The Look of Love

I know what she's thinking...She gives me that look a lot. I can hear her voice in my head...she's THAT intense!

In her own words...

"You know I love you, right? Like really, really LOVE you. I mean I would take a bullet for you. No I would, I mean it." Pause dramatically for effect. "So, uh...can I have a cookie?"

She loves me, for my cookies.

Feeling the Crunch

So I bought a bellydancing exercise DVD. Yay, go me. Even better than that I actually did it...yay again. Yesterday was focus on abs, and today is OMG I can't sit up because my abs hurt. I guess it's a good thing but man, my abs HURT.

I think I actually slept through the night for the first time in a week. The only issue I had was falling asleep, but once I finally got there, I didn't wake up. I'm actually feeling not too bad today...finally.

Oh, did I mention....my abs...yeah I guess I did...my bad.

I haven't had a good night's sleep since I quit smoking. I know that sleep disturbance is part of quitting, but this is getting ridiculous. I have developed a twitch in one eye and the constant burn from being tired is getting really, really old. Enough already.

This sucks.

Blech

Why do Mondays suck? First things first I woke up at 5:30am...again....for no reason. Then later on Flash threw up in his crate, when we got up he had barf all over his front legs and is now sleeping beside me on the couch stinking to high heaven.
Then MC had the wickedest poo EVER...which then made me throw up.

So you see, Mondays suck.

I'm also weaning MC from breastfeeding, and my boobies hurt. Ugh.

Couldn't Resist...

I'm such an LOL cat dork....


Enter the ICHC online Poker Cats Contest!

Channeling Homer

Remember that episode where Homer Simpson stops drinking booze for a month? There's a scene with him shakily Xing off a day in red marker...that's how I feel today.

Scott's alarm didn't go off, thank goodness. Instead a myriad of other sounds conspired to wake me up. The shower, cat scratching in the litter box, cat having a drink, MC moving in bed...I will assume this sensitivity will go away until then I'll just question the point in quitting until I get enough coffee into my system that I can pass myself off as "awake".

Oh and it's snowing, I wasn't expecting that this morning. And lucky us we're going to get another snow storm next week...if you believe in weather forecasts...I don't, I'm sure we'll get a beautiful sunny day, because that's what my Magic 8 Ball says.

Where's That Handbasket?

Special thanks to Kate this morning. I needed a good chuckle, and a quick reminder that I will not be alone in hell!

WTF?

This morning starting annoyingly. Scott's alarm went off while he was in the bathroom so I stumbled over and smacked the snooze button. He opened the door and I asked him to turn his alarm off to which he responded by closing the door because obviously his alarm WAS off. Ten minutes later while Scott was actually IN the shower it went off again so again I stumbled over and hit the snooze button and tried to press some random buttons to make the stupid thing stop. Nothing worked, so I unplugged.

And then just after I had finally fallen back to sleep, the stupid unplugged clock started going AGAIN. Once more I stumbled over now kind of pissed and pulled the battery out.

For the record...Scott gets up at 5am...I do NOT.

Nice start to the second day of quitting. It's amazing what frustration one little white tube of noxiuous fumes can relieve.

Day One

Well here we are. Not bad so far, but really it's early in the day so I'm guessing it will get worse through out the day. My friend Kate is coming over to keep me company later today...if I ask really, really nicely she may bring me a coffee from Timmy's.

I have already tried my Thrive lozenge...so I can "lose the smoke, not the fire"...and I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't taste like butt. I may have tried to suck too much of the nicotine out since I was starting to feel nauseous. So my choices appear to be....have really bad cravings or feel like vomiting. I haven't decided which of two is worse yet. I am also waiting for my motorcycle to arrive. Apparently people who quit smoking all get a motorcycle...I would like a pink one please. Oh and a chicken...k?thx.bai.

And the Countdown Begins

Well my quit date has approached much more quickly than I thought. I go from being excited that it's finally here and terrified that I won't be able to do it. I have had some help in my preparations, but somehow I still don't feel completely ready. Not sure what's going on there.

So tomorrow will arrive and I anticipate quite a bit of crankiness on my part, so to my two support people I already apologize. If you know someone that is quitting and you're wondering how to support them I would read this.

That's all that's really on my mind today, it's just sitting there at the back of my mind niggling.

Babies, Babies

We had a fabulous time today on our playdate with friends. They are the only people we know with a baby, and they're only 5 months apart. Baby C is such a cutie, he is much more outgoing than MC and is always ready to smile at anyone.

He kept poking MC in the eyes, ears, mouth, nose and his hair. MC didn't really like that, but he didn't just get up and walk away, he just. sat. there. Baby C is crawling and MC could've sped out of there but I think he was just so shocked that there is another baby in the world he froze up.

After about an hour he warmed up and the two boys were playing together quite nicely and he even sat in Baby C's mom's lap.

Cuteness abound today!

ch 8 sc 8

Went to my LYS (Local Yarn Store) for the first time today. I bought 2 balls of yarn to crochet Scott a scarf, very manly grey yarn. I'm going to try and start that in the next couple of weeks. For myself I bought some very girly pinky, purple variegated yarn to make a bag for my hooks. I snagged some cotton yarn on sale for practicing with.

So now I will start crocheting in earnest...much better now that I have a couple of actual projects.

All of this learning is for preparation for February 20th...what's so important about the 20th?

Quit day....no more smoking...

Dun dun duuuuun.........

Happy Valentine's Day

RESISTANCE AR FUTILE..U KNOW YOO WANTZ LOLCATZ!


moar humorous pics

Shopped and Dropped

I went shopping last night with my friend Kate for a new winter coat. I was hoping I could snag one on sale but we didn't have any luck. I didn't see any clothes I wanted to buy either, which is strange...but it was all spring stuff anyway and with all the snow we've got kicking around here I'm really not in the mood for light coats and shirts.

MC however made out like a bandit. I bought him a pair of the new Robeez Tredz which were a tad more expensive than I was hoping. They are so dang cute though! He also got two new outfits, some bubble wands and a huge Lightning McQueen pillow. He's been holding onto his bubble bath Lightning container and we're hoping he'll like this one enough to trade at bedtime.

Since I didn't get to buy any clothes I opted to buy two new books...part 2 and 3 of The Golden Compass.

No naturel disasters so far today...so far. The day is young yet.

Is It Friday Yet?

I was getting ready to put some pork into the slow cooker (I'm making this) and I got the sauce ready and pulled the pork out of the fridge. Lovely little package, wrapped so nicely in butcher paper. That's when the blood came oozing out of the package. Great, just fantastic. So I had two dogs trying to lick blood off the floor, which I'm thinking is a bad thing, while I'm trying to hold the pork so that it won't leak anymore blood as I fly it over to the sink. Big mess in the drawer, all over the freezer door and on the floor.

This entire week has been long and annoying and I want it over.

Note to self....put raw meat into a sealed zipper bag.

Early Birdies

Well now, that was fun. My sister and her husband came over after calling me in a panic. Apparently she spelled someone's name wrong when sending out her resume. She desperately needed to resend it before he had a chance to see that Julie had misspelled his name.

So they hung around while I fed everybody. MC was a little perturbed to see them at first, but he quickly warmed up and had a great time. The dogs were happy to see some visitors and were galloping around and bouncing off the walls.

Flash managed to snag a glass bowl with oatmeal off the counter so I got to clean up that mess. And I had to make another pot of coffee because I gave Ed a cup.

It's snowing....again. Yay.

Bacon Anyone?

Well, the boy is still sleeping. Good for him. I would still be sleeping too if he didn't insist on oohing and aahing in his sleep.

Our new appliances are in and the dishwasher is great...I would've hugged that one too but I think Scott was begining to doubt my sanity.

One of the first news stories I read this morning was about dolphins being eaten somewhere in Japan. Not for me, but thanks anyway. What I don't understand is why Flipper's trainer feels the need to go aaaaaall the way over there to film the alleged "barbaric" acts. Doesn't he know that he can find mistreatment of animals for consumption in his own backyard? I don't see any CNN camera's trying to catch glimpses of chickens or cows in any of the slaughter houses of America or Canada.

But I suppose cows, chickens, pigs and lamb aren't nearly as cute as Flipper.

Another Day, Same Load of Laundry

Well, I seem to be in the grips of a wicked case of the February blahs. There's so many things I could or should be doing and it all seems quite pointless for the past few days. Somehow I'll need to shrug off the the dreary views and get back to my regular cheery self.

On the plus side we did get our new fridge and dishwasher today. The fridge is cooling off as we speak and it's very pretty...and I'm ashamed to say I actually hugged it. So much for me being a shrub hugger.

Master of the House

MC Human Age 14mos

This little one certainly keeps me on my toes! He's in general a happy and easy going kid but some days he can be a real task master.

In the past couple of weeks he has become a champion climber and likes to hoist himself up on anything he can. His current obsession is Thomas the Tank Engine and he will watch that show for hours if you let him. He also developed a liking for Formula 1 racing and that started when he was just a few months old...perhaps he can be the next Schumacher...you never know.

He isn't really talking yet, not that I can distinguish any real words anyway. But the kid can move, so I think he's been concentrating on that.

He's calling for a playmate...that would be me.....

The Medium Legged One

Patti Human Age 33

I'm the scooper, stooper, and wiper of poo, as a matter of fact most of my mornings are spent surrounded by poo of various types. I'm maid, launderer, chef, dog groomer, cat groomer, home organizer, and dishwasher. Not exactly how I planned on things but what can you do?

Sometimes I write when my brain isn't too tired. When my brain is too tired I surf the internet for inane things to read which happens more often than actual writing. I also like shopping...a lot. I find these days my shopping mostly consists of buying things for the boy since his stuff is much more fun to look at and I don't have to try any clothes on thus avoiding the whole self esteem crash that comes from staring at yourself in a tiny change room awash with fluorescent lighting.

There you go...me in a nutshell.

The Long Legged One

Scott Human Age 39

Scott works with computers...I think....I'm never actually sure what he does. He tries to explain to me but I get that blank look of "Oh my god, I'm supposed to understand this?". I know he works in a big building and has a nice desk in cubicle farm with no access to windows.

He likes to play soccer in the summer and hibernate in the winter. He is the one who got me hooked on WoW...before I played I was just another Warcrack Widow.

If he wants to tell you more he can get get his own damn blog. :P

Love Is Blind

Lola DSH Torbie Age 2

Lola came to us as yet another foster. She was somewhere between 4-6 weeks old and was in pretty sad shape. She was skinny, and there was something wrong with her eyes. At first there was some speculation that someone had done something to her but further examination proved that she was born with some eye issues.

She is blind. She has no tear ducts and her third eyelid doesn't function. She's tiny, most people think she's still a kitten, but this is her full size.

Now the description of her sounds pretty pathetic and I know most people feel pity for her but trust me she can function just as well as the rest of the cats. Visitors to the house always ask me if I'm SURE that she's blind...yes I'm SURE...trust me she's blind. Lola moves around the house as easily and quickly as everyone else, I just need to make sure I try to keep the furniture in the same place. Occasionally she will walk into things while rushing around to find another cat to harass.

If there's some kind of feline disturbance you can usually bet Lola's the instigator. I'm not sure if it's because she's blind but if you're sitting she needs to get in your face and have a good sniff. Why the face and not the hands, who knows.

So that's the four legged population of our home...next we'll hit the two legged variety and we're severely outnumbered.

Dead End

Maca DSH Torbie Age 8

Maca was supposed to be a temporary resident here. There was no room at the shelter and it was either foster her or she would be euthanized. She wasn't a highly adoptable cat, she was in a bad mood constantly, she bit, and she didn't like other cats.

So she came to have a vacation with us. We kept her separate since she didn't like other cats and very quickly she let us know that having her own room was not for her. After her release from solitary confinement she set about letting the other cats know that there was a new sheriff in town and her name was Maca.

So this biting sourpuss managed to surprise us all and became a lovely sweet gentle cat. The cat who wanted nothing to do with any people suddenly decided we were okay and she now settles nicely in our laps. She also puts up with the boy learning how to be gentle, she has been patient to a point.

Now even though we were told her age when we got her, I think they're wrong. This young cat acts like an octogenarian. She spends most of her day sleeping in her cube and instead of prowling at night with the other cats she sleeps on Scott's pillow...as close to his head as she can.

Maca has a disease called Lymphocytic-Plasmacytic Stomatitis. Say that five times fast. There isn't much known about it but it's some kind of auto immune disease, in simple terms she's allergic to her own plaque. Because of this she requires yearly dentistry and is on daily medication. Fun times every morning.

The Last Man Standing

Squish DSH White and Orange Tabby Age 3yrs

Squish arrived in the house when he was just a few weeks old. I fostered his mom and his 5 siblings until they were weaned and old enough for adoption. He was the runt. The tiniest and weakest of the bunch. When he was a kitten his face always looked scrunched up and his eyes were always goopy.

One look at him in a huge cat cage at the humane society all by his lonesome was all I needed. He was the last remaining kitten and it seemed no one wanted him....except me. After much pouting and begging to Scott and POOF; home Squish came.

Somehow he came to the decision that he still needed a mom, so he chose one. Now Spice and Squish are inseparable and where Spice is sleeping you will almost always find Squish close by, usually being cleaned. Not that she has a choice about cleaning him, he demands it. He plops down in front of her and butts heads with her until she gives in and cleans him.

So this supposed runt of the litter is now a big strong cat. And he has his own song....

Think Spiderman...just replace with Squish Man. You know....da na na na na na na na....SQUISH MAN. And yes, he does answer to that song.

Alas Poor Thomas...We Knew Him Well

Merlin's treat of the week. Complete and total destruction. In case you're wondering these are the remains of Thomas the Tank Engine....good thing the boy doesn't know enough to miss his toys yet.

The Poop Hits the Fan

Pooperella DSH Grey Age 4

Odd name, I know. She didn't start out with that name, she was named Cinder. I fostered her and her 5 brothers and sisters until they could find a spot for 3 of them. The entire litter was feral. Have you met a feral kitten? They are disgusting tiny balls of cuteness, love them. They have the most adorable little spit and hiss. All you have to do is glance at them and they stamp on their tippy toes and try and hiss at you. Yeah, ferocious!

It never takes long for feral kittens to come around...food is what it's all about. Poop's litter was really young only 6-8 weeks, which made it a lot easier. So they lived her for about 4 months and then we made the trek to the shelter to have them put up for adoption. The first two were adopted fairly quickly, even though they were black, but Poop stayed behind (don't forget she had a normal name). Then there was an a threat of KITNAPPING! Well not MY kitten, no way, no how. Quick call to husband...there may have been some pouting involved but home our little grey kitten came, our little Cinderella...the feline princess.

Shortly after arriving home she began to have...ahem...issues. Diarrhea issues, lovely, this took about 3 months to solve. Hmm...so we started calling her Poopy Cat and that evolved to Pooperella...around the house we just call her Poop.

She has earned that name in other ways as she is our resident poop disturber. If there's a fight or chase going on you can bet Poop is there right in the thick of it.

She loves visitors and will wait an appropriate amount of time before showing herself. After patient people watching and carefully weighing her options she chooses a lap. She usually stays there until dislodged. And she talks...loudly...especially when hungry.

Fear...Thy Name is Ashley

Ashley DSH Torbie 7 yrs

Ashley was adopted as an adult. I should've realized there would be a problem when the volunteer had some...um..."trouble" assisting Ashley into the carrier. She suddenly went from a very docile, calm cat into a tornado of fur, legs and claws! Should've taken the clue...

Ashley's first few days with us were spent in our bedroom where she hid under the bed for DAYS! We went in there to read and try and help her get used to us. Eventually she began to trust us and we tried introducing to the other cats. This did not go well, and this is how it stayed until we moved to our first house. Ashley was constantly hiding, Sassy and Spice were constantly harrassing her and we ended up keeping them as seperated as possible.

Then we moved and we had to put them all in one room. What happened in there I'm not sure but I'm guessing they had some kind of treaty drawn up and peace was made at last. Literally overnight we had three cats who no longer fought and spit at each other.

Ashley is now sweet and affectionate. She is still a big fraidy cat and most visitors to the house don't see her. I can't cut her nails as she likes to pull her tornado act and then treats me with complete and utter distaste that I would HURT her so badly. Vet visits with her are fun, she likes to pee on me....the table...the vet if he's really lucky. Oh yes, those are fun days.

So we stayed with three cats, fairly normal people, until 2002 when we got Flash our first dog.