Motherhood

I am not legally a mother. I am not recognized as a mother on bs Hallmark holidays like Mother's Day. I am fine with that. Really. Being a cat mom is all I can handle, I think. Having met my precious piglet and seeing all that he needs, I am glad not to be mom to a human. Piglet is amazing. Watching him develop and evolve in the few days we were with him was remarkable. Piglet's ability to track time and demand feedings exactly every four hours is amusing and quite awesome. We could tell time without even looking at a clock! Despite his sweet smell and darling little clothes, his poopy diapers and smelly farts were enough to knock me over. Add his late night/early morning meals into the mix, and parenthood isn't for me. That's not to say I wouldn't walk to the ends of the earth for piglet (not even my kid!), but I would not willingly choose to devote the rest of my life to raising, caring and worrying about my child. Or dealing with a 30-year old child still living with me. Or providing daycare to a grandkid.

As caregiver to Angel, Davis and Cara, I think I've been a good mom to them. I would venture to say that I'm probably a better mom to my cats than some people are to their human children (how sad!). Feeding, providing shelter, and seeking medical care for my kitties are my duty. It's what I am supposed to do--it's what they are entitled to, as my dependents. I chose to assume responsibility for their well-being and their lives. Where I think my kids are lucky is how I am their advocate, their activist, their researcher, their personal fighter.

Angel is still sick. The thought that she's been suffering for two weeks is very upsetting to me. The good news is that her urine no longer looks like pure blood. The bad news is that she is still straining to pee and still has some pink in her urine. She has been on antibiotics for a few days now and while her condition has improved, she's still uncomfortable. That is not good enough. I researched her medications and prescription food earlier this week. (Part of me wants to believe that all parents of furry or human children would do this.) Her food is not for prolonged use. Angel's previous medication could affect kidney function with continued use. Her current medication can impair vision and damage her eyes with improper or prolonged use. Although our veterinary practice is superb, I don't think they are obligated to disclose all potential side effects or adverse reactions. This of course puts the burden on us parents to do the research and learn as much as we can, so we can ask the doctors the right questions.

I would like to think that all parents would do the same for their children, human or otherwise. Heck, if I do that for my kitties, parents BETTER do that for their human kids! Maybe I am one of "those" parents...the overbearing people who constantly call the doctor's office with questions or seeking advice, the ones who ask difficult questions or questions the treatment options. My thing is, if I don't demand the best care for my kids, who will? If I don't aggressively learn and research all I can about my kitties' conditions, who will tell me? It's unreasonable to expect a doctor to educate me on all the possible conditions or treatments. My job as their mom is to form a partnership with the doctors and fight their illnesses as a team. Unfortunately, with Angel, the doctors are puzzled by her condition. She's had the stones for years with no ill effects. Why now? You can bet the first call the practice receives after Christmas will be from me. Hopefully it will be a call to provide an update on Angel's significant improvement.

Family Reunion

It feels so good to be reunited with the kitties!!! The house was so empty and lonely without the kids. I entered the library this morning without anyone hauling tail to slip in before I closed the door. Nobody woke us up requesting breakfast (I still woke up at 4:00 though). The kitties seemed a bit indifferent to our arrival at the resort. Maybe it was all the commotion. The resort reported that the kids got along with the other cats. No hissing or other issues. HEY! NOT FAIR! Davis still hates Cara but she seems to back off a bit now. It's probably jealousy, so we'll try to make Cara feel loved even if she doesn't like to be held. The kitties smell weird. They don't have their personal scents. I never realized how comforting I found their essence until now. Everyone seems to be settling in. Davis is more skittish than his sisters. Hopefully things will be back to normal tomorrow.

Our boy looks really thin. The resort said that all three snubbed the canned food served. Davis has special needs and usually eats his kibble off the rug in his room. I suspect he didn't eat much at the resort since dry food was served in a metal bowl. He is so skinny that I am worried about him. Hopefully I can bulk him up in the next month or so. It won't be the end of the world if he only eats kibble, I suppose.

Santa Claws came early this year. Cara's room is also our computer room/office, so she doesn't have a perch to look out the window. Apparently Miss Honeybutt decided windowsills are below her royal status. I asked QE for a small tree for Cara as my Christmas gift this year. He groaned since we got Angel and Davis a big tree last year. PetSage had an open house the weekend before we left and held a raffle. We won the most perfect cat tree!!! It has two U-shaped perches that are perfect for sunny naps or looking out the window. We could not have asked for a better cat tree for Cara! In typical big-sister fashion, Angel inspected the tree and decided it will be her new venue for afternoon naps.

The pet resort took wonderful care of our precious babies. I am so grateful that such a business exists to serve high-maintenance pills like me. :) I am not sure I ever want to be away from my kids for that long again though. The best news is that they only charged us for seven days and not eight. That saved us over $120. Yay!

Cock-a-doodle goo

We are home. So much to share...highlights: Dulles sucks in comparison to Munich's airport. American mentality isn't alway inferior to European thinking, but we really are a bunch of me-first resource-gorging wasteful beasts. My piglet smells so good (except for the one time we smelled his poopy diaper--that made me heave.) I already miss piglet's sounds--the cooing, the drinking milk, his cries, everything. We pick up our kids today! Grandpa visited my kids at the pet resort on Sunday. Angel and Davis both sought love and attention from him and my dad was smitten. Cara bit one of the resort workers. We had gluwein every day we were in Munich. The Christmas market at Marienplatz freakin rocks. I bought yarn from three stores. Not "a lot", but enough that I spent "a lot", especially with the crappy exchange rates. The department and grocery stores are so clean, orderly, and tidy. It makes you want to shop. Maybe Macy's should take some notes and improve their dumpy rat nests for stores.

There were several things that make me appreciate being an American. Like having a clothes dryer and dishwasher. Having waitstaff at restaurants work for tips (German norm is 1 Euro regardless of bill amount). People aren't as friendly or courteous in Germany. Smoking is allowed in eateries, cafes and restaurants.

Holding a US passport afforded much less scrutiny than all those from ghetto countries. German customs and security was much more thorough than the US. Does our TSA and Customs even have a pulse? CBP had numerous signs saying they were the face of the US and pledge to sincerely welcome all to our country. Yeah. I said hello to our customs guy and he didn't even look up. Our entire transaction did not yield a single word or sound from him. Welcome to America, land of the apathetic, lazy, and indifferent.

I can't wait to see my kids today. Today is family bonding day. We will stay home all day and just be together. Purrrrrrr

Sick Princess

We found bloody pee all over the house. Angel is sick again. Her bladder crystals and stones must be bothering her. I don't know what's causing this irritation since her stones have been there for years without any problems. We managed to get some meds for her until we have a chance to take her to the vet. Poor little girl. She's great at taking her meds, so we are lucky.

Angel is just as loving with us, so her spirit isn't down yet. That's a good sign. Although, I have missed my headwarmer the past few nights. We've been through so much with her. There was one December years ago where we spent $1000 on her medical bills just for that month. I guess having animal companions can get expensive. The true test of our love and bond with our furry friends is when we are faced with the decision to fork over wads of cash or wash our hands clean of said animal. Her previous owners chose the latter and sentenced her to death before she was rescued. Their loss is our gain. Angel is the best cat ever. She's the only cat I know who will allow humans to dress her in clothes, put her in a half-nelson (hilarious), furburt her belly, and do all the crazy things we do.

Elf Sighting

I AM an elf! Papa elf sent me! The best way to spread Christmas cheer is to sing loud and clear for all to hear. I didn't know you were naked. He's an angry elf! Oh, it's not a costume, I'm an elf. What's a Christmasgram? I want one! Son of a nutcracker!

I finished SIL's stocking. :) I started my brother's this morning. His is a wool/soy blend in a varigated denim blue. I've been dying to use this yarn for over a year but was hesitant in case it was too itchy for garments. It's not itchy at all and quite soft once knitted up.

I saw a racoon the other night. He was cute. He had a big round face with short triangle ears. Maybe the size of a big fat cat. I had never seen a live racoon before, only roadkill. :( The racoon was drinking water from the train cats' food and water area. I wonder if he can transmit diseases to the kitties. He was very cute with his black eye mask. I wanted to hug him.

Secret Project Revealed

And today's secret ingredient is....


CAKES!

This is what I've been bursting to share. My favorite is the white with pink frosting. And it will go to Bri. I think she needs a bit of calorie-free sweet treats right now. :)

The original pattern comes from a UK website promoting Shaun the Sheep's picKnits. The one with yellow icing uses Shaun's base and my own cake. It didn't turn out as I expected. I will have to tweak the "recipe" a bit to get what I want. I had great fun creating these three cakes and look forward to more "baking" once I get papa pig's stocking order fulfilled. Angel helped decorate the cakes by pinning my legs down and ensuring I didn't go anywhere before completing the treats.

Meeting Justice Thomas

I met Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas yesterday. He was signing his book, My Grandfather's Son. Justice Thomas was warm, friendly, sincere, and just awesome. I was literally in awe of him. It's not every day a peasant girl like me gets to meet such an important person.

Justice Thomas was so nice and full of big smiles. A real departure from the serious-faced photos we see. (There are pictures of him with me on my Flickr site for friends and family.) I was deeply moved by just how sincere he was about meeting all of us, shaking our hands, and signing our books. As my turn came, he asked how I was doing. I froze. I was speechless and couldn't say a word. He looked up to get a response. WAH!!!! After I came to my senses, I managed to tell him how much I admired him and asked if I could have a picture with him.

Let me just say that he held me tighter than anyone except QE when posing for photos. Amazing. That alone won me over. He was so genuine in his friendliness. Most notable figures and celebrities give this fake niceties "meeting and greeting sucks" feeling. I don't know if I could have sustained Justice Thomas' cheery demeanor for two hours standing on my feet. Regardless of his political views and whether I agree or disagree with them, Justice Thomas is a good human being.

And his wife, Virginia? She is tall and gorgeous. Just beautiful. I spoke to her too. She wasn't pretty in that pretentious plastic surgery way. Naturally beautiful with amazing bright blue eyes. And so freakin tall. Here is this woman who is/was a GS15 or SES and wife of a Supreme Court Justice. You'd think she was rich diva. Nope. Her purse was a commoner's Nine West bag. WTF How grounded is that?????

Like many Americans, I don't know much about the judges of the Supreme Court. After reading his book, my respect for Justice Thomas grew tremendously. We share many of the same values and ethics. It's nice to know that good, hard-working people can succeed. Maybe there's hope for me yet.

Bye Earl

(Photo from a Mutts e-newsletter I received)

This is Earl. He is the real Earl doggie of Patrick McDonnell, author of Mutts. He passed away at the age of 18. I think that's pretty old for a dog and I'm sure Earl had a wonderful life. He was a wonderful inspiration and made great fodder for many Mutts strips. Mr. McDonnell is on the Board of The Humane Society of the United States. We can make donations in honor of Earl on the HSUS website.

(from Mutts site)

Am I an Elf?

My dear brother asked me to knit them stockings. Talk about short notice! He must think I am an elf. I have multiple projects backing up now. Dad's scarf will be completed tomorrow while waiting for QE's new tires. I should have completed it by now but I was dying to work on my secret project a few times this week. And last night's 2 glasses of wine got me unfocused enough I was unfit to knit. So, this morning I started the sow's stocking (hog, sow and piglet...a perfect little pink piggy family...) It's "dusty rose" Lamb's Pride worsted on my Addi Natura needles, size 5. I love the needles. Very smooth bamboo--smoother than Clover, which I didn't think was possible.

Speaking of elf, Elf is one of my favorite movies.
Bye Buddy, I hope you find your dad
Dad! It's me! Buddy! Your son! (in the Gimbels store window during a.m. rush hour)
Does maple syrup have sugar? Then YES!
Francisco...Francisco...Francisco...
I like to whisper too
You're not Santa. You stink!
My finger has a heartbeat
Congratulations! You did it! World's best coffee!!!
You know, the code...

My sister is a ho

I don't have a sister. But many people do. What's it like to know or have others think your sister is a ho? I watched part of an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians the other night. It was the one where Kourtney thought she was pregnant. I later learned that she's 28(!). Does she live at home? I don't know. It sure seemed like it though. What is a girl that age doing still living at home?! She didn't seem to need temporary parental assistance. It seemed like she never left, even after becoming an adult. Kim of sex-tape fame is 26 and also appears to live at home. Whatever.

What's disturbing to me is that there are two young daughters at home, in the 8-14 age range. I wonder what it's like for them to see their sisters living like skanky hoes. One sister got arrested for DUI, one had a pregnancy scare, and the third has a sex-tape. After learning Kourtney wasn't pregnant by her much-younger boyfriend, mom and the girls (with almost-babydaddy) went to Vegas to celebrate. I have to admit the show was mildly entertaining, if only for the inevitable wrecks. Scary to know these wrecks are real and someone is actually living this way.

Real vs Fake

There is an article in today's Washington Post about going green for the holidays. I am curious how anyone who claims to be eco-friendly can consider cutting down a tree for the sake of in-home enjoyment for about 30 days. Yes, it can be recycled and turned into mulch, but when wood decomposes, it releases nitrogen, which soil only needs in limited quantities. One argument is that most fake trees are made in China and require fuel to ship it here. Probably true, but I know trees made in USA also exists. We have one. It wasn't hard to find nor was it expensive. I'm not saying live tree lovers are evil. But it seems that for every tree not killed and cut down is a tiny step towards improving our air. Not to mention the resources it takes to grow that tree to ceiling-height and then ship it cross-country (most trees are grown in Oregon) could be saved. I've never had a live tree. For me, the fire hazard, watering, and falling needles were enough to deter me. Maybe I'm missing out on something great.

Davis the Treehugger

Where has the time gone? This Saturday is DECEMBER 1!!! I just got used to it being November. The plan is to put up our tree this weekend. Davis looks forward to helping me by inspecting the placement of each branch and the ornaments. He peers longingly into the library (we have glass doors) as I set up the fake tree. Nose and paw prints cover the door. Last year, he would squeak and meow to make sure I knew he was there. Our boy loves to eat the tree. A fake Christmas tree! We've accepted his odd tastes and only allow him into the library chaperoned. He thinks we keep him out of "his" room and will run to the library if he hears the doors opening. Poor Buddy.

I hung a wreath on our door this past weekend. Davis was never more than two inches behind me. He doesn't even get this excited about treats. With his big yellow eyes on full alert, he briskly followed me throughout the house as I tried to lose him. Mission failed. I ended up going out the garage so he couldn't escape out the front door in pursuit of his beloved wreath.

I am hoping this year decorating the tree will unite our kitties, or at least allow brief moments of harmony. I hope they forget about bygones and join forces to distract me. They don't have to be friends. All I want is for them to cohabitate peacefully.

What's up puddytat?

Here is my cat finally with a face. I debated the whiskers but I think it looks cute. I finished the baby bunting and need to add buttons (completing projects isn't my strong point). I was going to make another kimono-style sweater for piglet but it will have to wait. Dad needs a scarf. I know I've knitted scarves for my parents years ago, but they are nowhere to be found. I was working on a 'secret' project but that too will have to wait. My goal is to have dad's scarf completed by next weekend. It's a simple 3x3 rib, so it shouldn't take too long if I don't mess up. As for my secret project, well...I want to share my excitement and I've debated it. But I think I will share it when I have one completed. This should motivate me to finish quickly since I am ready to burst. :)

Here is my new yarn shelf and stash. This is pre-Frap's Big Wool order, so I have a few more balls of yarn than what's pictured. QE says I can buy as much yarn as I want if I can tell him why I need more yarn while standing in my knitting room.

Piglet the Money Pit

I will be the first to admit that I hoped my brother would have a girl. Girls seem to have more cute clothes and toys...and everything is PINK!!! I love piglet all the same and am now very grateful he is a boy because he's saved me a lot of money. QE and I have spent quite a good bit on piglet as it is, with all the yarn, books, and clothes I have bought. My latest (and hopefully final) purchase is a Halo Sleepsack set in organic cotton. And the print is kitties and doggies! I've had my eye on it for several months and decided that it was meant to be, if Target.com still has it in stock. I finally gave my cat doll a face. Adorable. I'll take a pic and post it later this weekend.

Off-topic: I hate technology. Or maybe technology hates me. We've had our Mac for 15 months and I just learned that I can click on the file name when saving to save in a particular folder. The default file locations are several main folders. This irritated me to no end since I would save it to desktop or a main folder, open Finder, and then move the file. The other discovery was that most of my photos taken at 5 megapixels were uploading at a crappy resolution. iPhoto said the pictures had a good resolution. My personal tech support Frap couldn't figure out what was wrong either. I learned last week that when I download photos from my camera to the Mac, the system creates two folders: Pictures/Original and Pictures/Data. I had been uploading and sending pictures from the data folder, which were at a lower resolution and file size. Over a year of agony...

I feel the storm inside you

Did you see my beloved Goo Goo Dolls as the halftime show for the Packers game? We were sitting in the dining room post-feast when I heard the melody for Better Days. I thought it was just background music for whatever montage they were showing. I go in the family room to check it out. I screamed "They are live!!!" and the MIL wondered what got into me. John was heavily made up but his voice rocked as usual. After Better Days they performed Stay With You. Throughout the performance, I noticed the cameras never panned in on Robbie. I wonder if that was intentional. Maybe he was drunk or had a bad hair/makeup day. After the halftime show, there was a clip of John urging us to help United Way or something. Terrible angle of his face and it was so obvious he was reading a script. My Goo is playing Vegas again this year for NYE at HOB. Sigh. We went one year. Great memories.

Open invitation to contact me offline if you are interested: I have two $10 off coupons for a haircut at PR@Partners in Bristow with Megan. The cost for a shampoo, cut, style and scalp massage would be $25 after the coupon. Since I'm all about full disclosure, I'm supposed to get a free haircut if I refer two people. I don't really care about that. I wish I could use those coupons myself, but I can't. So next best thing is to share the love and deals with y'all. :)

As our travel dates near, I'm getting more anxious about leaving my kitties at the pet resort. What if Davis goes on a hunger strike because he's depressed? What if Angel gets mad at me for leaving her? What if Cara meets a human she loves more? What if they get germs and ickies at the facility? We will apply Frontline on them, but that could cause a reaction too. I'm not fond of chemicals, but it's probably better than leaving them exposed.

The MIL has already declared that she doesn't "feel like doing Christmas" this year and won't be giving gifts. She knows she will get gifts even if she doesn't give any. Nice gig. Where can I find one like that?

In the week he's been born, my piglet has tormented his parents much to my delight. My brother reported an exploding diaper where poop was everywhere. And he had to clean it up. On the first night home! HAHAHAHAHA Wednesday night, piglet got a feeding at 12:00 AM and was cranky. He couldn't sleep and took a poop instead. They got him cleaned up and shortly thereafter it was time for another feeding at 3:00 AM. Piget then had a tummyache and mild diarrhea. Another cleanup. He didn't go to sleep until 6:00 AM. HAHAHAHAHAHA I don't think his cuteness offsets his poops. But it's hilarious to hear he's calling the shots and nobody can sleep if he can't sleep.

A Turkey Ran Away...

A turkey ran away
Before Thanksgiving Day,
He said, "They'll make a roast out of me
If I shall stay"

That's a little song I learned in elementary school and it's tradition for me to make QE sing it every year. :) There are other verses for the cranberry and pumpkin too.

Well, I had my tofurky. The gravy included in the box looked nasty compared to the one I made from scratch. The tofurky itself had a nice flavor but I didn't care for the texture. It was too processed for my liking. It was firm "like a really firm tofu" according to QE. It reminded me of bologna. Again, the flavor was good, the texture was just too processed. At least now I can say I tried it. Surprisingly, nobody commented on my vegetarianism. I was shocked but also glad. Now if only I can get those freaks at work to quit commenting about it every day.

Menu
Herb roasted free-range turkey
Tofurky
Corn pudding
Mashed potatoes
Mashed sweet potatoes with ginger
Stuffing
Simple green beans
Pumpkin pie
Pecan chocolate espresso pie

Everyone liked my cooking. Babymomma was envious of our kitchen, which made me a bit uncomfortable. She also doesn't know how to cook and commented that she felt like she was watching the Food Network as I finished up the meal. Awkward. But I guess I'm also proud that she would rate my skills on par with tv chefs. Cara enjoyed the turkey and I think she ate all three plates. Davis was too preoccupied with the guests (weird for our shy boy) and Angel only wanted to sleep.

Overall things went way better than I expected. QE's nephew is a very picky eater and didn't touch any of the sides. He only ate turkey. At least the boy got his protein. And he commented on how juicy it was! MAJOR compliment coming from the pickiest eater ever!! :) My favorite moment has to be when he took a bite of pumpkin pie and made the most vomit face ever. It was hilarious. His face lit up when I offered him ice cream instead. This was major progress for him. At least he tried everything. His mother kept debating with him that the food WAS tasty even if he said it was gross. I think she would be better off encouraging him to take one bite out of everything he's served. If he doesn't like it, fine. At least he tasted it. Just an opinion from a non-mother.

Highlight of the afternoon has to be when the kid freaked and panicked when Cara and Davis fought. He is allergic to cats but seems to also use that as an excuse to be afraid of them in a drama queen kind of way. So the kitties were screaming and hissing (ah...the holidays....) and the poor boy leaped off the floor and scrambled to the sofa with a sheer look of horror on his face. OMG...hilarious. He was being overly dramatic, but I think there was real fear in there too.

Introducing Piglet

Here is my little piglet in his crib with lots of cute toys. I love the doll in the top left corner! Notice that my knitted bunny is next to piglet. His parents sure know how to butter me up! It hasn't really hit that piglet belongs to my family yet. He looks like my brother as a baby, but I guess since I haven't met him, he's not officially real to me yet. It feels so weird to know that my brother is a father. I still see him as my dorky brother who is still in college. :)

Giving Thanks

As massive number of people travel yonder and beyond to see loved ones this week, it's sometimes easy to forget why these people clog the rails, air, and roads the fourth week in November. Hopefully their excursions yield more than a free meal and brings warmth and happiness to their hearts. Time seems to fly faster each year and seeing friends "just a few weeks ago" turns out to be six months ago. The world seems a much colder and harsher place than even five years ago--all the more reason to appreciate what we have. With that in mind, here's a list of how I know I am blessed and lucky.

1. All of my loved ones are in good health, as am I.

2. The people closest to me have been in my life for over 10 years, with Frap taking top honors at 15 years.

3. QE and I are "rich" financially. No, we don't think so, but we are. We don't have to worry about making ends meet, and the cost of fuel does not affect our ability to pay for food or other bills.

4. My parents are still with me. They are showing the signs of aging and their health is declining, but they are still here. We've had our rough times, but I know deep down I'm glad they are around. My dad especially. He and I can't talk about money, the economy, or anything involving spending without him offering us money. Dear ol'Dad is always there for me.

5. We have three mostly wonderful cats. The fighting and screaming continues, but they love us and know we love them. Our home would be lonely and empty without them.

Winter Thoughts

This kitten needs mittens. I want to make mittens using the Rowan Big Wool Frap procured for me. My "problem" is that I don't want to use size 17 dpns because I will never use them again and it will be a waste of money. There should be a needle swap of sorts, kind of like Netflix. Pay a deposit and you borrow a pair of needles. Return the needles and you get your deposit back. No needles, and they keep your deposit. Brilliant idea. Somebody is going to steal it and make millions off my idea. Oh bother. Anyway, I am stuck with mittens knitted using straight needles. Except those have a squared off top instead of a rounded top. Can I live with that? I don't know. But I want to knit with my BW, so I best make up my mind ASAP. Maybe I can get away with using smaller dpns. I could consider that. Hm.

Christmas is coming. I need gift ideas for my kitties. What should I get them? Last year, my gift from QE was a cat tree for the kids. I transferred my gift rights to them. :) This year, I think a mini-Christmas tree with cat toys and cat-safe decorations would be hilarious. It would drive QE crazy though. And Davis would eat the fake needles. Maybe a real mini Charlie Brown-esque tree? I can't bear the thought that a tree had to die for us though. A pink feather tree!!!! Oh, the kitties would love that. hahaha

So the mashed potatoes I'm making for Thanksgiving (12 servings) calls for 6 pounds of potatoes, 2 sticks of butter, and at least a cup of cream or half and half. It seems like a lot of butter and cream. Best price on Land O'Lakes butter is at Harris Teeter--2 for $5. My wonderful QE knows I like to hoard butter and bought three pounds. LOVE him.

My big dilemma is whether to contribute food to the people who feed the cats at the train station. These cats are all very tiny adults with the cutest little faces. They know when it's dinner time. The thing is, these people are making no efforts to spay and neuter the cats. As a result, we see new tiny faces all the time. We shouldn't feed stray/feral cats unless we make an effort to trap and neuter. Otherwise, we are only encouraging the cats to produce larger litters. So, do I contribute the food I have to these cats? It's food I don't feed my kids but got for free through samples and coupons. I should give them to the local shelter, but I can't walk in there without crying. Do I leave the food out for cats passing through our yard?

Bellyaches

Must live up to my name, Negative Nelly:

1. My brother has not sent more pictures of piglet yet. Doesn't he know it's all about me and I want to stare at his baby's face? And he had the nerve to cover piglet's hands in this morning's photos!! Frap and I are waiting to see fingers and toes. Mmm...baby toes.

2. Sadly, yesterday was not my first encounter with this--a pregnant woman on the Metro. She wasn't curiously pregnant as in "is she or isn't she?" She was obviously pregnant although not at the penguin waddling stage yet. Metro was full but not sardine-packed. This white guy who was dressed like an office dweeb was one of the people sitting in the priority seats by the door. He looked at me a few times so I know he wasn't immersed in a daydream or napping. PW was standing right in front of him with her round belly at his eye level. Not a flinch to get off his white-collar ass to let a pregger sit down. Finally a seat became available and I body blocked it so PW could have it. Some old white woman (60s) got huffy because I blocked it from her. Up yours, old bag. As I mentioned, this isn't the first time I've witnessed this. Once, I saw a penguin PW give up her seat TWICE--once to a frail and crusty-old woman and the second time to a handicapped woman. Train was full but not packed. When she got up the second time, I loudly said it's disgusting and appalling that a PW has to give up her seat. Nobody got up. Now, I know men can be self-centered pigs and chivalry went the way of dinosaurs, but there were tourists with a 10ish year-old son. This would have been the perfect opportunity to teach that kid decency, respect, and all those other old-fashioned values. Instead, everyone just looked up in response to my comment and did nothing.

3. My employer's open enrollment period for benefits began on Monday (11/12). My office got our benefits session on Tuesday, with one office getting theirs today, and another tomorrow (Friday). We are changing medical insurance providers. In order to ensure we receive our new ID cards in time, the provider needs enrollment forms by next Wednesday. Our open enrollment is supposed to go through December 5. Smell the incompetence and poor planning? The theme this year is "new provider, same rates! We are great!" The fine print that I deciphered by thinking (imagine that!) is we get downgraded from a PPO to a POS. In addition to that, our copays are increased from $10 for any doctor including specialists to $15 PCP/$25 specialist. Although our prescription copays remain the same, the drug formulary changes so that my allergy medications go from tier 2 (formulary) to tier 3 (non-formulary)--i.e. from $25 to $40. So, let's summarize my costs: allergy shots go from $10 to $25; medications go from $25 to $40. But wait!!! MY PREMIUMS STAY THE SAME! Isn't my employer wonderful for keeping premiums the same while most plans increased 10-15%??? So my monthly cost for allergies alone goes from $70 to $130. I wouldn't be as pissed if they didn't try to spin this crap as keeping our premiums the same. Having costed out benefits, I can say that the increase in premiums in exchange for lower copays isn't that much more. But then the idiots don't have bragging rights about keeping our premiums the same.

4. I found out this week that January 1, 2007 was the first time in the company's 35+ year history that New Year's Day was granted as a paid holiday. In prior years, employees had to use leave if they wanted the day off. The notion of paid holidays is also fairly new--about 3 years. Before then, there were no paid holidays. Period. I'm still trying to figure out how they got nominated (but didn't win, thank goodness) as a Washingtonian Best Places to Work. So, now we get 15 days paid time off (vacation/sick) and 6 holidays. Meanwhile there are excess baggage that get bonuses in the six-figures. They are delusional about this being a great place to work. The benefits suck.

My Piglet

50 cm (about 20 inches), 3210 grams (about 7 pounds 1 ounce), born last night around 11:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. EST)

Dementors will not allow me to post pics. I will have to do it tonight. He looks just like my brother as a newborn, only smaller. And much cuter. Hahahahaha!

Borrowing a Cat

Dad called on Sunday asking for a favor. I cautiously said yes, wondering what he could possibly need from us. He asked to borrow a cat. As an overprotective mother, my mind started racing...experiments? showing my cat off? lonliness? to entertain children guests? Dad was only kidding about borrowing one of my kitties and I was relieved. He has a weird way of starting conversations! He had some unwanted houseguests, as in little mousies. Three mice.

He managed to catch one using those Tom and Jerry mouse traps. Dad said the mouse's head got caught and made a mess. Yuck. The other mice managed to eat his bait food and left the traps unsprung. He was amsued at the intelligence of his intruders. "They must have seen the fate of their friend and learned not to make the same mistake!"

I called Dad last night to see how things were going. He caught the other two with peanuts on sticky paper traps. Dad was laughing while describing how one got caught...apparently the little mousie sniffed all around the paper very cautiously and finally decided it was ok to eat the peanuts. Whoops! A whisker got caught on the paper! Dad said the mouse used his paw to wipe his face and d'oh! Now the paw was stuck too. Dad watched as the mouse managed to get his entire body stuck on the paper. The next morning, Dad found the third mouse also stuck.

I wholeheartedly agree that none of us want mice or other critters living in our homes. But is it necessary to kill them? Why can't we trap them and release them outside and plug up their entryways? I know it's unrealistic but in my dream world, that's what would happen. Am I crazy for feeling a bit sad and guilty about my dad's actions? Dad seemed quite amused by the whole thing and wasn't malicious about killing them. But...poor little mousies!!!!

The funniest part has to be when Mom told Dad that she couldn't sleep the night after Dad trapped the first mouse. She was afraid the others would find her and bite her toes while she slept. This is especially funny if you know my mom and her pack rat ways.

I Key A You

Went to Ikea today. Free coffee before 10 a.m.! Small bfast (eggs, potatoes and bacon, sans bacon) for 99 cents for me and a cinnamon roll ($1) for QE. Bought a bookcase for my yarn. Very nice. What's funny is that one of the rooms was staged as a craft room with a larger bookcase filled with yarn, needles, and finished products.

Davis had his annual checkup earlier this week. He weighed in at 10 pounds 6 ounces, a loss from last year. Our doctor said Davis' weight seems sensitive to food changes, but I don't recall us changing his food in the past year. He also got blood drawn from both legs as baselines and flinched both times, causing bruising and some bleeding. Poor little boy. We're trying to feed him more kibble and that is driving his sisters crazy. As cat parents know, vets usually recommend canned food to help weight loss since kibble is higher in carbs. Getting the girls to eat more canned while giving Davis kibble is difficult. To further worry me, he decided to go on a diet and snub most of his meals this week. He finally decided to eat when I fed him Fancy Feast. It's not the best food, but him eating is more important right now.

Last night, Cara and Davis had another showdown. I missed the actual fight, but QE reports full body contact. Cara also lost tufts of fur. This explains the mysterious clumps I found last month. I thought they were from a mutilated toy since cat hair usually falls out one strand at a time. In addition to tufts of fur, she has a tiny abrasion on her neck. We don't know if it's from her brother or the result of her hair getting pulled out. This could also explain the mysterious red spots she had around her nipples a month ago.

In other news, this year's Thanksgiving will be vegetarian except for the actual bird. In place of chicken broth I will use mushroom broth. Cream, half and half, and butter will still make a formidable appearance. I still haven't decided if I should take my brother's challenge and mix in a tiny amount of tofu into every dish just to be funny.

Broken Heart

I live for Meerkat Manor. By Tuesday, I'm dragging and my spirits are sunk. Happy thoughts of my little meerkats help me get through the week. Knowing I get to see my little furry friends on Friday is the highlight of Fridays. As a reference point, John Rzeznik is a host on that American Band competition and I skip it to watch my meerkats. QE was shocked to find that I chose meerkats over my precious Goo. Tonight, I learned that the Meerkat Manor season concluded last week. WAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!

Life Truths

Santa does not exist. He may have lived long ago, but he's dead now.

The truth hurts. Maybe that's why we are prone to lash out at those who speak the truth. Frap and I had a loving moment (it was, really!) a few weeks ago about how most of us don't want to hear the truth and don't react well when others point it out. Yes, your kid really IS ugly! Yes, the dress does make you look fat, dear. My, you've gained weight since last time I saw you! Yup, you are going bald, big man.

Every year, the holidays are a mixed bag for me and unfortunately, frap bears the brunt of my anger, frustration and hostility. I love that friends and families get together (in theory). In reality, schedules need to be shuffled around, family drama and gossip prevails, and getting stiffed by family at Christmas gift exchanges is the norm. The thing is, I know all of these things will happen. So why do I allow myself to get all worked up? I think it's partly because we are the couple perceived as making big bucks (HA!) and therefore should spend (on their freeloading asses) like money is going out of style. Maybe they forget that we paid out of pocket for QE's master's degree. Maybe they forget that I commute 3.5+ hours a day to and from work. Or that I still wear clothes I've owned since before I met QE 12 years ago. And I don't mean raggedy t-shirts but work clothes and casual wear.

Do I feel a sense of entitlement to spend our hard earnings on "luxury" items for ourselves? Yes, I do. But I view my luxuries as reward for waking up at 4:50 every morning and being out of the house before most people are out of bed. And I don't get home until most families have already had dinner and given the kids their baths. I am totally fine with this, really. What annoys me are the snarky comments about how nice our house is and what a waste it is for "just the two of you." As if we don't deserve it because we don't have kids to help us occupy the space? How dare we give cats(!) their own bedrooms! Oh the horrors!! Children are starving in this country and our cats have their own bedrooms! Where is the justice in this country??? We chose the commuter, child-free lifestyle and accept the good and bad aspects of it. Stay tuned for the next episode...why you don't deserve to benefit from my death.

30 Flights

Mandatory fire drill at work. 30th floor = 30 flights of stairs. 3" heels. My legs hurt. Going DOWN stairs can be painful too. Who knew? I do know that in a real emergency, I am destined to die in the death trap known as an office building. One more reason to look for a new job. I'll be damned if I die while working in this hell hole.

Important Information

I read from an independent source (forget which) that compared various "organic" and "humane" certifications and labels on food. Time and again, the Animal Welfare Institute designation was the most stringent and the USDA Organic was one of the most lax.

http://www.animalwelfare.com/farm/sidebyside.htm

I will post info on my independent source when I remember it.

Let Love In

Our girls have very similar mannerisms and behaviors. I wonder if it's a Siamese thing. Both gave us a good laugh by wearing the chicken head. I tried putting it on Davis and he would have none of it. It's been a nice and relaxing weekend. Just hanging out with the kitties, knitting, catching up on two weeks' worth of Wall Street Journals, and goofing around.

Cara is a confirmed hitman. Every morning I find one of her fish toys floating in her water bowl. Why is drowning her toys necessary if she's not a thug?

My dad reports that piglet is now a healthy 7 pounds 2 ounces. He makes his debut next weekend. Baby clothes and toys are expensive. All of the adorable stuff I like costs a fortune. Or maybe I'm cheap. I don't have a problem shelling out big bucks for goods, but there has to be value. Most of the items are made in Thailand, China, India, Malaysia, Honduras, etc. It's fine to have products made in those countries, but don't charge $30 for a sweater then. The workers surely aren't seeing even 10% of the price.

Goo Goo Dolls greatest hits comes out next Tuesday.

National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week

November 4-10th is National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week.

We can't adopt every animal out there, but we can make their lives better. Please consider donating old towels, dog and cat toys, kitty litter, food, bowls, and other supplies. Every dollar shelters don't spend on supplies is a dollar available to help an animal in need. Remember that not every animal is lucky enough to get adopted. Let's try to make their short lives a bit more comfortable and loving, however brief. Visit the shelter and tell the animals they are loved. It may be the last time they hear "I love you".

The ILs are all coming. I was hoping the brother would decline and stick to their usual tradition, which involves going across the mountain far far away. I'm not the nicest person in the world, but I'm trying to improve myself. So.Freakin.Difficult. While I don't have an issue with handling a dead animal, I am irrationally afraid of eating the happy bird I ordered. I'm sure she will taste delish, but I'm not really looking forward to it. When I think "Thanksgiving", visions of stuffing and mashed potatoes fill my head. But then again I've never been a turkey fan. Maybe I'll give my portion to the Goo kitties and the homeless kitties shivering outside.

Amidst all my planning, I realized just how lucky and blessed we are to face "difficult" decisions such as "organic or free range turkey". Yes, we have worked very hard to achieve and accomplish so much, but many less fortunate households work just as hard if not harder. Nobody should have to choose between heat and food. Maybe next year I should cook for a needy family instead of lavishing a bounty of food on ourselves. How nice would that be? Just my luck, they will probably sue me for food poisoning or an allergic reaction. No good deed goes unpunished they say.

Pale and Weak

Spoke to dad on Sunday. He said that if I felt weak or faint, I need to eat some meat. He said it's ok to eat fish and I should do so regularly. If I have stomach or belly troubles or pain, I should eat some meat. "It's great you are eating more vegetables, but it's ok to eat meat too." I need to come up with some crazy response that is totally outrageous that he will think I need a mental hospital. :) "The government wants us to eat meat because that's they way they track us. They feed secret dyes to animals that show up in our bodies and can be viewed with classified tracking devices." Or maybe "I hear animals crying, Dad! Every time I even see meat, I hear this awful wailing in my head!" hahaha

I finished piglet's argyle vest. The yarn dye lots were the same, but the front and back seem to be different shades. Still need to block SIL's scarf. I went through one ball of Big Wool for my scarf and decided to rip it all out. Stockinette tends to curl and against my better judgment, I proceeded with it anyway. I now have a nice scarf in garter stitch that is divinely soft. Next projects: a cabled hat for my brother or a bunting for piglet. I'll finish both in November, so it's just a matter of which I want to do first. I think I will start and possibly finish a scarf for my bro too and save a baby blanket for the flight.

FINALLY get to order a turkey tomorrow. Whole Foods hasn't updated their site to say they are taking orders, so I might order from My Organic Market instead. Thanksgiving is three weeks away! Why isn't anyone planning yet??? I'm a smidge disappointed we're not having tofurkey this year, but it's more curiosity than anything else.

November also marks our 5th anniversary with Davis. I think we will roast him a chicken or maybe just some chicken breasts. We have lots of meat in our freezer that shouldn't go to waste. Ooh! Maybe I should cook up extra and share it with those less fortunate, like the poor, skinny kitties I see running around our neighborhood. This cat love karma I have is really interesting actually. On the day we moved into our house, a cat was sitting in our driveway, as if to welcome us to the neighborhood and our new home. See, cat love goes both ways. They love me too. puuurrrrrr

What you talkin' about Willis?

I have always been skeptical of "organic" since it doesn't mean humane or cruelty-free. It just means no hormones, pesticides, or chemical fertilizers were used in producing the plant or animal. "Cage free" eggs doesn't mean the chickens had plenty of room to move around or could go outside. It just means the chicken wasn't confined to a cage. Most people would think that "cage free" means a chicken got to breathe fresh air and see the blue skies. It makes sense, but never occurred to me, that baby boy chicks are killed for being the wrong gender. Only HENS lay eggs. Since these chickens are bred to lay eggs, the boys are destroyed. Polyface recently sent out an email to their buying clubs about product availability. As part of the normal seasonal cycle, most chickens slow in egg production. As a result, Polyface will have fewer eggs available between now and February. What I find interesting is that this is probably when egg demand increases with all the baking going on for the holidays. What's a normal egg producer do? Keep the chickens in the dark and starve them for a few days, of course. By force molting them, the chickens will produce one final batch of eggs before they are killed.

Not Eating Good in the Hood

We shun microwave restaurants like Chili's, Applebees, Ruby Tuesday, TGIFridays, etc. Why pay $10 for food we can microwave ourselves? This unofficial ban has been in place for a good 3-5 years. Tonight, we decided to give these CAFOs a second chance. I mean, they know competition is fierce and have been trying to differentiate themselves from the pack, so they deserved a second chance. We chose Applebees and wished we didn't. The menu looked fine for a meat lover, but there was not a single vegetarian dish. Not even a token hockey puck veggie burger to be found. QE got a panko crusted shrimp that looked more like chicken-fried shrimp. I ordered the cajun tilapia from the Weight Watchers menu. I figured tilapia is farm raised, but vegetarian, so at least the fish didn't eat fish meal and byproduct. Tilapia is also less harmful to the environment than farm-raised Atlantic salmon. The fish was quite good, actually. We were just surprised that a restaurant that tries for universal appeal would totally ignore vegetarians. I mean, what if a group of friends wanted to meet up and one was a vegetarian? Most likely (if the group were considerate, good friends), they would pick another place in hopes the vegetarian would be able to find something to eat. So, despite having what looks like a decent menu, Applebees lost two customers for not having anything that remotely resembled vegetarian fare.

. . .

Had to get cat food, so poor me, QE took me to Knit Happens since we were in the hood. I used my Insatiable Knitter Card and saved $27! Let's not talk about how much I spent, eh? :) I got five skeins of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in a violet blue color, four balls of Rowan Pure Wool in baby blue, two balls of Rowan Big Wool in beige, a pair of size 5 Addi Natura, and Lantern Moon rosewood straights in size 17 for the Big Wool. The Natura are pretty darn cool. The bamboo is so smooth and slick--I like it much more than Clover, but my Clovers are still nice. The LMs are my first pair of rosewood. They feel delish. I can't wait to use them.

I am almost done with the argyle vest for piglet. Next project might be my Big Wool scarf for myself. I also ordered a baby bunting and a set of four baby blanket patterns from Morehouse Farm.

QE and I decided (actually it was his idea) that if his peeps decide not to come for Thanksgiving, we'll have a Tofurkey. I'm now hoping they all decline our invitation. In addition to not eating meat, it will mean a lot less work for me. Yes, Thanksgiving is all about me. Plus, the kid is allergic to cats. His eyes swelled up when he played with the neighbor's cat.

Spanx Me

Spanx rocks. Why didn't anyone tell me about this for my wedding? Or just share their secret, period??? Now I know why even chunky girls had smooth asses while I avoided pants for the last 5 years. I've only tried the footless pantyhose and I love it. The legs are stretchy without being constricting. The "control top" works its magic without constricting or creating muffies. I forgot I was wearing it. I am dying to try the camisole ($38!!!) and power panties but dang! must it be so darn expensive?

I am officially un-vegetarian today. I had a wild Alaskan salmon salad from Cosi. It was delish, but my stomach feels heavy. It was very good though. This is downright hilarious considering what happened last night.

QE and I were at Harris Teeter stocking up on vegetarian frozen meals for this workweek's lunches. Dad had called earlier in the day inviting us to dim sum today. We accepted until QE realized there wasn't much we could eat. I called dad back to decline the invite and explained I was so used to being vegetarian that I forgot dim sum wasn't veggie-friendly. I had told dad a few weeks ago we were going veggie and he replied, "It's good you're eating less meat. More veggies is good for you." hahaha This time, dad was still fully supportive of our vegetarianism but said "how long are you doing this for?" and "you can have fish. Fish isn't meat." BWAH! We've gone no red meat and vegetarian for Lent before, so dad thought we were in another one of our "phases". What's hilarious is that dad was trying to convince me fish wasn't meat and vegetarians eat fish. He wasn't argumentative about it at all. He just didn't see fish as meat, so it was ok to eat in his mind. Gotta love dear old dad.

Polar Bears are Drowning!!

QE hates it when I respond to weather comments with that. "Wow, it's nice out today. 75 degrees in October" --Polar bears are drowning!!!

I've been getting these intense stress headaches lately. It sometimes feel as if I'm about to black out. What's weird is that I only get them when I see, hear, or read something very troubling about animal cruelty and such. I care about many issues other than animals, but this is the only one that causes these headaches.

I know I can't become vegan, but I think I might sway that way in some aspects of my life. I think I should be aware of what I consume (food or otherwise) that may affect animals in some way. Tea and I have been on a virtual shopping binge lately where we talk a good game but don't buy. Cosmetics and skincare has been a focus and until I looked at Smashbox, I forgot about animal testing. This was a big thing about 10 years ago. Although I've always known that many of our cosmetics, shampoo, etc are tested on animals, I guess I became less aware of it. In this day and age of super technologies, is it really necessary to test products and drugs on animals? I can't tell if only brands identified with "cruelty free" or "no animal testing" are doing it or if mainstream brands that don't market this point are also not testing. Is my desire for a wrinkle-free face really worth it if animals were used in the development process? I think I would accept my raisin face to save an animal or two. Or fifty.

In knitting news, I'm almost done with my chevron scarf. I think I will give it to the SIL. My brother will get a cabled scarf. I will need a pair of mittens to match my new coat. QE wants a hat I think. I'm also working on a baby blanket for piglet. He's due November 11 and the papa pig is beyond excited.

Bees Knees

What did the girl mushroom say to the boy mushroom?

You are a fun-gi. Yep, that's still my favorite G-rated joke. :)

The flaky skin around my mouth for the past 18 months is a fungus/yeast. It's now under the control and I have no idea the cause. Burt's Bees lip balm has been a soothing salve for my lips and I have a tube stashed everywhere. I have become a Burt's Bees hoarder of sorts. Tip: Ulta has a three-tube and one tin pack for $9.99. SCORE!

One pack of balms have developed a crumbly, gunky texture. I contacted Burt to ask if it's ok to use, possible cause, etc. They asked for my address and said they would send replacements. How nice! I wasn't expecting that. I received my replacements last night. In addition to three glorious tubes of my treasures, they sent me a Head-to-Toe Essentials kit. Oh wow. What a nice surprise!!! Because of their generosity, I felt the need to give a shout out and spread the good love from Burt's Bees.

Sunday in the ER

The day started normal enough--Davis headbutting my hand hanging over the bed and Angel mountain climbing the mounds of blanket. Realizing I will not be permitted to sleep in, I gave up and greeted the day. Walnut bourbon pie washed down with coffee for breakfast (joys of not having kids! Irresponsible meals!) while reading the paper. I finally went upstairs to get dressed and noticed blood spots on our bathroom floor. That's weird...my toes don't hurt, how could I be bleeding? Nope, no bloody toes. Double and triple checking still didn't lead to any bloody toes. But my pinkie toe is clearly making bloody prints! It's everywhere I've stepped! Blood on QE's vanity. Hm. My hand? Nope. My arm? Nah. Looking around, I noticed blood on the tub's ledge. Ok, I can be ditzy and dumb, but I KNOW I have not touched the ledge! It's not me. But then who? Davis.

Our Buddy cut his paw pad. Ew. It looked bad. He wasn't dripping blood, but he was leaving bloody prints all over the floors. We confined him into our bathroom as we tried to assess the situation. In his efforts to leave, Davis stood on his hind legs and painted our walls too. It appears our boy cut his paw on a shaving razor left out. By now, QE is getting upset at the sight of all the blood in our bathroom. We quickly cleaned up all visible blood, got dressed, and took Buddy to the ER.

Our lean machine weighs in at 10 pounds 11 ounces. He weighs less than Cara, who is about 2/3 his height and length. His wound was a superficial cut that scraped his skin off. The vet took him to the back for a betadine soak. Ok, anyone who has ever met Davis knows that he does not like to be touched on his head, back, or tail. And heaven forbid we try to touch his paw! That's just asking to be bitten. So how did the vet manage to get our boy to soak his paw in a solution for 5 minutes?? The technician reported that Davis just sat there with his paw soaking. No protests, no growling, no attempts to take it out. NOT FAIR!!!

He's doing ok given the circumstances. Antibiotics for the next 10 days. Skin should start healing in 3 days and fully recovery in about 2 weeks. Angel is keeping him company in their bedroom. We thought Cara's relentless stalking would cause Davis to walk more than necessary, so it's best for him to stay in his room. My poor little boy.

Jive Turkey

The weather is finally turning cold...Angel decided I needed my head warmed last night and slept on my pillow. I must say, it did feel very nice to have a warm, furry purring machine next to my ear as I dozed off.

I know it's early, but I believe early planner gets the turkey. In reviewing where to acquire our Thanksgiving turkey, I came across one farm that is selling heritage, organic, free-roaming turkeys for $135. Is that the true cost of eating responsibly? Probably. So...if that's the case, what about all those frozen bowling balls at the local grocery store? How do stores manage to sell those for $.49 or $.99 per pound? Maybe the cost is truly lower because those turkeys were raised in a CAFO eating feed consisting of questionable byproducts, hormones, and antibiotics? I can only speculate. What I do know is that our "happy" turkey last year (from Whole Foods) did taste better and was juicier. And it didn't stink when raw. It was our first happy turkey and what a difference!

I've been vegetarian for over a month now, with one break for dad's bday (sushi). I'm quite happy with my food choices. I think I might just remain primarily vegetarian with necessary breaks for Thanksgiving and such. I don't feel any different, good or bad, as a result of my changed diet. I've lost 10 pounds since my doctor visit last year, but I feel about the same. As someone ever so kindly pointed out to me, I probably lost muscle and not fat.

Davis outright rejected the rabbit I fed him and chose to go on a hunger strike for three days. He won and I am thrilled my darling boy isn't going to make me feed him rabbit. Long live the bunny! I put the remainder of the rabbit outside for our homeless neighbors. Maybe they will remember that our plot of land is a safe haven and they are always welcome to drop by.

Cara had a vet visit on Monday and weighed in at 12 pounds. She was just under 10 pounds when we adopted her seven months ago. How could she possibly gain so much weight when she is so active? I feed all the kids at the 10 lb level, so this baffles me. We no longer serve kibble with dinner and the protesters are rioting.

Sweet Bitterness

I am almost finished with the cat pattern I bought off Etsy. I need to give it a nose and mouth. It's kind of cute, but it was painful to knit. I used a plain, inexpensive cream cotton this time and forced myself to complete the project. I'm not sure why I found it so dull, but I still have the brown wool one was a WIP. So unmotivated. Currently on needles: the chevron scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts in a mohair blend using Whispers; and the baby blanket/shawl from Special Knits in a white cotton. I'm dying to work with my Manos del Uruguay, but I have no idea what to make. I have enough for a shawl or throw, but it seems so wasteful. I also have Lorna's Laces Fisherman (500 yards per hank!) and have no idea how to wind it into a skein.

In an effort to be a better mom, I bought my kids raw rabbit meat. Poor bunnies! Yes, I know those cute little bunnies were raised for food, but I still feel guilty. It totally creeps me out, but I know it's part of a cat's natural diet. Overcoming my own selfish beliefs, I took the plunge and bought a pound of it on Friday. Luckily, Angel and Davis do not seem fond of it. Maybe it's the l-lysine I've been sneaking into their food (for their sneezing) they dislike. I will try to omit the med and see if they will eat the rabbit blended with their usual food tomorrow. If they don't like rabbit, then at least I know I've done my part to be a good mom. And then I will rejoice.

I don't usually talk politics and I try to continue in that vein. However, QE received a call from The Washington Post polling the "youngest male over 18 in the household". The survey was about the political candidates from both parties as well as his views on various topics. The fact that QE's opinions were recorded is hilarious because he is about as anti-politics as anyone could possibly be. Myself, I don't identify with either party. I sway differently depending on the topic/issue. That said, I saw an interview on 60 Minutes with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. I found his story interesting enough that I wanted to read his memoirs.

I went to Borders looking for Justice Thomas' book. It was not on the table situated front and center of the store as you walk in. I could not find it in New Arrivals. It was not with New Non-Fiction, nor Biographies & Memoirs, Best-Selling, or any of the other prominent displays. The online system said it could be found in the History & Politics section. Fine. I went to the section and the book was nowhere to be found. Peeved and growing ever-impatient, I asked a Borders staff member for assistance. He had no idea who Clarence Thomas was. Two reasons why the name should have been at least vaguely familiar: he's a member of the Supreme Court (helloooo!!!) and he has a newly released book out. How does a bookstore employee not know which books came out during the week? Not only that, but it's received enough buzz to warrant some sort of attention.

I finally found the book. On the bottom shelf of African-American Interest. ARE YOU FREAKIN KIDDING ME?! Yes, Justice Thomas is black. But does his book belong with the black fiction, novels and other non-fiction? Not really, in my opinion. Ted Kennedy's book (a bio, I think) was displayed prominently on one of the "important" shelves. I am fairly certain his book has been out for a while. Was Thomas' book pushed aside for racial reasons? Political reasons? Am I overly sensitive? For kicks, I looked for his book again at a different Borders. This time, it was under Non-Fiction but still on a lower shelf. It certainly took some effort to find his book. Would a memoir from a white Justice have been displayed front and center? Not sure. I just found it interesting that Justice Thomas' book was somewhat buried, as if Borders wasn't interested in selling copies. And I should probably mention that I took the only copy displayed. Why do I care? Because I hate Borders for other reasons already and this is just one more reason for me to boycott the place.

I like Barnes & Noble so much more, but it's farther from my house. Borders also lures me with their weekly coupons. So I guess my loyalty can be bought with a lower price. Ugh. I'm no better than those Wal-Mart shoppers. My saving grace is that B&N stocks so many more titles and magazines that I usually end up buying there anyway since ghetto Borders doesn't have my books in stock. When I ordered Debbie Bliss' newest book last month, I was told to expect a postcard in the mail notifying me when it arrived. I never got the notice. I did find a copy of the book on the shelf last week, though. B&N had at least four copies of the book at the two stores I checked, the same week it was released. None of the FOUR Borders I visited had any.

Goodbye Flower

Flower (with collar) was the matriarch of the Whiskers family on Meerkat Manor (Animal Planet). Last night, she died. Her death was actually in February, but I had not heard the web buzz alluding to it, so I got blindsided. Flower was a strong, experienced leader and led her family through many difficult times. She was a loving mother but laid down the law as necessary. Having kicked Mozart out of the family for getting knocked up, Flower proved to be a strong leader. Last night, Mitch (her grandson and my favorite meerkat!) brought home another tribe's pup, Axl, and Flower kindly took him in. Meerkat instinct would dictate that Flower kill this cub reeking of an enemy's stench. Flower instead accepted the pup, nursed him, and carried him when he got tired.

I know death part of the circle of life, but Flower died prematurely. Having watched meerkats over three seasons, it's hard not to get attached to the cute little critters. It's a bit comforting to know that I'm not the only one mourning her death. Viewers around the nation are crying too. How can this bunch of tiny (12-inches tall), furry warriors elicit such emotions and tug on our heartstrings as if they were our own children? It's always sad to experience death, but the loss of Flower is devastating. My heart aches. Life goes on, but it's much emptier without her.

Welcome to Sucksville, Loser!

But wait, I thought I was already in Sucksville!

I sent QE a job posting for a company that I thought is awesome (and would require relocation!) Ok, so I didn't read the description very closely, but it seemed up his alley. QE writes back it's a grunt position, hence the name calling. The benefits and perks for said company are very good, but many favor parents and the birthing of children. Why can't the rest of us get the same kind of benefits? I'm not advocating suffering for parents, but shouldn't we all get equal opportunity to duck out of work early? Soccer practice, PTA meeting, hot date, yarn sale, Goo Goo Dolls on Oprah...should the reason matter? If I take off to care for my hubby with the flu, is that less important than caring for a child with the flu? What a crock!

On a different note, QE found a George Michael import compilation CD at Barnes and Noble. It's not as extensive as Ladies and Gentlemen, but still cool. The listening station's review said as much and also noted that the US version to be released will be a 3-disc set, with the third disc containing rarities so obscure only the most diehard fans would care. Well, DUH! Here I am, George! I want it!

My dear George and his beloved blue-eyed Kenny were the secret benefactors of the John Lennon piano that has been mysteriously showing up in random locations across the US (check out the article in The Wall Street Journal). George bought the piano several years ago and recently began using it to promote peace and love. They are targeting places that have experienced violence, hatred, or sadness, such as Colombine, New Orleans, etc. Surprisingly, some towns, schools, and other venues have declined the offer to display the piano. I think it's pretty cool that this piano shows up in a field or a parking lot and people are free to touch it, play it and just be. Admire. Think. Imagine.

Random Thoughts

My meezer girls are very similar. Cara's coloring has gotten darker and without visual aids (contacts or glasses), sometimes I can't tell them apart from behind. Both also have a fascination with my closet, especially our dirty laundry. Both are shameless beggars for food. Cara's new food is Kellogg's Frosted Shredded Mini Wheats. She doesn't like multigrain waffles though.

The Dementors are cautiously freaked out by the fact that I have been dressing better and wearing more makeup. I am now bored out of my mind now that my incurred cost submission to DCAA has been submitted. Ahead of schedule too. :)

I think I will lobby to make allergies protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act. I cannot do yard work without suffering. If other bogus frou frou issues can be protected, then allergies should too. Allergy sufferers unite! In addition, I think my hiring a gardener should be a FSA-covered claim.

Our patio is completed. The people next door reported that our lovely neighbors help themselves to our patio during the day. Apparently these neighbors think we spent big bucks for their pleasure and while away the afternoons sunning themselves on our patio. WE haven't even been on our patio yet and they act as if they own it! It's so nice that the deer enjoy our patio. Someone should, right? Next on our list is to plant deer-friendly shrubs and flowers for their enjoyment. I think it will only be a matter of days before they find our chrysanthemums and start deadheading the blooms.

Ode to Halo 3

Halo 3 comes out in exactly a week. Why would someone like me know this? Because I have a tormentor who is giddy and excited about this dreadful game. Did you really think I was going to praise the game??? :)

Why Halo sucks:

1. It steals my husband from me
2. It is supposedly more fun online (darn Xbox Live!)
3. Who creates a game where you can walk in one direction while looking in another????
4. The alien bad guys make scary noises when you kill them
5. It turns my husband into a video gaming addict, including crazy bugged out eyeballs

When Can I Be Right?

Once again, QE is right--females my age can't avoid Baby Fever. At least I can't. I still do not want my own child, but I can't help longing for certain aspects of what a baby represents. Specifically, I loooove looking at baby clothes. Darn my brother for having a son! I want to look at girl clothes! It's probably a good thing our little piglet will be a boy. He's saving me big bucks! Don't get me wrong--all baby clothes are cute. And so tiny! But it seems girl clothes are especially adorable.

My other feverish symptom is the need to cuddle and cradle and coo. QE is very concerned. I say I don't want a baby, but my behavior clearly says otherwise. Cara is kind enough to let me cradle her every night. Ok, so she usually squeaks and tries to wiggle her way out, but she tolerates it for a few seconds. Last night, we went through the same drill and I gave her bits of pita to appease her. Sure enough, it did! I got to cradle Cara while feeding her bits of pita. I fed Cara as if she was my baby. QE was in total disbelief and reminded me that there is no way I would get away with it with Angel or Davis.

New Me

It's a good thing I don't like shopping. I would hate to imagine the destruction I could cause to our bank account if I did! We went clothes shopping for me yesterday. Got a two pairs of pants and two knit tops at Ann Taylor. The pants were buy one get one 50% off, so the total damage was about $178. Not too bad, I suppose. AT Loft was a lost cause. AT's quality isn't great, but Loft looks like Wal-Mart compared to AT. I like Loft, but $88 for a pair of unlined pants? The good news was that I dropped a size in Ann Taylor. They must have made their vanity sizing even more vain. I've noticed I lost a few pounds, but I don't think it's been a full size. Maybe I have lost weight.

Bloomingdale's turned out to be a treasure trove. As much as I love the clothes at Bloomingdale's, I try to avoid it because the prices are so high. Yes, people in my income bracket do, and probably SHOULD, shop there, but I am cheap. I can afford it but don't want to. As a fat girl, it's important to buy nice clothes that drape well with quality workmanship. Anyway, I thought I should clean up my work image a bit after wearing cotton skirts and sandals all summer. Bloomingdale's had a pre-sale of sorts. I still don't quite understand what went on except that I walked out with $390+ worth of clothes for about $250. Black Calvin Klein sheath dress; Anne Klein skirt; AK dress shirt; and Jones New York sweaters. QE picked out everything except the dress. All of my selections were busts. :) There was this gorgeous (in my opinion--QE hated it) Ralph Lauren sweater for $150. As a knitter, I can appreciate the intricate design despite it being cotton. I just couldn't bring myself to spend $150 on it though. I will keep an eye out for it and pounce if/when it drops to about $75.

Being (or is it going?) vegetarian has been ok so far. It's made me very conscious and aware of what I put into my body. Honestly, the thought of eating meat kind of grosses me out now. It's like I'm afraid of eating meat again knowing it's a dead animal's flesh. Irrational and weird. I still miss steak at Chipotle, but it's more for the texture I think. Eating meat makes life so much easier though. Having to find good, wholesome vegetarian food is difficult. Eating out means ordering the same stuff sans meat or settling for some half-ass vegetarian fare as if I am a second-class citizen. I think I am eating less processed food though, so that's good. I'm not vegan, so eggs are still in my diet. For kicks, I compared Polyface's pastured eggs with Trader Joe's cage free eggs. Polyface's eggs definitely taste better, although I think TJ's is a step up from non-cage free eggs (cage free and non are both considered conventional eggs).

I finished Marion Nestle's book, What to Eat. She makes some very good points about the US food industry. Companies constantly try to "improve" and add (perceived) value to foods so they can charge more and encourage us to eat more. (There are about 3900 calories available daily for every person; and yet most of us shouldn't consume more than 2000 calories per day.) Case in point: EggBeaters and other egg products. Most are just egg whites with some emulsifier (and water!!!) so they cook up like regular scrambled eggs. I caught on to this scam years ago and have been buying whole eggs and tossing yolks. A dozen of conventional eggs is about $1; a carton of EggBeaters is about $3(?).

Marriage Over

Well, my love affair with Google is officially over. While I will keep my blog and gmail accounts, I will stop singing the praises of Google. After taking forever to upload my chicken video (12MB), it took over an hour to then "update" it to my blog. I gave up around 12:45am. Blogger limits video files to 100MB--I'd hate to see how long an "upload" would take after the data transfer is complete!

Polyface Farms

"farm of many faces"
Doesn't that sum up their philosophy? How many farms acknowledge that animals have faces? Sure the farmers see animals, but do they really SEE the animals they raise? Polyface Farms was profiled in "The Omnivore's Dilemma" as a place where pesticides, fertilizers, and antibiotics were unnecessary as part of normal operations. The cynic in me thought 'yeah right. It can't really be like that in real life. The author's weeklong experience there was just to show it's possible.'

QE and I visited Polyface today. I saw first-hand how it's really done, and Michael Pollan captured exactly what really happens. It's not tourist-friendly like a vineyard. The "sales office" is little more than a hut or shed (no AC!). There's no picnic area or restrooms. The latrines were quite clean though. Walking through tall grass and weeds, we first met the broiler chickens. There were lots of pens with lots of chickens in each. The pens were like an upside-down playpen for babies. Each pen had chickens in similar age/size. It was kind of stinky. If open-air pens in a field stink, what must chicken feed houses smell like? Don't think I want to know the answer.

Next, we walked into the woods where the piggies were. Mr. Salatin (owner) was giving a tour to some Virginia Tech students, so I didn't get a great view of the pigs. They were huge! Piggies are not the cute Wilbur or Babe size pigs--these pigs were the size of--well, large enough for me to never want to piss off a pig. They were also loud when they yelled at each other. What was really cool was that the piggies all had their curly tails, unlike production pigs. No need to dock tails when they are happy and not distressed. Happy pigs = pigs that don't suckle or chew another pig's tail.

We moved on to visit the cows. As we drove on to the farm, we saw the cows and a few greeted us. I was excited to finally meet them. As we walked into the pasture, the calves were intrigued by us, but not enough to allow us to get too close. Most of the herd was chilling under a tent. Cows like to lounge in the shade during the hottest part of the day. We saw cows resting under trees on other farms, so I knew the tents weren't weird. Polyface sets up a tent in a new plot of land daily and that's where the cows hang out. They didn't look too happy by a human's standard, with all those bugs flying around, the hot and humid air, and having to share the shade with other cows. But the cows seemed happy. When Polyface says visitors are free to roam the farm, they weren't kidding. We were in the cow pasture with the cows! No barriers between us and the moo moos.

Our visit to the egg-laying hens was most amusing. Chickens are loud. And they really cluck! As we approached the Eggmobile (all animals get moved daily to new land in a rotation), the welcoming committee came to greet us (in the video). They weren't just moseying along--they were running towards us. For a brief moment, we panicked at the thought of getting pecked and chased by chickens. Luckily for us, they were very friendly and just wanted to say hi. Inside the Eggmobile, there are little cubbies for chickens to hang out, just like in cartoons.

A few hours of walking around and meeting everyone was tiring. I have no idea how the farm manages to do real work. We bought some really good looking meats and eggs. The eggs are ungraded, but some gave "large" a whole new meaning. Speaking with one of the employees, I learned that even "cage-free" eggs aren't much different than conventional eggs. Just because they are cage-free doesn't mean the hens get to roam around or eat a nutritious diet. Polyface's eggs are called pastured eggs. Their hens get to go where they please, eat grass, peck at dirt and just be a happy chicken. In fact, we saw a few hens who dug trenches in the ground to relax and dusted theirs feather with dirt. Production birds who roll around on the ground would be rolling in poop.

It was very cool to see a small farm make a difference in the lives of their animals. We can't save the world, but we can share our passion with others. After seeing the happy animals, I feel less guilty about eating another living creature's flesh. I've been going vegetarian the past week, and frankly I don't really miss the meat. I don't feel the need to eat meat. It's just more convenient since it's everywhere. Having to think about the source of my food has made me think twice about meals. Is organic lettuce from CA really necessary? The fuel burned to ship me that bag of lettuce cost much more than the $3 I spent for that organic spinach. Did me forgoing meat all week really save a chicken or cow's life? Doubtful. But imagine what would happen if 10,000 people chose "happy" animal meat or became vegetarian.

Unfit Mother

I've always been fairly honest and vocal about how just because women have the ability to conceive doesn't mean they should become mothers. I think I fall into the "shouldn't" category. Case in point: Davis and Cara are still facing off daily. A simple look (ok, staredown) from Cara will cause Davis to go into fits and scream. Sometimes she goes away, sometimes it leads to a full confrontation. His screams sounds like a woman getting beaten up. Horrible and scary. Last night, they were at it again as we were fixing a late dinner, this time on the stairs. I got fed up with both of them and smacked both on their side/butt. Davis was shocked and started to sneeze (he sneezes when he's under significant stress). Cara retreated to her room, none worse for the wear.

As dinner was cooking, Davis was in his corner of the kitchen watching. I go over to make up with him and make sure he's ok. He avoids my eye contact and retreats to the sofa, ignoring me. My little boy was mad at me! I hurt his feelings and he was scared of me! I go over to the sofa and try petting him again. This time, he allows me to pet him but still won't look at me. We made up by the end of the night, but I learned a lesson for sure. Animals do have feelings, at least those with whom we share our lives.

Last night's face-off wasn't any worse than any of their other fights, but I was fed up with it. Was I wrong to smack them? I don't know. Did they realize they shouldn't fight? Not sure. Will I smack them again if necessary? Probably. Don't get me wrong, I've never smacked any of the kids until last night. I don't think parents should hit their kids (human or otherwise) on a regular basis as a means of punishment. But sometimes, I think a good smack (just one) is enough to remind them who is boss and that their behavior will not be tolerated. That is obviously frowned upon in this day and age and strangers will not hesitate to report "child abuse". I think that is why kids are more out of control now than say 15 years ago. Good thing I won't be a mother to a human child...I would probably get carted off to jail or the kid would get taken into Child Protective Services or something.

Very Good Porn

For the record, I do not have an addiction. QE is my enabler and pusher.

Knit Happens had a super crazy, better than eating, better than sex, better than dark chocolate sale. The sale was so good, I would eagerly wear a thong bikini if it was a prerequisite. Yeah, it was that good. They were supposed to open at 10:30 and we arrived at 10:20, anticipating a long line. As we approached the store, I was relieved and a bit shocked there wasn't a line! Turns out the store was already open! Apparently there was a large crowd waiting, so the staff decided to open early. OH WOW

To make room for the fall yarns, many in-stock yarns were 70% off. Others were 30% off. This was not a bait sale where only the crappy colors or yarns were 70% off. Many were delicious, gorgeous yarns at yes-I-WILL-knock-you-over-if-you-are-in-my-way prices. Surprisingly, everyone was very polite and courteous despite it being very crowded. Go figure. Knitters must be nicer than the general public. Maybe more Metro riders and idiots on the roads should take up knitting. Imagine how nice the world would be!!!

Ok, so my pile doesn't look very large, but I assure you it is. It was two shopping bags of yarn. Think department store shopping bags at Christmas. Those kind of bags. Some women had four or more bags overflowing with yarn. My dad was amazed at my loot. In typical dad fashion, he picks up whatever was on top and goes "this one ball costs ten dollars?" When I told him I got it on sale for 70% off, he relaxed a bit and enjoyed touching and seeing everything. Surprisingly, he didn't say anything about how much I bought. Dad knows I am an avid knitter and I will use the yarn eventually, so it's not a waste of money. See, even Dad supports Stash!!! :)

Here's what I got:

4 - ggh Solitaire in gray (merino/acrylic/poly blend)
4 - ggh Solitaire in chocolate brown
2 - Lorna's Laces Fisherman (the cream/beige next to the gray)
4 - Manos del Uruguay (the peachy tan)
2 - Shepherd Colour 4 Me in white
4 - Jaeger Roma in cane (buff)
4 - Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk dk in ivory
2 - Araucania Pomaire in blue
4 - Laines du Nord Korall in off white

I know that most of what I got is rather neutral in color. Well, I've got enough wacky colors I bought because it was on sale that I don't want to stress over what to make in a non-traditional color.

Here's why I have the best husband in the world (yep, definitely better than yours! LOL) In addition to going into the store with me (it overwhelmed him, between the crowds and the noise--we really did sound like hens clucking), QE was my helper and actually scoped out yarns he thought I would like. He chose the DB Alpaca Silk in baby blue. I decided it was too confining and wanted the cream, which was on the top shelf in the back. Good ol' QE reached up there for me, to the envy of other women. After 30 minutes, I was done and checked out to the tune of $60ish. I was feeling great. I got awesome loot that didn't require me to settle on colors or yarn. As we walked out, QE said he was disappointed in me. All the hype about the sale and I walked out with one measly bag of yarn. After some trash talking, QE convinced me to go back in and look around some more. He coaxed me back in (poor me!), then took my bag and went off to wander elsewhere and would come back in 20 minutes. I went back in for round two.

I scrutinized everything, opened my mind and tried to break free from my yarn comfort zone. Thanks to QE, round two resulted in some really cool yarns that are quickly becoming favorites. All told, I spent a bit over $100 for the yarn above. Not too bad, considering full price would have been well over $350.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANGEL!

Our little princess turned 10 today. She is officially our geezer meezer and we love her more than ever. It seems only like yesterday we adopted her at the age of 3. After wishing her a happy birthday at 5:00 AM, I gave all the kids kibble instead of the "yucky" canned they snub. Angel was overjoyed. Today MUST be a special day afterall! Mom never gives us kibble first!

As you can see in the photos, we got Angel a birthday cake and some balloons. QE said one of the balloons in my final selection pool was "too babyish. Angel is a big girl!" hahahaha He chose the Sleeping Beauty Disney Princess "because it's heart-shaped". And it's quite appropriate since Angel is our Sleeping Beauty Princess.

Grandpa made the trip to see his favorite girl and brought hand-made shrimp dumplings for lunch. Gotta love Dad! He wished Angel a happy birthday and was all googly moogly wishy washy with her. Blech. :) He even asked why we didn't get Angel candles for her cake! And I thought I was nutty for getting her a cake! None of the kids ate much cake. It was virtually all ice cream with maybe a quarter-inch of cake. Ok, it's Maggie Moos, so I expect lots of ice cream, but a bit more cake would have been nice. The cake wasn't very sweet and nicely decorated.

Overall I think Angel had a nice day. The balloons scared Cara, so what could be better than that, right? We've been through a lot with Angel. And through it all, I think we've learned to be loving, caring, and well-trained parents. She knows we love her a lot and she is very special to us.

Happy Birthday, my little best friend!