Older and wiser, I am

Happy Birthday to me!

Plus, my ING account went up to 3.40%!!! (they must have known it was my birthday…jk) Meanwhile, banks are steadily declining to 0%. I love ING…I know I have plugged it before, but the offer still stands for anyone out there.

Tonight, a bunch of my wonderful friends are getting together with me to play pool/drink to celebrate. I appreciate everyone driving from all over the place (even from different states) just to be there. But one thing that is really worrying me is that I have a bunch of friends from many different groups that are all coming together and meeting for the first time. Should be interesting nonetheless.

The drowned rat

I gave the kitty a bath the other night. I know cats do not typically like baths, but he needed a bath because he probably has never gotten one, and smelled like kitten spittle (which had a fragrance a bit like cinnamon). Plus, I think Molly and I are slightly allergic to his dander, so bathing him definitely cuts down on that.

At first, he dug his claws into my chest when he saw the watery depths I was going to plunge him in. But I managed to get him in the water and start soaking his coat. He mewed so pitifully the whole time in constant and regular intervals. The poor dog was freaking out outside the bathroom door because she thought I was drowning her “baby” (our dog gets really protective of things smaller and more helpless than she is). I kept telling little Angus things like, “It’s okay,” and “Calm down,” in my best motherly voice. I dumped the kitty shampoo on and lathered as quickly as possible, then rinsed him. He was good overall and I did not come away from this adventure with any battle wounds or trauma.

The best part was when I took him out of the water and wrapped him up in a towel. He finally started purring and sat really still on my lap while I dried him. Angus was very content and wanted me to dry him completely (which took a good hour of rubbing) before he started licking himself and stinking his fur up again.

I figure I will bathe him monthly in hopes that he will get used to it and also to keep the dander under control. I have noticed a difference and have not had my weird coughing fits that result from a tickle in my throat, or any sneezing attacks for the past couple of days. Plus, the shampoo makes him smell really good and reminds me of Celestial Musk body oil. MKD felt bad for the little guy but knows if he is to live with us, he will have to get used to my cleanliness standards.

Fiddle with it

Dancinglights referred this website that is quite fun to play around with. When I put in my blog address, I get a scary black plant with movable berries. Interesting.

I plugged in some well known sites and found that:
Amazon is quite appealing.
Yahoo is somewhat frightening.
Washington Post reminds me of the joke, “What’s black and white and red/read all over?” (wow…that joke does not work when it is written)
Google is surprisingly minimal.

Try it! Let me know if you discover movable things other than berries and flies.

Let The River Run*

At work, we finally moved and as of yesterday, I am in my new window office. I have a nice view of a children’s playground and a grassy knoll of a high-rise luxury apartment building.

The first thing I did before settling in was clean EVERYTHING. So many people had used the furniture before me that there were bits of food, hair, and undistinguishable grossness here and there. I disinfected my office so now it will only be my filth filling the room.

My office is oddly shaped, which caused some hardcore brainpower in figuring out the furniture placement. I went with the executive look with my desk facing the door because I hate people sneaking up on me and I despise people trying to see what is on my monitor when they walk by. I realized just how much of a minimalist I am and did not want the usual furniture items. I did not want a bookcase, but one was forced on me, so that remains pretty empty unlike my bookshelves at home. I have so many empty drawers that will probably never be used. I really do not like clutter and I like things neat and tidy. My boss said that he felt like he was in a principal’s office when he visited. I am okay with that. But once I get some pictures up and dork crap displayed, the ambiance should change significantly.

*Bonus points if you know why I titled this post seemingly obscure.

Call me Angus

We named the kitty Angus, and call him Gus for short. Of course, Molly’s sister had to name the kitty and tacked on “McKitty.” So Angus McKitty has a Scottish accent now.

He is SO adorable and very affectionate. The first night he arrived, he cuddled under my arm all night long and purred. He has a very loud purr and a very weak/sad meow. His meow is more like, “Mew-ew-ew.”

Gus’s head is small and his ears are large. He also has the most unusual stripes and markings. We intend to fatten him up because he is pretty skinny. But maybe he is meant to be a long and lanky cat.

The next day from when we adopted Gus, he stayed under the bed for the majority of it. He really does not like Mikie and is frightened by our hyper dog who really wanted to play with him. So he still hisses at her, but I think is getting used to the dog and will now venture close to bat at her tail while she is sleeping.

By the evening of the second day, Gus was onto exploring the apartment and tearing across the floor and playing with all his toys. I am glad that he knows where his food and water are (even though I caught him drinking out of the dog’s bowl) and also where the litter box is (no accidents…yet).

Gus loves to be loved and will lick, and paw, and knead, and purr. He rests his head under your chin and holds onto you like a baby. You would have to be heartless (or highly allergic) to not become attached to him. I am sure he is going to become rambunctious and mess things up and be annoying, but for now I squeeze and smother him in love.

MKD and I now have matching pets that are practically the same colors and are both needy. But there is lots of love to give and receive. I miss my “babies” and wish I didn’t have to go to work and be away from them. It is especially hard leaving in the mornings. This morning, Gus was curled up under a blanket on the couch and Michal was next to him. So I took a picture of this to go with the million pictures taken so far of the kitty doing anything and nothing. After all, I am a new parent and they grow up so fast.

Name it

I know we should spend more time with the kitty before naming him because names are very important. But we have to get him named before MKD’s sister beats us to it. She has this uncanny ability to name animals “interesting” names that tend to stick. For instance, our dog is named, Michal Rupert, due to her doing. Needless to say, when I take my dog to the vet, I get a snicker here and there when they ask my dog’s name and I have to immediately clear my reputation and explain that I took no part in naming her. Another example would be my gecko. I spent a few days trying to find the best name for him, and MKD’s sister blurted out, “Franks and Beans.” My gecko’s name is Bean. See what I mean?!

So now that we all know what the kitty looks like (see previous post), I have generated a list of names that I like. I am not sure which one to go with because I want to spend time with the kitty to see if the name I choose really fits. But it is nice to get other people’s opinions and suggestions, so I will have a vote on which name out of the list people like the most. I am open to suggestions, but so far the ones I have received (ahem…JB) are quite “interesting,” but I don’t see me naming the kitty, “Hot Dog.” Sorry.

The list of potential names (the starred name is the one I am leaning toward):
1. Ron (this is his current name)
2. Holden
3. Calvin *
4. Mr. Cat (just kidding)
5. Max
6. Dylan
7. Harold
8. Gidget
9. Emo
10. (Fill in your own suggestion)

Let your voice be heard and vote now! Thank you, and goodnight.

We're expecting

Growing up, I was never allowed to have a dog or a cat unlike so many other people I know. My mother would not allow them and used the excuse that she was “allergic,” but really it was because she did not want an animal messing up her house. So I was allowed to keep animals that could be contained, like fish, hermit crabs, reptiles, etc. They were nice companions, but they were not something that I could cuddle with at night (believe me, I killed my most beloved anole this way).

It was not until I moved in with MKD that I could fulfill my childhood dream of having a dog or a cat to cuddle with. She brought with her the cutest, most lovable dog in the entire world. This dog does not have a mean bone in her body and suffers from SID (Species Identity Disorder) since she was raised with cats. So being alone during the day without her “people” has caused our dog to be somewhat depressed and in need of a companion. MKD and I are alleviating this problem by adopting the cutest kitty in the world.



We will get him next week and have a trial period to make sure that our dog and the kitty get along okay before completely adopting him as one of our own. I am sure it won’t be long before the dog and the kitty are playing and sleeping on the couch together. This also means that MKD and I will take two more rolls of film of just the animals and the adorable things they do.

So now, I will have a dog AND a cat, and I can be just like the rest of the people I know. Adopting a kitty will increase our “family” in our one-bedroom apartment, but it will be filled with lots of love and cuddles and fur.

Twat? I cunt hear you…I have an ear infucktion

Actually, I do not know what I have. But I know it is something. I have maintained a decent standing in health over the past few years, so it is unusual for me to be plagued with coughing, sneezing, congestion, runny goo, and all sorts of crap. I am guessing it is a cold or some sort of allergies (which I do not typically have). It is bearable but annoying.

I had some sort of freak attack on Sunday night in which I blew my nose raw and had continual runniness out of my facial orifices. It was not pleasant and caused me to take medication (which I do not like to do) in a desperate act to gain control of my body. I did not realize how potent Benadryl can be and how drowsy you become as a result. I was working on my number crossword puzzles from Killy (I know I am lame but it was an awesome present) and fucked up one of them because my brain was not functioning properly. I ended up whiting-out the majority of the page (should have used a damn pencil) and crashing at midnight (which is early for me). I slept for 12 hours, which is something I wish I could do more often.

Lately, I have been struck with coughing fits that cause me to choke and freak out. The hypochondriac in me thinks it is consumption, but I am sure it is due to the diagnoses above.

Today, I have sneezed more times than I can count. I wonder if people can die from sneezing too much and asphyxiating, or rupturing some vital organ in the aftermath. I am sure it has occurred in the history of humankind. Stranger things have happened.

I am just thankful for the pocket packs of tissues and apologize to those around me having to endure the nose noise. I am very leaky today.