The new babies are doing really well. I will try to have some updated pictures soon, because seriously? They are becoming more adorable by the day. Their eyes are open, and they are trying hard to stand up on those tiny little kitty legs. They can push up to standing, but have trouble moving forward very far without collapsing. Still...its coming, and its coming FAST. I have been reading up a little on kitten development and these kittens are ahead of schedule. They usually start trying to stand/walk at around 3 weeks and these babies are 2 weeks old tomorrow. I think thats an excellent sign that they are healthy and well. They are growing fast and have these adorable little fat bellies. LOL. Solid food comes next. Probably somewhere between 3 to 4 weeks. Yikes!
The move to the new office is complete. I worked my first day there today. It is hard to pass judgement just yet. It was really hectic still trying to catch up from the Monday holiday. And I didn't know where anything was in the building. No one else seems to yet either though, so its not like I was the only one feeling lost. Part of the problem is that it took so long to get everything moved, nothing is set up or organized yet. Hopefully that will come in time? I think its a work in progress. And while I am not thrilled about it, maybe it will work out to be ok.
Maybe.....
So, Stephen is having trouble with ECU. It appears as though they are trying to do the very same thing that they did to Hannia...as in saying now (after the fact that he PASSED his CAP's) that he is short a class to get his degree. ?????
It only took Hannia 2 years to finally clear that crap up to get her diploma. I don't know what to think. He has a professor going to bat for him to try and reason with the bureaucratic idiotic powers that be. But right now, we don't know what the outcome will be. Will he have to take 1 more class? Will it affect his starting Purdue in the fall? Will he be so angry and put out with how ridiculous this University seems to be with these things (honestly, apparently this happens to a whole LOT of people there, like they are trying to extort more money before you can leave) that he quits all together, 1 class short of his masters??? Will his professor be able to help him fix this? Can he possibly take 1 class over the second semester of summer? Its all up in the air right now, and we don't know. Keep your finger's crossed for him. Say a prayer. Wish on a star for us....any and everything that you can think of to increase our chances of a positive outcome. :)
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Still here.....
I am alive and well. Its just crazy around here right now. There are the kittens, and the new mama kitty. Our cats haven't adjusted yet, and probably won't until the kittens are old enough to re-home. Mama is very protective and is acting like a grizzly bear every time she catches sight of one of the other cats, so they are stuck pouting in the other end of the house for the time being. I know, I know....its totally MY fault for bringing in another cat and disrupting the precarious balance of our home, but it saved her life and likely the lives of those precious little babies, so....I would do it again and suffer again, because that is just what had to be done.
And work? Grrrrrrrr.....It gets more crazy by the day. There are inspectors and auditors going through every little shred of everything, wreaking havoc, and causing monumental stress. Several people have been fired, a few have quit, and more are in some gray area of not knowing where they stand yet. We have totally new management who just don't quite grasp how deep the chaos goes. I almost feel sorry for them. They have these optimistic faces, and bright ideas that should work, but probably won't. The solutions they offer are tantamount to asking someone not to smoke in a burning building. And if that isn't enough, they are moving my whole office into another building across town. There are 3 offices in this city, and they are consolidating 2 of them into one. There isn't enough space, its going to be insane, but noone will listen to advice of people who have been there forever and who might have a clue. So.....over the weekend everything will be trucked over and next week we start all over again. I have a bad feeling about this, but at the moment I am just holding my tongue and going with the flow. I've made sure that I have crossed my T's and dotted my i's. I have dated and documented every little thing that I do. I should be safe from the scrutiny. New management and new work environment....not so much. I will be there suffering with the rest of the crowd.
Whatever. I do hate that I had to work this weekend though. We have lost so many people lately, I don't really know when I will get any real time off again. Good thing we haven't scheduled any kind of vacation, because at the moment? The only way I can leave is to quit. So....yeah. Hopefully things will improve at some point in the future. Its hard to feel positive when its been all downhill for years, but then again, when it hits rock bottom the only way is up. Right? Please tell me thats right? LOL.
I'm ok. Just a little hassled and frustrated, but I haven't let it get ALL over my nerves yet. I have managed to remain relatively unscathed in the bloodbath, so far, and I guess that makes me lucky. I am just doing my job the best that I can and trying to stay under the radar.
And work? Grrrrrrrr.....It gets more crazy by the day. There are inspectors and auditors going through every little shred of everything, wreaking havoc, and causing monumental stress. Several people have been fired, a few have quit, and more are in some gray area of not knowing where they stand yet. We have totally new management who just don't quite grasp how deep the chaos goes. I almost feel sorry for them. They have these optimistic faces, and bright ideas that should work, but probably won't. The solutions they offer are tantamount to asking someone not to smoke in a burning building. And if that isn't enough, they are moving my whole office into another building across town. There are 3 offices in this city, and they are consolidating 2 of them into one. There isn't enough space, its going to be insane, but noone will listen to advice of people who have been there forever and who might have a clue. So.....over the weekend everything will be trucked over and next week we start all over again. I have a bad feeling about this, but at the moment I am just holding my tongue and going with the flow. I've made sure that I have crossed my T's and dotted my i's. I have dated and documented every little thing that I do. I should be safe from the scrutiny. New management and new work environment....not so much. I will be there suffering with the rest of the crowd.
Whatever. I do hate that I had to work this weekend though. We have lost so many people lately, I don't really know when I will get any real time off again. Good thing we haven't scheduled any kind of vacation, because at the moment? The only way I can leave is to quit. So....yeah. Hopefully things will improve at some point in the future. Its hard to feel positive when its been all downhill for years, but then again, when it hits rock bottom the only way is up. Right? Please tell me thats right? LOL.
I'm ok. Just a little hassled and frustrated, but I haven't let it get ALL over my nerves yet. I have managed to remain relatively unscathed in the bloodbath, so far, and I guess that makes me lucky. I am just doing my job the best that I can and trying to stay under the radar.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Hugs
This is Samantha with her new babies. She is so calm and sweet. She doesn't seem to mind having us come in and look at the kittens, so I went ahead and took a picture of her. I swear she seems to be posing for me. LOL.
And we have BABIES
It was a pretty exciting night in this household. Our new kitty (the pregnant stray) went into obvious labor about 8:15. The vet had advised me to watch her, since she is so young and so small. If she had heavy labor longer than an hour, it might be time to get some help. I was getting more and more nervous as time went on and nothing was happening. Then finally, at around 9pm I heard Bruce, who was the bedside kitty attendant, say "Whhhooooaaaa!" Baby #1 apparently popped out rather quickly after such a long wait. I am calling him "Hoss". Hoss was very active and needed no introduction to nursing. He was born hungry.
About 10-15 minutes later, the second baby made an appearance. This one had us a little worried as he was really sedate. We could see that he was breathing, but he just wanted to sleep. Maybe that is normal and we just didn't know it after seeing how...um....robust Hoss was. LOL. But Mama kept licking him and stimulating him into waking and before long he found his way to nursing too. Mama settled down, and was purring and comfortable. Babies were nursing...so we left them alone to get some rest and just peeked in on them every little bit. I thought that was the end of it, but Bruce kept saying he felt "another one" in her belly.
Around 11pm, as I was checking one last time before bed...I saw a third little head in the nursing pile. LOL. Bruce moved back to the bedside once again, and I went to get some sleep. When he came to bed about an hour later, he told me that there were 4 in total. And she was done...no more impending babies on the way.
This morning, everybody is doing fine. Mama got out to eat a little bit of breakfast, and I took that opportunity to change the towel that was in her box. The kittens are surprisingly big and heavy to have all come out of such a tiny little cat. Seriously, when the 4 of them are lined up in nursing position, the group of them look almost bigger than Mama. How in the world did they have any room in there?
I don't know, but even as young as she is, she seems to be a good mother. She cleans them and nurses them...which is a relief to me. I have heard stories of very young cats abandoning their first litter. What would I do if I had to bottle feed 4 kittens round the clock? I shudder to think......But anyway, please think long and hard about possibly adopting a baby...The vet is going to let me post pictures and advertise through her office, too, but I am still a little nervous. There is NO way we can keep these babies. 3 cats is the absolute maximum that I can deal with. NO more room in the Inn!!! I would even consider giving up Mama if a good opportunity arose. But because she is grown the chances of that are slim.
I will take some pictures and post them later. I don't want to disturb them too much right now. Poor Mama cat is so exhausted and she needs her rest.
About 10-15 minutes later, the second baby made an appearance. This one had us a little worried as he was really sedate. We could see that he was breathing, but he just wanted to sleep. Maybe that is normal and we just didn't know it after seeing how...um....robust Hoss was. LOL. But Mama kept licking him and stimulating him into waking and before long he found his way to nursing too. Mama settled down, and was purring and comfortable. Babies were nursing...so we left them alone to get some rest and just peeked in on them every little bit. I thought that was the end of it, but Bruce kept saying he felt "another one" in her belly.
Around 11pm, as I was checking one last time before bed...I saw a third little head in the nursing pile. LOL. Bruce moved back to the bedside once again, and I went to get some sleep. When he came to bed about an hour later, he told me that there were 4 in total. And she was done...no more impending babies on the way.
This morning, everybody is doing fine. Mama got out to eat a little bit of breakfast, and I took that opportunity to change the towel that was in her box. The kittens are surprisingly big and heavy to have all come out of such a tiny little cat. Seriously, when the 4 of them are lined up in nursing position, the group of them look almost bigger than Mama. How in the world did they have any room in there?
I don't know, but even as young as she is, she seems to be a good mother. She cleans them and nurses them...which is a relief to me. I have heard stories of very young cats abandoning their first litter. What would I do if I had to bottle feed 4 kittens round the clock? I shudder to think......But anyway, please think long and hard about possibly adopting a baby...The vet is going to let me post pictures and advertise through her office, too, but I am still a little nervous. There is NO way we can keep these babies. 3 cats is the absolute maximum that I can deal with. NO more room in the Inn!!! I would even consider giving up Mama if a good opportunity arose. But because she is grown the chances of that are slim.
I will take some pictures and post them later. I don't want to disturb them too much right now. Poor Mama cat is so exhausted and she needs her rest.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Happy Birthday Erica
Twenty some odd years ago, on this day, at 6:13 in the evening (its funny how mothers remember this kind of thing), my most amazing daughter was born. And although Erica is considering this a "non-birthday" (she is NOT old enough to warrant that, but I am humoring her), and I am trying NOT to gush about just how wonderful she is, I still am going to broadcast to the world that this is the day that my first child, my only daughter was born. It's important and I can't remain silent.
So, Happy NON Birthday beloved daughter of mine. I wish you a wonderful one. I hope you had a good time with your friends last night, and that your weekend was a whole lot of fun. I wish I was there, baking or buying you a cake and all. But I'm not, and I can't be, so....I am sending my well wishes by mail, email, blog and phone (yeah, I know its a lot of venues, but even all of that can't make up for not actually seeing her today). I love you. We love you. And now I am tearing up, so I am going to leave it at that. Call you later today!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Crazy Cat Lady
I was out on my route today, rearranging some stuff in my car. It was way out in the country, and there were woods beside the road. I heard this loud meowing like a cat was in distress. I walked over to the edge of the woods to try to see, but it was too overgrown and I couldn't see a thing. I actually did drive off, but got just a little ways down the road and decided that something back there needed help and I couldn't live with myself for not at least trying. Where would our Vixen be if Bruce had just driven by and not saved her? Bruce called me at that exact moment, not very far away, and when he heard that I was determined to go back and find this cat he drove on over to help me.
When I got back to that spot the cat had come out of the woods and was wandering on the side of the road, still crying like crazy. She came up to me the second that I got out of my car, so pitiful and thin. Bruce drove up a second later, and it didn't take us long to make the decision to get involved. We just can NOT turn our backs on an animal in need. And this kitty desperately needed somebody.
Feline aids is a contagious disease that our vet has warned us about. You should never let strange cats have contact with your own cat until it is tested. So Bruce took the kitty home, and set her up in the bathroom, away from Omen and Vixen. She was so hungry. I called the vet and got an appointment right away...and the good news is that she is healthy. They tested her for feline aids...which was negative. She is just way too thin like she has been starving for quite a while. Also? She is VERY pregnant. The vet did an ultra-sound and saw at least 2 babies. Maybe 3, but it will be a small litter. Which is a good thing because this is a tiny little cat.
She is somewhere between 6 and 8 months old. Just a baby, herself.
Anyway, so here we are. Technically I didn't just bring home 1 cat...its more like 3 or 4. But whatever. She is so sweet and so calm. She let the vet hold her and she purred while all of the techs passed her around and oooohed and ahhhed over how cute and good she was. We think....and I KNOW this is crazy...but we are thinking of keeping her. She already has a name: Sam or technically Samantha, but that is too big of a name for such a little cat. Right now the plan is to get her through this pregnancy, find good homes for the babies when the time comes. And then have Sam fixed so this never happens again. Our other cats are not amused. Omen doesn't really care so much but Vixen is pretty ticked off. She hasn't seen the new kitty yet, but she knows something is in that bathroom. The vet asked us to keep her secluded for at least a week because beyond the feline aids, she could possibly have a respiratory infection that might be contagious. She has NO signs or symptoms of that, but if she caught it as late as today, it would manifest within a week...so if she is still healthy a week from now we are good to go ahead and try to socialize her into the cat clan. It won't be easy....not with Vixen but we did it once with Omen, so I KNOW its doable.
Anyway, so there we are. 3 cats now. Its so crazy, I know...but I can't help it. This is no feral cat. She is too social for that. Somebody, somewhere dumped that little cat out there to fend for herself. Probably because she was pregnant. I have NO use for somebody that cold-hearted. I hope karma does its thing.
When I got back to that spot the cat had come out of the woods and was wandering on the side of the road, still crying like crazy. She came up to me the second that I got out of my car, so pitiful and thin. Bruce drove up a second later, and it didn't take us long to make the decision to get involved. We just can NOT turn our backs on an animal in need. And this kitty desperately needed somebody.
Feline aids is a contagious disease that our vet has warned us about. You should never let strange cats have contact with your own cat until it is tested. So Bruce took the kitty home, and set her up in the bathroom, away from Omen and Vixen. She was so hungry. I called the vet and got an appointment right away...and the good news is that she is healthy. They tested her for feline aids...which was negative. She is just way too thin like she has been starving for quite a while. Also? She is VERY pregnant. The vet did an ultra-sound and saw at least 2 babies. Maybe 3, but it will be a small litter. Which is a good thing because this is a tiny little cat.
She is somewhere between 6 and 8 months old. Just a baby, herself.
Anyway, so here we are. Technically I didn't just bring home 1 cat...its more like 3 or 4. But whatever. She is so sweet and so calm. She let the vet hold her and she purred while all of the techs passed her around and oooohed and ahhhed over how cute and good she was. We think....and I KNOW this is crazy...but we are thinking of keeping her. She already has a name: Sam or technically Samantha, but that is too big of a name for such a little cat. Right now the plan is to get her through this pregnancy, find good homes for the babies when the time comes. And then have Sam fixed so this never happens again. Our other cats are not amused. Omen doesn't really care so much but Vixen is pretty ticked off. She hasn't seen the new kitty yet, but she knows something is in that bathroom. The vet asked us to keep her secluded for at least a week because beyond the feline aids, she could possibly have a respiratory infection that might be contagious. She has NO signs or symptoms of that, but if she caught it as late as today, it would manifest within a week...so if she is still healthy a week from now we are good to go ahead and try to socialize her into the cat clan. It won't be easy....not with Vixen but we did it once with Omen, so I KNOW its doable.
Anyway, so there we are. 3 cats now. Its so crazy, I know...but I can't help it. This is no feral cat. She is too social for that. Somebody, somewhere dumped that little cat out there to fend for herself. Probably because she was pregnant. I have NO use for somebody that cold-hearted. I hope karma does its thing.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Laws of Nature....
There are certain immutable laws of nature. Over the course of my life, I have discovered some of them on my own. In fact, I could write a whole book of them if I had the time. But right now, I can't even find the time to work in a hair appointment, so I am just going to briefly outline a few of these.
Did you know:
-That red-based sauces of any kind (salsa, marinara, barbeque, ketchup...etc) are magnetically drawn to the fibers of clothing, both natural and synthetic, so that if you eat it, you WILL wear it. Its inevitable,
-That there is a mysterious and undisclosed substance in mascara that automatically inflames nasal passages, even though you are applying it to your eyelashes. It is fast-acting and will induce sneezing instantly BEFORE the application to your lashes has a chance to dry. The result? Tiny little black dots all around the bottom rim of your eye. My theory is that cosmetic companies add this secret ingredient because the ensuing need to retouch/reapply foundation after removing the dots increases sales.
-That your level of exhaustion will have a direct effect on how many times your dog needs to go outside to the bathroom. Don't believe me? Then just trying keeping count.
-That the intensity of a headache in a public place will exponentially increase the number of screaming children in attendance.
-That the intensity of a headache in the privacy of your home will induce vomiting in pets. Or accidents on the carpet. Or turning over of dirt-filled potted plants....etc. It also increases a dog's need to bark.
-That an important event will trigger zippers to malfunction, buttons to rip off, and stockings to develop runs, usually within 15 minutes of so prior to departure. You can ask Erica to verify this one for you.
-That if you ever feel lonely and in need of company, all you have to do is put on your oldest, most disgusting clothes reserved for yardwork or messy projects, and style your hair into a rat's nest. You will be surprised at just how many people show up to visit.
-That napping in the daytime causes phones to ring.
And that is just about all I have time for today. There are more. Many many more. I am certain that you have managed to discover a few of them yourself. Feel free to share.
Did you know:
-That red-based sauces of any kind (salsa, marinara, barbeque, ketchup...etc) are magnetically drawn to the fibers of clothing, both natural and synthetic, so that if you eat it, you WILL wear it. Its inevitable,
-That there is a mysterious and undisclosed substance in mascara that automatically inflames nasal passages, even though you are applying it to your eyelashes. It is fast-acting and will induce sneezing instantly BEFORE the application to your lashes has a chance to dry. The result? Tiny little black dots all around the bottom rim of your eye. My theory is that cosmetic companies add this secret ingredient because the ensuing need to retouch/reapply foundation after removing the dots increases sales.
-That your level of exhaustion will have a direct effect on how many times your dog needs to go outside to the bathroom. Don't believe me? Then just trying keeping count.
-That the intensity of a headache in a public place will exponentially increase the number of screaming children in attendance.
-That the intensity of a headache in the privacy of your home will induce vomiting in pets. Or accidents on the carpet. Or turning over of dirt-filled potted plants....etc. It also increases a dog's need to bark.
-That an important event will trigger zippers to malfunction, buttons to rip off, and stockings to develop runs, usually within 15 minutes of so prior to departure. You can ask Erica to verify this one for you.
-That if you ever feel lonely and in need of company, all you have to do is put on your oldest, most disgusting clothes reserved for yardwork or messy projects, and style your hair into a rat's nest. You will be surprised at just how many people show up to visit.
-That napping in the daytime causes phones to ring.
And that is just about all I have time for today. There are more. Many many more. I am certain that you have managed to discover a few of them yourself. Feel free to share.
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