Ed and Me

I met Ed Begley, Jr. today, totally by accident. QE and I went to the Green Festival and had a great time. Definitely worth the effort. We left around 2:00 p.m. and took a break before heading home. Looking over my loot, I realized that my free t-shirt would probably be too small. We decided to head back to the festival for an exchange. As we were just about to walk into the exhibition hall, I saw him. Could it be?? No way! Yup, it was definitely him. He was registering at the Speakers' table while I snapped a few pics. As he left the table, I spoke to him. He was so nice!!! He shook both our hands and I asked if we could take a few pics together. QE snapped two. Apparently I totally nerded out in the first shot. omg...I looked way too excited and giddy. The second one was perfect. Ed is incredibly tall. He was so nice!!!! Oh Ed...

We also met farmers from Organic Valley. It was so heartwarming to hear that they really do let the cows graze year-round except when there's snow on the ground. The chickens also get to free roam outside weather permitting. The farmer we spoke to was awesome. He was from NY, around Cooperstown.

At a booth representing multiple brands, I saw a Nature's Path cereal we love. "Honey, that's Cara's favorite cereal! She loves this one!!" The guy heard me and asked what Cara liked most about it. I sheepishly told him Cara was our cat and that she loves the flakes. Cara likes to stick her face into my bowl and eat the flakes one at a time. They asked if I wanted to share what we loved about Nature's Path on video. tee hee

Give a Little Bit (please?)

If you can give, please do so. Trooper was found in a dumpster, in a garbage bag tightly taped, left for dead. She managed to rip a hole in the bag so she could breathe.

Trooper's story

Loot!

Terrell Owens had four TDs on 11/18/07...against the Washington Redskins. LMAO


The yarn is much prettier and brighter in person. I quickly snapped a few shots for Ravelry. No lovefest yet. I squealed into the receptionist's ear when he called to say I had a package.

Food, Inc.

Really good movie. It didn't present anything I didn't already know, but it's very different seeing it than reading it. I am glad to be vegetarian. If nothing else, it makes life so much simpler from not having to worry about meat handling and cooking. The meat industry is...cruel. The companies don't care about the workers any more than they do the animals. The Smithfield story was disgusting and appalling.

One thing that did shock me is all the sell-outs in the "natural" market. Tom's of Maine got bought by Colgate. Stonyfield Farm is now owned by the Dannon people. Kashi is Kelloggs. I already knew Morningstar, Boca, Jason, Eden, a few others were owned by The Man. Does it matter if the acquired company maintains its core values and missions? I don't know. Most small companies aspire to eventually sell and cash in for their hard work, as they should.

The truth is, we can't avoid the conglomerates. Monsanto IS soybeans. Most chicken, cow and pig farmers are contract farmers to Tysons, Perdue, Smithfield, etc. One farmer lost her contract with Perdue because she refused to transition to the new windowless tunnel housing for chickens. She wanted to keep her sheds with windows. I personally think it was an excuse. She lost her contract because she agreed to let cameras inside the chicken houses. Tysons visited one farmer in KY who originally agreed and after several visits from Tysons, "changed his mind".

Potential

QE and I were talking about Buddy's progress and how sweet he can be now. Davis has gotten really attached to me and I always think about our first meeting at the shelter. He snuggled into my arms, looked me in the eye, and purred. Then he nipped QE for playing with his jacket zipper. QE still playfully holds a grudge against our boy.

As we were talking, QE said we adopted Davis because there was immense pressure to do so. He took the nip as an indicator of what Buddy's personality might be, but overlooked it because he knew our boy would get put down if we didn't adopt him. Yes, I felt the pressure and angst too, but I fell in love with Davis' photo on Petfinder.com before we even met. Our boy had already been at the shelter for two weeks and developed a cold. My inquiry saved him. I had no idea.

All I knew was that there was a cute gray face that needed kisses. QE saved a life with his decision to adopt. To think there are millions of cats and dogs who did nothing wrong but were condemned to death due to human selfishness.

Happy Birthday, Darling!

I love you George! I will be the one who loves you til the end of time. (sorry, couldn't resist)

For the past few weeks, QE has been rolling his eyes and grunting every time I quizzed him on George's bday. "We've been together for so long, how could I NOT know when it is???" I told my dad today is George's birthday and he smiled. "He's a singer. You used to love him."

Happy birthday, darling.

Calorie-Free

Desserts

Rations

Transparent tape is not kept in the supply cabinet. The old lady in AP keeps it hidden in her office. Pens are also doled out upon request. The cabinet is specifically for our department, so I'm not sure why these items are kept under lock and key. If she likes you, you get the "good" rollerball or gel pens. Otherwise it's the cheap Bic Stics.

Where Sheldon Shops

www.thinkgeek.com

Finding a Unicorn

Cara purred for me last night. It was her first purr this year. I am smitten with my kitten.

Look what I can do!!

Ok, I know I am a dork, but I am extremely proud of myself for having figured out 1) how to convert my huge video file into a tidy 7MB (thanks Em for pointing me to iMovie!) 2) how to upload it all by myself! It's a bit grainy but at least I get to share. :)

Warm and Fuzzy...Belly

I had the honor of interviewing the most perfect adoption applicant a few weeks back. T is such a nice lady. Just a good, decent human being. She took her kitty home on Sunday and we had our follow-up call today. She referred to her new kitty as her daughter. :) T gave a declawed kitty with special needs a loving, permanent home. It's very apparent that T's love is unconditional. If only more people were like T. Meeting people like her is the best "paycheck" volunteers like me could ever get.

Gyah!

Anyone know how to reduce a file size? Specifically, a video recorded by my camera. The video is 300MB+ so I can't upload it to Flickr or here. Don't have QuickTime Pro. The file extension is AVI. This blows monkey chunks.

In the event someone can help a clueless techno idiot, here's my thanks: I finished my Hey Teach. I can't figure out why the empire waist is so high since the back looks fine. (oh hush, I know it's saggy boobs...)

Jello Buffet

The geriatric ward is abuzz. Our office is moving/consolidating with the other office. We knew it was going to happen within the next 14 months. Exact timeline is still tbd but the office is already filled with panic and excitement.

Happy Joy

Cara's lost about half a pound. Yay! I am so glad "strangers" got to experience the tortitude Cara inflicts on me daily. She growled while the vet listened to her heart and lungs. Yup, fully functioning and as fiery as ever. When the doctor opened Cara's mouth to inspect her teeth, my darling baby spat a big hiss. Doc thanked Cara for showing her teeth and said they looked great.

In other news, the White House is getting a vegetable garden!!! The 1,100 square-foot garden will have 55 varieties of vegetables!

Terrible Twos

We celebrate two years with Cara today! She's not celebrating though. Cara grumbled all morning about how she is subjected to stupid humans and idiotic cats who don't understand her.

We absolutely adore our little baby. Cara is such a cutie when she allows herself to be loved. I think deep down inside, Cara loves me back. She is the rebellious teenager who is angry with the world. That's ok. I'll take her cattitude as long as she doesn't become a teenage mother or get arrested. HA!

Meowmy and Me

I ran out of yarn so Angel's sweater isn't as nice or shaped as I wanted it to be. She wore it without protest despite it not fitting properly. What a little trooper.

Fitted Knit

Here's my most recent project. I think it turned out quite nicely. It was finished the first time on Friday and officially finished on Sunday. What a difference 8 rows made! I haven't knitted since Sunday morning. I am incredibly restless.

Eight is Great

Wow. Where to even begin. We brought Angel home eight years ago today. I can't believe it's already been eight years! Angel is the most perfect cat ever. She is so patient, loving and sweet. She taught us how to be good cat parents and endured lots of suffering before we wised up about her medical needs. Maybe that's why I don't mind pampering her now. Words can't even begin to describe my adoration, admiration and fondness for my little best friend.

Better Days

Happy Birthday to my little Cara! Two years ago today, Cara was turned into a high-kill shelter. On February 12, 2007, Siamese Rescue saved her. I think today is indeed a birthday of sorts for Cara. It was the beginning of a new chapter in Cara's life. She was freed from the horrible human(s) who gave her up. No reason or explanation given. Well, she is our little bundle of joy now. We cherish and celebrate her every day. Cara is such a delight. I think she secretly loves me back.

Cara is so intelligent it is ridiculous. The worst part is that she knows she is smart. She can actually process logic in her brain. If I hide a wand toy under a towel, she will wait for it to emerge on the other side. Just last week, she managed to unscrew the cap to the brand new container of treats. And ate them all. That was a $12.99 container of treats that was supposed to last a month. Our little one is simply amazing. I still need to share a video of her eating treats. It quenched all of my motherly nursing and nesting desires. Cara is so adorable when she's not mean.

Here are two photos showing how Cara's coloring has changed significantly. The second one was taken in October. She has actually gotten even darker since then. We think Cara is in her rebellious teenage goth phase.

Knitter's Block

I have not knitted since Saturday. I am going crazy. Waiting for yarn to arrive in the mail. Maybe I should start a small project. Although I hate having WIPs laying around. This sucks. I feel so lost.

I've also decided that I won't take my knitting to Paris. Don't want to risk having my needles and tools confiscated. Plus, I don't want to feel the urge to knit while in Paris. Oh, the Jardins des Tuileries would be an awesome place to knit, too!

Next project is a vest for me. I should have enough leftovers to make Angel a vest too.

Souvenir

I cut myself on Inauguration Day. This was three days later. Dad didn't let on at the time, but he said it was pretty deep. I'll spare the bloody details. Having experienced his share of bad cuts, dad said to keep it dry for at least 2 days. I usually change the bandage if it gets wet, but I do allow wounds to get wet. Sure enough, dad's method worked. I was very surprised at how quickly my finger healed. I wasn't expecting this stage of healing for at least 5-7 days.

Kitties 1, Humans 0

Ever since my parents found out the kitties were going to the pet resort while we're in Paris, they have been lobbying hard to "save" the grandbabies. They started with comments about saving money and sending the cats to their house instead. Realizing cost is never an issue when it comes to our precious kitties, they tried to appeal to our hearts. Last time, my parents visited our kids at the resort. --Oh, you should have seen them! They looked so sad! Angel recognized us but was still miserable! It's still cages no matter how big! Please don't send them back there!

There have been multiple phone calls from both parents (tag team!) pleading their case, begging us not to take the kitties there. It's a very nice place. The people love their guests. Today, I asked dad why they are so insistent about not taking our babies there. He said the resort is nice and they don't mistreat the animals, but it's not the same as being at home. Cats are living beings and have feelings too(!!). They were very sad last time and my parents don't want to see them like that again. Oh my. My parents love our kitties. This is awesome!

My mom is taking time off work(!) to babysit our cats. It was her idea. Dad fully supports it. She plans on staying at our house while we are away. This is nuts. I can't believe my parents would do that for our kitties. It's very sweet and I am deeply touched they love our kids as much as we do.

Masterpiece

Yeah, I know. QE is the true masterpiece in the photo. Or maybe he's just a piece of work. hahaha This is the sweater I've been working on for months. Since October 31, to be exact. I think it turned out great. Better than I expected, actually. We started with a pattern and modified it very heavily. The measurements are perfect (it's not for QE, so the extra-long sleeves were intentional). Math + gauge = precision. My best work yet!

Everybody Wants to Love Like That

(Too Funky is on) sigh...what can I say. I don't think a single day has passed where I haven't thought about the concert. I saw him. In person! He still dances the same. His mannerisms are the same. His songs still give me that adrenaline rush. I can SEE him on the stage! It's neat to hear how his voice and songwriting evolved over time.

In case you haven't heard, NKOTB is going to perform on a Ft. Lauderdale-Bahamas cruise the first week in May. I am oddly curious. I wasn't a fan back in the day but now I am just drawn to them. Maybe I'm making up for lost time. I spent all my resources on George back in the day.

I started my Clapotis this morning. I didn't have my tool pouch with me. No row counter, no stitch markers. Desperately rummaging through my bag, I managed to find three short pieces of yarn that I knotted to make temporary SMs. Pathetic, I am. Anyway, I am using Wollmeise(!!!) Twin 80/20 in Poison No.5, which is a purple/black combo. I'm starting to wonder if I should have gone with the Sockenwolle in Wilder Mohn. But it is so bright red that I'm afraid I will look yellow. Gyah. I wish I used the red though. Grass is always greener. I am obsessed with it already. I need to finish it in time for PARIS. Wooooooooo!

I already have enough hours for the week. Thinking about spending the next few hours in my office off the clock, knitting. Have to wait for QE, so I am stuck here. Yes, I must knit. That's more than two precious hours of knitting!

Going to Paris

QE is taking me to Paris.

Chimp Choc

I came home Christmas Eve to find clumps of fur in Davis' room. No visible injuries. The white fur belongs to Cara and the gray fuzz is Davis'. What's weird is that Cara doesn't have much white or cream fur anymore. Only a small section on her neck and a patch between her legs.

USA Network had a 24-hour Elf marathon on NYE. I was so excited. It was comforting knowing Elf was on constant loop. And it's so much funnier when I actually pay attention to the details of the movie.

We watched Stepbrothers and now QE will spontaneously crack up over some stupid scene. Boats and Hoes.

2008 was a bad year for most people, methinks. We still have our house and jobs so I guess we're lucky. Angel got her bladder stones removed, Cara got her ass whooped several times including one tail bite, and Davis started staying in his room until his evil sister was tucked in for the night.

Lifting from GP's bff, here's a list. I love lists.

Accomplishments: I managed to keep my job despite having a cloud over my head daily. I made some cute knitted toys.

Best new book read in 2008: Pet Food Politics. Further confirms that the US food supply is not safe and that the government does not care about us.

Worst new book read in 2008: Nora Ephron's I Feel Bad About My Neck. It was so menopausal I didn't even finish it.

Best book re-read in 2008: Don't re-read books generally.

Worst book re-read in 2008: See above, but couldn't imagine that I would re-read one that I wouldn't enjoy

Best new movie seen in 2008: Dude, I can't remember what I wore yesterday. No way I can remember what came out or what I watched. I saw King Corn, so that can be my favorite since it's the only one I remember.

Worst new movie seen in 2008: Knocked Up. Katherine Heigl is a bitch and ugly to boot. She needs to get over herself. No talent ass clown.

Best decision made in 2008: Didn't walk out on my job, although I daydreamed about it constantly. I contributed to my first and probably last political campaign. I started volunteering.

Worst decision made in 2008: I try not to have regrets. Everything should be a lesson learned. Hearing about all the animal abuses, abandoned kitties and meezers who died was heartbreaking though. I only knew about cats who died and were mourned by their humans. Millions more died alone, scared, and in a shelter.

Best purchase made in 2008: Cat toys that made Cara happy and kept her entertained, Angel's heated bed. Thanks to a Ravelry spoiler, I discovered my favorite chocolate. It's 72% dark choc and proceeds goes to help protect species, environment, etc. The wrapper has chimpanzees on it.

Worst purchase made in 2008: ugly yarn

Best month of 2008: November--Obama won. He gave me hope. Then he decided I was rich and should get a tax increase. Still love him though. Maybe June too, since Wegmans opened. QE and I decided we would hug Danny and his wife if we ever met them.

Worst month of 2008: pick one. They all sucked. How about March. That's when I turned a year older. This year will be worse. Acknowledgments of that horrible day will get you smacked. hahaha