Fast Love

I am still a teeny bopper to the core. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing. :) I joined George's fan club so I can get early access to his concert tickets. I also feel very guilty for "cheating" on John. Oh dear. I had George's music in my head as I slept last night. Every time I think about buying tickets and going to see him, I get an adrenaline rush and my heart races.

Hey Cupcake!

I've finished several cupcakes and two mini cupcakes. I gave away my prototype and my first "official" one--the service guy at the car dealership saw it and thought it was adorable, so I gave it to him. Why a 50+ year old man needs a girly knitted cupcake is none of my business, I suppose. :)

I'm kind of in a knitting rut since I've knit all the full-size cakes in Debbie Bliss cotton angora. I love the yarn and it works really well for the project, but I feel guilty that my sweets are all uniform. Where's the flair? I guess that will have to come later since I need to finish up my six-pack and minis before getting too creative. A certain girl has a pink Disney Princess toy oven. I am SO JEALOUS! It's very cute. And PINK!!!! Anyway, she needs to have girly cakes to go in her awesome oven, so this elf needs to get baking.

Kissing a Fool

HE'S COMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My beloved George Michael announced a US tour. I've been a loyal fan since 1984. Kept the faith all these years. In my fairy tale dreams, I'd go to the show in LA--on his birthday!!!! Oh George...

I called QE to share the news and said he's going with me. Silence followed by a muted sigh. Now all I need is Mark Wahlberg to tour (fat chance!) and my torture trifecta will be complete. Too bad Marky Mark has forgotten his roots. I wanted to see sweat coming out of his pores. hahahahaha

HR Nerd Humor

Me: I forgot to tell you that every time I use “flex”, “FSA”, or “flexible spending account”, nobody knows what I’m talking about. It’s “benefits bank” here.

QE: Well if you used the proper terminology of “benefits bank” instead of your benefits slang like FSA maybe someone would understand. Jesh! What are you going to use next, “section 125”?

Mental Ward

The Goo Mental Hospital for Rebel Cats is going well. Our patient has been on Prozac since Friday. A quarter-tablet of human med is tiny and very difficult to administer to a squirmy 12-pound wiggler with sharp pointy teeth. She managed to spit out tonight's dose twice even after I chased it with water. The final product was pretty soft and eventually caused her to foam at the mouth--it's a bitter pill. Cara seems more mellow but is still opportunistic in chasing her siblings. She has less of an appetite but still eats, so no worries there since she needs to lose weight anyway.

The rescue recommended a harness so we can attach a bell to her. Our little Houdini has managed to escape and choke herself on regular collars, so they thought a harness is safer. I bought one today. It doesn't fit. It appears that our little girl isn't so little. I also bought her a wand toy since many of her toys are hand-me-downs. She loves it. I'll buy another one (or two) when I exchange the harness for a dog-sized one.

Overall, I think Cara is doing well. She seems to appreciate the time I spend with her, seeking pets and headbutting me. I must say, I can see how human children, even as adults, can perceive a parent's favored treatment of a sibling. I have been thinking about Cara constantly and miss her when I am away from home. That's not to say I don't love Angel or Davis, or that I love Cara more. It's just that Cara needs me more and my attention right now. A few of us were discussing parents recently and someone said that parents tend to favor the (Cara is purring right now! She NEVER purrs!!!) sorry...parents tend to favor or focus more attention on the troublemaker/failure/black sheep kid of the family because they cause parents more worry, even as adults. Is it true that parents tend to "favor" and focus more on the "bad" sibling? Obviously a blanket statement like that is just not valid, but I wonder if there would be a trend there if all parents answered a survey honestly. Maybe parents don't love one child more than another, but love each one differently. That's how I feel, at least. I assumed I loved Cara "less" since she's had less time to build up a reserve in my heart. Based on recent events, I'd say that my love for her is just as much as her siblings.

Druggies in the Family

Well, I suffered all week for nothing. My doc is apparently out of the state, possibly the country. I was so mad I didn't hear what they said. :) They said they couldn't reach me but they had my cell phone number. They called "several weeks ago" and DID NOT THINK TO TRY AGAIN!!! So now I must go back. Let me just say that I had this appt scheduled over a month ago. I've feared and dreaded this appointment the whole time. The pain, itching, and swelling is worse than my shots. The mental and emotional anguish I've had! Serenity now!!

I took Cara for her annual exam. I asked the vet for advice on how to promote family harmony and told her everything we've done and tried. She gently asked if we considered giving Cara up. Ouch. Yes, QE and I have discussed it, but never seriously. Hearing the suggestion from an impartial person, a medical professional no less, stung. The vet did mention a possible solution: Prozac. She said many of her patients are on it for various reasons. Our doctor didn't recommend or dissuade giving up Cara or Prozac. She only brought up two additional options. It would have been so much easier if she gave her opinion (but I respect her professionalism for not doing so.) Long story short, I went home heartbroken. The thought of losing Cara was unbearable. I cried. Cara came to see if I was ok (is that progress?!) but she guarded the stairs to prevent my HeartHealers from visiting (no progress here!).

Is this what we've become? A society that medicates our problems? From a parenting standpoint, I don't agree with medicating Cara. Regardless of what other people do to their human or furry children, I don't agree with drugging up the troublemakers or using drugs to solve our problems. It just doesn't seem fair to her since it's not medically necessary or live-saving. Will we have a zombie cat? Will Cara lose her zeal for life? I contacted the rescue and Cara's foster mom replied saying she highly recommends we try Prozac. Gyah. I guess it makes me feel better knowing I'm not a bad mom for medicating my baby. Screw my beliefs and values...I have to do what's best for Cara. And I guess Prozac is better than giving her up, right? Right??? I don't know, actually. As a selfish human, of course I want to keep Cara. She's my baby. Do I think staying with us is best for her? Possibly. I know we will give her the best care possible and all the love she can take. It's likely her next home might not be as patient or loving. I don't think other households would put up with her antics the way we have. The vet was shocked we've done it for a year. That's love, right? Love is supposed to be unconditional.

So, tomorrow I will be calling the vet for Prozac. We'll try it on a short term basis and see if she improves. Hopefully just a few months on it will ease tensions and build tolerance.

Screw Hugs, Gimme Drugs!

Two (possibly three) days without my allergy meds. I must stay clean until Thursday, when I get my back stabbed with fifty needles they call allergy testing. I think the government is really embedding nano machines in me or maybe injecting me with some mind-altering serum. :)

I was ok yesterday but it slammed me today. The itchy nose and throat, the sneezing, and overall irritation makes for a cranky me. I need drugs and lots of it. Pretty green bottles are my friends.

Celebrating Cara

Hard to believe it's already been a year since we brought Cara home. As QE puts it, "What??? A year? She hasn't adjusted at all." Ah, such is the story in the Goo house. Our little RaRa is nothing like the sweet, easygoing cutie she was at her foster mom's. We often joke that the white streak down her face is the rebel and bad-ass side that shines brighter than any other aspect of our Cara. We don't think she's happy with us, but we're making progress. Cara sometimes seeks head rubs. She can be affectionate on her own terms. Still no hugs or lap visits. We respect Davis' boundaries and rules but we just can't resist snuggling Cara. She is so cute!! Our rebel has turned our household upside down, but I am glad she's in our lives (I'm pretty sure I am the ONLY one in our family who feels this way!) It's fun to carb-load with Cara. We might even go vegan together. :) Her list of foods now includes Tofurky deli slices, waffles, english muffins, tortillas, bread, Kashi cereal, potato, french toast, and everything that isn't cookies or eggs. Happy one year, little one!

Guilty as Charged

My loot from the first day's shopping. The pile is higher than it seems--maybe I shouldn't admit that. :) Angel and I had a great time sorting through everything that night. I keep forgetting to take pictures of Round Two. My family came over this weekend and got a glimpse of my yarn room. Ooops. I would take pics of it, but it's incriminating even without the second day's loot.

In other yarn news, I am still developing a good cupcake pattern. My first run didn't go as I envisioned but it was still fun. Bought some beads today so I have more color varieties for cupcake sprinkles. Finished two pairs of mary jane-styled booties for piglet this past week too. What the heck am I going to do with all this yarn? Thinking of what to make and then finding the pattern is torture. Why can't there be a knitting fairy telling me what I should knit with each type of yarn? I bet Ravelry has some nifty tools and features but I am just not a techno person. I tried to use the site once. I didn't get it. Too complicated. :)

Bought a new camera a few weeks ago. It was a good deal. I take it everywhere I go. It's neat to chronicle daily things because I can. I still hate moving pics to our computer (is that uploading or downloading???) and then to Flickr. This technology crap is just not my thing. My ELPH has lots of cool features that I read about in the manual. I have no idea how to activate or use them now that the manual is put away. Elf barks after each pic. It amuses the kitties. Speaking of which...QE picked out a DVD for our kids (QE!!!!) I thought I was nuts for being amused and the store was nuts for selling such silliness. But QE actually suggested we buy it. Davis was captivated. My parents watched as Davis sat in front of the television like a little kid. It was adorable. They wouldn't have believed me if they didn't witness it themselves.

Knitter Type

You appear to be a Knitting Guru. You love knitting and do it all the time. While finishing a piece is the plan, you still love the process, and can't imagine a day going by without giving some time to your yarn. Packing for vacation involves leaving ample space for the stash and supplies. It can be hard to tell where the yarn ends and you begin.
http://marniemaclean.com

Red Ring of Death

I first learned this phrase from the cover of QE's XBox magazine. I thought it was a new game coming out. I waited for QE to gush about it, but he never did. Last week, we got a visit from the dreaded Red Ring of Death. QE was crushed. Heartbroken. Traumatized. Restless. It was painful to watch. He was worse than a drug addict in rehab. The box to ship his unit back to Microsoft came last night. I'm not clear if they will fix and return this specific machine to us or if we'll get a refurbished replacement. All told, QE will be without his BFF and soulmate for about a month. He is distraught.

I have to admit, the RRD is kind of pretty. The power symbol is green and the circle is red. Pretty bright lights...

Bags. The Anti-Kid.

Two old bags (calling them hens is offensive and insulting to female chickens--the gals from Chicken Run called and clucked me out) Anyway, two old bags at work were making anti-kid comments and then realized I might be a mother. One apologized for hating kids in front of me. Hilarious.

Picking Over the Plundering

I had to go back. I forgot to get my Insatiable Knitter's Card validated on Friday. Since I was there, I couldn't just ignore what was on sale! They had some nice stuff on sale, but I am SO glad I went on Friday. Most of what was on sale Saturday were leftovers from Friday (i.e. "good" yarn in less than desirable colors) and "eh" yarns. Everything was still very nice, just not my bag. I went around 4:00 p.m., so it's expected they were picked over from Friday and yesterday morning. SIL is not a knitter and even she was caught up in the moment. "This is so fun!" and "What a great deal!" she chirped as we dug through several bins.

QE invaded my privacy under the guise of taking the new load to my knitting room. I am still allowed to buy yarn but only if I can stand in there and tell him I need more yarn. He said I have enough start my own yarn store. Probably true, so I might have to consider that. :) Had I known he would spy on me, I wouldn't have unpacked my treasures from Friday. Hahaha

My Christmas Morning

It's about 6:30 a.m. I've been tossing and turning trying to sleep for at least half an hour. QE fed the kitties this morning but Davis refuses to go into his room unless I escort him. QE's attempts usually includes hissing and running. I got our boy into his room and went back to bed. Or at least tried to. Like a kid waiting for Christmas morning, my thoughts and excitement took over my mind and body, and now I can't sleep.

Between my yarn and the Piggies being here, I am overcome with joy and excitement. My brother and his wife look good. The piglet was sleeping (darn it!) so I couldn't hug him. Okay, so this is why I'm excited--the thought of holding piglet today is thrilling!! I'm happy and content that we don't have kids of our own (how would I maintain my yarn addiction??) but sometimes I wonder if I am missing out on some secret joy. It's weird how I've placed all my hopes and dreams into the little human we call piglet. He's not my child, but I have high expectations for him.

After some thought, I'm sort of glad we don't have human children. For the benefit of the child, I think it's important for a child to have at least one sibling. I might have been ok with one kid, but I can't see us with two. I think siblings are our link to our past and our connection to the future. At some point, our parents will pass away and we're only left with each other. We need someone who knew us 50 years ago as a child and to share memories. "Remember the time when Dad..." or "I still can't believe Mom..." There's something to be said for parents who space their children 2-3 years apart. I think it might be grueling for the parents to have two kids in diapers and two kids in college, but the benefits for the siblings essentially sharing the same childhood are pretty cool.

Now, the other reason why I am so stoked. I GOT YARN!!!! And lots of it! I dumped out all four bags and um, wow. It's way more than I remember buying. I feel guilty. Ok, so my receipt says I saved over $1,000, but it's still money I didn't NEED to spend and could be better used on something more practical. QE is still fine with it even after seeing my loot. Maybe he knows my self-inflicted guilt is punishment enough. :) I can't believe how lucky I am to have such an understanding enabler for a husband. How can he be so generous with our money? He says my happiness is worth it. I am so blessed to have QE.

My loot is at least twice the size of last summer's haul. More Manos than I can count. Lots of yarn (like angora) that I would never have bought. So many Koigu my head is spinning. Two pattern books for $1 each!!!! Some funky Debbie Bliss yarn that looks like boucle. Two BAGS of it! I hate boucle. 20 balls. A bag of alpaca silk in bright pink. Hey! I was in the heat of the moment! I had to grab it before someone else did! :) What is hilarious is that at least one person walked in for needles not knowing about the sale and got swept up into the frenzy. I somehow convinced the woman behind me in line to buy 6-8 hanks of a varigated bright pink cotton. She's a quilter and has no idea what to do with the yarn. I told her if she didn't want it, I'd buy it, so she took it. HAHAHAHAHAHA Peer pressure works.

I spent some time last night sorting my beauties. I told myself at the store that some of what I was buying was for Frap. It turns out that there's not much I'm willing to give up, even for sale. I don't think it's selfishness or greed talking as much as an addict lusting for the high. Maybe what I should do is sell part of my loot (noooooo!) for a profit on auction sites. My shelf most certainly cannot hold all of my yarn. I think I must go fondle now.