WNBP: Stuff I Did

As I was sitting down to write tonight's Wednesday Night Bullet Post, it suddenly occurred to me that I felt rather...accomplished.  Probably once I get it all written down, it will seem like less but, for now, I'm going to ride the high.  Here's tonight's bullet points!

*Wednesday is the day of the weekly Visit With The Vegetables.


*You never know what you're gonna find.


*I found tomatoes.


*I found onions.


*I found mild jalapeno peppers


*I already had some garlic left over from last week.


*There was really only one thing I could do under those circumstances...

I made salsa!  What other choice did I have, really?

*I'll admit, I had my doubts on this one.  But, I forged ahead and processed it anyway.

*Even though it didn't look quite how I'd thought it might.

*While it was in the water bath, I tasted the little bit left over in the pot.

*Best salsa...EVER!!!

*Don't ask about the cost per jar.  I think we have established that this is not necessarily always a cost-effective way to stockpile spicy condiments.

*I'm glad I'm an early riser.

*Today was another day where I got to look at men on ladders outside my living room window.

*Could have been a disaster of epic proportions had they shown up while I was yelling at the mean Wii Fit lady.

*Scary middle aged woman screaming curse words at a cartoon lady in a leotard.

*Still working on the building.  Wish I'd known that in time to close the shades.

*Hate to do that right in their faces...

*Plus one of the shades is broken so I took it down on Monday and didn't get around to replacing it yet.

*They got to watch me make salsa.  I'm certain they were awestruck by the whole process.

*Or at least by the god awful mess I made in the kitchen...

*Hey!  Guess what else I did?  It's amazing!!!

I finally finished the socks!!!!

*Yes, it was quite a show for the dudes on the ladder.  

*Actually, I think having an audience kind of inspires me.

*Not really.  I just didn't dare to move around too much for fear of startling anyone on the ladder.  

*Knitting was one of the few options left to me once the salsa was done and I was settled on the sofa.

*I finally made a decision regarding my next reading adventure.

*I thought and thought.  But just couldn't seem to settle on anything for the longest time.

*Finally, I decided to return to my good buddy Simon R. Green.  I knew he had another series out there and figured it couldn't hurt to give it a try.

*So I downloaded a copy of The Man with the Golden Torc (Secret Histories, Book 1).

*Not as good as this one:  Eight from the Nightside Series ~ COMPLETE 8 Book Set ~ (Novels of the Nightside, 1 - 8).  

*But still pretty darned entertaining.

*It's a short series so I'll probably work my way through it fairly quickly but that is what summer is for, right?

*Once I finished the socks, I was so filled with the love of all things knitting that I started a scarf.

*It's an easy one, but I hate to let myself get lulled into a false sense of security.

*The socks were easy, too.

*I started them in December.

*That is just sad.

*Won't think about that.  Will focus on finished socks.

*And salsa.

*And reading material that meets my expectations.

I was right.  It doesn't look like that much in print.  But it felt like a lot of work when I was doing it so I'm still going to pat my own back vigorously.  I might even reward myself.  I could get the next book in the aforementioned series.

And some corn chips.  You know...so I can test the salsa again.

SA

The Best Intentions

First of all, let me state clearly and for the record that  my intentions were very, very good.  Stellar, in fact.  I had an unfinished sock.  I was not going to allow myself to start anything else until I finished that dad-blasted thing.  So, I made a plan.  I was going to finish it by Saturday.  I even put it in that cool little app. I have on my Ipod that tells me everything I'm supposed to be doing and which makes me feel terribly guilty when I don't do lots of stuff.

For the record, I did not need that new Ipod.  But I ended up making more money off those four workshop days than I thought I was going to collect.  Not quite twice as much, but close.  Using part of it towards replacing the little shuffle model I dropped whilst attending those workshops seemed perfectly logical.  I also blame Kat.  She influences me.  Now I have an Ipod Touch and a waffle maker thanks to her randomly mentioning all the cool things she has in her life.  This is not my fault...

Where was I?  Oh, yes.  The sock.  I was going to finish it on Saturday.  I had quite a bit done already so this was not unreasonable.  However, as Saturday drew nigh, I sort of thought it might be a good idea to adjust the due date in my helpful app.  Sunday seemed like a good safety net.

I didn't plan on the heat.  No one told me that there would be heat.  I suppose any number of meteorologists might have mentioned it, but none of them bothered to call or email me personally.  Frankly, that seemed a bit negligent but I'm too hot to do much about it right now.

I tried, though.  I really did.  I knit in the cooler morning hours and hung in there until the sticky air made moving the needles impossible.  I did my best.

Close...but no cigar.

The heat beat me.  There was nothing whatsoever in that helpful little app. for this kind of situation.  Maybe when things cool down a bit tonight I'll be able to give it another go.  I might still make it, but I doubt it.  I think I might need to sneak in and change the due date again.  No one needs to know.  It'll just be between me and the Ipod.  I don't feel guilty, not one little bit.  It's not like I've had much in the way of support here.

My cheering section demonstrated a marked lack of enthusiasm which didn't help matters at all.

SA

WNBP: Sleepwalking And Shuffling

Wednesday is once again upon us and it is time for Sheepie to toss out a Wednesday Night Bullet Post.  This is the best I could have done even if it wasn't Wednesday.  I'm barely awake, hardly functioning and giving new meaning to the word, "groggy."  Frankly, I think it best that I stick with the random format!

*Horrific insomnia last night.  Crazy bad.

*Not sure what the problem was.

*Could have been the impending storm.  The air felt all...tense.  

*And the low pressure did very weird things to certain felines who wander about the manse.

*There was much in the way of capering and gamboling well into the wee hours.

*Could also be the fact that I am steadfastly marching my way through The Dresden Files series and sort of got caught up in that.

*I finished Turn Coat: A Novel of the Dresden Files while the rains fell around 3:00 this morning.

*Started Changes (Dresden Files, Book 12) this afternoon.

*Now I need to come up with something else since the next one isn't due out until November.  Thoughts?

*I've really enjoyed reading the saga of Harry Dresden in spite of what I consider to be some questionable editing. (or lack thereof)  The story is strong enough to stand in spite of that, though.

*Deadliest Catch was a real gut wrencher last night.  Suppose that could have kept me awake.

*Capt. Phil's last show.  It was probably one of the best examples of the whole "reality" genre I've ever seen.

*Beautifully done and handled with amazing sensitivity.  

*Capt. Johnathan tweeted earlier in the day that he'd be watching last night.

*That made me sad since he was there when all that was going down.

*I knit a few rounds on the sock while I watched, but had to put it down so I wouldn't miss anything.

*Even if sleep eluded me, I still needed to hoist my sorry self out of bed this morning.

*Back is hurting these days so lying abed is no longer really an option.  

*And I had to visit with the mean Wii Fit lady who says things like, "Be honest.  You put your foot down, didn't you?"

*Heck, yeah I put my foot down!  I am a middle aged woman with a sore back and cats frolicking all around me like it's Mardi Gras!  I can't balance on one leg for days on end like you, Miss High And Mighty!!!!

*I am tired.  Perhaps I went a little too far.  Wii Fit Lady didn't seem to take it to heart so I think we're good.

*Went to the Farmer's Market for the weekly Visit With The Vegetables this morning once all that nonsense was done.

*Picked up some tomatoes, garlic, basil and onions.

*I had a plan.

*Unfortunately, I failed to do the usual weekly photograph to document my purchases because I was so focused on the plan.

*How about I show you what I did with them instead?

Tomato sauce with all sorts of the freshness contained within!

*I have made sauce from scratch, but never before scratched so far below the surface.

*This is "sauce" sauce.  No chunks.  Actual sauce.  There was a sieve involved and everything!

*If you factor in the cost of the veggies, my time and the Advil I took to deal with my aching back after standing over a pot for twelve hours, this is the most expensive sauce in the history of condiments.

*But it is a taste of summer that will last me into the winter.

*Yeah.  That's the spin we're putting on it.  

*Things continue to go well with the Absurdly Gi-normous Kitty and his new brother, the Very Complicated Kitty.

*I woke this morning to find myself contorted around two flabby, furry bodies who were taking advantage of the "extra" bed space.  

*They were probably tired from all the high jinx of the previous evening.  

*The abuse of a felted mousie was involved and it was not pretty.

Wednesday is winding down and soon it will be time to roll off the couch, shuffle my old, haggard self to the kitchen and feed a couple of hungry cats.  It's been almost two hours since their last vet approved snack and I don't know how the poor boys will survive if I don't get on that.  Then, if I can stay awake and find a comfortable enough position, I might even get in a little more sock time.

Or I'll fall asleep in a sufficiently awkward position on the sofa and have to be rescued by paramedics tomorrow morning when I can no longer move independently.  Maybe I can give them some nice sauce as a thank you...

SA

One Wonders...

Near as I can figure, I have managed to wade my way through the five billion appointments I set for myself over the past couple of weeks.  At last, I can slow down and have some "me" time.  I need that.  Every once in a while, I enter into a phase where the world outside my walls becomes oppressive and I need to hibernate for a period of time lest I become the sort of person who wears a tin foil hat as a fashion statement.

The down side of this behavior is that I'm pretty much on my own and have no one but my little ol' self to pass judgement upon my actions.  Given that I will have to go out periodically to dispose of the trash and forage for food, I really need to make sure that I haven't crossed that delicate line between A Person Taking Some Me Time and A Person Who Has Lost All Perspective Regarding Normal Behavior.  I have to ask myself a lot of questions if I'm going to successfully analyze myself.

For example, is it reasonable for me to think that I am going to finish that stupid sock this week?  A couple of years ago, it wouldn't even be a question.  I'd finish that and then some.  But production has slowed and I have to wonder if I'm really going to make the commitment.  I think I can do it.  I really do.  It is a sock, not a peace accord.  It is doable.  But still...past behavior makes me less than certain.

And what about the cucumbers?  When I swung by the farmer's market on Saturday, it was way too crowded for me to consider much in the way of shopping.  I just wanted to snag some basil and garlic and be done with it.  I didn't need cucumbers.  In fact, I had some at home.  But when the nice older gentleman gallantly handed me a bag with which to collect produce, I didn't have the heart to tell him that I wasn't in the market for baggable items.  I took it with heartfelt thanks and grabbed the first thing I saw in order that I might get the heck out of that packed stall.  More cucumbers.  Did that really have to happen?

For that matter, did I need to get so giddy over the subsequent making of the bread & butter pickles?  

I was rather perplexed by my having rolled out of bed at 5:00 this morning.  I don't understand.  What possessed me to crack open my eyeballs at such an ungodly hour when I am supposed to be all relaxed and whatnot?  Am I doomed to a life of early risings because I have lost the ability to sleep in like a normal person who doesn't have to do anything but engage in "me" time?  This concerns me.

Lots of questions, lots of pondering.  It's a burden and I hate to lay it at your feet.  Worse, I have one more upon which you might reflect.  Is it weird that looking up to see the Very Complicated Kitty giving his Absurdly Gi-normous brother a bath was enough to make me a little teary eyed?

Kind of choked up even...

I mean, c'mon!  They're cats being cats.  Granted, the VCK was targeting that one spot behind the ears that the AGK tries mightily to reach and never seems to quite get.  It was a very nice gesture.  But it's not like I was watching them coordinate a rescue operation to get Timmy out of that darned well or anything.  They were just doing what cats do.  Getting all smooshy-hearted over that sort of thing just isn't normal...

Right?

SA

Debits And Credits

When last we left our intrepid Sheepie, she was happily reporting on the acquisition of a free cat courtesy of the local shelter.  Since then, it has been difficult to not notice the way things sort of waver between the debit and credit columns on life's little tally sheet.

We made it to the vet on Thursday without incident.  The new carrier (forty dollars for the sturdiest one I could find, ten of those being for the bigger size) worked like a charm.  I was able to get the Very Complicated Kitty in and behind bars before he had a chance to realize what was happening.  We were off!

When adopting from the local shelters, the first visit to participating vets is at no cost to the adopter.  A free check up for the free kitty?  Yay!  (free plus forty bucks for the new carrier...)  However, I knew I was going to be dropping some dollars there so I brought my checkbook and kept it handy.  The Cat Whisperer gave the VCK a clean bill of health (known issues aside) and then we began shopping for foodstuffs.  They happened to have two cases of the edibles he can have (low cal and good for cats with struvite crystals) so I snagged both.  We also agreed that he would continue on the medication prescribed while he was at the shelter.

The VCK is on a tricyclic for anxiety.  I kind of hoped to start weaning him off that, but the doc suggested we keep him on it.  Since she is an Earth Mother of the first order, I kind of took that seriously.  If she wasn't asking that I get up at 4:00 each morning to wave aromatic oils around, burn sage and then lead the household felines in meditation exercises, then he probably really needs the meds.

The vet tech assisted me in getting everything out to the car.  Two cases of canned food and a bag of freeze dried treats designed to help the resident fat boys get over the loss of their beloved kibble made the ride home with me.  Total cost:  $83.00.

The Cat Whisperer called the prescription in to the local pharmacy for me, but managed to get the wrong one.  I spent some time tracking down a bottle of anti-anxiety medication, finally locating it today.  Now my cat and I are registered with completely different pharmacies and I don't think that bears discussing too much.  Fortunately, he only needs half a pill per day instead of the full pill I thought he was taking twice per day.  (glad I caught that little detail before I overdosed the poor guy with good feelings...)  A thirty day prescription will last him two months.  Total cost for today's excursion:  $12.00.  It would have been less, but I don't happen to have my own pill splitter on hand and the very nice pharmacist strongly suggested this investment based upon his own pet medicating experience.  (he has dogs, but I don't hold it against him...)

Yesterday, the online service that the vet uses for home delivery called to see if I was ready to set up auto-shipping for the food.  I was planning to call them myself, so this was a nice gesture on their part.  The pleasant lady couldn't pronounce her patient's name, but she had the good grace to be embarrassed by that.  I opted to not tell the whole Androcles And The Lion fable by way of explanation and just let her do her job.  A monthly delivery of prescription canned food will start arriving next month.  Cost:  Around forty bucks per month.  Half-price delivery if you do the whole auto-ship thingie.  Beats driving to the vet's office in a snowstorm, I suppose...

The cynics amongst you might be thinking, "Well Sheepie, I guess you got a little more than you bargained for there!"  Not so.  I actually went on the shelter's website before visiting in person and noted that many of the "interesting" kitties had some dietary restrictions.  I'd already planned ahead for that possibility.  I'll admit that the carrier and the meds were not quite what I expected, but I still think I was more prepared than not.

And where are we in the debit vs. credit standings?  Well...I guess it all depends on how you look at it.  I have taken a goodly chunk out of the money I earned for working that extra week at the start of the summer vacation, granted.  But that's just dollars and cents.  I still feel like I'm head and shoulders above the poverty line when it comes to feline bliss.  The VCK is a love bug who keeps me in snuggles and the Absurdly Gi-normous Kitty in good company.  The big investment from a financial standpoint is done now.  It's all about reaping the rewards from here on out.

While not getting the newest resident settled, I've managed to get in a few other activities.  Yesterday, I made some relish using cukes and onions from the farmer's market.

Three jars ended up in the credit column.  The fourth didn't seal.  Which means I need to go buy some hamburg and buns fairly soon.  Not sure if that is a debit...

The poor, abandoned sock project finally saw some game time once the humidity settled down a bit.  It now has a heel and the beginnings of a gusset situation.  That is a credit no matter how you look at it.  Slow credits, but credits nonetheless.

And so it goes.  You win some, you lose some.  If you come out of it all with a little bit more than what you started with, then you can call it a good day.  The cats are all fed, medicated as needed and napping happily.  I've got more in the way of sockage than I did a week ago and the means for dressing a burger should the urge overtake me.  I'm feeling pretty good.

That's not to say I didn't consider dipping into the VCK's pill bottle once or twice, though.  I'm only human...

SA

WNBP: Scamper, Scuttle 'n Scurry!!

For a person who is "on vacation," I certainly seem to have more to do than is reasonable.  For what it's worth, everything on my calendar is/was there because I either penciled it in myself and felt good about getting it done or because it was something I really wanted to do.  But it has certainly sped up the Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days Of Summer.  I think that a Wednesday Night Bullet Post with all it's random haste is just about perfect for tonight!

*Temperatures topped out here at 100 degrees yesterday.  

*Unnecessary.  Very, very unnecessary.

*Also unacceptable and unappreciated.

*Today was significantly cooler, thank you very much.  Didn't even hit 90.

*Close.  But no cigar.  Much more comfortable.

*I was almost grateful to be getting a bone density scan and mammogram yesterday.

*Air conditioned.  

*This allowed me to overlook some of the less pleasant aspects of the morning.

*I turned the sock heel yesterday, too.  And picked up the stitches for ongoing sockage.

*Then the yarn just got too darned sticky and I had to put it away.

*Quick trip to the farmer's market for the weekly Visit With The Vegetables this morning.

*Not much there when you go late.  

*But I was meeting my parents and extended family for lunch and didn't want to kill too much time.

*Got some cukes 'n onions.

*Gonna make some relish if all goes according to plan.

*Salad if plans go horribly awry.

*No veggie pix this week because I forgot.

*Pet store is right next to the farmer's market.

*New cat carrier needed.  The Very Complicated Kitty has to go to the vet tomorrow.  

*There will be no repeats of our last car trip together.  Leather seats still crying in pain and fear.

*Forty bucks for the new carrier.

*Will be dropping another sixty or seventy tomorrow to cover medications and prescription edibles.

*Cat was "free," as is the post-adoption check-up.

*New definition of "free..."

*The Absurdly Gi-normous Kitty loves his new brother.

*He does not love the new feeding situation which requires that there be no kibble in sight.

*Not even a crumb.  I try to sneak him some, but the VCK can hear the sound of clattering kibbles from a mile away.

*Fat cats don't need kibble.  Fat cats with struvite crystals need it less. 

*Fat cats don't care.

*Fat cats want kibble.

*The VCK is a Certified 'Fraidy Cat.

*We are developing a list of Fearsome Objects.  

*Things like shoes, soda bottles and cat toys.

*He found one that he really loves, though.  No idea where it came from.

*Don't even remember buying it.  

*Not surprised that it's his Most Favoritest Thing, though.

Stuffed Turkey Leg.  Figures...

*He also played with the AGK's beloved dollar store cat cave this morning.

*Which is weird because he is scared of it since the AGK put it on his head and chased him around a few days ago.

*I stocked up on cat caves the last time the dollar store had them.  

*I have twelve.  

*Plenty to go around.

*So far this summer, I've made one vet trip, gone to the dentist, made another appointment with the vet, made another appointment with the dentist, gotten the squishy/scanner tests done, visited with the family twice and adopted a Very Complicated Kitty.

*There's other stuff, too.  I just can't remember it all...

*I need a vacation.

*But first, I need to get my mojo back up again because tomorrow's trip to the vet is not going to be pleasant.  

*It's not so much the appointment I'm dreading.

*It's getting the squalling, squirming cat into the carrier.

*Next week is Sit At Home And Do Nothing Week.

*Make a note of it.

And now I must bid you all a good evening.  It is almost time to feed the beasts.  This requires that I set up two separate feeding areas.  One consists of "normal" food that must be guarded and the other features "prescription food and smooshed up anti-anxiety medication" that must also be guarded because a certain portly siamese would be very happy to trade with his brother.

Yeesh...

SA

And Now...The Rest Of The Story!

I don't know why I chose Saturday to go visit with the kitties at the Animal Refuge League.  I mean, it's not like I don't have a plethora of other days from which to choose.  I am on summer vacation, for crying out loud!  There was no need for me to be heading out into the heat and holiday weekend traffic.  But that was the day it all just felt...right.  

Suddenly, it was like being in a time warp.  It wasn't exactly two years to the day, but it was darned close.  And there I was.  In the same overcrowded shelter.  Standing next to the same crate.  With the same adoption counselor.  And gazing into the eyes of a big ol' cat who maybe was or wasn't "the one."  

It all worked out the last time, though.  So I did it again.  I said, "Yes.  I want him."  And that was that.  Except not really.

The shelter is in dire straits right now.  They are out of room and literally giving cats away.  The staff can't keep up but are doing their level best to make sure that everyone finds their match.  My cat was a tough sell and I know they were thrilled to find a home for him.  But it wasn't easy.  He comes with...issues.  And this required some discussion.  This is his second try at finding his Forever Home.  His last family returned him to the shelter with little in the way of information, ten extra pounds and a severe case of struvite crystals requiring a prescription diet.  Under the hectic circumstances, this information was given to me pretty clearly, but rushed all the same.  Soon, it was time to take him home.

For the record, it is a very bad sign when the adoption counselor mutters, "I hope he goes into the carrier without any trouble and doesn't make me look stupid..."

It took two volunteers to wrangle him into the carrier.  He had to use the one I brought because he wouldn't fit in the cardboard version they hand out.  I stood in the background and flapped my hands because it was the most helpful thing I could think of in that moment.  I like to think of myself as a team player.  After an epic struggle, the carrier was zipped shut and the velcro flap secured.  I was now ready to lug my seventeen pound flame point Siamese to the car for his ride home.

I'll just let you sit with that for a minute.  Seventeen pound Siamese.  Ponder it.  Feel free to shake your head at my folly if it so pleases you.  You will be feeling quite justified in a moment.

Before I got to the door, the adoption counselor flagged me down and handed me a plastic packet.  This, she explained, was his medicine.  He needs it twice daily.  For anxiety.  I'd have stood there with my mouth agape for a while, but you can't hold a seventeen pound Siamese for any real length of time.  You have to adjust.

I struggled to the car and hoisted the carrier to the back seat.  The kitty was making his displeasure known in a variety of ways, but mostly through thrashing and yowling.  He'd be OK once I got him home, though.  I just had to make it a little bit further.  In addition to being a team player, I am also an optimist.

We pulled away from the shelter.  Before the building was even out of sight, I heard the sound of tearing velcro.  That was disturbing.  But it paled in comparison to the horror I felt when I heard the distinctive hiss of a zipper.    It was like something out of the TV version of The Incredible Hulk.  You don't want to make me angry.  You wouldn't like me when I'm angry...

"Oh, gracious!" I cried as I realized what was happening.

That's not true.  What I really said was, "HOLY S**T!!!!!"  But I don't want anyone to think I am a bad kitty mother so I left that part out.

Before I knew it, my rear view mirror was filled with seventeen pounds of panicked Siamese.  Big blue eyes were blazing at me and a mouthful of fangs were bared in my direction.  He'd managed to get onto the the top of the back seat and balance himself with equal parts fat hanging from either side.  Between that and his claws digging into the upholstery, he was well seated for travel and tormenting.

I gave some thought to turning around and going back to the shelter for help, but it seemed safer to just proceed.  Maybe he'd calm down.  If nothing else, I'd eventually end up back home and closer to the front door.  I drove as carefully as I could, not so much for his sake as for mine.  He is very well padded.  In a collision, he'd do just fine.  I, on the other hand, would have seventeen pounds hitting me squarely in the back of my head and would probably not survive impact.

The ride felt like weeks.  If you've never heard the squalling cry of a Siamese, you will have to use your imagination as far as the soundtrack goes.  Suffice it to say, he was audible.  Obviously, I was in no position to record the moment for posterity, but I would imagine you could find an image or two.  Just do a search for "white knuckled woman in a station wagon with wild eyed, snarling, tongue-hanging-out feline."  I'm fairly certain I saw one or two cell phones whipped out in the cars I passed on the Maine Turnpike.  

At long last, we arrived home.  Now what?  Should I open the door?  Will he run?  There was nothing to do but give it a shot.  I carefully eased the door open.  He didn't move.  I tried to nudge him back towards the carrier.  No way.  Finally, I just picked him up.  And that was that.  He relaxed happily into my arms and let me lug him to the door.  Just like that.

But now I had another problem: how to get him inside and safely past the Absurdly Gi-normous Kitty.  I doubted that the AGK was going to be happy about this interloper and I had a file folder full of information telling me how best to introduce these two to one another with a minimum of bloodshed.  How was I going to do that if the new kitty wasn't in his carrier?  He needed to be safely in his carrier!  It says so!  Right in the blue folder!!!

I was out of options.  I abandoned my purse and other traveling accessories in the driveway, tucked the enormous ball of fur under my arm like a football, assumed what I thought might be a reasonable quarterback stance and took a deep breath.  I opened the front door and made a run for the bathroom, gracefully dodging the AGK and depositing my burden behind a closed door.  Panting, I made my way back down to retrieve the rest of my belongings.

I returned to discover that I'd made a serious error in judgement.  There was a pair of sweatpants hanging from the bathroom door.  It was not closed.  It was open just enough to allow two pairs of noses to touch.  I brandished the blue folder in protest.

No!  I have a folder!  There are twenty five pages in here and they are stapled.  Stapled!  In a certain order!  That means we have a procedure to follow and you are already at step fourteen.  We can't BE at step fourteen yet.  It's only been two and a half minutes!!!

It was futile.  I had one gigantic cat on one side of the door who wanted out and one gigantic cat on the other who wanted in.  I am but one woman.  The battle was lost.  Besides, at this rate I was going to have to start drinking soon and that would mean I'd need to use the bathroom anyway.  I did what I could to hold back the AGK and carefully eased the door open.

There was one hiss and a couple of raised paws.  This was followed by more of the nose touching and a good deal of butt sniffing.  This, I can only assume is the male feline equivalent of the fist bump.  And that was that.  Kitties can't read folders, blue or otherwise.  They were now buddies.  

It was this brilliant taming of the mighty orange beast that made me think of kitty's new name.  He may be a Very Complicated Kitty, but he is Androcles in my eyes after that brilliant display of negotiation.

Within an hour, I had two pot-bellied cats yowling at me in the kitchen for dinner.  After two, the AGK was helping the poor chubby boy with his grooming.  That evening, they began engaging in some good natured wrestling that left me cringing and having to repeat over and over, "boys will be boys...boys will be boys..."

Mostly, though, they just hang out.

Sometimes, they compare belly size.

They've mastered the S Is For Super pose

And channeled their inner cheerleaders enough to do the T Is For Terrific one, too.

It all worked out.  On Thursday, we'll head back to the vet so she can take a look at the Very Complicated Kitty and make some recommendations for me.  I'd like to think I can get him off the anxiety meds now that he is settled in his new home, but time will tell if he's ready to start weaning off them.  I just need to take care of one thing before we go, though.

I need a new carrier.  Preferably something in iron or kryponite...

SA

Maybe...

Sometimes, the things we do just don't make any sense.  We may be fully aware that our logistical security blanket is full of holes,  but it doesn't always matter.  We do what we do and we believe what we believe even if it flies in the face of all available data.

A question has been asked of me with random frequency lately.  It is this crazy mind set that has partially influenced my answer.  

In my addled brain, cats are girls and dogs are boys.  This is a long-standing belief and one that I've held since time immemorial.  This makes absolutely no sense whatsoever given that the Absurdly Gi-normous Kitty who shares my space is most decidedly male.  Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that he is a dude who is very much in touch with his feminine side...that could confuse things for me.  Whatever the reason, I still tend to think of cats as being girls unless I am clearly told otherwise.  

The other influence is probably a bit more sobering.  The loss of my Big, Fluffy Kitty last May was devastating.  It was painful.  Gut-wrenchingly so.  It was the kind of pain that I couldn't even really talk about.  Heck, even if I was capable of discourse on the subject, I wouldn't have done so because it was the kind of pain that hurts more when you try to share it.  The BFK was special.  A gift.  The kind of cat that comes along once in a lifetime.  She was my baby.

So when people began gently asking if I might ever consider getting another cat, I thought about it for a while.  I really did.  But, in the end, the answer was no.  You don't just replace your baby.  You can't.  It is wrong to even think you can.  Worse, that very thought made me almost physically sick.  Another baby girl?  Not even an option.  There is no other baby girl...not for me.  I'm done.

Of course, The Cat Whisperer didn't know about this firm decision.  She was just making an observation during the AGK's yearly exam, nothing more.  "You know," she said, "if you ever decide to get a companion for him, I would strongly urge you to get another male.  They tend to bond better.  You might also want to consider one in the same color range."  Then she went about her business, poking and fiddling about with her patient.  I don't even think she noticed me and the reaction her words had wrought.

I was frozen in place.  A boy kitty?  But...cats are girls.  Right?  They are.  And I can't...

But, you know what?  Thinking of boy kitties didn't hurt nearly as much.  I guess, somewhere in the deep, dark recesses of my brain, I must have considered that at some point.  But the old belief system just overrode everything and the defenses against the pain didn't let me follow that train of thought any further.  Yet, when I let go of the baggage for a minute, I had an epiphany  A boy?  That might work.

So now I'm thinking that maybe...just maybe...I could have another cat someday.  A boy kitty.  A buddy for the AGK who is lonely.  I know he is.  He has been sleeping an awful lot lately and not playing as much as he used to.  He might like a brother someday.  It could be good for all of us.  I might even name him Androcles because that seems like a kind of cool name for a boy kitty.

Yeah...Androcles.  I kind of like the sound of that.

Of course, circumstances would need to be pretty much perfect for me to get beyond the Thinking Stage.  There would have to be a reason, perhaps a few indications that the time was right and I don't think the whole thing would work at all if there wasn't a really, really good story to go along with an adoption.  But if all that ever fell into place, I could see myself taking the plunge again someday.

You know...maybe.

Happy Independence Day, Fellow Citizens!

SA

WNBP: First Of The Seasonal Veggie Editions!!!

It feels like it took forever but, at long last, it is here.  Summer vacation, baby!  Sure, school ended the week before last.  But that means nothing when you have to go in for four extra days of mandatory workshops.  Now it is really and truly summer vacation, complete with the traditional Wednesday Night Bullet Post!  OK...I guess I do one every week.  It's just that the ones I do in the summer are a little more light hearted and less with the heavy sighing.

Here's the first of this summer vacation's WNBPs:

*Guess who went to the Farmer's Market today?  Can ya guess?  Canya-canya??!!

*ME!!

*'Cuz that's what I do during summer vacation.

*Things are still a bit on the sparse side, but improving since the Odd Saturday That Was Not At All Comfortable Because It Was The Wrong Day Trip I made there a few weeks ago.  

Today's haul included fresh peas, potatoes, new garlic and beef.  Not shown: fresh basil.

*I do not like vegetables but, God help me, I'm like a kid on Christmas morning when the new garlic is here!

*I rhapsodized about it with The Farm Stand Lady.

*Seriously.  I actually rhapsodized.

*If you like garlic, live in the area but don't buy it from Snell Family Farm, then I just don't know what more can be done for you.  You are out of your mind.

*Big ol' garlic with the scapes still on 'em.  

*The young garlic is a bit milder and has such a fresh taste you won't be able to stand it.

*Tonight's dinner: Cubed, roasted potatoes liberally festooned with freshly ground sea salt and basil ribbons upon leaving the oven.

*Also opened a new bottle of ketchup because, let's face it.  I am who I am.

*For what it's worth, it was a new vintage with a bright bouquet.

*As an afterthought, I also rigged up a foil packet with some peas and an ice cube.  Green things are good for you and it makes me giggle when I cook the ice cube in the oven.

*Worth the trouble for both the giggle and the fresh peas.

*I do not put ketchup on peas.

*What am I, a savage?

*I am avoiding turning a heel right now.

*I suppose it is enough of a triumph that I knit a heel flap given my recent lack of knitting amazing-ness.

*Almost finished with Dead Beat (The Dresden Files, Book 7).  

*It's got a t-rex AND zombies...what's not to like?????

*I canned a pint of peas just to see how they'd look this afternoon.

*They look like canned peas.

*I don't like canned peas.

*Will henceforth freeze the peas and just hope that The Coming Zombie Apocalypse doesn't interrupt our power service.  

*I'll have to eat the peas before they defrost.

*I was going to roast some garlic with the potatoes tonight, but thought the better of it.

*Dentist appointment tomorrow.  I hate my dentist, but not enough torture the nice dental tech. with my fresh garlic breath.

*Hysterical Mind:  Wait.  What?  Did someone say, "Dentist???"

*Rational Mind:  Shhh....no, no.  Not at all.  We are going out tomorrow to run some errands.  Maybe replace the ipod we broke last week.  That's all.  Just a few little errands...nothing to get excited about.

*Hysterical Mind:  Well...that's all right, then.

*Pretty sure I have a cavity, but let's just keep that to ourselves.  HM isn't going to be distracted by a new ipod for very long.

*Might have to get her an ipod upgrade.  And a balloon.  And a pony...

*Will be letting her eat 'taters with roasted garlic either way, though.

*Because it is summer vacation, by golly!!!

And that's Wednesday from my viewpoint.  I'm all full of potatoes and peas and that suits me just fine.  We'll worry about tomorrow's appointments and heels that need turning later.  It's allll good here!

SA

Soothing Whisper

When the Absurdly Gi-normous Kitty first came to live with me, he was a nice enough cat.  He was funny, playful and it was rather refreshing to have such a young feline capering about the manse.  However, he wasn't much more than a house guest for a while.  He seemed to think that it would be fun while it lasted but that getting overly attached would be a bad idea.  After a fashion, though, he decided that he loved me.  He wrapped himself around my feet and stayed firmly huddled.  

This was wonderful because I loved him, too.  But the new order came with a price.  The AGK does not love all willy-nilly.  If he was going to love me, then he would love no other.  And he was going to be painfully obvious about it.  Woe be to anyone who entered his happy home because there would be repercussions.  While the blogging world might see naught but a happy, goofy fellow,  I have been left with actual bruises following his panicked flights upon seeing other humans.

You can imagine how much I was dreading this year's appointment with the vet.  I didn't even go last year because I became so stressed out by the very thought of what he might do.  The Cat Whisperer is just a little mite of a thing and the AGK is a massive ball of human hater.  He could crush her and steal her wallet in the time it took her to realize she was in peril.

I couldn't put it off any longer, though.  I had to take him.  And today was that day.  I barely slept last night for the stress of it.  I couldn't eat this morning.  I opted to not take the knitting with me because I didn't think I could manage a heel flap while my killer cat tore apart victim after hapless victim.

As I sat with him in the exam room, the stress only intensified.  He was crying in such a piteous way that one might think he wanted comfort.  I knew better.  He was just trying to lure me over so he could remove one or both of my nostrils.  Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me...

The Cat Whisperer came in, greeted me and cooed at the beast.  I noticed that she was wearing no protective gear whatsoever.  "She doesn't get it," I thought.  "He'll be wearing her lab coat in under five minutes."  Weakly, I repeated the warning I'd been giving every staff member in the place since I first made the appointment.

The Cat Whisperer smiled at me and said softly, "This usually works well with the red-heads."  She then produced a glass vial.  I immediately assumed the fetal position and covered my face so that the soon-to-be-flying shards wouldn't hit my eyes.  I waited.

Then I heard the soft chuckling of the vet and her technician.  "Oh yeah...he likes it," The Cat Whisperer said.  I looked up to see my formerly panicked cat happily emerging from the carrier and trying to nuzzle the magical glass vial.  Then he did the same to the vet.  

She administered the flea treatment and he grinned like a fool.  She gave him not one, but two vaccinations and I don't think I've ever seen him look happier.  At that point, she took a short break because if I didn't know what was in that little glass tube I was going to lose my ever loving mind.  It was a botanical aromatherapy oil and clearly sent to her office by the Almighty Himself.  I purchased the vial right out of her hand.

She returned to her patient who was killing time by making goo-goo eyes at the vet tech.  She examined every inch of him, including the parts that required lifting his tail.  It took me months to be able to touch his tail, for crying out loud!  He squirmed happily and preened at any comment he thought might be remotely related to his amazing, gi-normous physique.  When invited to return to his carrier for the trip home, he politely declined and had to be coaxed back in with a treat and a few more whiffs of the magical stinky stuff.

Now, I know that vets are in their chosen careers because they have a way with animals.  They do what they do because they are good at it.  Animals aren't people and are pretty much always "in the moment."  They react to what is happening in the here and now.  While I give off a stress vibe, The Cat Whisperer will send out more soothing and authoritative non-verbal messages.  A little dab of essential oil isn't the whole story here.  I get that.

But still...it was something of a miracle to mine eyes.  The reaction was sudden and so helpful in my particular situation.  I can't decided whether The Cat Whisperer is a genius or the Lord High Dark Wizard of the veterinary circle.  Either way, the appointment was a success.  (Unless you count the part where she gently pointed out the weight gain...)  The cat is home and happy.  The kitty mommy is relieved.

He spent the rest of the day in the predictable, post-vaccination stupor.  That's the one where he becomes a carpet speed bump.

                                               

And I just know he was dreaming of The Cat Whisperer.

SA

Oh, Just Can It!

A few months ago, I decided that I would try my hand at canning this summer.  I'd done it before, but not to any real extent.  However, I've gotten pretty good about purchasing produce fresh from the Farmer's Market on a weekly basis during the summer months and I kind of liked the idea of preserving it.  The fact that we've had a couple of significant power outages over the past two winters where I wondered about the stuff in the freezer also contributed to this decision.

So I headed out for a book on the subject, a shiny new pressure canner and a few billion Mason Jars.  I was off and running!

Jellies.  Jams.  Pickles.  Relishes.  Veggies.  Fruits.  They all sounded good to me, at least in theory.  I don't much like vegetables, but it's kind of exciting to eat something you've worked for.  Yup.  Canning stuff for the winter months was going to work out just fine!

What I was not going to do was can meat.  That just sounded...crazy.  Meat in the cupboard is going to kill you and I don't care what the book says!  I'll stick to the jelly, thank you very much.

But the more I read, the more I thought that it might actually work.  It even sounded kind of appealing in a weird sort of way.  I wandered around the internet and checked out a few details just to be sure.  And I don't mean Billy Bob's Blog On Mountain Survival Where Everyone Knows That You Have To Hide Yourself From The Government Menace.  Billy Bob might know how to dress and cook up a deer, but I don't consider him an expert on food safety.  Billy Bob is the type who wants to kidnap me and make me his hill-billy bride.  Then I'll have to eat canned squirrel and hope the Mad Rodent Disease doesn't get me.  Billy Bob makes me nervous and I'm not taking his word for anything.

I relied, instead, on more professional sources of information like County Extension sites and canning suppliers manufacturer's guidelines.  They seemed a little more knowledgeable and less with the "kill the revenue man."

With my summer vacation upon me, time on my side and a new found confidence in the ability of the pressure canner to kill bad bacteria, I cooked up some chili con carne.  When it was all over, I had six pints of bubbling, well-sealed dinners.

But only four would fit in the artsty-fartsy picture without revealing the disastrous mess in my kitchen.

It worked.  I don't think I'm going to rely on those who would tell me this will keep for years and years.  Given that I don't have a basement for storing canned food, I'm probably not going to go more than six months.  But it worked.  I'm rather impressed.

You don't want to can anything like meat in a water bath canner.  It's not safe and I think this bears repeating.  You cannot can low acid foods like meat in anything other than a pressure canner.  Write it on your kitchen wall if you think you might forget that and blame me later.  But I do have one and there is chili in the Sheepish household today, my friends!

There is also some knitting and hope of a new sockling some time in the near future.  You have a great deal of down time when canning.  You have to sit and wait for your food to cease being a potential death threat and that is very good for knitting.  Further, I have scheduled about five thousand appointments for the next couple of weeks and all of them require that I sit and wait for people to tend to my needs.  There's not much that's better for knitting time as far as I can see.  

But I won't let all this get in the way of Wednesday's trip to the Farmer's Market.  Chili is all well and good, but it's not going to work without some side dishes.  I'm on a roll!

Except that I've run out of jars...

SA

The Quasi-Vacationing WNBP

In the most technical sense, I am now on summer vacation.  The classrooms are all packed up, the kids are haunting the malls and the custodians can now do all the stuff that they can't do while we are in the way.  However, that sense of peaceful bliss is eluding me thanks to a week of mandatory training that the district has scheduled.  I've been doggedly making my way back to The Place I'm Supposed To Be Shut Of since Monday morning and this is not making for that vacation-y feeling.

It does help to define the week days, though.  I know it is Wednesday and that I need to throw out a Wednesday Night Bullet Post.  I suppose this is a a bit of a silver lining...

*Monday's workshop was horrible.


*Tuesday's workshop was actually a little bit interesting.


*And I knit several inches of sock cuff.


*Today's workshop didn't start off so well.


*No one knew where I was supposed to go because it was "department work time."


*I don't fit particularly well with any department.


*I finally found a place to be and actually got a significant amount of work done.


*I know.  I was kind of shocked myself...


*The tech guy shut off the internet filters because some of the people from the high school needed to access YouTube as part of a teaching unit.


*I don't think that my being able to upload pictures of me not working during workshop time onto Facebook was what they had in mind, but sometimes that's how these things work out.


*No knitting today.


*The Absurdly Gi-normous Kitty is not particularly thrilled with my going to work in the summertime.


*He looks a little put out.


*This, of course, could also be due to the low fat/calorie diet he is currently not enjoying.


*I somehow have to get this jiggly ball of feline into shape before his appointment with the V-E-T on Monday.


*Seems unlikely, but stranger things have happened.


*Doesn't really matter, I guess.  She's not going to get him on the scale.  


*She won't be able to peel him off the ceiling.


*Or her face...


*I spent more time today wandering around the web than I really should have.


*Australian politics are kind of exciting right now.


*My ipod died on the way to work.


*This limited my opportunities for tuning out stuff.


*There is a fat cat sitting on my feet.


*The diet is not working.  I can't feel my big toes.


*It was hot and muggy today.


*This was not exactly what I read in the forecast, but I may have scanned it a little too quickly.


*Either way, I was overdressed.


*No.  The majority of Maine schools are not air conditioned.  


*This is probably also a good time to establish for the readers that my home is not air conditioned either.


*Yes.  I am aware that these devices exist.  I have lugged a couple up to the second floor and hoisted them into windows over the years.


*Don't see myself doing that again any time soon.


*It is much cooler now, though.  No grousing on this end.


*Expect soggy whining later in the summer, though.  My unwillingness to do bodily damage lifting heavy appliances does not seem to preclude my complaining about the heat when it does stop by.


*One more day of training to go and then I will no longer be on Quasi-Vacation.


*I will be on Real Vacation.


*I look forward to this.


*Even if they did turn off the filters so I can have YouTube and Facebook at school...

So that's the day that was.  It wasn't exactly a typical Wednesday, be it work time or vacation time, but it could have been worse.  I got some work done and still had ample time to fiddle around on the interwebs.  And besides, the science lab has really good circulation so it wasn't all that muggy in there.  I think I can do one more day.

But no more than that.  There is only so much Quasi-Vacationing a girl can take.

SA

The Glow Fades

OK.  That's it.  My sunny attitude regarding this week's mandatory teacher workshops has officially clouded over.  No more shall I wax optimistically about the extra dollars in my next paycheck or be thankful that they are doing this in June rather than stealing my last precious vacation days in August. This was, without a doubt, the longest day of my entire life and I'm including that horrific day I spent getting a root canal without the benefit of working pain killers.  Seriously.  I would kill to go back to that delightful day in history.  I look back on it with fond and wistful nostalgia.

It all started when I fooled myself into thinking that having to be at school at 8:00 in the morning instead of at 7:00 would give me more time to enjoy the morning.  It doesn't.  Somehow, that extra hour evaporated faster than the morning dew and I ended up having to rush around like my usual manic self on a regular day.  I arrived in the cafeteria in a timely fashion but that was more luck than anything else.

It's not my fault, by the way.  Everyone told me that The Dresden Files would get better if I just stuck with it.  Not that the first few were bad, mind you.  They just weren't living up to the expectations I'd managed to set.  However, I offer up a sincere, "you weren't kidding" to those who spoke up for Harry.  I was utterly incapable of leaving the house until I'd finished Death Masks: A Novel of the Dresden Files (The Dresden Files, Book 5).  Then I accidentally started Blood Rites: A Novel of the Dresden Files and you can see how things would start to spiral out of control time-wise from there...

The agenda looked grueling, more so since they "adjusted" it over the weekend.  There were promises made for an early escape if we stayed on task, but even I knew that was just something presenters say to keep the masses from revolting around lunchtime.  We were in for the long haul and there was nothing to be done about it.

I managed to knit for a while.  That was nice.  But then I needed my hands free to hold the table steady in order that I might more effectively beat my head upon it and that was the end of that.

Tomorrow's presentation doesn't look to be any less exhausting, either.  To make matters worse, no one can really explain with any clarity just what the heck it is we are supposed to be doing on Wednesday and Thursday.  They don't even seem to agree on where we should be assembling.  And don't even get me started on the taunts coming from those who only have to attend two days of this exercise in mass torture.  We, the truly trapped and miserable, hate them with a passion that could ignite a thousand suns.

I find it highly unlikely that I will make it through the next few days without criminal charges being pressed.  That or I will find myself falling asleep and then I'll be nominated as team leader for one of the work groups.  Which, I suppose, is also a good way to end up wearing an orange jumpsuit.  It is going to end badly if someone doesn't release me unto the loving arms of my summer vacation soon.

On the other hand, maybe it's for the best that I'm not home this week.  When I dragged my weary self back to the manse I discovered not one, but two, work men dangling from the roof and hammering enthusiastically away at the facade.  It seems that the Intrusive But Trying To Be Considerate About It Guy brought his associate along today.  That would be the Guy Who Owns The Really Big Radio And Isn't Afraid To Use It.

It wasn't going to be quite the self-indulgent start to vacation I'd dreamed of either way.  While I'm certain that committing acts of aggression against those who seek to thwart me isn't going to end up well, I still can't help but wonder.

Would my cell be more conducive to the peaceful glow than life on the outside?

SA