lisaviolet's diary

      Wednesday, February 15, 2006

otherstuff
11:25 AM - 02/15/2006

The topic: True love
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Yesterday was Valentine’s Day. And I got the same thing I’ve gotten for almost twenty years.

Nothing.

You’d think I’d be used to it by now, but every February 14th, there’s a part of me that waits for something. It’s not as strong as it was at first, but it’s still there. My father never forgot. It’s not that Brian forgets, though, it’s just not a big deal to him. Obviously, he’s never been a woman.

So, I’m getting dinner ready last night (stuffed chicken breasts, rice and peas) and the phone rings. He tells me he wants to go to this agricultural show up in central California tomorrow (which would be today). I say “okay”.   I kind of wonder how he could swing it with as busy as he is, it would be a long day. At least ten hours (probably more) of total driving time. Then checking out all the ag stuff.

Then he says “can I take your car?”

“The mustang? Sure, I don’t have a problem with that.”

“No, the Escape.”

My car? He wanted to take my car? Uh, no.

I tell him my answer. “No.”

He does a little whining. But…but…but….

“No.”

He does a little more whining.

“No.”

Then I query “what did you get me for Valentine’s Day?” knowing the answer before I asked the question.

“Nothing” came his reply.

“Then, no.”

When he got home, he said that Mark had talked him out of going (good). Like Mark said that would make an eighteen hour day and they have a lot to do Thursday and it would just be too hard to do. Physically and mentally. So, he’s not going. Like he said, there’s always next year.

This morning he made breakfast. I usually have cereal every day and on the day he makes eggs and bacon, I’ll have a few pieces of bacon. And if he slices up a potato and fries it, I have some of that (the potatoes at CostCo are huge and one can feed both of us…when I bake potatoes I usually do about six or seven, just for extras during the week).   This morning he made bacon, potatoes and eggs. There were only two eggs left, which isn’t that big of a deal, the bacon and potatoes would be just fine for me.

I was back in the office giving Annie some attention when he called out to let me know breakfast was ready. He had the table set and was putting the plates down when I walked in.

My plate had an egg on top of the potatoes. He had the other.

He split the eggs with me. More thought there than a dozen roses or a box of candy or a card. It’s the thought that counts, you know.

That’s true love.

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catstuff
09:05 AM - 02/15/2006

The topic: The worry
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I know there’s not a whole hell of a lot I can do about the ferals, other than feed them, but when they don’t show up for a meal, it worries me.

Yesterday morning, there was no KittyMeeze. Carla was out front, but she ran across the street when she saw me (it was still dark outside) outside of the entry way.

His schedule is he’s here for breakfast, hangs around a little, then he’s gone until the afternoon. I have a good idea where Carla is spending her days now, because both times she saw me yesterday, she ran to the same place across the street, the bushes where we finally trapped Cleo and was able to get her fixed years ago. And I didn’t doubt, seeing how close it was to our house, that could very well be where Meeze spends his mornings after getting breakfast here. He’s back in mid-afternoon, when the sun hits the front bank. It’s nice and cozy and warm there. If it gets too warm, a cat can always move to a different place where’s there’s shade.

He wasn’t back yesterday afternoon. I resigned myself to the possibility that we might not ever see him again.

Then he was back after the sun went down, eating the food I’d put out yesterday morning. He ate most of it. He was back again this morning.

I wonder if maybe he got himself into a situation where he couldn’t leave. Like maybe in someone’s shed or garage, then when they got home from work, he escaped to freedom.

I wish they’d move in with us so I wouldn’t worry so.

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catstuff
08:41 AM - 02/15/2006

The topic: Latest Annie update
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I don’t know. I just don’t know. She’s still showing little bits of progress. But then she has a bad day and my hope balloon is quickly deflated. Monday was bad, mostly in the morning. As the day progressed she got a little better. Yesterday morning into the early afternoon was horrible.

She was back to being restless and she wouldn’t sleep or lay her head down. She went outside for a while, wandering around the yard. I guess she did this the past weekend and Brian said she looked like she was having a good time, enjoying being outside again. I don’t know if what she was doing yesterday was the same thing she was doing this weekend, but if it was, she looked more confused and lost than happy. It was one of those times that thought kept bouncing around my head “is it time?”. I’m glad I have Brian to talk it out with. He’s more impartial than I am, or maybe more distant. I’m here with her all day, he mostly sees her at night. He sees her when she’s feeling better. I see how hard it seems to be for her (and me).

But this morning, she actually ate more kibble at one sitting than she has in a month. I’m not talking about a lot. At most she’d eat maybe ten pieces of kibble at a time. This morning she ate about twice that. That’s good. But, as far as I’m concerned, it’s still not enough.

I’d love to leave a bowl of this out for her to eat anytime she wanted, but the other cats consider it a treat and they’d have it all gone in a matter of minutes and we’d be left with her still not getting enough to eat. I’ve thought about moving her to the bathroom, but she’d be unhappy in a room with the door shut all of the time. It just wouldn’t be fair to her. I could leave her in the office and shut the door, but there would go the catcam and officecam.

I so look forward to a day where none of the cats need scheduled meds or scheduled times of being poked with a syringe. We had Junior on insulin for over two years, then DeeJay with his three years plus of fluids, now Annie. After Annie, I hope it’s a long time before I have to do this again.

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catstuff
08:28 AM - 02/15/2006
We found a penny on our walk this morning
I'm listening to Paul Brown's The City
The current weather is cloudy with chance of showers
I'm mellow

The topic: New boss?
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DeeJay used to sleep on my pillow at night. He woke me up many times during the years as he situated himself and his claws caught in my hair close to my scalp. I thought once he was gone, this would stop.

I think I’m the alpha cat in the house. Sometimes Oliver tries to show me differently, but I’m bigger and have opposable thumbs with which I can use the squirt bottle on him. And he hates the squirt bottle.

I think DeeJay sleeping next to my head was a sort of power thing. Not many other cats tried and if they did and he was of a mind to keep my company, the other cat quickly removed itself from what could become a volatile situation. Not that he ever did much more that a couple of slaps.

Well, a new kitty has taken his place on my pillow. He’s a big kitty, he’s a lovable kitty and most of the other cats respect him. It’s Marco. Yep, the kitty cat who fell off of the retaining wall on the bank. The kitty who spent eight weeks in a crate. Marco Warco. As the weeks have gone by (I can’t believe it’s only been a month since DeeJay was put to sleep, it would have been a month on Monday, the 13th) Marco is showing himself to be frontrunner.

I think he’ll make a good cat king.

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