New York!

Today, September 11th, 2010 marks the 9th anniversary of the New York Twin Towers.


Move those cars faster! Push the pedal!

This is the view I have two days a week on my way to Court Reporting class. The PT Cruiser goes putt, putt, putt, along I95 with my music, iphone, and snacks. The cars in front of me are going toooooo……..slow in order for me to use the turbo. {Except in situations when public schools have teacher work days.} Many parents take these days off to spend time with their children, or so they won’t have to pay a babysitter. I’m fairly sure parents take these days off to spend quality time with their children. In the back seat are the following items. My carry bag on wheels full of my books, a goal, and different color steno paper. Yes, I’m FINALLY in level four! There are six levels of speed to accomplish before I can walk and receive my Associate of Arts Degree. There are the occasional, “You must repeat the semester since your speed is not what was expected.” ;./ My memory of steno has improved this semester. I was so surprised when I sat down to practice my Jury Charge which was reading a speed of 100 wpm. But…..wait, I could read the screen with a few mistakes. My in-class speed is much faster, but I want to be able to read what I write.

Sad Eyes ^..^

A new link as been added to Zeta’s blog called “The Cat Network”. I’ll be attending an appointment in September for our first Vet visit. I’ll be joining the network and more than likely help by voluntary my time. An appointment was made for surgery to help reduce the cat homeless population at Zeta’s place of residence. More than likely medication will be issed at a reduced rate as well. The tech told me they will be glad to help me after I mentioned how many cats I had which were mostly homeless at one time. The first cat showed up in our backyard pregnant and hungry. Her pregnancy was not noticed until a few weeks later. Yes, I still would have fed Buttons along with a warm place to sleep.
Mark noticed a car stop in the street abruptly while walking outside to get the Sunday paper. While picking up the paper, he noticed a man with white trash bag. He thought “Great, your dumping your trash in the street right in front of my house”. The man drove away as Mark yelled “Hey”. Then he saw the white plastic bag was moving. Next, three kittens appeared and approached him. He walked to the house with the kittens following behind him. He spoke to them so they knew it was okay to follow him to the house. Now, they are three quarters grown and love to play in the Kitty City we bought a few weeks ago. One of the kittens has sad eyes as if the stress of life was just too much for him. Now his eyes are filled with joy, but we mentioned his sad eyes to much that he responds to those words. So I guess the name will stick unless he responds to another name. The kittens are starting to trust us. Can you blame them after what they have been through? Sad Eyes is white and has a black strip on his back as if he was carrying one lane of the highway on his back.

New items for renovation in progress.

The bathroom is now down to the bare-bones of our renovation. All of the fifty-year old items have been removed and new items have been purchased pictured above :). Mark wants the renovation to be perfect. Awesome. Three layers of paint are being scraped off the walls in preparation for kills-it and new paint. Life does not stop just because you start a new project. Guests still arrive, the home phone rings, and the cats still expect to be fed. Monday morning arrives before you realize the weekend is over. Thank goodness we have a second bathroom to fall back on. Occasionally, I’ll walk into the bathroom and realize, oh yeah. In my defense I'm usually milt-tasking when that happens.

Lost and found.

I’ve manage to join the ranks of bloggers who have found excuses not to post. First issue, one of my kittens past away who were just nine-weeks old. I took her to the vet not realizing she was going to pass away no matter what I did. My heart sank as if I just lost a dear friend. Her name was Charlotte and I will never forget her sweet face and personality. She was the sister of Charlie who is very happy in Elissa’s home. Elissa and Steve are great parents. Then, several family members went into the hospital. Next, I hurt my back and I’m still feeling the aches and pains of muscles that just won’t relax. All the birthdays in July went well. Steve, Adam, Ranger, Nana, Mark and David all in the same four week period. Lots cake, food, and fun. It was great to see Aunt Alisha and Uncle Ron as we combine families at Bahamas Breeze. We went to Sebastian to join David for a Birthday Party his wife gave for him. The next day we all gathered at Rock Fish Grill to bring in Marks and my Moms birthday. We also went to Calder Race track for Nana’s birthday. Mark and I won $60 and cashed it in so we could walk out with more money than we walked in with. Body Guard is an official inside cat with his LOL luggage totally unpacked. He’s a morning cat and wakes up between 5:30 to 6 am everyday to eat his breakfast. “More food please.” Body Guard is sitting on his new cat scratching post compliments of Ranger. He adores his new toy and uses it several times a day. The cat nip stored inside the cardboard also entertains the kitten inside him.

Welcomed house guest.

Charlie…….. Elissa and Steve’s new kitten and our welcomed house guest this weekend. He loves people, to play, and to sleep. BodyGuard gave Charlie a mini lesson on how to clean his face with his small paw. He would look at BodyGuard while trying to clean his face at the same time. He meows in the morning when he wakes up to remind folks he needs to eat breakfast. Elissa and Steve purchased adorable food and water bowls; perfect size for a kitten. He’s sleeping now in a cute little ball on top of his warm bedding his parents provided for him. We took tons of pictures, but I’m going to let Elissa share the joy of Charlie with her blog. I’ve really enjoyed my time with Charlie and am looking forward to our next visit.

Bodyguard! Welcome Back!

We had been monitoring Bodyguard’s arm for slight swelling along with the amount of food he was consuming. The food intake never changed, but his arm swelling looked like he was starting to go down. Bodyguard’s arm seemed to take a turn for the worse when we arrived home on Monday evening. So we decided to make an emergency visit to a Veterinary Specialist. We made a call to the Veterinary Office to inquire about our dilemma. We were advised to bring Bodyguard in the office that evening. So we wrapped in a towel and he sat in my lap in front of the PT Cruiser. He looked very happy as he sat in my lab staring out the car window at all the passing street lights and trees. We were pleased with his great behavior during the car ride. We parked in the back and walked into the front door relieved we were the only clients in the waiting room. He sat in my lab while we waited for the Doctor to see his new patient. He meowed once he saw a small Golden Retriever behind the counter lying on his soft bed. We were taken to a small room in the back where an employee examined his arm. Bodyguard stayed calm while his temperature was taken. I kept reassuring him with my voice hoping he would continue to trust me. The Veterinary Doctor arrived to examine his arm and give us his evaluation a few minutes later. We knew in back of our minds surgery was a big possibility. We were told an incision would be made to allow his arm to drain. We were also told a small tube might have to be placed into the side of his leg to help continue the draining. We returned to the waiting room with anticipation, concern, and relief. All the employees took an interest in their new patient. What a great combination of people gathered together to help pet owners give their pets the best health possible.  Several hours passed and I kept looking at the doors hoping someone would tell us he was fine. One of the Doctors came out to advise us that Bodyguard was fine and should be ready to go home once the anesthesia wore off. We were guided to the very back of the office were all the other pets were resting. We notice the tube resting on the side of his arm which already looked smaller. We noticed twelve different cats and dogs residing in against wall in separate cages being very quiet. Were told this was an unusual night and the silence was a nice change. I noticed they were all awake as I glanced at their faces while taking Bodyguard in my arms. He was extremely glad to see us while still under the slight influence of anesthesia. We were given a white collar protector for Bodyguard to wear so he would not pull out his tube. He was fine with the white collar until he meds were off. We took turns holding him throughout the night in several hour intervals. Ranger was so gracious and took over the early morning shift so we could go to work. We purchased a new collar and leach to take him on walks to take his mind off his arm. Bodyguard is very healthy thanks to the Veterinary Specialists, Mark and Ranger.