tinhuviel: (Shriekback Logo)

The band have posted an hour-long interview, answering fans' questions. Take a gander, and don't forget to pick up a copy of Without Real String or Fish.

Autograph

Jul. 20th, 2010 04:29 pm
tinhuviel: (Dr. Who Boogie)
Aunt Tudi and I went over to [livejournal.com profile] clumsycake's abode this morning so I could get her to witness a document sent to me from SC Vocational Rehabilitation. It's a release form allowing my case examiner access to my medical records. I had to sign and date the document, fill in some information like my street address and phone number, and they also wanted a witness to attest that s/he knew me by signing the paper and leaving a phone number. She was happy to be my witness and I was happy to finally get to meet one of her cats, River. He has a stumpy tail like Smidgen, but he can move his. Her other cat, Storm, is a shy and moody Tortie, so no luck on meeting her. [livejournal.com profile] clumsycake was my first choice because her last name isn't Evans and she knows me...boy does she know me! We've been friends now for twenty years. It's hard to believe. We have pretty much a lifetime of memories stashed on our mutual behalf now. Anyway, we had a good, albeit short, visit before heading to Spartanburg so Aunt Tudi could give blood for some lab work Dr. Ebrahim wanted. Her potassium is a little on the high side so they're wanting to keep a close eye on it.

We got everything we needed to do done today and got in early before the worst heat of the day came to kick our butts. The heat over the next few days is going to be scorching with high humidity. God, just kill me now.
tinhuviel: (Here is the news!)
I've been dealing with a serious writer's block, and I still am. It's taken me several days just get up the gumption to make this post, but make it I must because, if I stop writing altogether, and I'm very close to that already, I may never start again. Other steps I'm taking not to lose my writing mojo are rehashing my outline for The Blood Crown and listening to Crown almost exclusively. Now, yesterday, I didn't do any of that. I took a break yesterday and vegged out in front of the TV watching the Alien movies. Today, it's back to work holding on to the threads of my Vampire story.

Also on hold is the Femme Joker story. [livejournal.com profile] gunslingaaahhh and I need to get our arses in gear regarding this tale and just write it already! It shouldn't be this difficult. It shouldn't be such a task. It's supposed to be fun. I keep telling myself this and I will believe it or die trying. Harrumph!

One thing I know that's bothering me is something I thought would have been over by now is still drifting around in limbo and I'm wanting it done and part of my past. (vague much, Tin?) I'm sick to death of the whole thing, of the petty politics, and the superficialities I've forced myself to tolerate far beyond the limits of my patience and temper. When I realised that my interest had waned to the point of being nonexistent, I knew then that my association with this situation had stretched far beyond my comfort zone.

Shmoop disappeared last week. This, after Motley, Norvus, Barney, and Spectre all disappeared, and Smidgen returned to us with her side torn out. Some sort of vicious thing is stalking my feline friends and I hate it. It bothers me that I can't let Steve in because of how he behaves toward Smidgen and Aloysius. But Steve is a wily beast, so I don't think he's going to become yet another "Dead Steve." Smidgen and Al are almost exclusively house cats now, thank the Mighties.

A lawyer has taken my disability case. Well, not just any lawyer...the premiere disability lawyer in the Upstate of South Carolina. So that heartens me somewhat since I know that lawyers typically don't take on cases unless they're pretty sure they'll win. So another several-month waiting period is in store, then we'll see what happens. In the meantime, I'm just gonna keep on keeping on...
tinhuviel: (Smidgen & Tin)
Sent to the Dungeon List in response to my "The Cat Came Back."

I pernear swallowed my tongue yo.

tinhuviel: (Devil Smidge)
tinhuviel: (EYE-GORE)
I'm looking for the song "Transfusion" by Nervous Norvus. I have the song, but only on vinyl (that's a record, young people. 33.3, round, flat, black. you put a needle on it and it spins around and music comes out your speakers; thus, the Dead or Alive song "You spin me right round, baby, right round, like a record baby, right round round round.").

Does anyone have a copy of this song I can download, like for free, mebbeh?

I can't believe I don't have this song! I mean, I have a cat named after Nervous Norvus because the poor creature was very very nervous when he was a kitten. Norvus is Steve's brother and, truth be told, he's still a tad nervous, but not nearly as much as he used to be.
tinhuviel: (Motley Dot)
There was a brief period of time when I thought I might be a dog person, but that was when Henry was around. I was a Henry person, really, not a dog person. In my heart for as long as I can remember, I have truly been a cat person. Their beauty, grace, and otherworldliness never cease to amaze and humble me. Now, there are some cats that I'm fonder of than others. A perfect example of this is Smidgen. She's such a unique feline individual. When she wants attention, usually from Aunt Tudi, she'll sit up and rub her ears. What made her decide that this would get attention is beyond me. I was lucky to finally capture this strange behaviour on film.



Now Motley is a cat that needs no human affection. She was born feral and forced into domesticity because of her being so ill when she was a young kitten. She never quite got over being an independent wild cat. Her disdain for humanity is easily shown on her face, which isn't nearly as pleasant as Smidgen's. Smidgen has an angel face whereas Motley has a bulldogish face with strangely reptilian eyes. When she looks at you, if she finds you vaguely interesting enough to merit her attention, you can almost feel her cold gaze upon you. When I came home, I spied her nestled under the canopy of the contorted filbert, certain in her catly summations that she was well-hidden from any and everything. I took a picture of her hunkered under the filbert, then I called her name. When she looked at me with those green reptile eyes, I took another picture.

Motley Dot - Ferocious Feline )

Of all our cats of the Indoor Pride, Smidgen is my favourite and Motley is my least favourite. That doesn't mean I don't adore Motley. It's just that Smidgen has been incredibly special to me from the moment I scooped her up with two fingers. My affections for the Indoor Pride are allotted thusly:

Smidgen
Shmoop
Steve
Aloysius
Motley

This doesn't mean that I'd send Steve to the pound before I would send Shmoop; rather, it just means that I'm more prone gush on Shmoop than I am Steve. It might not be the most fair position, but at least I'm honest about it. I love all the cats that grace my home, both the Indoor and Backyard Prides. Each cat is wonderful in his or her own right and I acknowledge that.

Madness

Apr. 28th, 2008 06:45 pm
tinhuviel: (Bellatrix)
Llew went to his family doctor today, who believes that this may be a case of Bell's Palsey rather than an actual stroke, since the effects are localised in his face and have effected his ability to speak in that it's like he's had a shot of Novocaine. He also changed his blood pressure meds since the meds Llew was on were apparently not working. We checked his blood pressure last night and it was 193/131. I tried to persuade him to go on to the E/R, since this was one of the danger signs noted on his hospital paperwork, but he flat refused, damned stubborn man. So.... I don't know what to think.....except I'm going to work on having him change doctors because the MRI indicated a clot in his brain and indications of TIAs. More grief. I hate that doctor of his.

Aunt Tudi has taken over household duties way too early. She just has to do it her way and insisted on wresting the laundry, dishes, vacuuming, and whatnot from my grip. I know I'm lacking in such things but damn! I feel like a total failure-slacker-loser. On the good side, she's doing fabulously with her hand. It has healed much quicker than her left hand. Almost immediately after her surgery, she had all the feeling back in her hand whereas, with her left hand, it took several months before the numbness went away. So I'm happy about that, but I'm really pissed that she's not following doctor's orders and letting me do what she usually does. I'd stop her but it's kinda hard to do if you're asleep in the middle of the night and she does a laundry or you're at work and she does whatever dishes were created at breakfast, or she vacuums the house. She's a sneaky old hag and I'm a total domestic failure.

This is Mike's unpaid week off at work. As a reminder, Mike is my route driver, the dude who delivers all the goodies I need on a daily basis at Rochling. The dude, David, who's covering for him knew nothing about Mike's route, so I figured he'd be late today. Mike usually arrives between 9 and 9:30 in the morning. David got there a little after 11, after the lunch rush (between 11 and 1) had started. So I had to try to fill the drink machines while people were trying to buy drinks. That's a tad difficult to do. It's not his fault. He was just thrown into the situation, which is no good considering Mike's route being very big and very difficult. But it threw me majorly late in what I do in the last half of the day and I expect tomorrow to be just as bad because David is off tomorrow and another guy who doesn't know diddly about Mike's route will be driving it. Whee!

My day didn't stop at 2. After 2, I was obligated to go get Fat Boy Boo Boo for his Spring shave-down. I picked him up at 2:30 and had him finished by 3:30. Easy-peasy except for one thing: I almost cut a skin growth right off the poor doggie. Boo Boo is a wire-hair Parson Russell Terrier, so his fur is medium length and very wiry. When I went to shave his tail down, it encountered what appeared to be a mat right at the end of it. I tried to shave it again, and Boo Boo was all like "OH HELL NO!" so I backed off. I took my shears and began to trim the area one teeny bit at a time. Then I saw it - it was a growth about a quarter inch long (a little over 6 millimeters for you metrically-inclined folk), just dangling obscenely off the end of Boo Boo's tail. So I had to shave his tail down, but trim his growth. His tail looked like crap as a result. Otherwise, the dog looked faboo, if I do say so myself, and Gwen was thrilled with the results of his Springtime shave.

Once I got home at around 4:30 from taking Boo Boo home, I set to clipping our dogs' nails since they could out tap-dance Mr. Bojangles in the state they were in. I'm so ashamed. I clipped all their nails, cleaned up the bathroom from Boo Boo's bath, cleaned my equipment and the table, put everything away, and took one breath. After the one breath, I went outside to feed the Backyard Pride and the Front Porch Pride and give them fresh water. The bowls of water were nasty, thanks to the almost three days of rain we had, so I cleaned out both bowls and gave them fresh water, then poured out the food to the delight of all the cats. Whilst outside, I got swarmed by mosquitoes and got bitten several times, but the worst bite was on the side of my index finger. That's an extremely uncomfortable spot to obtain a bug bite. I began to wibble. It was a little after 5 o'clock and I'd been awake and non-stop for twelve hours. Wibbling, I finished the feeding of the Prides and brought my achy arse indoors.

After all this, I began to ponder my mental state over the past few weeks. Many people have asked me how I was and where my mind was, as they knew I'd been under a lot of pressure. I could never adequately answer them until about an hour and a half ago. If you could crawl into my head and peer inside my mind, this is what you'd see.


I don't anything else needs to be said after that. It pretty much speaks for itself. I'll let it speak for me now.
tinhuviel: (Shmoop)
Aunt Tudi has issues with the critters. To them, she is a giant, kind, perpetually warm pillow. Actually, since we humans are nothing but ugly bags of mostly water, I guess that makes Aunt Tudi the animals' living water bed. On cold nights, all the cats come in to sleep, and they prefer Aunt Tudi's comfy presence, especially Shmoop. Shmoop wants what she wants and nothing stands in her way of getting what she wants. This usually means that Sheba gets trampled, smothered, and rooted out of her chosen nest. Despite my witnessing such behaviour numerous times over the years, I still find it hilarious to watch a cat bully a dog.

Anyway, I got pictures of the beginning of Aunt Tudi's bedtime woes. stacked )

I'm a very weary soul. It's supposed to be very cold tonight. Cold and windy. Perfect sleeping weather. So I've decided to shimmy to bed. Wahoo!

Mom-to-be

Feb. 24th, 2008 06:43 pm
tinhuviel: (Devil Smidge)
Autumn, Motley's sister, has decided to have her babies on our front porch in the quilted sleeping box Aunt Tudi made a few years ago. She's agriculturally pregnant, so she's due any day. Riley has decided that it's amusing to stand at the box and bark into the small opening at the cat he can't get to. We're all trying to persuade him that this isn't an acceptable past-time. Autumn, however, appears to be unconcerned. She knows that nobody can reach her and her kittens as long as she's in that box. With all the blankets inside there, she's both comfortable and warm, and the box shelters her from the elements. This is truly a perfect place to give birth. I'm looking forward to seeing her babies, but I'm not going to be intrusive in the least. I don't want her to move her kittens before I have the chance to plant the seed of domesticity. If they're tame, I'll be able to get them to the Doc if need be, and I'll also be able to get them neutered and spayed when the time comes. Unlike Autumn, who is firmly entrenched in her feral nature, her kittens will have the chance of finding good homes and maintaining good health. ::crosses bits:: In the meantime, Aunt Tudi and I are doing our best to provide Autumn with the best food we can, and we're watching over what's now The Birthing Box to make sure idiots like Riley don't distress Autumn in her time of labour. If Autumn has any complications, I can always reach in or take the front off the box by force so I can reach her, and get her to Doctor Patch if I can't fix the problem at home under long distance supervision. Hopefully, she won't have any problems, although this is her first litter and she's around 2 years old now. That's uncommon for a female cat. If she successfully gives birth, though, Autumn will be an official queen. Good on her!

Here's a picture of The Birthing Box.
tinhuviel: (Devil Smidge)
I didn't write about this because I didn't want to admit to giving up. I hadn't seen Theodore, Smidgen's boy cousin with the half tail that works, in almost a week. With each passing day, my hope that he'd reappear began to wane. Until today. Today, he came for dinner! Words cannot really express how relieved I am. No matter how much I swear I'm not going to get emotionally attached to those in the Outdoor Pride, I still end up caring about them, especially the special ones, like Theo.
tinhuviel: (Onslow)
This has been a pretty good day, the first good one since Thursday, and I owe it all to that dream I had. I had written Barry to let him know that there may be a delay in getting the music up on his site due to my dad's death. He wrote back to tell me not to worry about the site. Despite my irrational terror of him, he's really a sweet soul. I think getting that letter yesterday and seeing a Gospel choir on "The King of Queens" is what prompted the dream. Whatever it was, the dream was an undeniable gift.

Aunt Tudi and I are about to go up to Janice's and Uncle Michael's for the Independence Day brouhaha. If they want me to do anything remotely "American" there's gonna be some hard feelings. Whoever thinks we're independent, especially after the "election" debacle of 2000, is living in a fantasy world. We're a freakin' dictatorship just going through the motions of being free. The only reason I'm participating in this holiday get-together is to try to get Aunt Tudi out of the house and get her mind off losing her brother and best friend. 'Nuff said.

When we get home, I'm going to try to get the ladies indoors tonight and keep them in for the night. They'll be terrified of the fireworks and I want to make certain they're safe. I wish I could bring all the cats in, but most of them wouldn't have it. They have shelter in my two out buildings, though, so I'm sure they'll be fine.
tinhuviel: (Llama!)
I was mistaken.  These are Agro's babies, not Goldie's.  But the kittens are almost communal when it comes to the group of mothers in the pride, so it's hard for me to gauge sometimes.  Anyway, I was able to medicate all four kittens, but had to prop the back screen door open to do it, so I could move in and out with ease while medicating.  Before I could get the door closed, the kittens relocated to the top of the pet taxi on the back porch.  Agro was sitting nearby, watching closely.

I couldn't resist. I scampered in to get the camera so I could grab a shot of them. So, without further ado, I present (from left to right) Ghost, Norvus, Shades, and Jolsen.

kindle o'kittens )
tinhuviel: (Motley Dot)
Another kitten showed up, as did two cats I'd forgotten about, so we're now up to 28 cats. I think that's all of them. I hope so.
tinhuviel: (Shmoop)
I had to update my roll call update from earlier today because I forgot about Sluggo and encountered two more kittens tonight. This makes the count 25 cats in all, the most ever. Gads.
tinhuviel: (Smidgen)
I'm needing to get the cats straight. There've been some changes over the past few months, so the last list of felines is no longer valid. For shits and giggles, I'm including the dogs and opossums as well.

Dogs

  • Winchester Napoleon (Chester) -- Yorkshire Terrier

  • Riley -- Dachsund/Scottie mix (Bratwurst on legs)

  • Sheba -- Bassett/Cocker mix


Indoor Pride

  • Smidgen -- Ginger Manx (half-tail that doesn't work)

  • Shmoop -- Full Tabby (she thinks she's a dog)

  • Motley -- Tortoiseshell Manx (no tail at all, she looks like a bear)

  • Foley -- Pastel Calico (a big brute of a cat named after Dave Foley)


Outdoor Pride

  • Theodore -- Ginger Manx (half-tail that does work, mostly tame, will eventually become part of the Indoor Pride)

  • Aloysius -- Long-hair Tabby (broken jaw that's healed wrong. He gets a lot of canned food now. Partially tame, we're working on getting him indoors as well, and getting his jaw fixed)

  • Sluggo -- Surly black cat with flat ears, flat eyes, and flat face (grandfather cat, retired from the competition, named after Ron White's bulldog)

  • Goldie -- Tortoiseshell Manx (half-tail that does work, mostly feral but she will allow me to pet her on occasion)

  • Agro -- Tabby cat with orange spot on her head (Shmoop's mama, mostly feral).

  • Festus -- Tabby cat with a bad eye (Shmoop's daddy, mostly feral, will tolerate petting, but will then turn on you and bite you. Schizophrenic).

  • Joe -- Young Tabby Tom. (follow's Theo's lead and will let me pet him)

  • Flakes -- Solid white cat (totally feral)

  • Moo -- Mostly white with black spots (looks like the Gateway cow, totally feral)

  • Speck -- Long-haired black cat with one one white speck between his eyes (totally feral)

  • Biafra -- Pastel Calico with one bad ear thanks to a hematoma (mostly feral)

  • Iggy -- Ginger cat with very unusual eyes and herpes (50% feral)

  • Hook -- Tabby and Tortoiseshell Manx (half-tail with a hook, it does work, mostly tame)

  • Bagheera -- Calico Tabby Long-hair (mostly tame, very hateful to the other cats)

  • Spiteful -- Ginger kitten (beat the crap out of me the first time I encountered him. He's calmed down a lot now)

  • Norvus -- Ginger kitten (very young. He will be tame. Goldie's son. She brought him and his siblings to me)

  • Scrumpy -- Norvus' sister, Tabby (she'll also be tame)

  • Shades -- Another brother, soft grey with three dark grey stripes on his rump (another tame one)

  • Ghost -- Another sibling, indeterminate gender as this one is a bit feral. Mostly black, long-hair, possibly a Tortie, but I can't be certain.
  • Jolsen -- Yet another sibling, also black. Looks like s/he is wearing black face; thus, the name (for Al Jolsen).

  • Zsa Zsa -- Long-haired Tortoiseshell. Very elegant. (Mostly feral)
  • Gotrocks -- Long-haired black. Also very elegant. (Totally feral)
  • Caeser -- Tabby and white male, Festus' primary rival (totally feral)

  • Autumn -- Tortoiseshell and white (Motley's full-tailed sister, mostly feral)


Opossums

  • Sven -- big opossum. I assume he's male.

  • Helga -- smaller opossum, camera ho. I assume she's female.


Rest in Peace

  • Jacob -- She disappeared without a trace.

  • Blueberry -- She disappeared without a trace.

  • Lynx -- He was squooshed by some heartless asshole in a car. He was the most beautiful cat I've ever seen in my life. His name describes his appearance.



Of all the members of the Outdoor Pride, I have hope of finding homes from Spiteful, Norvus, Shades, and Scrumpy. They're all very young and already quite responsive to human presence. All four allow me to pick them up and give them medications. Like every child of Goldie's and Agro's they came to me with funky eyeballs and a runny nose, so they're on the normal regimen of Amoxil drops and erythromicin eye goo. By the time they're ready to be placed, they'll be healthy and happy, totally tame kittens.

On a related note, I got a great buy on cat food at Bi-Lo. They had 18 pound bags of Kit-n-Kaboodle for $5.00 a bag, almost $4.00 off a bag. So I got three bags. That should hold the hungry little buggers for two or three weeks. They aren't eating as much as they were 'cos it's too damned hot to eat. They sure are sucking up the water though. Aren't we all?

.......

Jun. 15th, 2006 01:10 pm
tinhuviel: (Blech)
I am going to die someday and, when I do, I want to reincarnate as a nerve ending.

Today, we get to pay bills and buy groceries. We're totally out of cat food and the Pride is getting restless. If I don't offer them food by 4 PM, they will start chewing on my legs like genetically altered swine responding to a man's screams.

I'm going to see Llew later on today.

I need to call Appleone.
tinhuviel: (Weird Al Important)
After work, I'm picking up Aunt Tudi and we're heading to Dr. Patch's to get some Amoxil Drops from Miss Marple and (hopefully) Spiteful. We're also going to the dump to drop off some rubbish and the post office to pick up more rubbish and, hopefully, a DVD. I'm waiting for Last Holiday starring Queen Latifah. Both Aunt Tudi and I loved that movie. It was also the deciding factor in my going to England. And the Gospel music in it never fails to give me chicken pimples, goose bumps, weasel pox, and a host of other animalistic flesh risings.

I was going to see Llew, but have put that off 'til tomorrow. Instead, I'm heading for bed early because I can't seem to keep my eyeballs open. I actually took a half hour nap at lunchtime, I was so sleepy. I don't know what the hell is wrong with me, but I hate it. It's not like I didn't get enough sleep last night. I went to sleep during The 4400 and slept through til this morning, about 9 hours. It's a good thing I taped The 4400; otherwise, I'd be so pissed right now.

So, that's the agenda for today: Vet's office, post office, and sleep sleep sleep. I'd really like to write on The Chalice some, but that's not gonna happen, not for as long as I'm narcoleptic.

Cat Cycle

Jun. 10th, 2006 10:47 pm
tinhuviel: (Smidgen)
Two days after losing my beloved Lynx, there arrived on my doorstep two wee kittens, one ginger and one light tabby. The ginger kitten spits at you if you blink your eyes. I think he's a boy. I've named him Spiteful, and he's a real cutie. The other, smaller, kitten is a girl and much friendlier. She comes across as being very prim and proper, so I've named her Miss Marple. Both of them have eye problems. Aunt Tudi's written a note to call Dr. Patch and order a bottle of Amoxil Drops. I'll pick them up after work on Monday. I doubt I'll be able to treat Spiteful as he's feral down to the bone, but I will be able to get some meds into Miss Marple 'cos she's already letting me pick her up and love on her.

So I lost one cat, but gained two. The great cycle continues to spin.

Shmoop's eye is much better today. The eye goo Doc gave me seems to be doing the trick. Damn conjunctivitis! Damn it all to hell!
tinhuviel: (Motley Dot)
I did not want to get up this morning. I wanted to stay in bed and sleep, cuddled up under my blanket. The low this morning was 60, about 10 degrees cooler than it has been, so I was a little chilly and keen on staying warm and snuggly. But I couldn't. I had to get up so I can go to work.

It's been a half month now and I haven't dreamed one iota. There's something about this that needs to be incorporated in the myth of Cadmus, that he steals dreams. Maybe I can include that in the rework of "Embrace" for the book.


I had to identify a dead cat yesterday. Janice told me about a cat that had been mushed in the road and was wondering if I was missing a member of the Pride. She took me across the road to the edge of the wood and there, flat, mangled, and covered in maggots, was my beautiful Lynxie-boy. My heart fell. He was the most unusual cat we had, looking just like a lynx. I said a silent prayer over what was left of him and committed him to the natural way of things, and returned home to those who still live.

::sigh::

It hurts me to lose a cat, but I maintain a certain distance from the Pride because I know that they're in constant danger and could die or disappear at any time. If I allowed myself to become fully attached to these cats, I'd be a wreck at least 50% of the time.


I wonder how many Fundies are gonna fall out from fright if anything unusual happens today? It'll be a good day to keep one's eyes and ears open for any humourous news stories.

I must get ready the rest of the way so I can haul my slack arse to work. I'd rather haul it back to bed. Blah.
tinhuviel: (Tin2006)
I got up way early this morning and tried to call Johnna as a favour to Janice, who was out of town. All I got was thrown directly into Johnna's voice mail, so that didn't work. I was supposed to call Uncle Michael too but, when I called Janice to give her the bad news about Johnna, Janice said she'd go ahead and call Uncle Michael. I helped Aunt Tudi with her insulin shot, then we both lay back down until around 11 AM. Yay for sleeping late!

There used to be these Peanuts books called Happiness Is.... and each page was dedicated to something that defined happiness. The one I remember out of all those pages is "Happiness is.....waking up only to find you have two more hours to sleep." I think I remember that one because it's the epitome of where my happiness lies. So this morning was one of those "Happiness is" mornings. Nothing thrills me more than to get up early just to let myself know that I can lie back down and sleep like a wee babe.

Once I drug my lazy arse out of bed, I got online and booked the flight to England. Instead of flying out of Charleston, we're flying out of GSP because the prices weren't that different. I'd be paying that much out on gasoline for the car to drive down to Charleston, and I'd be putting more wear and tear on the car that I can really ill afford since I can't get a new car until I'm back in the Land of Employment. Since I'm choosing school instead, that's gonna be a while. To cut the price a little more, I changed the return date from the 19th to the 18th. That works for me price-wise and it also works out for [livejournal.com profile] falkenna 'cos she has a concert to attend on the 19th. I sent the itinerary to [livejournal.com profile] falkenna, then squee'd to myself in a very quiet, Sithly way.

Later in the afternoon, [livejournal.com profile] clumsycake came over for a visit. We made tentative plans for a smoothie and movie party for next week or the week after. Oh, and I converted her to Sweet'n'Salty Almond Granola Bars. After letting her try a bar and seeing her have a religious experience, I gave her a box of them and she went home a happy camper.

After [livejournal.com profile] clumsycake left, I got cleaned up and went to visit Diane. I dried my hair upside down too long, so I ended up looking like an anime character no matter how much I curled my hair under. Lesson learned. Anyway, I had a nice visit with Diane, about an hour. We caught up with each other and she returned my LOST and Dune DVDs. After making tentative plans to go to Asheville one day next week, we hugged and I bid her adieu. I need to see if [livejournal.com profile] clumsycake wants to go with us to Asheville. ::makes note to call her tomorrow::

I left Diane's and went over to Llew's. He was completely enamoured with my hair, which is cool, 'cos he was a little fearful about my losing the long hair. Mens..... He was so thrilled with the new 'do and I was so thrilled at his being thrilled that we ended up kindling the flames and bumping mighty mighty uglies with much enthusiasm. We then tried to go fly, but Llew's plane was dead and it'd take too long to charge and still have daylight. So we went to Subway instead. He got a teriyaki chicken sammich, I got Aunt Tudi a club combo, and myself a cheese steak (which I couldn't eat, so there's Aunt Tudi's lunch tomorrow).

Whilst in the kitchen putting up my glasses in my purse, I beheld Smidgen, Shmoop, and Motley gathered around the food bowl like the loving sisters they are. So I snagged a picture, which once again exposed Motley for the demon she is. Mind, she's pretty much fully grown, so Motley should have been named Smidgen, who is a big honkin' hunka hunka cat muscle.

the ladies )

Now I'm home, sorely disappointed that LOST didn't come on tonight. Instead, I'm watching Law & Order: SVU. Elliott Stabler is so screwed up. I love him with all my heart.
tinhuviel: (Kowalski)
When Aunt Tudi and I got home, we found a bathtub full of Shmoop Poop! She's still doing it, which means it's the food. I took pictures of the sorry situation to show to Dr. Patch tomorrow when I see him. I'm sure he'll suggest an expensive food that we can't feed everyone, so the outdoor prides will have to be converted from free feeders to being fed once or twice a day under supervision so Shmoop won't join in. Oy....the problems this entails. ::hits head on the nearest hard surface::

I'm including a picture of the horror to which we came home. Mind, this bathtub is almost 40 years old and is cast iron; thus the dark splotches. Except for all the shite, our bathtub is quite clean! GAH!!!

shmoop poop everywhere everywhere EVERYWHERE! )

Oh, she left a couple of butt stains on my bed too, so I'll be sleeping on the couch tonight. I don't mind sleeping on the couch; in fact, I prefer it. But it cramps Aunt Tudi's style, so there's that. We've already cleaned up the bath room. The tub looks wonderful, thanks to Aunt Tudi. I've redone the litter pan and did all the leg work the clean-up required. Now, we're both just sitting here, stymied.

Tomorrow: laundry (lots of it), vet visit for Motley, picking up the dogs, the last half of diabetes education for Aunt Tudi, and a visit to Llew.

Tonight: the occasional whimper just prior to passing the fuck out.
tinhuviel: (Shmoop)
I've concluded that Motley is the reincarnation of Gozer the Destructor. If she continues to wreak havoc in our house, it's going to collapse around us.

Foley is getting more aggressive in her affection. She wants to lie down across my chest and tries to bite me if I move her. Earlier, she literally sat on my face. I think I may have tossed her salad. Blech.

Lynx, Theordore, Joe, and Zsa Zsa refuse to eat until I pet each one of them in the mornings. For feral strays, they sure are pampered.
tinhuviel: (Lambada)
Aunt Tudi and I got back home about two hours ago after taking [livejournal.com profile] mekkasimian home from his dropping off the moving van at the airport. We got to meet Mrs. Simian and their lovely cats Toast, Verbal, and Schwa. Verbal is probably the biggest cat I've ever seen, outdoing even the giant Minerva, may she rest in peace!

The ride down and visit went pretty well, I think. I didn't shy off like I was afraid I would. Mek is just very easy to talk to and so is Mrs. Simian. They're what I call Good Peeps and I sincerely hope they survive the Alpaca Lips to reseed the world with decent humans. I informed them that, once they're settled in nicely and have some time, Aunt Tudi and I would come down and kidnap them to take them up to Asheville and for a ride up the Blue Ridge Parkway. It'll probably be Spring before we do that since they usually close the Parkway in the Winter. It's icy there when there's no sign of Winter anywhere else. Besides, I'm sure the Simians have much to do before they can think of socialising or gallivanting.

They live very close to Tri-County Tech where I'll be going to learn in the Veterinary Technology program. I told 'em that I'd drop by after school to experiment on their cats. Of course, I was kidding. I have plenty of animals of my own to turn into guinea pigs. Bwaaaaahahahahah! Again, I'm joking.

So I told them to reach out if they could think of anything I could do for them, and Aunt Tudi and I came back home. We were gonna go see a movie, but decided to put that off until tomorrow when the kids are back in school. I'm taking her to see the new Queen Latifah flick 'cos Aunt Tudi loves Queen Latifah. I'm rather fond of her myself, truth be told.
tinhuviel: (Large Marge)
A long while back, I decided to give ridiculous subject lines to my more random posts that didn't offer up a decent subject line on their own. I'm explaining this on account of the new influx of readers lately, just so they know I haven't gone off the deep end.

I got high on an orange. A medium-sized Sunkist seedless navel orange. It was soooo good and soooo juicy and I am soooo craving citrus that I flipped out. It was a religious experience. This has been the first orange I've had in about a year. I've just been juicing my way to fruit requirements (Simply Orange orange juice is a gift from gawd). Lately, though, I've been jonesin' for the real thing. Last week I indulged in tangerines. When we went to the store today, I got two oranges and three more tangerines. The orange was squirtalicious!

As I passed the bedroom on my way to the loo, I looked in at Smidgen and Shmoop on my bed and admonished them: "Get off my bed, you lazy no-good-fer-nuthin' cats!" Fulfilling their catly duties, they both ignored me and continued to sleep. And all was right with the world.

Earlier I talked with Todd. Seems there have been more layoffs at SonyBMG. Some people didn't get the luxury of being called into HR. They were notified via cell phone while they were on their way to work. How lousy is that? And one was informed that it had nothing to do with his contribution to the company, it was 'just 'cos'. What does that do for the remaining serfs, I ask? Where's the incentive to strive for betterment? Where's the encouragement to maintain morale? Todd is now getting a hefty dose of what I'd had a belly-full of since 2001.

Aunt Tudi and I are discussing going back to the Four Holes Swamp maybe sometime in late April or May. We won't do the canoe tour this time because 4 hours was a bit too long for Aunt Tudi to deal with sitting on a the bottom of a metal boat and bumping into swamp knots. Instead, we'll do the hike, which comprises of strolling down a walkway that has benches dotted along the way. It's around a 2 mile walk, if memory serves and it's a lovely experience. We did about half of the hike while waiting for the canoe tour to commence last year.

I'm also keen on getting a tent and a sleeping bag. We already have one sleeping bag, so we need just one more. I'd very much like to go camping come Springtime. Camping in the Smoky Mountains, maybe at Mills River. I'd like to get a site at a deep part of the river so I could go snorkeling. I love being submerged in icy cold river water. I'd probably love doing the same in ocean water. In fact, I know I would. I've always wanted to SCUBA dive. There's a SCUBA shop in Spartanburg and I think they offer lessons. Now that I'm no longer a blob and could probably fit in a wet suit, I should go and inquire within.

I missed the PaYnE jam today because I was under the impression that today was Friday all day long. I'm a moron and an idiot. Just texted [livejournal.com profile] sifu_rick with an apology. Man, I feel like a heel. This is what happens when you're unemployed and lose track of time.
tinhuviel: (Smidgen)
These pictures were just taken during one of Smidgen and Shmoop's playtimes. It's obvious that they are both possessed.

cue Jerry Goldsmith's classic 'Omen' music )

Motley

Nov. 26th, 2005 02:10 pm
tinhuviel: (Smidgen)
Motley one of the tortoiseshell Manx kittens had been gone for a couple of weeks. She returned today still the same size and very sickly. Using leftover turkey, I lured her close enough to me to snatch her little ass and put it in one of the carrying cases. We're now waiting for Gloria to call us back so we can ask her if she'd let us sneak Motley into the hospital today instead of having to keep her in the small pen on the back porch until Monday.

Pictures will be forthcoming, let there be no doubt.
tinhuviel: (Shmoop)
In no particular order

Indoor Pride

  • Smidgen

  • Shmoop


Front Porch Pride

  • Foley

  • Blackberry

  • Jacob

  • Aloysius


Backyard Pride

  • Eenie

  • Meenie

  • Miney

  • Festus

  • Lynx

  • Motley

  • Autumn

  • Agro

  • Theodore

  • Zsa Zsa

  • Goldie

  • Moo

  • Biafra

  • Iggy

  • Hook

  • Charlemagne

  • Speck


Honourary cats who are actually opossums

  • Sven

  • Helga


Perhaps I have enough cats? No?
tinhuviel: (Crone)
I woke up unbelievably early with a migraine that just didn't seem to want to quit. Popping an Imitrex, I lay back down for a short while. Thirty minutes passed and the headache was still raging, so I took another Imitrex and lay down again. The time I had allotted to get cleaned up and ready for the second part of the College Workshop 100. I was now officially late.

The headache continued, so I ate a pain pill and lay down on our marshmallow sofa. It was 9 AM by then. There was no way I would be able to go back to STC today. Actually, I'm not much concerned about it anyway, 'cos this is aimed toward folks who want to be art of Smart Jobs. Today would have consisted of listening to representatives from various local businesses while they told us what their expectations of new employees may be. What a crock o'doody.

Instead, I'm going to go over to One Stop, hopefully tomorrow, and see about WIA. I'm also going to call admin at STC and set up an appointment to tour the school and learn more about it, as well as taking my placement test to get that out of the way. I also need to fill out my financial aid forms and get that ball rolling.

The head has calmed down considerably, which is why I'm no online. If the head were still raging and vibrating, I would still be lying down preparing myself for the Big Sleep.


I have four unusual cat photos.

click here to see them wth commentary that's only available on the collectors' DVD )

There are gnats in our house. There are gnats all over the place. Everyone in the neighbourhood is having serious gnat issues here. I don't mind gnats and I don't kill them. Why bother? Their fucking gnats. The only problem I have with them is that they are quite inclined to fly right into your eyeballs. Why the hell do that do that? Don't they know it spells doom for them? There's really nothing worse than having a small creature struggling for freedom on the surface of your eyeball. I shudder from the mere thought of it.

Home

Oct. 15th, 2005 09:16 pm
tinhuviel: (Ace Ventura Hairdo)
The drive home was relatively uneventful, which is good, 'cos I truly feel like a short fuse and have for several days now. We zizzed by the store for milk, and got home right at 7 PM.

The first thing Aunt Tudi and I did when we got home was feed the front porch pride and the backyard pride. Johnna didn't do it today 'cos she knew we were coming home. Lynx has really grown this past week! It's amazing how fast they grow. And there's a new boy kitten about Lynx's size. He looks just like Smidgen with the half tail, but he can move his tail. I've named him Theodore.

I'm watching LOST again and attempting to deflate a wee bit. I've decided that I'm hopelessly in love with Hurley and would very much like to know how Locke knows his name is actually Hugo. Aunt Tudi is fast asleep. She needed it like whoa.

Okay LOST has now concluded and it's on to Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls. I found the DVD for $4.88 and had to snag it on account of Ace being my hero and all. So yay.

I'll try to catch up with everything tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is another day.

Oh....before I go....

muppet )

RIP Mo

Sep. 29th, 2005 03:30 pm
tinhuviel: (Life Stinks)
When Aunt Tudi and I walked into the vet's office, Mrs. Patch came up to help us. I showed her Mo and could tell by the look on her face that good news would not be forthcoming. Turns out that some sort of bug is going around that makes young kittens' eyes abscess and Dr. Patch had to euthanise a kitten just yesterday with the same condition. She took Mo back to see what Doc had to say. A few minutes later, she came back out and told me what I already knew: Mo was blind and in pain, and it was the humane thing to do to have her put down. I asked Mrs. Patch how much I owed them to do the deed and she told me I didn't owe them a thing.

So I left Mo there to be euthanised.

::SIGH::

In a perfect world, all the animals would be happy and healthy. Too bad this isn't a perfect world.

Mo

Sep. 29th, 2005 10:40 am
tinhuviel: (Smidgen)
I've captured Mo, one of Agro's kittens. She has the same problem that killed poor little Dot a couple of weeks ago, so I'm not certain she can be saved, but I'm gonna try. I'm dropping her off at Dr. Patch's and asking those kind folks to do what they can for her, even if it means euthanising her. I'd rather her death be quick and painless instead of lingering, if it comes to that.

This is the second kitten I've stolen from Agro. The first baby I took was Shmoop.

Agro just gives birth to puny, sickly little critters. If I can ever catch her, she's going to be spayed.

Toque

Sep. 27th, 2005 08:15 pm
tinhuviel: (Smidgen)
In the early 80s, my cat Jeffrey had a fling with Johnna's cat Midnight, who later gave birth to four beautiful kittens. Now Jeffrey was a solid white cat and deaf as could be while Midnight was, by virtue of her name, solid black. Two of the kittens were 50/50 black and white, one was mostly black with a white dot on its chest and on the tip of its tail, and one was totally white except for a large black spot right on top of his head. As I was very deeply into SCTV, Bob & Doug McKenzie, and All Things Canadian at that time (I'm very much into All Things Canadian and will always be), I instantly named the white kitten with the black topknot Toque.

Midnight stopped feeding the kittens at 5 weeks, so I brought Toque home and helped to wean him, making sure he got all the nutrients he needed. He became very dependent on me and I fell completely in love with him. He was my baby, the first kitten I'd had since the early 70s before my parents got divorced. Jeffrey was cool with Toque being around, so it worked out wonderfully for everyone.

Toque never answered to "kitty kitty." He had no idea what that hogwash was all about. He answered to "TOQUE." I could go out on the front porch and shout his name, and Toque would come running from wherever he might be. He'd follow me around like a puppy and he'd sleep with me, oftentimes nose to nose. He was my best friend for a very long time, beloved of my heart.

But Toque was sickly sometimes. At times, he'd decline, but then bounce back. He was the very first animal I took to Dr. Patch and it was Dr. Patch who diagnosed Toque with Feline Leukemia. Eventually, Toque succumbed to his illness. I was in school when it happened and it was Granny who broke the news to me when I got home. My precious cat was with me for only a couple of years, but he was the bestest cat I've ever had.

Ever since Toque, I've had my cat friends inoculated against Fe-Leuk. I don't think I'd realise the importance of these boosters had I not seen Toque suffer through the disease. It's a horrible affliction that no creature should have to endure.

What got me to thinking about Toque was how Shmoop responds to her name. She's just as enthusiastic in her response to my calling her as Toque was. In many ways she reminds me of Toque in her nature and general disposition. She's a good little kitty. And so was Toque.
tinhuviel: (Onslow)
6 AM jangled my nerve (singular) and I slithered out of bed, feeling as hideous as I look. At 7:30, Aunt Tudi and I gathered up the dogs and Shmoop, and took them to the vet's office. Michelle is supposed to call us when the pups are ready to come back home. Shmoop won't be taking much of Dr. Patch's time since she's only there for a quick recheck from her surgery. Gravy.

Speaking of cats, while I was in the backyard feeding the Pride, Lynx came up to me and started rubbing along my leg. I scritched him behind the ear and picked him up to pet him some more. He's a real sweetheart! I checked out his rear parts to see if he had any tail at all. He has a furry button of a tail. So, now, Lynx has a nickname: Button Butt!

I believe it's time for a nap. This Moon is kicking my behonkie all over the place. My tentative plans to drive up to Asheville have been put off until that time I'm feeling considerably better and not so achy and hormonal. Aunt Tudi is cool with staying home. In fact, she's asleep on the love seat as I type this. Neither of us are worth crap.

Oh, and I'm a Socialist.

Like really! )

I want to write more, but I can't think of what I want to write. It's one of the worst feelings in the world. I may just force myself, though. Sui Generis is just frothing to be completed. Maybe I'll work on that later.

Ho hum.
tinhuviel: (Mr. Tiscic)
I've been vaguely weepy today, not wanting to do anything or go anywhere. I ended up taking Aunt Tudi to Wal-Mart for some storage containers and new telephones. The phones we have came from the Jurassic Age and don't hold their charge worth a hoot. It's past time to get new phonage. These new phones will take us through my years in school and possibly beyond. We didn't get everything we were supposed to get, so it's back to Wally World on Thursday....morning preferably.

I knew that it was hormones when I teared up upon discovering Don Adams had died. I despised Don Adams, but there I was with a quivering lower lip, listening to the national news tribute to the man. The Father Unit was rather fond of Get Smart and I remember his doing impersonations of Maxwell Smart when I was a kid. It wasn't funny then and it's not funny now. It's irritating. I should be saying, "Ah, one less irritation on this vale of tears called Earth!" Instead, I get all snivelly.

I was supposed to go see Llew this evening, but I had to cancel on him, postponing 'til tomorrow. Maybe by tomorrow, I'll be feeling better and not be so physically ill at ease and emotionally po-faced.

One good thing happened today. Goldie brought her three babies (Autumn, Motley, and Lynx) to the backyard again today. This time, they came up to me, very close. Close enough for me to pet them! So there's hope that I'll be able to get them tame enough to have them spayed and neutered when the time comes. I actually got to pick each of them. Motley and Autumn are, of course, females, being Tortoiseshell. Lynx, however, is a boy. He's the most unusually marked feline I've ever seen. If I could get away with it, I'd take him in to be our third indoor cat.

I have to get up early tomorrow morning. I'm taking the dogs for their grooming appointment and dropping off Shmoop for her spaying recheck. Since we'll both be up early and on the road, I'm thinking of hauling Aunt Tudi up to Asheville for the day. We both need to get the hell out of town for a while. What better place to go than HOME?

Right now, Aunt Tudi is watching Jeopardy and I'm half-watching it. I just can't get into it like I usually do. Once the TV is free, I'll probably resort to Battlestar Galactica or Lost. These shows make me content.

In closing, I present my tombstone.

RIP )
tinhuviel: (Smidgen)
Smidgen horked up a hairball on the carpet, so I put her on the back porch until Aunt Tudi and I could get the house back in order. Once the mess was cleaned up (Aunt Tudi did the cleaning while I held the dogs at bay), I went back out to check on Smidgen and let her back into the house. When I went out, I heard enthusiastic munching in the back yard. Thinking it was one of the cats, I moved to the door to see which cat it was making such a ruckus. It wasn't a cat, but a very large opossum! It stood right where it was, happily feasting on the cat food. So I had to try to get a picture. It's not the best photo in the world because I took it behind a screen door in the dark. It looks more like an infrared spy photo, but at least I got it!

I'll show you my dark secret )

Shortly after that, the opossum peeped around at all the cats watching him in disbelief, then waddled through the fence to his destiny.
tinhuviel: (Riley)
Cat society is incredibly fascinating. I've always known it, but I've never experienced it as firsthand as I've been able to over the past couple of weeks. Being at work all the time, I missed out on a lot of what went on here at the house. Now, I'm able to be a part of it all, be in amongst the cats and see how they interact with each other and with me.

I've concluded that we now have a Pride at the house. It consists of Festus, the Alpha Male, and his brides Goldie, Bagheera, Agro, and Hook. Goldi and Agro currently have litters of kittens now of age to come to the backyard and eat. They are Motley, Lynx, Autumn, Eenie, Miney, and Mo. They're all young enough to still be impressionable and accepting of my presence, so I'm hoping that I'll be breaking the feral trend and be able to get these kittens "fixed" when the time comes. All of these cats are very social with each other and the kittens have no qualms with curling up beside Festus for a wee nap. He's the most loving male I've ever seen when it comes to kittens.

All of them tend to hang around in the backyard, close to the water bowl (watering hold), waiting for any extra food Aunt Tudi and I might bring out. It's one big happy family. I expect to find an opossum out there one morning holding Lynx up to the sky while blue jays sing "Circle of Life."

peectures )

Dot

Aug. 30th, 2005 05:58 pm
tinhuviel: (Forlorn)
While Agro was away from the kittens, I checked on Dot. She's dead. I knew it was gonna happen before the night was over. Even though I hadn't developed an attachment to her, I'm still really sad that she's gone. I left the limp kitten in the nest as I don't want to disturb Agro's chosen spot for her weelings. I'm sure Agro will deal with her dead baby accordingly. I just need to keep reminding myself that this is the Great Cycle in action and I have to submit to its wise ways.

RIP Dot....
tinhuviel: (Smidgen)
Agro has brought her five kittens to our back yard. I'm honoured by her gesture of trust, especially since she witnessed me spirit her baby Shmoop away not so very long ago. I've named the kittens Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo, and Dot. Dot is the runt, just a little dot of a kitten, and gravely ill and poorly. It would surprise me if she lasted the night to be honest, she's that far gone....so much so, I'm almost 100% certain that nothing I could do would save her. No matter how difficult it is for me, especially being a witness to it, I've decided to let Nature run Her course. I'm thinking I would only prolong the inevitable if I were to intrude. Besides, if I keep my distance from the kittens yet make my presence known to them and Agro, I will have more of a chance to medicate the survivors when they're old enough to tolerate the antibiotics.

I was able to take some pictures of the wee ones and their mom.

kitten fluff )

While I had the camera out, I took a couple of shots of Katrina as she rumbled by. We're still getting a bit of wind, but nowhere near the rain that was once predicted.

whoosh! )

After that, I took a picture of one of the flowers on one of three of our althea bushes. They produce beautiful flowers, but mowing around them is a bitch, thanks to all the bees. I also took a pic of a cluster of poke berries. Native Americans in this area apparently used poke berry juice for their body decorations. You can look at a poke berry and get a stain. Oh, and people in this area use the leaves of the poke bush to make poke sallit (salad, but it's not pronounced like that...it's SALLIT). I, myself, have never experienced this indigenous culinary delight.

althea and poke )

I'm off to check out schools in Asheville.
tinhuviel: (Alrighty then)
Yesterday afternoon, after Aunt Tudi and I returned from Hell Wal-Mart, Little Michael came by to sharpen the blades on my lawn tractor. Now, three weeks ago, when I went to get the tractor out to mow the grass, Agro the agriculturally pregnant cat, was in labour in my out-building, so I couldn't start the tractor up. When Little Michael, pulled the tractor out, I noticed that the kittens were still in the building and they were absolutely terrified by the loud motor on the mower. I checked them all out, all five of them (no wonder Agro was so huge!), and noted that they have the same eye condition that Shmoop had when I yoinked her away from Agro. They're not old enough to deal with antibiotics yet. As long as they're nursing, I need to let the natural antibodies in Agro's milk try to help them. If that doesn't work, when they start coming to the back yard for food, I'll start administering meds to them. There are two ginger kittens, one tabby, one black, and one pale pastel calico and grey. The calico and grey is the runt. She still has little bald feet! Agro was highly disturbed that her maternity ward had been compromised and promptly began moving her babies. I was able to get a picture of three of them before she returned to pick up another.

kittie goodness )

I hate we scared the babies like we did, but at least now I can get the lawn tractor out and do what needs to be done without disturbing anyone else. Speaking of which, I'll be mowing grass right after work. May the Great Goddess have mercy on my soul.


Today, I'm wearing a shirt that Todd bought for me back in 1988. I've worn it off and on to work ever since, and I thought it would be appropriate to wear it today, my last day here in The Pit.

dys )

Now, I'm just waiting around to be called to "human" resources for my exit interview. Then it's Mexican food time and a boring afternoon until I'm cut loose for the last time.

La Vitesse

Aug. 20th, 2005 03:16 pm
tinhuviel: (Mouth)
I'm about half-watching the movie Speed. The thrill is gone, since I've seen the movie a quarter of a million times. But the first time...whoa! My ass chewed a hole in the set at the movie theatre. Thanks to Eddie Izzard, neither [livejournal.com profile] clumsycake nor myself can say Speed without saying it with a French accent.

It's been a blah sort of day so far. I slept late, really late, and have basically just lain around and bled all day. My home is the closest thing to a menstrual hut I can get. I have all the doors and windows closed and the A/C going strong. It's still hot in here because I live on the fucking sun. It's just not this hot in Western North Carolina. The mountains make it to where there's almost a constant breeze and the higher elevations make the air cooler. I'm just really missing home today.

Now that Shmoop has had her boosters, she can now go outside if she so desires. She doesn't. I've let her out twice today and she ran right back in when she realised she'd left he nest. Unlike Smidgen, Shmoop is quite timid it seems. So we may have a true blue house cat on our hands. That's okay. I don't mind. In many ways, it's a relief, because I always worry about my cat friends getting into trouble out of doors. I won't hold any cat hostage though. They can all come and go as they please, as is their cat nature. It's just hard to see them walking off and wonder if you're ever going to see them again.

They just pulled Keanu out from under the bus. Yay for action flicks!
tinhuviel: (Smidgen)
While I was waiting on Aunt Tudi at the Circle K yesterday evening, I took a picture of my key chain. Since 1988, I've had the same key chain. It's a wooden tiki sort of thing called a spirit face. One day, Todd and I were roaming through the local mall in 1988, perusing the wares of New Age peddlers who had converged for some New Age craft show thing. There was a Native American there selling spirit faces. He explained to us that all wood contains the spirit of the tree from whence it came and his art, Shamanic in nature, was the act of pulling out the visage of the spirit by means of carving. I was enthralled. I was also broke. But I found a key chain that spoke to me and that I could afford, so I bought it, and the rest is history. I don't know what I'd do without my spirit face key chain because I feel like it's a guardian of sorts for me. If I ever lost it, I'd probably drop dead.

spirit face )

Also last night, I caught some fantastico shots of Smidgen and Shmoop. I'm beginning to wonder if they're the most photographed cats on Earth.

meow, dammit )

This afternoon, I have to take them both to the vet for Smidgen's yearlies and Shmoop's final boosters. Fortunately, I have an appointment this time, so I shouldn't be spending half the night there. Here's hoping, 'cos all I really want to do is curl up and sleep with abandon.

Agro

Aug. 3rd, 2005 06:54 pm
tinhuviel: (Mowing)
This cat (I think she is Shmoop's mum) has been extremely pregnant for a very long time. I mean agriculturally pregnant. So I named her Agro. Aunt Tudi and I were really starting to worry that she was unable to give birth because she was so increadibly large. No more worries. When I went to the out building to get the riding mower for my weekly regimen, I saw her at the back of the enclosure, in labour and nursing a wee ginger kitten. Finally! What a relief!

But...I couldn't start the riding mower because the building is once again a maternity ward.

I used the push mower to mow all the grass and sprained my ankle for my troubles. Blaaaaagh!!! But the grass is all mown, I've had my shower, and I'm looking forward to seeing the new babies in the next few weeks. I'd give my right breasticle if I could capture Agro and have her spayed.

The dogs are scheduled to be boarded on Friday so Aunt Tudi and I can head for Moncks Corner. Smidgen and Shmoop will be staying home with an abundant basin of food and the communal water cooler. They'll be happier at home instead cooped up at the vet's office.
tinhuviel: (Smidgen)
Both came to me very sick and on the edge of death. Both are now healthy as horses and the very best of friends.

I present Smidgen and Shmoop )
Aloysius is still doing fabulously, as is Biafra, although I don't see much of Biafra. She comes to eat, but often when no one else is around. She's feral and will always be so. It saddens me.

As for Iggy, she will have her stitches removed on Monday. Her ferality also seems irreversible. It seems that, since she's no longer in heat, I have nothing to offer her. She growls and warns me off every time I come near her. Honestly, I think she'll be happier back outdoors. [livejournal.com profile] dr_nebula, I am so sorry! I've tried my best, but I really don't think it would work out. Neither she nor you would be happy in Iggy's current state of mind.

Sometimes, I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle trying to save all the cats but, when I look into the faces of Smidgen and Shmoop, I feel better and move along in the quest. I just need to keep it all in perspective and know that I can't save everyone, but I can at least make everyone's life a little easier, if it's ony by putting out some food each day.

::firm nods::
tinhuviel: (PSA)
After getting my ass kicked after lunch, I've decided to throw what work is left into the air and scream "fuck it!" to the top of my lungs. Needless to say, all this will be done in the comfort of my imagination so as not to endanger my severance. Becky comes back from vacation on Monday, so I want to have something for her to do. Yeah, that's my story and I'm sticking by it.

Right after work, Aunt Tudi and I are going to pick up Iggy from the vet's office. She has had her hysterectomy and is now a new and quiet kitty. One more week of viralys and she'll be good as new on all fronts. I'm looking forward to getting her back. She's such a sweetie....I'm hoping that she gets on well with Smidgen and Shmoop. That way, if [livejournal.com profile] dr_nebula is unable to take her, I can still give her a good home and she won't have to go back out into the cat population.

Once we get Iggy settled, we have to go to the store. Thankfully, it won't be Wally World this week. Ingles will be getting our business, thank you very much.

I may have to drink a beverage heavy on caffeine later on so I can be sure to be awake for Battlestar Galactica tonight. Season two starts tonight and I can hardly friggin' wait!

Reading back on this post to make sure I'd made no terrible grammatical mistakes or typos, it has occurred to me that I am beyond boring. I'm so boring, I could save my money on Lunesta and just look in the mirror until I pass out from ennui.
tinhuviel: (Alrighty then)
We picked up Aloysius and Biafra today. The bill was $745.25. *gulp*

As promised, I got pictures of the three babies many folks have been kind enough to support. Iggy is still in the hospital, as her illness was quite serious and still contagious. Her bill alone will be close to Aloysius' and Biafra's together. *gulp again*

Still, it's for a good cause. Every life, especially an innocent animal life, has merit and is worth saving.

Thanks again to all who have contributed to the cause so far. It's appreciated more than you know.

pics of kitties and the bill #1 behind cut )

Like I said, I'd post pics of the kitties and decided to post the bill too, to prove I'm not a swindler. Did I lie? Nay.
tinhuviel: (Default)
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February 2019

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