Name Calling

Marion Nestle refers to people like me as pet guardians/parents. Kinda neat. Everyone knows cats aren't owned by anyone. I certainly protect and care for my kids like a guardian or parent though.

I had a CPS note on an adopter application. CPS. Child (or in this case, Cat) Protective Services? Turns out it was from Chief Pooper Scooper aka Director. Wah. I was in tears. I think that will be QE's new title. He can add that to his alphabet soup professional credentials.

BBF

Six years ago today, I took the day off work to pick up my buddy from the shelter. I got there as soon as it opened because I didn't want my boy to be in there any longer than he had to. My precious boy only cost us $23--feline leukemia test $15, flea treatment $5, collar $3. Talk about the deal of the century! Seriously though, it kinda makes me wonder why anyone would pay $300 to a breeder. We met Davis the weekend before at a public shelter. He was in the sick room because he caught a cold. I held him against my belly. He purred. As we gazed into each other's eyes, I asked if we could be his parents. I told him I wanted to be his mommy. That was the last time I got to hold him without getting smacked or bitten.

His days were already numbered when I contacted the Humane Society about him. Knowing he would probably get put down the weekend of our meeting definitely put pressure on me to adopt him. I don't regret it though. No, Davis is not the perfect cat. He is not normal. I call him special needs, our vet who has a similar cat, calls hers "not very bright" (hahaha). Davis' little heart was broken and he was probably mistreated in his past. He had no reason to trust humans. He didn't know his name when we adopted him. He learned "Davis" in about a week or two, so I don't think his previous humans interacted with him much. It's taken a lot of love and patience for our boy to trust us. What a long journey it's been. So worth it though.

Davis sleeps between my legs in the winter. If I cough excessively, he will walk up to my face and check to see if I am ok. He dashes to greet me when I wake up. He still only purrs and drools for me. That's why we will be best buddies forever.

Cholesterol

QE's cholesterol dropped more than 60 points. No changes in lifestyle other than me "making" him vegetarian. Pretty cool, eh?

He sometimes eats meat but rarely in my presence. It doesn't bother me if he does, but I do wish he ate good, healthy meat that was treated humanely while living.

Apparently salvaged pet food gets fed to the animals raised for human consumption. If you think about it, it's really gross. Pet food is usually made with beef, chicken or turkey by-products like ears, hooves, beaks, organs, etc--all the stuff that can't be made into hot dogs or sausage. If the pet food is non-saleable, it gets sold to farms (if you can call them that) as food for cows, pigs and chickens. So...these animals are forced to be cannibals. Normally this isn't an issue, except that during the pet food scare last year, some tainted food was fed to animals that were then slaughtered for human consumption.

Panic

I forgot that chickens molt in the winter (November-March). As of right now, Polyface has NO EGGS available. What am I going to do??? To make matters worse, my dad wants more eggs. I should encourage him to eat good pastured eggs but I can't provide him with any! How am I going to make it until March without eggs?? Our CSA has been providing us with a dozen almost weekly but it's not a steady supply. Meltdown in 3...2...1...

Plot

http://www.catswhothrowupgrass.com/kill.php

2+0=Bag

I have a bag fetish of sorts. I don't switch purses to match my outfits or anything, but I am always looking for that perfect tote, work bag, or purse. Timbuk2 has a sale on custom bags so of course I had to buy one. I asked my brother if he wanted to piggyback on my order since shipping would have been the same. Fast forward to last weekend and he busts my chops. "Why do you need another bag when you already have one?" Oh yeah...my moment of glory. "We have TWO incomes and ZERO kids, so I can buy as many bags I want and still spend less in a year than the cost of raising a kid." Oooffa! Got my tightwad bro where it hurt! :) Plus my bags' total value don't even come close to the Louis Vuitton bag his wife carries.

Cara and piglet had a mutual curiosity and fascination with each other. Very cute. The moment he walked into our house, Cara rushed over to inspect him. I held piglet's hand out for her to smell and then he gently touched her. Oh boy. He was so amused by her soft fur. He tried to pursue her so he could touch her again. Little sucker is a FAST crawler! Cara and Angel stayed out of piglet's reach most of the time. Treats weren't worth the possible assault from him.

Green Festival

We went to the Green Festival yesterday. It was a lot of fun to see all types of products, services, and advocacy groups there. The highlight for me was meeting Dr. Marion Nestle (rhymes with "wrestle") and having her sign my books. As an academic, she doesn't seem to be as warm and fuzzy or as eloquent as Joel Salatin. Dr. Nestle has another book coming out next year about the conflicts of interest veterinarians may have in putting patients on prescription diets. Most of these foods are corn-based, the very ingredient causing ailments in animals, especially cats.

The festival had a great turnout, lots of awesome vendors (and freebies!), and lots of enthusiastic participants. I think my challenge next year will be to go vegan for a week, AND not have my diet consist primarily of processed, pre-packaged vegan food.

Our CSA is going fantabulously. I am enjoying the autumn share much more than summer. All the beautiful squashes, greens, and eggs are just amazing. Just don't put turnip greens in lasagna. We've also gotten different varieties of apples and pears. There's a semi-tart red apple that I really like. It's very crisp and not mealy at all. The skin isn't all red like red delicious. We got another variety that is just cute--perfect little red apples with a good flavor. It's neat to see apples without that waxy, shiny coating on it. I think they taste better too.

sweater

Stories

My friends (ode to Darin!), I could not make up stories like this if I tried. Background: My performance appraisal last year consisted of them orally telling me I was doing fine. The department (non)manager nervously told me my bonus and raise without discussion.

In discussing why I wanted a performance appraisal this year, I told the lead Dementor that I wanted feedback on areas of improvement, and for my performance/growth to be documented. I used an example that if I dressed or behaved inappropriately, they would need it documented in case of an eventual termination. He responded with "Please dress inappropriately" and laughed.

Matchmaking

Well, I helped a meezer find her furever home! We are waiting for the Center to approve the match and I don't expect them to reject it. She's a special-needs kitty, so this make it all the more meaningful for me. It is so hard not to get emotionally attached to my adopters and the meezers. I am also helping transport two little boys to their furever homes tomorrow.

I am happy that I can help kitties but also saddened that there are SO MANY kitties needing a home! And this is only one rescue, saving only Siamese cats. There are many other cats, dogs, bunnies, ferrets, and a ton of other animals who desperately want to love and be loved.

Saving the world one kitty at a time.

Fraud

My new name for Cara is Fraud. She tricked us into adopting her.

Good Belly

I hate most dairy. The mere thought of milk makes me gag. I try to avoid buying milk so I don't have to touch the container and risk getting any milk cooties on my hands.

Walking through Wegmans yesterday, there were a few tasting tables set up. One of them was for Good Belly. The lady invited me to try a probiotic drink. I cautiously approached her, still uncommitted to actually standing in front of her display. She quickly chirps about what it is, sensing my skepticism. She said 'dairy-free' and my face relaxed with relief. I moved closer so she could tell me more about it. I tried and subsequently purchased the blueberry flavor.

QE thought the whole exchange was hilarious because it was obvious I was ready to run if she said yogurt, milk, or dairy. Once the lovely lady promised me no dairy was in sight, we were BFFs.

Heroes

Colin Powell endorsed Barack Obama. Wow. Powell is one of my heroes. He has integrity, ethics, and strong values; qualities not often exemplified, especially in public figures. I respect the man for his hard work and honesty. It will be interesting to see if this endorsement will sway or affect other Republicans.

I know one person who will remain unchanged. She is a down-home redneck racist who refuses to support Obama despite being a democrat because she "just can't". She can't bring herself to let "that one" become president because he is a secret Muslim terrorist out to inflict evil on our country. The scary part is that she is totally serious. I work with not one, but two people who openly express these views. What's laughable is that they will tell ME of all people about their biases.

Just a few weeks ago, this same woman told me how she was horrified to see two middle school boys walking with her granddaughter after school. One of the boys had his arms around the girl. Long story short, she wasn't mad that the boys were hanging off her granddaughter or that one said "she's my bitch". It was because the boys were black and she was aghast at what the neighbors might think.

My Ra

QE calls our youngest Caranator (like Terminator) since she leaves a path of violence and destruction. Apparently many cats get returned, even YEARS later. I still wonder if we're doing the right thing by keeping our little RaRa.

There's something about her that is so darn cute! We tend to forgive her antics because the sweet moments are so precious, it makes everything worthwhile. The way she grabs for treats, the way she looks around while laying flat on her back, the way she answers "noooo" when asked if she loves mommy.

I guess I equate our relationship with the cats to marriage. Well, theoretically anyway. We chose to create this relationship, so it only seems right to honor our commitment and endure "for better or for worse". There are a few instances where a divorce is necessary, like abuse or illegal activities, but there's nothing equivalent in the animal world. Those things don't spontaneously develop, so I wonder whether both parties entered the marriage with sound mind and judgment. Given the divorce rate, I have to think that most are for convenience. Being too young when married, growing apart, or just falling out of love are lame excuses. That is plain lack of effort, poor decision making, or a third party. Given the commonality of divorce, it's no surprise that disposing of animals doesn't even register to many people. Easy come, easy go. We can now dump off unwanted children at a hospital with no questions asked!

Cara seems content most of the time. I don't think the rescue tricked us into adopting her. I chose her. Her adoption photo was a bad-ass rebel cat--she's sitting behind a bookcase with a scowl on her face. Sigh...if only I didn't think it was cute or funny. But I did. And now I pay the price for it. Every. Single. Day. I keep waiting for that one day when Cara realizes she enjoys being loved and is glad to be sharing her life with us.

I have fallen for a handsome young fellow. His hindleg was recently amputated. He is a lovebug but we can't take him in because we already live in a war zone. Thanks a lot, CARA!

Yesh

Mooch has the right philosophy on life--focus on the good things, keep your perspective, and everything will be fine. I left work a little after noon today and it was awesome. It was just nice to be away from Azkaban.

So much going on. Made some good changes in my life. A cleansing of sorts, I think. I am getting way too attached to the meezers. Not sure if that's a good idea. It's probably not healthy for me to be so emotionally involved.

I can't decide if my kitties are killers. I bought them a rabbit fur toy. It had feathers on one end so I don't have to actually touch the fur. Cara and Davis both showed interest in it but have not "killed" it yet. Does that mean they are compassionate? They've lost their predator edge?

She would never admit it, but Cara loves me. She will scurry from wherever she is to greet me. She waits for me to take her collar at night and give her a neck scratch. Cara purred for me once. Oh, what a treat!

Piglet will be here in a bit over a month! I keep seeing workbooks and have the urge to buy some for him until I remember he's not even one yet. Ooops.

Driving home today, school buses were dropping off children. No big deal, except that there were parents waiting at the bus stops for the kids!! The bus deposits children right out side the various apartment complexes in broad daylight. Was it necessary for an adult to be there waiting? Very cool though. It's a foreign concept to me since my SAHM never did that with me. Even on my first day of kindergarten, I walked to the bus stop alone. She waved at me from our balcony. When we moved, I walked to school alone beginning in first grade. Mom was rarely awake in the mornings when I left for school. Never means none--rarely means maybe a handful of times from kindergarten through high school. Heck, there were times when AM kindergarten was canceled because of snow and I was at the bus stop. The big kids had to tell me I didn't have school and to go home. So given my experiences, it's very weird for me to see parents waiting at a bus stop for their tater tots.

Hallmark Holiday

On behalf of all the animals in the world, Happy World Vegetarian Day!


Ellen was at some event and Proposition 2 came up. She said something like "I know lots of stupid people and we don't kill them!"

Eden

Your result for Reincarnation Placement Exam...

Garden of Eden

34% Intrigue, 29% Civilization, 47% Humanity, 15% Urbanization.

It's the Garden of Eden for you!

Well, this is about as cozy and simple as life can get. We hope you like it here. The real estate is not well developed, but the garden is top-flight.

Your answers indicate that you basically want to just coast through life. You don't want any trouble, and you don't want any special privileges either. That's fine with us. It's entirely possible to live a pleasant life without trouble or strife, and Eden is the perfect spot for it, as long as you don't... well...

Just try to behave better than the previous tenants. Evictions can be rough.

Take Reincarnation Placement Exam at HelloQuizzy

The Good Life

Aside from the message, everyone can now see what I've seen in-person--cheepy chicks, furry piggies, cows coming when called! Very cool. Maybe the moo-moos can tutor my kitties.

We got mutant eggs with our CSA share this week. We are officially overloaded with eggs now. Not to mention I am picking up another (ahem!) dozen this week. And we still have (cough!) dozen in the fridge. Quiche anyone?

Having been separated from QE for a week, it's really cool to know that I can be independent. Oddly, the kitties don't miss him. At all. Kinda freaks me out, actually.

I have been semi-vegetarian for over a year now. Ate meat at two weddings (talk about crappy food!) Had sushi for dad's bday, did that weekend flesh binge in May. I think that was it. This year I want to be 100% vegetarian, so I need to be more conscious of how cheeses are made. I've found a few vegetarian/vegan groups in Ravelry. It's nice to have the support and know I'm not the only one who fields rude comments and questions. Now that I think about it, I think my entire day has been vegan, without even trying! Amy's breakfast burrito, grilled veggie sandwich, pasta with CSA veggies.

A Drink to Our Health

The first large study of humans exposed to a chemical widely used in everyday plastics has found that people with higher levels of bisphenol A had higher rates of heart disease, diabetes and liver abnormalities.

Despite more than 100 studies by government-funded scientists and university laboratories that have linked BPA exposure to health effects in animals, the FDA has deemed it safe, largely on the basis of two studies funded by the chemical industry.

BPA is ubiquitous in modern life; it is used to give polycarbonate plastic its shatterproof quality and found in everything from water bottles to dental sealants to the linings of canned food and drinks. The chemical can leach into food and liquid; one recent federal study detected BPA in the urine of 93 percent of the population.

Full article here.

It's Back!!

Our little hook tail is back! Cara spent much of yesterday sleeping and appears to be doing much better today. Her tail resumed its perky position with a curved tip. :) She seems to have little interest in bugging her siblings and both don't seem to view her as threatening. Hopefully Cara has learned her lesson, but we are doubtful. My little baby is sleeping right now with the most angelic face. Who knew a cute face could shield such a fierce and stubborn little girl inside.

I've had doubts in the past few years about whether opting out of a child was the right decision. After adopting Cara, I think we definitely made the right choice. She has given us enough taste of parenthood to know it's not for us. The heartache, the worries, the discipline. And to know that how we behave and treat the kid can impact his/her life is just too much pressure. Stubborn Cara can't be molded or influenced the way a human child can. I still want a human baby, I just don't think I'm up for dealing with a child.