be crazy anyway), because I had sugar in my coffee (or perhaps of some odd affect caffeine had on my body) I've lost a fair bit of weight (over 5 pound) which is something I'll keep an eye on. It's also nice to not have a dependency on something.

Anyway, I said there was only 'less rambling thought' not a total absence of it :p but this was something that wasn't really planned but thanks for the guys at work helping me along with not drinking coffee even if perhaps you were actually doing it to watch me suffer....needless to say I had the last laugh ;)

Lapsang Souchong

2009-03-27T15:17:00.002Z

I'll start with an unusual to begin with.

Lapsang Souchong is described as being an aromoatic and quite strong. It's unique taste is down to the tea leaves being smoke-dried over a pinewood fire. This gives it the smokey taste it is renowned for. At work this tea is reffered to as "that stinky tea" as it does smell of a bonfire and the first few times you drink it it tastes like a bonfire as well. This is what puts a lot of people off including myself but it is a grower. You can add some milk to take the edge off it but I drink it black.

I found myself drinking Lapsang Souchong more when under a busy time at work as its strong taste let's you concentrate on the tasks as hand. Due to it having such a strong taste (and distinctive at that) it is usually loved or hated (a bit like marmite) To this day no one in work wants to taste it.

Cafe Neko's Current Menu

2009-03-27T12:51:00.004Z

I have some Tea at work. Although it's not completely true to just say that. What would be more accurate would be I have *loads* of tea. Kept locked away in what started as a nice deviation from coffee (which I still drink in pharmaceutical amounts) it has now evolved into a full cupboard.

As of today the current menu is:

Tea
Palaquinn Spiced Tea
Pomegranate & Plum
Cranberry & Pomegranate
Cranberry
Ginger & Lime
Green Tea & Ginger
Green Tea
Peppermint
Peppermint & Eucalyptus
Cherry & Cinnamon
Camomile & Spiced Apple
Camomile, Honey & Vanilla
Darjeeling
Ceylon
Lapsang Souchong
Assam
Earl Gray & Vanilla
Yorkshire Tea
PG Tips

Coffee
Douwe Egberts Pure Gold
Nescafe Parisien
Kenco Rappor

It's still growing week by week, but I think I've drank enough to perhaps write a small mini review for the teas and of course put in some anime reviews and I think I might have myself a little project.

goodbye 2008

2008-12-31T17:26:00.001Z

It's the end of 2008 and once again I look back on what was quite a good year for me. I managed to shed 2 stone (28lbs) in weight something that I will continue to improve upon as the new year progresses. I got two very awesome tattoos and even now they make me smile when I look over my shoulder in the morning. My job which I had spent nearly 3 years on a temporary contract of a few months each time was made permanent which was a huge relief to me. I joined a gym and shook the belief that gyms are only full of incredibly buff guys lifting huge triangular weights with 2 tonne written on then whilst wearing leopardskin leotards and bicycle mustaches.

There are other things I'm pleased about but those are the highlights.

For the new year there are lots more I want to do but I don't want to have them written down in case I don't meet them.

Happy New Year Everyone....I hope it's a good one :)

The Gripes Of A Goalkeeper

2008-12-14T16:32:00.002Z

So I play in goal, a *lot* I would say more that more often than anyone else in our group.

The problem is I hate it.

Being a goalkeeper requires excellent reactions, the ability to spot a weakness in your own teams formation and nerves of steel because when you mess up it *will* result in failure for your team. Don't get me wrong when things go well as a keeper its a great feeling but unfortunately for me those times are few and far between. Instead I have extended periods of being stood around with nothing to do and then quickly having jump back into the game because its now 1 on 1 with an opposing forward.

I end up goal nearly every game because...well no one else will do it and out of the people who do play I have the most experience of being a keeper, which is a bit depressing to think I've had more experience at failure as a keeper than any other position I would rather be playing. Other people are worse at me in the position but only because they have never ever stepped into my shoes/boots/gloves for more than a short time. Instead have to suffer until we're so far behind that it wouldn't make a difference what position I played. This is all because when I'm in goal there is no defense because that is where I would rather be playing, in defense doing something I'm much better at but also have the added bonus of *enjoying* it.

I'm no footballer, I've never even watched a full football game and I don't support a team either. So for me I play football pretty much for the sole reason of added exercise. Unfortunately like I said earlier there are 3 things that I end up doing:

1) Stand still for incredibly long periods of time and in the rain its even more depressing.

2) Have to run a-l-l the way back to pick up the ball because no one can shoot straight

3) Someone scores and I have to listen to keeper advice from people who would never and have never been in net for more than 10 minutes at a time.

I actually worked out that if I stood at the end of my garden and occasionally ran down to the bottom and finish off by calling myself a "tit" and walk back inside feeling cold and cheesed off. I could perfectly simulate football on a Sunday (but save on petrol).

We have finished for the year now but I dread having to start up again next year with their "are you going to go in net if not we're not going to pick you" attitude.

Bleached Death Notes

2008-12-06T20:26:00.001Z

Recently I've been reading two mangas during my breaks and lunch at work alternating between the two.

Bleach & Death Note

I'm late to both (up to book 14 in Bleach and book 6 in Death Note) as I've known about their existence for years but I'm put off by popular mainstream anime and manga usually. (things like Dragonball and Naruto neither of which I've watched/read)

It's been a good balance, while Bleach concentrates on a more action orientated storyline Death Note balances by having a sort of strange detective/crime novel going on with more twists than there are pages in the book (none of which seem cheap)

A tale of 2 tattoos

2008-07-01T19:58:00.008Z

Well I kept this a secret for quite some time. But now that they have fully healed and have photos so...here goes.

For years I've wanted a tattoo of some sort and have played with a few ideas in my head. Most ideas that did seem good at the time I thankfully never took any further because I decided that if I was to get a tattoo it had to be something that I wouldn't regret and thus why I didn't bother whilst I was 'maturing'

SO, unsurprisingly I finally decided on the Dirty Pair an anime series that I fell in love with back when I was fifteen (feels like a lifetime ago) because its one of the few things I had a passion for then and still do now.

Once I had decided on the picture I thought about what would be the best time for me to get a tattoo and decided on my 25th birthday. That fell through when I found out id have to book appointments and have to wait for a few visits. I decided to get it done ASAP.

Kei (on the right) was done first and yeah it hurt but oddly enough not as much as Yuri (on the left.) I guess its because Yuri's hair has more lines in her hair that have to be done in one go rather than Kei's which being a wolf cut allowed more of a break in between lines.

The second picture there is after my first visit 2 hours of sitting there while the tattoo artist (Hazel at Design4Life tattoos in Quiggins Liverpool) had to shave my back and put the outlines on. As a last minute reccomendation she suggested I switch Kei to the right and Yuri to the left so that they're facing outwards (originally they were going to face inwards)

After Yuri was finished because she is so fair skinned my seeping blood ended up making Yuri look like she was severly sunburnt but that subsided after a few days as you can see above.

As for why I decided to have them on my shoulder blades that lies subtley with the Dirty Pair themselves. Their official codename is 'Lovely Angels' angels having wings and wings being generally where the tattoos are. It would also explain why my life ends as the Dirty Pair's assingments with loads of collateral damage and hundreds of civilians killed....Okay maybe not as accurate though but it'd explain why my life has been rather chaotic and ending in extrodinary bad luck.

But really I didn't think that deep into the tattoo symbolism. I like the Dirty Pair a lot. I liked them when I was 15 and chances are I will feel the same when I'm 115! Perhaps in time I shall get another tattoo probably on my arms. As to whether it'll be Dirty Pair or even anime based is undecided.

I'd like to thank a few people, Hazel at Design4Life for doing such an amazing job and my friends for being aces about the whole thing even the ones who hate anime with a passion.

It's too hot!

2008-05-06T18:55:00.002Z

You can always tell if summer has arrived in my house because It becomes unlivable upstairs, which is unfortunately where my room is. It's partly my fault for having my computer on most times but even still its stifling.

I've also noticed my manga books have all got faded spines on the ones closest to the window now thanks to years of sun :'( Still summer evenings are the best! So long as stuff like moths and daddy-long-legs stay out of my room and the hell away from me!

Other good things about summer:

-Bright mornings
-Bright evenings
-Summer showers are super-refreshing.
-Cold coffee
-Ice cream
-Drinking sake with the sliding door open whilst watching Urusei Yatsura
-Brighter clothes

Bad stuff about summer

-Not being able to enter my room without a Varia suit
-Ants...everywhere! Take that you bastards!
-Wasps and other non-productive members of the community suddenly coming out of the woodwork
-Having to be in work on nice days
-Feeling incredibly guilty for watching tv or playing games on nice summer days
-Not being able to drink hot coffee without feeling foolish
-Hot cars

You'll regret this day, friend!

2008-05-01T18:32:00.001Z

Let's see how long I can keep this going

Angry Gingerbread Man Idea

2008-04-20T21:19:00.002Z

At work people are constantly bringing in biscuits and cakes for anyone to eat. Sometimes it's for an occasion but often there really is no reason. People after having weeks of cakes and biscuits start feeling guilty because they're eating so much.

Last week someone brought in Gingerbread Men.

My idea is to make Gingerbread Men that have an angry face and are flipping you off, that way you don't feel guilty for eating them!

PIN Comic 2

2008-03-01T17:43:00.001Z

Yes It's been ages since I last posted the first first PIN comic but...the scanner is underneath my table y'see and the wires are in a completely different draw altogether and it's all dusty, there was some clink of the keyboard...and the plug fell in some Tizer.

HOWEVER, here is the second PIN comic:

ex box tree sis tea

2008-02-17T21:15:00.001Z

Put your gamertag here too.

NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams

2008-01-24T21:25:00.000Z

So...over a decade later we finally see a sequel to the wonderful game of NiGHTS Into Dreams. But is it Dream Delight? Or is it Night Over?
Let's cut to the chase and say that whilst NiGHTS: JoD isn't the second coming of NiGHTS, in a way its a bit like the Super Mario Sunshine of NiGHTS. Like Sonic & the Secret Rings as its not a perfect game far from it but it's not terrible and is far far away from the abysmal SONIC THE HEDGEHOG (2006) which I'll rant about another time.

The game itself is split into 2 stories, that of Will and Helen (just like Claris and Elliot in the original) each of which has about 3-4 main worlds or dreams. Unlike the original each of these dreams has 5 tasks which are set up in the same way as Mario 64's stars. Two of these tasks are almost identical to the way old NiGHTS was played: The Chase task where you have to follow through 4 courses each trying to catch a green phoenix carrying a key which when taken to the Ideya Prison changes the course to the next one. The second similer task is the Link attack, this wasn't really on old NiGHTS but it was on Christmas NiGHTS and in both games the aim was to get as higher Link rating by collecting blue chips and flying through rings to attain the max possible (the absolute max is 999) The rest are filled with fairly pedestrian outings, some you get to control NiGHTS and perform particular tasks like saving Nightopians from various predicaments. One level you even get to control one of the children and escort the other through a platform level which ironically plays better than the next gen Sonic.
The controls for NiGHTS is pretty good, I played with the remote & nunchuck as I didn't trust the remote to be quick enough in reacting to make it viable. You can also play with the classic controller or Gamecube pad.

Now the story is similer to the previous NiGHTS, whilst that was about overcoming your fears this one is about the importance of family (fitting in with the Wii theme). Sadly they put too much fluff in the story with much being filled in by an old owl, what's worse is that many of these cutscenes are unskippable at first playthrough.
However this all said the game is excellent in places and not only succeeds at being a sequel to NiGHTS but surpasses it. This is only in places though, the rest of it is mildly entertaining but nothing amazing.

In conclusion, if you loved Saturn NiGHTS you will probably enjoy this outing provided you wait till its about £20 also play Helen's story first as its much more enjoyable. If you've never played NiGHTS and are desperate to 'see what you missed' then you will need the attention span of more than an hour to get into it as someone I know tried NiGHTS for 30 mintes then gave up as the controls were 'too constricting' they had however never played or knew how Saturn NiGHTS worked.

It's a grower

I give this 7 Dream Delights out 10.

Enrich Your Life

2008-01-17T21:55:00.000Z

click the pic

So... Phantasy Star Universe, I'm well aware this is not new seeing its first expansion is seeing release soon. I picked this up from Gameplay because it was cheap and there is an offline mode also I had a lot of fun on its daddy Phantasy Star Online.

PSU is not a great game, for something that appeared last year at a time when I was enjoying Guild Wars and many...many other people were enjoying various other mmorpgs such as WoW or [insert favourite mmorpg here] it hasn't moved on very much at all since the good old days of the Dreamcast and dial up.

Oh sure there's a story mode which is marginally better than PSO's string of quests it does suffer from STVA (Sonic Team Voice Acting) which makes some of the 'emotional cut scenes' grate on you like Caves 1 solo. The problem with the story mode is that it still uses the same design as the online meaning theres a lot of moving room to room killing spawning enemies. Get key, open door rinse-repeat.

However I personally adore it, its SO much like PSO I'm literally blinded by nostalgia to not enjoy it. This isn't just rose tinted glasses It's a rose tinted mindset coated in rose varnish then painted in 2 coats of rose paint.

I've only just unlocked the EXTRA mode which is basically an offline mode for created characters rather than Ethen (I'm a sterotypical wannabe macho teenager) Weber. Hence the created Kairo up at top which is where she was originally inspired from before moving in on TF's turf in my artistic lineup.

The bottom line is if PSU had come out instead of Phantasy Star Episode 3 or soon after then it would have fared a lot better, instead it seems that ST have ignored the current trends in mmorpgs and stuck with a better PSO but as PSO is now about 7 years old you'd expect a whole new idea.

I accidently ate a lot of pears last night

2008-01-13T17:04:00.000Z

Holy moley what's 'she' doing here?

click the pic

Yes that troublesome VIP Vixen in yet another short and above all nonsensical adventure. Nonsensical for two reasons, firstly I based the comic off the world acclaimed 'Dinosaur Comics' which if you haven't read by now you should go right away and read as it's been there since 2003. Anyway that's why she has her paws raised up all the time.

The other thing that makes it odd is there's no story at all, I did actually photocopy the comic at work and was going to hand them out for people to fill in however they wished but seeing as I did 3 copies which is exactly 3 more than there are people interested in this kind of thing it falls rather flat.

Oh and the whole thing was done on yellow post-it-notes, making it TF's first PIN Comic (post-it-note comic)

Mrh?

2008-01-08T20:45:00.000Z

Urban Dead

A browser based mmorpg where you can play as either a survivor (with various different classes and skills) or a zombie (can also gain skills) in a huge quarantined city called Malton. You're given AP (Action Points) at a steady stream of 1 every 30 minutes and can stockpile up to 50 and when you run out you fall asleep (as a survivor) or cease to think (as a zombie). So as you can imagine as a survivor its more about making raids on dangerous places gathering supplies and then finding a safehouse to barricade yourself in.

....this however didn't stop my character from going a bit nuts on the first zombie they saw only to run out of AP and fall asleep in the streets. I came back online an hour later to find they had been nibbled on by a passing zombie and then healed by a friendly medic. I've now hid myself in a nearby fire station free to fall asleep and hopefully not get eaten.

Back To Work 3

2008-01-02T17:32:00.001Z

Artist's Impression

Happy New Year

2007-12-31T21:32:00.000Z

Happy New Year from Sy here at Cafe Neko and hoping to definetly see more of me in the New Year.

Flicky

2007-04-05T16:49:00.000Z

Flicky a blue budgie that I've had since September 2006. He started off being quiet then nasty and pecking like. But over the course of last week (which I had booked off from work) he's become this super nice bird. Always flies to you, never pecks or bites and has even promised to do my taxes.

Who told you that you were naked?

2006-08-06T09:58:00.000Z

Was the title of the sermon I've just finished preaching to my home church. I'm not a minister and I'm not a lay preacher but several years ago i wanted to read out one of my dad's old sermons he wrote before he died. To be honest it had been in the 'far future' for so long that I never considered I would actually get to do it.

Even though everyone said what a great job I did I'm so proud of myself for actually doing it. Who else can say that they stood up in a church full of people and performed a sermon (who isnt actually a full time church worker)

Rolling Start

2006-06-24T19:35:00.000Z

After all the hard labour of working at the Office of National Statistics in Southport I've finally managed to buy my first car. A sporty looking Fiat Seicento in red, I haven't passed my test just yet but I'm driving around practically every single day.

Since having the elusive 'full time job' learning to drive has been the next thing on my list of 'things to do' and when that's achived I'm not quite sure what to do next. (probably just go for a drive :p)

Photos? Maybe soon...

"You Get In There And Do The Robot!"

2006-03-25T14:58:00.000Z

Best thing I've seen today, 9 Assassins doing 'the robot' in synch. Almost looks like a certain cover from the Beatles...

I've been working at the Office of National Statistics now for about 5 weeks now btw.

rub it!

2006-02-14T10:31:00.000Z

Was it fate or just slow delivery time that made 'The Rub Rabbits' arrive on Valentines Day?

"Ouen! Dai-sei-kou!" ("Cheer! Big Success!")

2006-01-31T18:43:00.000Z

Finished in on insane, took me exactly 1 week to finish it. Now if only i could finish the other 15 games i'll be all set.

OUENDAAAAAAAAAN!

2006-01-27T20:08:00.000Z

Since having 'Osu! Takakae! Ouendan!' (Go! Fight! Cheersquad!) since Tuesday (after being raped £8:90 from customs, something which has never happened to me when buying from Lik-Sang before and everytime I ring up the customs office theyve been either engaged or have an answering machine telling me they wont take my call at the moment...outrage, anyway I'm straying from the point)

I've been playing it on and off for the past few days and have just a few minutes ago managed to finish Hard mode (thereby unlocking the final 'insane difficulty') I say this with pride because anyone who has attempted the last song ('Ready, Steady, Go!) infamously known as RSG will know how difficult it is even on normal (FYI the song is actually the theme from the hit anime series 'Full Metal Alchemist')

The game itself is best described as being in the rhythem genre and takes advantage of the DS' touch screen to make it extremely accesible (not needing any extra maracas or bongos). There are 3 kinds of 'activity' the game requires you to cmplete during a song, the bulk is made up of tapping numbers in order and accurate to the beat (closer giving you more points) second is 'tracing' a path following a ball (sometimes going and back and forth more than once) and thirdly a kind of spinning wheel which is used to give big bonuses (or save your arse in the later energy draining games but also has the downside of you looking like a berk in public)

The game differs from most in its unique manga based (story driven) format. You're basically a team of Ouendan (cheer squad) which Japan uses just as America uses female cheerleaders who help people in need. Not by directly intervening, but by cheering them on and inspiring them to do better (thus why they are dressed like Japanese punks, to instill fear and inspire) The manga does this in incredibly simple pictures (ableit hilarious) that you need no Japanese knowledge to enjoy. The music while is all Japanese is very catchy (not suprising that the vast majority of the songs also appear in the Kareoke machines across Japan)

The downside to the game I would say is if you're not playing with headphones the DS speakers do show up the music quite badly. It'd also be nice to have more songs and manga but with 15 completely individual stories/songs its hard to honestly begrudge the game for it. What it does lack is the 'throw-against-wall' factor when you lose, I've only ever given up on a song once and that was last night trying to do RSG on hard and my hand was shaking so bad I couldnt even finish the first part. All in all its a must buy for anyone who enjoys a good game, regardless of the attitude to manga/anime/jrock. You also get a Japanese DS case! which is worth it alone.

Links:

Official Site
Metal Gear Ouendan
Real Life Ouendan
What the song 'Ready Steady Go' sounds like

do you know the way to wan chai

2006-01-17T22:09:00.000Z

neko in jail!

2006-01-11T23:39:00.000Z

Sally and Tara were taken to the vets yesterday, BOTH in the same cat-carry-box which Sally objected to. In the photo is Tara using her super strength to bend the bars with her bare paws, seconds later she overpowered the driver and went for some fish and chips.

the very last!

2006-01-11T23:36:00.000Z

My very last music, quiz & disco held at my old primary school! This photo was taken by my 9 year old nephew because I thought it would look disturbing to take a photo with a mobile standing at the school gate with children running by. He did a good job!

sy has passed act 2005

2006-01-01T00:14:00.000Z

Status:

8 New Years Resolutions made
3 completed

Suggested Action: Stop making new years resolutions and overshooting myself :p

Cafe Neko Theme Tune

2005-12-19T23:05:00.000Z

If Cafe Neko had a theme tune it would probably sound something like this. Sounds both French-like and has random cat meowing in it. The song itself is actually the music that plays in Animal Crossing at around 1pm-2pm, my town is probably riddled with weeds now...long gone are the days when Trixie would work for fruit and threaten the local populous into giving her cheesecake.

Silent Hill

2005-11-21T09:16:00.000Z

It looks almost black and white in quality. What's spookier though is that not only was the road deserted but my broken-radio-player-that-only-ever-plays-static was getting louder"

scary painting

2005-11-21T09:13:00.000Z

It's almost as if she's thinking "soon, soon I will devour your soul like a dog...eating...an ice cream"

Coffee In The Rain

2005-11-03T18:41:00.000Z

While waiting around in the pouring rain for someone sipping my gingerbread latte i snapped this with my phone.

Needless to say its been raining a lot lately...

2005-10-21T23:25:00.000Z

Welcome to Cafe Neko!

Please make yourself comfortable and take a glance at the menu. When you're ready to order call over our new waitress Meeya, she's new but enthusiastic in her work.

Whether you have followed me from my old home or have stumbled into here by accident I welcome you to what is a fresh start for me and hopefully inspiring enough for me to be able to interest at least some people whether you like a double latte an expresso or if you really have to...a cup of tea.

Things are kinda bare, many features which i used on my old blog are gone such as stats and guestbooks in reality they never really did me any good. The top link will answer any questions like..."why cafe neko?" "wheres Trixie?" and "who is the cat?" If you have something to say then put your cup down and leave a tip ;)

2005-10-21T23:18:00.000Z

Cafe Neko Q&A

Why Cafe Neko?

Cafe Neko was decided as a replacement for my old blog several months ago, the name itself comes from a 'vision' i had years ago when i was walking past the Italian Coffee House Caffe Nero and I thought to myself "If only the 'r' in Nero was a 'k' it would be Caffe Neko.

The word 'Neko' comes very simply from the Japanese for cat so Caffe Neko is Cafe Cat, my 'vision' then went further to me actually owning a coffee house called 'Caffe Neko' where all the waitresses were dressed up as Cat Girls (similer to a playboy mansion and its Bunny Girls and no it wouldn't be a harem). Several years on and the name was used as a new blog design (although I dropped the extra 'f' in Caffe because it looked better)

Who is the cat?

The cat dressed in a Maid uniform is Meeya Belle a character created by the same person who made Trixie Furr (me) Because Neko means Cat and foxes are related closer to dogs than cats I decided that i needed a mascot for Cafe Neko.

My biggest fear is that Meeya would fall into the same trap as my other 'fox' characters as in they would all look the same. Fortunetly this wasn't true and Meeya looks independant of any other character I've drawn. Incidently her first name comes from a sound a cat makes "meeeya!" and her surname is very French like but also related to a cat bell which she wears.

Trixie is still alive and well (who could leave her?) and is still residing on her own blog linked on the right as 'Trixie Furr'