Wonderful pets and other observations
I've been out of touch lately! Doing what? At work, actually working, and also The Italian Chef came back to work after almost two weeks out following surgery, so I've been talking a lot with her, spending time with her, and going outside with her over lunch. And at home, I've gotten into a book, The Historian (too soon to tell whether it will actually be really good, but it's at least sucked me in to a certain extent so far!), and I've been getting tired very early for me!
Also, I've been spending a lot more time cuddling with James and Emma, or just laying down next to them on my bed while I read. The accounts from New Orleans have affected me more than I think I realized. Last night I actually spent a lot of time reading various articles online - some personal stories - from New Orleans. One that especially touched me was the story of a 6-year-old little boy carrying a 5-month-old baby and leading five other toddlers. The tears were streaming down my face. It's just heartbreaking, what these people have already gone through, and the long road that they have ahead of them. I think about them and their situation so often every day, as I'm sure is the same with many others.
The thing that has really hit home, however, is how so many people have been forced to leave their pets behind. This has bothered me for days now, and on different levels. First, I just couldn't do it! I would REFUSE to do it! I can't stand even thinking about James and Emma being scared, alone, on the streets, starving, wondering why I left them. There is absolutely no way I could leave them! They are my family, my babies. And they are babies! They are like little 1-year-old children! They get sad when I tell them in the morning, "I have to go kitten-mama bye-bye!" And they get so excited when I come home at the end of the day - first they are just sitting there to make sure it's me, and then James always comes over to me and stretches really big, and then brushes up against me and askes for a good nose to ears hard rub, while little Emma goes running to one of her scratching boxes or posts, and scratches away in happiness before running over to me. They are just so sweet! I would never, ever, ever, ever, ever leave them alone!
And that brings me to my second point - why all these rescuers, and the ones in charge, can't understand that pets ARE family, and how they could put these people who had and have just lost their homes, their lives, sometimes members of their families, in the situation of choosing whether to be rescued or whether to stay with their pets. These people have already and are currently going through one of the worst disasters, city-wide and on a personal level, that anyone will ever have to deal with, and then they are made to just leave their pets, their babies, to fend for themselves!!! And are supposed to go on after that guilt and self-hatred and missing their pet, piled on top of their complete devastation. It's so terrible. SO terrible. And it has really, really, really been bothering me.
Last night, for example, (actually it was early this morning, right before I had to get up) I dreamed that somehow I had just returned from some other dimention or world or something (actually, there were some unknown soap opera characters who had been "frozen" along with me and then we suddenly came alive again (I think my brain was knowing that completely unrealistic things can happen in soap operas! Which I don't watch anymore!), and I had James and Emma in their little cage. My mom and grandma picked me up in the suburban, and we drove and then had stuff to get and something, something, something. Then we were walking on some path, and my mom's cats were walking around us, and I was trying to greet them but somewhere in the back of my mind was also wanting to keep them away from James and Emma. Things got kind of weird-dream-like then for a bit. Then later, I was somewhere that resembled my parent's house, with my parents, and their cats were walking all around. And I walked upstairs to my room and realized that James and Emma weren't there, and that I had forgotten them in the suburban a day and a half ago! So I ran and got them and let them out in my bedroom, and they had had to go pee in the tiny cage, and were starving, and I was feeling so, so, so awful, and trying to get them food and give them love and hoping that they wouldn't hate me because I had forgotten them.
James woke me up right about then by walking back and forth over me and mewing and purring. And I first felt so bad, like I had done something wrong!! I could NEVER leave them!!!!! I WOULDN'T!!!!! They will always be with me, and nothing can make me leave them!!!! They are my little babies, my family. And I swear, if anyone would try to make me leave them, I would beat some ass! I never, ever, ever want them to be alone - they are house babies, and wouldn't know what to do on the streets and would be so scared. Especially Emma, she would never leave, she's such a little scare-dy cat baby!
A friend of mine sent me this story about the New Orleans pets on Tuesday. I had of course read and heard about the pet issue before, but this story really cemented it for me. I was at work, it was the evening, I got half way through and a couple tears escaped my eyes, so I closed the article. The urge to break down and weep over what I'd read was overwhelming. I don't like sharing such extremely heartbreaking things, but this is such an important part of what is going on down there, and the fact that so many (most) people weren't given any choice. It makes me sick. I know that so many people, and especially friends of mine who read this, share in absolutely everything I've said here, so I know I'm not alone in feeling this way. But I'd feel this strongly regardless.
By the way, I heard the sweetest dog story yesterday in an email from my wonderful friend Tina in Ohio - she has the cutest little baby boy who just recently had his 10-week birthday, and she and her husband also have the prettiest Golden Retriever. I asked in an email how Lucy liked little Jackson, thinking that Lucy would probably be a little jealous or something. However, it's quite the opposite! For the first 8 weeks or so, Lucy wanted to always have Jackson in her sight - she didn't like when he was in his crib, because she couldn't see him then! Tina said that Lucy has relaxed a bit now, but still always wants to know where Jackson is. She has adopted him into the family, right from the very beginning! It's one of five billion examples of how dogs and cats and other animals are much more than just animals - they are members of the family!
Those rescuers should not be forcing people to make terrible decisons! Material posessions, fine. But pets? They aren't posessions, they are family. Period.
I'm going to get off the subject now, because I could easily fill ten pages and more talking about this subject!
I'm so excited for Saturday night!!! The Meat has been telling me about this venue for well over a year. And I would have loved to check it out earlier, but it's in the burbs, and I have no car! But now that's all past, because Florida, Asparagus, and I are meeting The Meat, a co-worker of his, and her boyfriend at Fitzgerald's to see The Siegel-Schwall Blues Band play!!! I'm so excited!!!!! This band has been playing for over 40 years, and I love blues; I love all the old music that The Meat plays for me - folk, jazz, blues, rock - he has great taste in music, so it will be just amazing! And at a place like Fitzgerald's, too! Live music, unbelieveable venue - there is no way to beat that!!!
French Mix got my email, I know, because he viewed my picture album to which I sent him an invite. I haven't heard from him back, but I'm not surprised at all. I would have been surprised if I HAD heard from him! So here's the thing - he's a Gemini. I know that the science of astrology seems to many to be ridiculous, and I can see why. However, four years ago when I was visiting my amazing aunt in California, she gave me a different possible perspective: it may be a way for God to speak to us, and we should know that He may speak to us from all different kinds of means. And also, way before Christianity came into being, many, many things were developed by "ancient civilizations", many of which are currently recognized as completely accurate. So, like my aunt, I try to be very open-minded and look for messages from God wherever he may put them.
Now, French Mix. I think he's the definition of a Gemini. From what I knew of him before (from Little Brother and LB's friends), and also from what I gained from French Mix himself early on:
1) he's a player
2) lots of girls like him
3) he doesn't often like girls back
4) he frequents strip clubs
5) he is 31 but lives with two guys in their young mid-twenties from his old fraternity
6) their house is very much a bachelor pad - sparsely decorated, big screen TV, black leather couch with individual seats including armrests with cup holder, and party ball in living room (which GG said had never been actually used)
7) he's very fun to party with
Okay, lots of bad things there. LOTS. There is absolutely nothing there that would indicate that he might be a potential boyfriend, let alone a good boyfriend. And I still believe that. However, to emphasize the Gemini side of him, which he actually said at the bar the other night - when asked by someone if he'd recently had a birthday: "Yeah, June 8. I'm a Gemini - two persons." And he was proud to say it. So, on the other side of it, let me point out the things I observed last Friday night/Saturday morning (and that were told to me then):
1) In his bedroom, in the little alcove above the closet, he has a bunch of model airplanes displayed
2) On his bed (after I first jokingly mocked it) he explained that his Empire Strikes Back pillowcase is an original - and indeed showed me that it read 1979 in the bottom corner
3) He was in the Glee Club in college, which I understand now is singing - and by the pool table in one room, he has a poster framed from his senior year, 1995-1996, of the whole Glee Club, with him in the front row - and the poster is probably 24"x36"
4) In his bedroom, he has a much smaller framed and hanging picture of the glee club from the year previous
5) He also has two of his graduation pictures framed and hanging on the wall - one, of him posing against an American Flag (professional graduation photo), and two, of him shaking the hand of the (I'm guessing) President of the University while getting his diploma. That was in 1996. They are still on his wall and framed.
6) He has a picture of himself and his older brother and sister framed and hanging
7) He has his diploma framed and hanging - and inserted into the bottom of that frame are a bunch of mini-pictures (professional) of his nieces and nephews
8) Guitar Guy (roommate) said that French Mix is very clean, and routinely scrubs down the kitchen and bathroom, which includes mopping the floors
9) He grew up in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, and his parents still live there, and he sounds like he's still very close with his family
10) Whenever I put my hand on him, anytime, he'd cover my hand with his own, which is just so sweet
11) He bought a Jeep Wrangler a year ago (I had a Wrangler for 5 years, and it was the most fun car to drive ever!!!) And he agrees that stick shift is way more fun to drive
12) I asked him about his politics when he was driving me home, and he said he's neither a Republican nor Democrat, but that he voted for Bush in the past election. However, he said he read two books on Bush first, and also researched Kerry, and that based on history, a Republican should be in office during a war. We then talked politics for a long time. I like that he really thinks about it and has investigated it, and is interested in what goes on.
13) He doesn't like TSIL. (I loved him for agreeing with me!) He said he gives them three years before they get a divorce. And the reason - because of her, because she's a "bitch". Also, like my mother, he noticed that TSIL never came even once to my brother's side of the room at the wedding to thank people for coming. And he said that was unacceptable.
14) He has traveled all over the world, due to working for United. And he loved experiencing different places. However, he doesn't like traveling so much with his current job.
Okay, that's about all. The two sides of him are completely different. And when I'd see the good side, I knew that the bad side existed but was wondering why the bad side existed - low self esteem, etc.? It's intriguing, but at the same time, what's the point of me being intrigued and spending time thinking about him? He is not looking for nor is he ready for a relationship, and I don't know if a guy like him will ever be ready. Yes, I had the best sex in the world with him. But that shouldn't make me interested in him. Still, it does a little, or a medium bit. I sometimes hate being a girl, because even though I know something is just sex, I still get attached to some extent. And can't help it.
That's all! I was supposed to clean and do laundry tonight, but I didn't. I still haven't finished my new match profile so I'm not online yet. It's kind of depressing, because match is sending me emails again now with "my matches" on it, and so many of the guys were on there a year ago when I got off! I still recognize them, and partly because they have the same exact pictures!!! It makes me very hesitant and seems very depressing. But I'll try, because I have nothing to lose! But I'll wait to do it next week. I feel like Scarlett!!! :)
Also, I've been spending a lot more time cuddling with James and Emma, or just laying down next to them on my bed while I read. The accounts from New Orleans have affected me more than I think I realized. Last night I actually spent a lot of time reading various articles online - some personal stories - from New Orleans. One that especially touched me was the story of a 6-year-old little boy carrying a 5-month-old baby and leading five other toddlers. The tears were streaming down my face. It's just heartbreaking, what these people have already gone through, and the long road that they have ahead of them. I think about them and their situation so often every day, as I'm sure is the same with many others.
The thing that has really hit home, however, is how so many people have been forced to leave their pets behind. This has bothered me for days now, and on different levels. First, I just couldn't do it! I would REFUSE to do it! I can't stand even thinking about James and Emma being scared, alone, on the streets, starving, wondering why I left them. There is absolutely no way I could leave them! They are my family, my babies. And they are babies! They are like little 1-year-old children! They get sad when I tell them in the morning, "I have to go kitten-mama bye-bye!" And they get so excited when I come home at the end of the day - first they are just sitting there to make sure it's me, and then James always comes over to me and stretches really big, and then brushes up against me and askes for a good nose to ears hard rub, while little Emma goes running to one of her scratching boxes or posts, and scratches away in happiness before running over to me. They are just so sweet! I would never, ever, ever, ever, ever leave them alone!
And that brings me to my second point - why all these rescuers, and the ones in charge, can't understand that pets ARE family, and how they could put these people who had and have just lost their homes, their lives, sometimes members of their families, in the situation of choosing whether to be rescued or whether to stay with their pets. These people have already and are currently going through one of the worst disasters, city-wide and on a personal level, that anyone will ever have to deal with, and then they are made to just leave their pets, their babies, to fend for themselves!!! And are supposed to go on after that guilt and self-hatred and missing their pet, piled on top of their complete devastation. It's so terrible. SO terrible. And it has really, really, really been bothering me.
Last night, for example, (actually it was early this morning, right before I had to get up) I dreamed that somehow I had just returned from some other dimention or world or something (actually, there were some unknown soap opera characters who had been "frozen" along with me and then we suddenly came alive again (I think my brain was knowing that completely unrealistic things can happen in soap operas! Which I don't watch anymore!), and I had James and Emma in their little cage. My mom and grandma picked me up in the suburban, and we drove and then had stuff to get and something, something, something. Then we were walking on some path, and my mom's cats were walking around us, and I was trying to greet them but somewhere in the back of my mind was also wanting to keep them away from James and Emma. Things got kind of weird-dream-like then for a bit. Then later, I was somewhere that resembled my parent's house, with my parents, and their cats were walking all around. And I walked upstairs to my room and realized that James and Emma weren't there, and that I had forgotten them in the suburban a day and a half ago! So I ran and got them and let them out in my bedroom, and they had had to go pee in the tiny cage, and were starving, and I was feeling so, so, so awful, and trying to get them food and give them love and hoping that they wouldn't hate me because I had forgotten them.
James woke me up right about then by walking back and forth over me and mewing and purring. And I first felt so bad, like I had done something wrong!! I could NEVER leave them!!!!! I WOULDN'T!!!!! They will always be with me, and nothing can make me leave them!!!! They are my little babies, my family. And I swear, if anyone would try to make me leave them, I would beat some ass! I never, ever, ever want them to be alone - they are house babies, and wouldn't know what to do on the streets and would be so scared. Especially Emma, she would never leave, she's such a little scare-dy cat baby!
A friend of mine sent me this story about the New Orleans pets on Tuesday. I had of course read and heard about the pet issue before, but this story really cemented it for me. I was at work, it was the evening, I got half way through and a couple tears escaped my eyes, so I closed the article. The urge to break down and weep over what I'd read was overwhelming. I don't like sharing such extremely heartbreaking things, but this is such an important part of what is going on down there, and the fact that so many (most) people weren't given any choice. It makes me sick. I know that so many people, and especially friends of mine who read this, share in absolutely everything I've said here, so I know I'm not alone in feeling this way. But I'd feel this strongly regardless.
By the way, I heard the sweetest dog story yesterday in an email from my wonderful friend Tina in Ohio - she has the cutest little baby boy who just recently had his 10-week birthday, and she and her husband also have the prettiest Golden Retriever. I asked in an email how Lucy liked little Jackson, thinking that Lucy would probably be a little jealous or something. However, it's quite the opposite! For the first 8 weeks or so, Lucy wanted to always have Jackson in her sight - she didn't like when he was in his crib, because she couldn't see him then! Tina said that Lucy has relaxed a bit now, but still always wants to know where Jackson is. She has adopted him into the family, right from the very beginning! It's one of five billion examples of how dogs and cats and other animals are much more than just animals - they are members of the family!
Those rescuers should not be forcing people to make terrible decisons! Material posessions, fine. But pets? They aren't posessions, they are family. Period.
I'm going to get off the subject now, because I could easily fill ten pages and more talking about this subject!
I'm so excited for Saturday night!!! The Meat has been telling me about this venue for well over a year. And I would have loved to check it out earlier, but it's in the burbs, and I have no car! But now that's all past, because Florida, Asparagus, and I are meeting The Meat, a co-worker of his, and her boyfriend at Fitzgerald's to see The Siegel-Schwall Blues Band play!!! I'm so excited!!!!! This band has been playing for over 40 years, and I love blues; I love all the old music that The Meat plays for me - folk, jazz, blues, rock - he has great taste in music, so it will be just amazing! And at a place like Fitzgerald's, too! Live music, unbelieveable venue - there is no way to beat that!!!
French Mix got my email, I know, because he viewed my picture album to which I sent him an invite. I haven't heard from him back, but I'm not surprised at all. I would have been surprised if I HAD heard from him! So here's the thing - he's a Gemini. I know that the science of astrology seems to many to be ridiculous, and I can see why. However, four years ago when I was visiting my amazing aunt in California, she gave me a different possible perspective: it may be a way for God to speak to us, and we should know that He may speak to us from all different kinds of means. And also, way before Christianity came into being, many, many things were developed by "ancient civilizations", many of which are currently recognized as completely accurate. So, like my aunt, I try to be very open-minded and look for messages from God wherever he may put them.
Now, French Mix. I think he's the definition of a Gemini. From what I knew of him before (from Little Brother and LB's friends), and also from what I gained from French Mix himself early on:
1) he's a player
2) lots of girls like him
3) he doesn't often like girls back
4) he frequents strip clubs
5) he is 31 but lives with two guys in their young mid-twenties from his old fraternity
6) their house is very much a bachelor pad - sparsely decorated, big screen TV, black leather couch with individual seats including armrests with cup holder, and party ball in living room (which GG said had never been actually used)
7) he's very fun to party with
Okay, lots of bad things there. LOTS. There is absolutely nothing there that would indicate that he might be a potential boyfriend, let alone a good boyfriend. And I still believe that. However, to emphasize the Gemini side of him, which he actually said at the bar the other night - when asked by someone if he'd recently had a birthday: "Yeah, June 8. I'm a Gemini - two persons." And he was proud to say it. So, on the other side of it, let me point out the things I observed last Friday night/Saturday morning (and that were told to me then):
1) In his bedroom, in the little alcove above the closet, he has a bunch of model airplanes displayed
2) On his bed (after I first jokingly mocked it) he explained that his Empire Strikes Back pillowcase is an original - and indeed showed me that it read 1979 in the bottom corner
3) He was in the Glee Club in college, which I understand now is singing - and by the pool table in one room, he has a poster framed from his senior year, 1995-1996, of the whole Glee Club, with him in the front row - and the poster is probably 24"x36"
4) In his bedroom, he has a much smaller framed and hanging picture of the glee club from the year previous
5) He also has two of his graduation pictures framed and hanging on the wall - one, of him posing against an American Flag (professional graduation photo), and two, of him shaking the hand of the (I'm guessing) President of the University while getting his diploma. That was in 1996. They are still on his wall and framed.
6) He has a picture of himself and his older brother and sister framed and hanging
7) He has his diploma framed and hanging - and inserted into the bottom of that frame are a bunch of mini-pictures (professional) of his nieces and nephews
8) Guitar Guy (roommate) said that French Mix is very clean, and routinely scrubs down the kitchen and bathroom, which includes mopping the floors
9) He grew up in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, and his parents still live there, and he sounds like he's still very close with his family
10) Whenever I put my hand on him, anytime, he'd cover my hand with his own, which is just so sweet
11) He bought a Jeep Wrangler a year ago (I had a Wrangler for 5 years, and it was the most fun car to drive ever!!!) And he agrees that stick shift is way more fun to drive
12) I asked him about his politics when he was driving me home, and he said he's neither a Republican nor Democrat, but that he voted for Bush in the past election. However, he said he read two books on Bush first, and also researched Kerry, and that based on history, a Republican should be in office during a war. We then talked politics for a long time. I like that he really thinks about it and has investigated it, and is interested in what goes on.
13) He doesn't like TSIL. (I loved him for agreeing with me!) He said he gives them three years before they get a divorce. And the reason - because of her, because she's a "bitch". Also, like my mother, he noticed that TSIL never came even once to my brother's side of the room at the wedding to thank people for coming. And he said that was unacceptable.
14) He has traveled all over the world, due to working for United. And he loved experiencing different places. However, he doesn't like traveling so much with his current job.
Okay, that's about all. The two sides of him are completely different. And when I'd see the good side, I knew that the bad side existed but was wondering why the bad side existed - low self esteem, etc.? It's intriguing, but at the same time, what's the point of me being intrigued and spending time thinking about him? He is not looking for nor is he ready for a relationship, and I don't know if a guy like him will ever be ready. Yes, I had the best sex in the world with him. But that shouldn't make me interested in him. Still, it does a little, or a medium bit. I sometimes hate being a girl, because even though I know something is just sex, I still get attached to some extent. And can't help it.
That's all! I was supposed to clean and do laundry tonight, but I didn't. I still haven't finished my new match profile so I'm not online yet. It's kind of depressing, because match is sending me emails again now with "my matches" on it, and so many of the guys were on there a year ago when I got off! I still recognize them, and partly because they have the same exact pictures!!! It makes me very hesitant and seems very depressing. But I'll try, because I have nothing to lose! But I'll wait to do it next week. I feel like Scarlett!!! :)
