Happy New Year

I rang in the new year in style. ;) We were in a movie theatre none the wiser that any ball had dropped, anywhere.  We went and saw Sweeney Todd.  It's a bit of a strange movie.  I guess that's to be expected when you're going to see a Tim Burton film, especially when it's a musical, something I neglected to tell my husband till after I bought the tickets, of course.  It was an alright movie.  When we got out to the car it was covered in several inches of snow.  I told the late night police offcier to be careful and got in the car, bracing myself for much sliding.  We didn't have any trouble getting home or up our long snowy driveway.  Others didn't appear so lucky but I didn't see any accidents. 

Had to run outside for a few minutes to take care of the outdoor cats.  Shawn shoveled out the snow to their house so I wouldn't be in it up to my shins.  On the way back up, I threw snowballs at the dogs.  Molly in particular seems to enjoy running from the snow. 

Well I hope you all had a safe New Year's Eve and everyone drove carefully if they went anywhere.  We shall be covered in a foot of snow by morning.  I've got a cd to burn for my uncle and a shower to be taken and then I'm off to bed.  We live on the wild side nowadays. ;)

Polk Salad Annie

Toilet paper rolls are not toys

I seem to be getting over my cold but my sore throat persists.  I told myself that if I still had it today, that I would make an appointment to see my doctor.  My throat has been like this for a full ten days now so I guess it's time to do something about it.  I love that my doctor's office has a website now.  I just put in what time(s) and day(s) I would like to come in, what I need to be seen for and I get an email the same day with my appointment.  No need to talk to snippy receptionists anymore. 

Everything has been great with Bindi the ferret, until tonight.  Me and Jasmine were watching a movie while the ferret was out playing and I heard her making a funny noise.  I look over and she has her entire head stuck in a toilet paper roll.  I really think she thought that it was about to eat her, the way she was carrying on.  After tugging gently and carefully pulling, I got her free.  She wanted nothing to do with playing after that and jumped into her cage.  I let her back out a few hours later while I cleaned out her litter boxes and she seemed to have forgotten the incident ever happened.  I'm so glad I didn't put them in her cage to play with.  I'm sure she would've fallen from the top and flipped out till I found her.

Everything I do, I do it for you

My cousin's wedding was today.  Best wedding I've ever been to and I was so happy for her that it all went off without so much as a snag.  But before we go any further about that, something else happened I think really special in the middle of all that chaos.  I think a crack was made in my uncle's usually high emotional walls.  And I'm going to search hell and and high water till I find this cd for him.  Going back.  When my mom, her brothers and sister were kids, my grandpa bought this jukebox.  The OLD kind that most of us will never be lucky enough to see let alone hear.  I know there were only so many songs on that old jukebox so I'm pretty sure they heard quite a few of them repeatedly.  As kids they were probably wishing dad would turn on anything but "that" song again.  Who knows which one it was for each kid but I know one of them was stuck in my uncle's head all these years.  He had a few drinks in him when I was called over to him.  He wanted me to go up to the dj and ask to request a song.  Now, it's hard as hell to hear someone when there is music, and people all around but to try and understand a slightly drunk man, among all these other noise distractions... well my translation was... awful.  I don't know for sure what I wrote down for the dj but he hadn't a clue what the hell I was talking about.  (I think I wrote something like poke sally something) I got online and started doing some digging after I got home tonight and found Poke Salad Annie.  I KNOW this is the song as my uncle actually said a few lyrics.  I can't wait to show up on his door with that cd in hand.  I love my uncle dearly as I always have.  (as a small child I would get jealous of his wife and  I would say I'm going to marry uncle Jeff) When my dad wasn't the best father figure in my life, I've looked to my uncle.  He's a damn good man and a good father.  He walked Sabrina down the isle today, as her biological father looked on from the crowd.  I know the one thing that Sabrina wanted the most was for her dad to walk her down that isle.  He may not have watched her be born or even seen her first steps but he is her dad.  He was also the one that danced with her in the father/daughter dance.  I was so proud of both of them today.  I had no idea that I would feel so many emotions today.  I hugged Sabrina at least ten times.  I danced with the groom for a dollar.  ; ) I had tears in my eyes as they said their final I do's.  There was just so much.  I pretty much hugged everyone that I knew, and at times, even if I didn't like them under normal circumstances.  I can't wait to get the cd of the pictures back. (my uncle was the photographer, it's what he does)  I want to look back on all of that again and be able to physically see it.  Sabrina looked gorgeous in her dress and Adam was handsome in what I came to find was a very complicated tux.  (not firsthand! My uncle was telling us all the bells and whistles those things had) When that much of my family is together at one time I get... I don't even know what the emotion is to describe it.  It's a warm feeling of wholeness.  I love the noise of Jeff and Perry being well... themselves.  And my aunt Jerri in the background telling some crazy story or another that she encountered while working on an article. (she works for the Indy Star) It's fun to see how they all act around each other.  Like if I squint, I can see what they were all like before I was born.  We were missing one of the four this evening though as my aunt Penny was unable to make it up here.  There were some sad moments for me as well during everything.  I had a drink (it doesn't take anymore than that to make me... emotional... the emotions can be happy sad anything but emotions are gonna come flying) My husband made a comment that sent me to the bathroom balling.  We were talking about how when Mrs. Sabrina and Mr. Adam (won't use the last name but I'm trying to pay tribute to the fact that they are married) get back from their honeymoon that we are all going to get together and do something.  Afterwards, he said this family is kind of falling apart so we have to do something to try and bring it back together.  I think it upset me so much because I feel the same way.  I feel like I'm losing my close bonds with all these people and there's only a single piece of tape holding it together.  My grandma is that tape.  There were two pieces of that tape.  I miss the second piece more than words.  Even now I'm crying and I'm definitely sober. I just don't want to completely lose what we used to have.  The holidays where everyone would be home and by the end of the night we'd all be playing cards.  I used to love watching my grandpa cheat.  He would renig so many times a game and no one ever caught on.  Who's going to suspect the ole man he once told me.  Cheatin's winnin' till ya git caught then it's losin'.  I loved those nights.  Even when I started to play a few years ago.  I will never be Jerri's partner again but I had fun none the less.  (SoRe loSeR!!!! ;)  These are the memories I cherish and keep close in my brain, never allowing them to fade.  I'm sure plenty of people have their own memorizes that they keep close to them.  Most of mine are happy but now they're bittersweet because a great deal of mine have my grandfather as the main character.  I idolized him from the time I was a small child.  I would sit and watch him for hours.  He wasn't doing anything interesting to a child but I just wanted to be near him.  He would be watching tv and I'd watch the smoke tendrils curl towards the ceiling from his cigarette.  He'd be in the basement working on something and I'd be down there in the next room listening to him sing Johnny Cash and a few others that I don't recall offhand.  If he went outside, I'd eventually follow.  I played around the yard but I was always close enough to hear that old radio playing from the garage window, while my grandpa sat and watched the world.  (it's nice you should try it some time.. I finally get why old people do that... just sit and watch the world go by) And when my daughter was born, I saw that sparkle in her eyes, the same I had when I was a young child, whenever he would enter the room.  Her eyes would be glued to him.  They had a very special bond that I wish they could've had a little longer.  He would've loved her even more now.  She reminds me of him a lot with some of the things she says.  Oh, crying cannot be doing my sinuses any favors right now.  But even though he's gone, I feel him so strongly in everything we do.  When my grandma broke her arm I said that he was there saying how strong them Kentucky women are.  And then I could hear him telling whoever he's with about her falling and he's laughing about it. (after he knew she was ok of course) I can see it like he's right next to me doing it now.  He and Jasmine are kindred souls and I feel like he'll always be near.  All these things are the reason I want to get my uncle this song.  It brings you closer to those memories that really mean something to you.  I just know there is a major significance for him and that song.  I don't have to know what it is, I just know it matters to him and to finally have a peak as to what it's like behind that wall of his was really great.  I have a great family.  They're all wonderful in their own unique ways, all bonded by a single strand of dna.  I wouldn't trade a single one of them for anything, ever.  You know how at the holidays most families bicker and fight?  Not ours, ever.  We're just so glad to be in the same room together that none of that old stuff matters anymore.  And now I'm starting to see that me and Sabrina need to work on our bond as well.  We've.... drifted from eachother over the years and after seeing her today and feeling all the emotions I felt for her and Adam, I know I have to keep them all close to me.  I want Jasmine to have some of the experiences that I had as a child.  And the only way to do that is to get some super glue and take this family back together, piece by piece.

Now THAT my friends was a close one

Ok, so yesterday, I did a bad thing.  I don't know really what I was thinking at the time.  Maybe I just got caught up in the idea.  I went on ebay and looked up Green Bay playoff tickets.  I found two sets at a... ahem... reasonable price... at least for playoff tickets.  I bid on both sets and put in what my maximum bid would be.  The first set I lost within an hour.  The second, slightly more expensive set... I lost by only ten damn dollars.  Now, I don't know what I would've done if I had actually won.  Took out a second loan on my house?  (kidding)  I expected to lose but to lose by a mere ten dollars?  That's just adding insult to injury.  I was ten dollars away from a playoff game.  I'm still shaking my head.  And to those who know me personally, my husband is NOT aware that I did this and I would prefer to keep it that way for at least a year or two.  ;)  Although, it's not like he hasn't done monumentally stupid things in regards to large sums of money before.  I was casually looking up tickets, just to see how short I was of ever going to a game.  I have already entered several contests to try and get tickets to a Green Bay game.  I just got caught up in everything, the excitement.  These were shockingly expensive seats for their location by the way.  End zone, just above the tunnel, very bad for seeing the game but were only 30 rows up.  (if I'm gonna have a bad view, I'm gonna have a bad view up close damnit) Again, it was stupid and I won't do it again.  But, damn, what could've been if I'd just bet ten more dollars.  What could've been.

Women make the world work

You know a major difference between men and women?  When women get sick and feel like shit, we still take care of our daily responsibilities.  When men get sick (or the tiniest of headaches) they lay around, mope and whine about how awful they feel and leave all the duties for us to take care of.  For over a week now, I have had some sort of infection in my throat.  At first, I said nothing because when you say you're sick, people avoid you like you just said you have the plague.  It hurt a little at first but now it's just annoying and frustrating that I know have to go to the doctor to get a prescription for antibiotics, even though I have a full bottle here, all because I also have to have a prescription to prevent the side effects of taking antibiotics. Yesterday, I started to feel like I had allergies or something.  I wasn't feeling bad, just not great.  By this morning, I was feeling like crap, sneezing, nose running and my head just feeling... cloudy.  I had to get up and leave the house because my cousins wedding is tomorrow and I wanted to get something to wear to it.  After a frozen coffee, I felt better... for an  hour but it was enough time to pick out some clothes and shoes.  (which I got for ten bucks instead of forty!) Now we're back home and my husband knows I have to give Jasmine a bath and I have to take a shower.  Instead of being nice and trying to help me with the stuff I have to do every night, he went and played on the computer.  Note, he is not sick and feels perfectly fine but I almost guarantee that by tomorrow he'll at least act like he's not feeling well so he doesn't have to help me.  I have to get Jasmine taken care of, get her clothes ready for tomorrow and then when I went and asked him if he had fed the dogs, he acted put out because he had to speak to say no.  I didn't bother to ask him to do it for me.  I fed them, let them out and still have so much animal stuff to do that I really shouldn't be on the computer but if I don't get to take a break...............  The only thing he's been forced to do at all this week as far as work, is take the trash down to the road and the recycling... and bitched about it for twenty minutes.  I get taken for granted because I don't have a real job.  Trust me, if we added up hours worked, mine would be higher.  On the weekends, he gets to relaxand do nothing, notta.  I still have to make sure Jasmine is fed and taken care of as well as all the animals.  I don't get breaks, lunch hours, sick days or time off.  There are no vacations when you're a mom.  I wonder if stay at home dads get as little help and respect as stay at home moms?  Or do all women just naturally do what needs to be done?  Oh and I think he was pissy all day because the house isn't cleaned.  I haven't been home long enough to clean it.  I've either been out shopping everyday for Christmas or just out.  Jasmine spilled her drink all over the coffee table today and he "cleaned" it up.  Later on, I went to take a pop can to the recycle bin and it was STUCK to the table.  So much for cleaning it up.  Now I have to clean out the ferrets cage and get Jasmine only who knows what before she throws a massive fit.

Let the Light shine through

For my birthday we went out to eat with friends and family.  Afterwards we all went bowling.  Jasmine was pretty good but I was frustrated because I was the one that kept having to deal with her.  My husband did nothing except bowl and play the claw machine.  It wasn't till the end of the night that I said you help her bowl from now on.  (when she does it by herself the ball goes so slow that it stops midway down the isle and we have to page someone to get it and they're VERY slow about it)  After two sets, we headed home.  It was still really early when we got home and I was feeling like an old person whose birthday stuff is over before the sun goes down so I asked Shawn if he wanted to go see a movie.  Now, this would be the first time we ever took Jasmine to a movie theatre so there was a little nervousness surrounding it.  Once we got to the theatre, there was two massive lines and I decided it wasn't such a good idea but changed my mind a block later.  Shawn went in and asked how many seats were left and she said 192.  He came back out to the car and I jokingly (we were waiting in the car to see if it was packed or not) said yeah out of what, 200?  Imagine my surprise when I turned the corner in the theatre and there were two people seated.  (I didn't want to be in a packed movie theatre with a toddler) We were seeing I Am Legend.  Most of the movie is pretty devoid of zombie like creatures till the last half hour.  Unfortunately, the last half hour was enough to scare the crap out of me so you can imagine how Jasmine was feeling.  She had both her ears covered and her face shoved into my chest.  But she did REALLY good.  She didn't run around, yell or do anything you expect little kids to do in that kind of enviroment.  The one great thing about taking a kid to the movies, people avoid sitting near you as if you had leprosy.  Only one set of people sat anywhere near us and they were quiet and seemed unbothered by a toddler in the theatre during the last showing of a scary movie.  At any rate, I definitely reccomend this movie despite what the critics have said about it.  I would even go see it again... minus child.  It was just a really great horror/sci-fi movie and as always, Will Smith's acting was great.  We'll probably go see Sweeney Todd before it goes out of theatres... they were out of pretzels and I really wanted one... it's worth the 7.50 a piece for the movie... right?

Stolen bird, better off where ever he may be

Recently, a parrot was stolen from a pet store in Michigan.  This pet store is disgusting.  They don't take good care of their animals and many die before ever finding homes.  It's an awful place for any animal to end up.  This was on our local news and their website.  They were saying poor Ewert's, they had their bird stolen, how awful and we hope this criminal is caught.  Of course, I had to set them straight and left a comment on the page about how awful this place is and that I don't like any pet stores period but this place was one of the worst.  This is the only response to my comment.  Apparently, this idiot didn't read the part about me NOT liking pet stores. 

Jamie, the only thing you need to do if you ever decide you need to get some things from the pet store is NOT to shop at Ewert's any longer. Eventually, they will go out of business. I know its a lot cleaner than it used to be but it still smells horrible. No one deserves to have their animals stolen. Not even Ewert's. Jamie if you would just do your part and go to your local animal shelter and RESCUE a few creatures that need a home, you would feel better about yourself for it. I DO hope the theft gets caught and does some serious jail time for it.

Apparently, by ever stepping foot in the store to know it's disgusting, I am supporting Ewert's and buying? pets from them.  This is news to me.  One of my biggest pet peeves is when people assume shit based on a tiny piece of information.

P.S. The reason I was in this store to begin with was to TAKE guinea pigs from them that they were not properly caring for, it was when I was in rescue.

Grandma got ran over by a trash can....

Wow, where to begin.  I woke up late, thinking that my mom was going to be pissed that I was late to dinner.  I went to find my husband and he said that dinner was going to be served later than usual.  My grandma had broken her wrist.  She was taking the trash out early in the morning and the trash can got stuck on a rock and she fell.  Who knows how long it took her to get back in the house.  The trash can fell over and she some how ended up inside of it, a fact she found funny later.  She came in the house and my brother asked her if she was ok because she leaned back on the couch and was breathing real deep.  After she took off her glasses he could see she was bleeding.  Now if you know my grandma, you know she would rather be in pain all day than tell anyone that anything was really wrong because she wouldn't want to "ruin" anybodies day.  When my mom heard my brother ask if she was ok, she came into the living room.  My grandma was bleeding a lot from her eye and her nose was already swollen from hitting the ground.  She was holding her arm up and my mom said her hand was just hanging there.  That's when she said to my mom that she "thinks" she hurt her wrist.  Inside my mom was saying to herself 'you THINK you hurt your wrist?!'  They went to the ER and luckily didn't have much of a wait.  Her wrist is broken all the way through, both bones.  The break is at a 45 degree angle.  It looks absolutely awful on the xrays.  I literally thought I was going to be sick when I saw it.  And the way they had to reset her wrist was even worse.  They knocked her out (and they said anything under 30 degree break would've sent her to surgery), hung her arm from the ceiling and then put weights on her elbow.  Even thinking about it now, I still feel a little sick.  My mom couldn't even watch it.  You can still tell that the smaller of the two bones is broken in the second xrays (after they set it) but the larger bone looks completely normal as if it wasn't broken at all.  She slept a lot throughout the day but when she was awake I felt like a lost puppy following her from room to room.  It's hard not to be able to take someone else's pain away.  I've never really had to experience my grandma really getting hurt.  When she had heart surgery, I was still relatively young and everything since then has been bumps and bruises except for a broken foot but I didn't see her right after that happened.  When it comes to pain, my grandma is as tough as they come so to be able to look at her and KNOW she's hurting told me that it was excrutiating.  We've never had that big of a dinner without my grandma doing the most work so we were unsure as to how it was going to turn out but my mom did a very good job with everything. 

Jasmine got more stuff than I can even name off the top of my head.  I got some clothes, packers knit hat and jersey from my husband (directly from lambo field.. he had a friend who went to a game and got stuff for me), a packers sweatshirt from my mom and a scrapbook of pictures of August.  (my dog that died in July... it has to be the most meaningful gift I've ever gotten) Along with various other things.  (sorry I'm tired at the moment and have a migraine... memory is not at it's best at the moment)

I hope everyone had a safe and warm holiday.  I have a day "off" and then it's my birthday.  As of right now, I have no plans for tomorrow.  It's the only day of the week that I know I don't have to get up for anything. 

Merry Christmas everyone.  Hope your warm and safe.

At first I was afraid, I was petrified

Wind has never bothered me much.  I think it's kind of neat to hear it howling at night, particularly around Halloween but this is the end of December.  We have 50mph wind gusts right now and a continuous winds at 26mph.  The last gust really had me concerned.  I think they might be a little worse at my house or other houses like it.  You see, to the west of us is open fields for about half a mile.  There are no barriers in that area to slow down the force of the wind.  My bedroom is on the far west side of my house.  I can hear things hitting the house just feet from my bed.  Thankfully, there aren't any large trees right next to my bedroom but the wind is still scary none the less.  There have been many deaths across the midwest that are blamed primarily on these winds.  They are causing blowing snow and drivers cannot see the cars in front of them.  Thankfully, we have no snow to speak of right now.  It all melted in the unheard of 50 degree weather we've had today.  The temperature will plunge this afternoon into the lower 20's.  And overnight the wind chill will be in the single digits.  I am concerned for my cats.  This is their first winter outdoors and despite having a heat lamp and being indoors, I still worry they will get too cold or manage to get stuck outside where there is no protection from the cold and wind.  I will be checking on them throughout the night. 

Unbelievably, I still have Christmas shopping to do.  Mostly just Santa stuff and one more main item.  Target has an awesome section for Santa stuff and I will be going there tomorrow after my football game.  We went to the mall today but had Jasmine with us so I really couldn't get the things I needed to.  While we were there we bumped into my cousin and her fiance which was a welcome surprise.  The only time I've ever spoken to her fiance, we've been around family members and he's usually quiet and reserved.  This time around he was the furthest thing from reserved.  Who knew he was so funny and him and my husband together are absolutely hilarious.  By the time we parted with them, my stomach and face hurt.  Their wedding is this week and I'm not sure if they're looking forward to it or dreading it.  People put such high expectations on what weddings should be and I think it's getting to them a little bit.  A few months ago, I was dreading going to another wedding but after today, I'm actually looking forward to it.  And despite what I may say or how I may act, I do love my cousin, blood or no blood.

Oh happy day

Day one living with a ferret.  Everything has been going better than expected.  Typically a ferret in a strange enviroment will want to stay in the safety of their cage for several days before venturing into the house.  Not Bindi, she wanted out as soon as she got home.  She got a short play session before we had to leave.  When we got back we played with her for quite a while but I had to put her on time-out three different times.  She would get too excited and hiss and bite.  I don't want her to think that is ok in the future so might as well take care of it now rather than later.  She looked very guilty on her time-outs and I know it made a difference, by the end of the night she had stopped being so mean.  She absolutely LOVES Jasmine.  They ran around Bindi's room over and over again.  One minute Jasmine was chasing her, the next Bindi was chasing Jasmine.  (usually jumping at Jasmine's diaper) She was obviously taken well care of at her previous home.  She came with all her papers, tons of toys, two litter boxes, her cage, her leash, harness, collar, food, and litter. (and of course her cage) She is definitely a little ball of energy.  She hates her collar so we'll have to work on that after she gets settled in.  I didn't want to traumatize her on her first night here.  (the collar has a bell on it, allowing me to know where she is)  She keeps trying to get into the closet in that room and I'm going to have to find a solution to keeping her out.  So far so good.  Now we just need to add a few more. ;)

Rabid, not Rabbit

Once again I was angered by a petfinder classified ad.  I don't know why I look everyday.  This one was for an 8 year old Lhaso Apso.  Reason for giving up a dog you've had since it was a puppy?  Your daughter wants one that will play with her for Christmas.  What?  I just don't get who has a dog and "loves" it for 8 years then just tosses it aside in it's senior years because it's no longer a playful dog.  It takes everything in me not to email each and every one of these irresponsible owners.  THESE are the people that need to step into an animal shelter.  They need to see what happens to animals that are considered disposable.  What happens when these people get pregnant again and the baby isn't good enough anymore?  Gasp, you say, an animal isn't the same as a child.  Not exactly but when you make a decision to get pregnant, you're making a choice to be responsible for that child, it's the same when you make a choice to bring a dog into your home.  You should be responsible for the animals you bring into your home until the day they die or you die.  Period, the end, no if's and's or but's.  How about we drag them into a laboratory where their unwanted dogs could end up?  How would you like to see Fluffy being tortured for shampoo?  And all because she's too old to play with your brat.  You know how many animals we've had that would've been easier to just drop at the humane society?  But we didn't, we dealt with their issues or ours.  ARGH.

I awoke to find that Gollum, the mother parakeet had passed away sometime last night.  I had a feeling there was something wrong with her but couldn't put my finger on anything.  She wasn't sneezing or coughing and she was eating and drinking.  She just seemed depressed.  I thought it was just the toll of having to take care of the those babies.  I really thought I'd be devastated when I lost her.  I'd had her for quite a few years.  I found an ad on petfinder for five parakeets for under $30.  I emailed the woman and she said she took them from her brother-in-laws house because he was going to let them go outside.  No domesticated parakeet can survive outdoors but this was in the middle of winter in southern Michigan.  They would've died before the next day.  Gollum was the last of those five to still be alive.  I have no idea how old they were or what they lived in before they came to me.  One of them had a broken toe that was always pointing backwards and was missing a toe.  The others were pretty normal.  I lost three of them in the first two years so they could've been older or just in general poor condition where ever they had been living.  Gollum was quite a character in her younger years.  There wasn't a cage that could contain her.  No matter how I tried to fasten the doors, she always found a way out.  Several times she also found a way into a cats mouth.  If there was ever a bird to have nine lives, it was her.  Most birds, when bitten by a cat, will die within two days.  Gollum was bleeding and bruised but never showed any sign of infection.  And this happened at least three times that I can remember.  The only reason they didn't get to eat her was because Charlie, my cockatiel, would scream when she would escape.  He's never liked any of "his" animals to be out of his sight or out of their cages.  He's still like that to this day and when I take the rabbit or the rats out, he will squawk until they are back in "his" room.  It's even worse when I take his cage mate out. (Violet) He doesn't even like her and they stay on opposite sides of the cage at all times but you would think I was pulling his limbs off with the way he yells when I take her into the living room with me.  For a parakeet, I think Gollum had a good long life.  She was always warm, had a full belly and clean cage.  (and when the four other parakeets passed on, I got her another cage mate... which ended up being the daddy to her babies) I feel bad for the remaining three.  They have been quietly chirping for her all day and were trying to get her up when I found her. 

By looking for another ferret, I have made some interesting new online friends.  They all live in my area but they will probably stay online friends.  I posted a few ads on some web forums that are only for northern IN or southern MI.  I didn't get any responses saying anyone had a ferret but I did get many from people saying how happy they were to see someone else who was willing to take in unwanted animals.  One of them took in a ferret six months ago that was living in horrid conditions.  He was fed dog food (ferrets should NEVER have dog food), kept in a small cage (which he was never allowed out of), had no litter box and maggots were crawling over him and everything that was in his cage.  Since she's had him, he's put on 1 1/2 pounds and is getting healthier every day.  She is keeping an eye out for ferrets that need a home and will email me if she finds any.  Even if they don't come with their own cage, I have a smaller ferret cage for the transition.  You can't just throw two ferrets into a room and expect them to get along.  It's somewhat of a process.  Plus, when you get a ferret from an unknown person, you should always keep them completely apart for two weeks.  There is a disease ferrets can catch that there is no vaccine for and some ferrets are carriers so you want to make sure they don't display any signs before you allow them together.  Technically, I don't have to get her any shots.  However, she will be getting rabies and distemper.  My husband says I'll have to make the appointment on a Thursday and take her to the vet as you have to stay an hour after the shot to make sure the ferret doesn't go into shock.  Some ferrets have a severe reaction to the distemper vaccine and must have a vet on hand to reverse the process or it will die.  We're getting the rabies vaccine just in case she were to ever nibble someone.  Basically, I want to cover my ass.  She will never be exposed to rabies but the state wouldn't hear that if she were to bite someone and they had to report it.  (I had to report the bite when I was bitten by my own cat because I had to get medical attention for it)

My Birthday

This is my birthday present from my husband, I will be getting it tomorrow evening.  (even though my birthday isn't till Thursday)

She is five months old and her name is Indi, although I'm probably going to change it to something similar as my mom's dog's name is Indi.  (thinking of Bindi) We're already searching for a roomate for her.  She comes with a large cage and is being adopted from central Indiana.  Shawn has eight hours of driving total to do tomorrow.  And in case your wondering, I didn't ask for her, it was his idea.  I've spent two hours cleaning my husband's computer room to make sure there is absolutely nothing she can swallow or chew besides the cords to the computer stuff.  He wasn't aware she was going in here till today but we don't use it for anything besides the computer and as I've said before, I've begun to take over this room anyway.

P.S. Turn the sound up if you want to hear her dooking.  Sounds like a raccoon.

Dogs in Danger

There is a really great website that I have been asked to spread around the animal community.  It features dogs that are in danger of being euthanized due to shelter over population.  Please note that this website is apparently having a few issues at the moment but I'm sure it will be working properly soon. 

Dogs In Danger

 

We are Santa's Elves

Everytime I go to create a journal, my daughter wakes up and the last journal I started on here got erased and I wasn't in the mood to recreate it.  A few days ago, I went to feed my small tank of fish.  They all know what the little yellow can means and they rush to the top.  My male betta saw me coming and I knelt in front of the tank for a moment to make sure everyone was accounted for.  The betta looked strange for a moment, head tilted as if a confused dog.  Suddenly he struck out and swallowed a snail egg sac that was just ready to mature.  I literally gasped and said no, bad fish.  Now, I know I have way to many snails but I don't want to see any of them eaten, at least wait till I walk away from the tank.  I fed everyone and apologized to the snails for their babies being the victim of murder/abortion.  After doing some internet research, I've come to find why they have suddenly mutiplied.  It's all due to the fact that I'm feeding them.  I know, sounds strange.  Well, apparently, they are supposed to survive off what the fish don't eat and algae.  I was feeding them one algae waffer a night along with a small piece of lettuce.  I'm still giving them one waffer a night (there's over fifty of them now, there's no way they can all survive off leftovers) and once a week I put a small piece of lettuce in there too.  I'm such a sucker.  What am I going to do when the entire floor and walls of my tank are literally alive?  I guess we'll deal with that when it happens.  Maybe the betta will start to keep the numbers down.  I had been transplanting some of the larger snails to my big tank and couldn't figure out why I only had a few in there at a time.  Turns out my platty was eating them one by one.  I keep telling myself I won't put water in my 20 gallon tank just for some snails but I'm betting against myself right now.  A good thing about snails is they keep your tank REALLY clean and make your ph levels neutral.  My small tank is always perfect ph and everything else. 

Finished most of my Christmas shopping this past weekend.  Jasmine won't be getting near the amount of crap she got last year but she's two so she really won't know the difference.  Although, somehow I ended up buying more crap for my brother and his girlfriend than I think I ever have.  It's easy to buy for her, I just imagine what I would like and buy that. (we're a lot a like) Boys are harder when they're 20 than girls are.  We like clothes, makeup, cute things and gift cards.  Santa still has to pick out some stocking stuffers for Jasmine but then I'll be totally finished with her.  I didn't get my husband anything.  I know, gasp, the horror.  ;) We have an agreement so he'll get his later.  (either a ps3 or an ipod)  I haven't a clue what he got me as I haven't asked for anything or hinted that I wanted anything as I have years prior.  When he asked me what I wanted I said the only thing I want, I'm not getting and not asking for so that's the end of that.  (ferrets)  He said he ordered something.  I could very easily go on his laptop and find out exactly what it is but I have kept my self control thus far.  If he had ordered it on my computer, he would've deleted the website from the cache but he has windows vista and doesn't know how to do it on there yet.  By the way, DON'T BUY VISTA.  It is the biggest pain in the ass to use.  The more commercials that are on more mac's, the more I'm thinking about making it my next computer.  I'm just concerned because I have NEVER used a mac before and if they're so great, why doesn't everyone have one? 

We had the ratties out for a bit tonight.  The room was a little messy so I didn't leave them out too long in fear that they'd find something to shove in their mouth that I hadn't seen.  Ricky is such a little character and now actually begs when he wants me to pick him up.  Tikki (who Jasmine has renamed Sticky) doesn't do much when he's out except run from one hiding spot to the next and he's even figured out that if he stays near the wall, it's harder to catch him.  I made a big fuss over him tonight when he came when called.  He's NEVER done that before.  He's usually a massive pain in the butt to get back in his cage.  The only thing I need to work on them both with is not trying to commit rat sucide just to be the first one into their room.  As soon as I open that door, they both try to jump from my shoulders to the floor.  (they know they get treats after they've been out of their cage and they know the treats are IN the cage) In the summer we plan to get them both harnesses and take them outdoors for a while.  We do it with the rabbit too and he loves the feel of fresh grass on his feet. 

Jake's eye is finally starting to heal!  He went back to the vet on Friday and had a dye test to see if there was any damage to his eye and it came up clean.  The only thing we have to clear up now is the scar tissue that is over his eye and the very noticeable veins that started going through his eye to bring more blood to the ulcerated area.  He's on steroid drops now and doesn't have to be seen again for two more weeks.  Cash goes in this week to have his staples removed.  I would do it myself but I'd be afraid I would hurt him because he's so wiggly.  Everything is healing very quickly for him and the swelling has went down a lot in the last few days.  He almost looks like a neutered dog.  Rocky on the other hand still looks like he's intact.  Those things just aren't going away as fast as I had hoped. 

The dogs were making all kinds of racket in the backroom tonight.  (it's where we keep all but two dogs at night time otherwise our house would be destroyed and they would keep us up)  Eventually my husband got sick of listening to the barking and went to tell them to shut up.  He put the two aussie boys out for a while, as they were making the most noise.  When I went to let them in, I saw why they had been making noise.  Rocky was in his crate, on his back, growling and rocking back and forth (like a turtle who can't get up) while he had a toy in his mouth.  They probably thought the dog has having a seizure the way he was carrying on.  When he saw me at the door, he tipped his head up and gave me a big pit bull smile.  That dog could melt the heart of any anti-pit bull person.  He's always smiling and happy.  He's one of the friendlist dogs I've ever encountered.  My husband's best friend is still trying to get his wife to let him take Rocky but the longer we have him, the less I want to get rid ofhim.  Our (MY) original reason for wanting to find him a new home was because of the damage he "could" do.  Had he been any other breed, I probably wouldn't have said anything about it.  Now that he's almost full grown and still showing no signs of aggression, it's hard to imagine us without him.  (although heDOES chase cats, which is fine as long as he has a toy in his mouth... once he didn't and he came back with that big dumb grin, carrying a cat instead of a toy... cat was fine... minus a large amount of drool) I hope to get some silly pictures of him soon.  It's really hard to get him to sit still for more than a second before he's off on his next quest.  He thinks he's a shiztu.  He will run across the living room and jump onto the couch (that YOU'RE laying on) and just plop down all the way across you.  Cash does the same thing but without the running.  I'm like, you're the two largest dogs in the house and you want to lay ON me???  Cash is 70lbs and Rocky is 54lbs and they're both gaining weight.  Cash is over a year old but will not be considered full grown till he is two.  And Rocky still isn't full grown.  All my dogs are on puppy food till age 2 for the protein that is in it.  They're also all breeds that are prone to bone problems so we want to make them as stronge as possibly while they're in the course of growing.  It's gotta look strange though when we go into Walmart once every single week to buy a 40lb bag of puppy food.  They've gotta be thinking that is one big mothertruckin dog.  ;)~ Yes, we're starting to tone down the cursing, by making up new words.  Mothertruckin, Fudge striped cookies (that's one of my husbands), snap (instead of the other four letter s word) Cheese and Rice (I say Jesus Christ in excess and I get very sharp looks when we're in the women's department of JcPenney and my two year old shouts Jesus Christ mommy you about gave me a heartattack... yes she said it EXACTLY like that).  We're still not sure on the sex of the two small parakeets.  My husband says we never will be sure since I did such a bad job of  it the first time.  (both my parakeets were males.... until one layed an egg) It was an odd colored cere, I can't be held responsible for that.  Hopefully they will have more normal colors.  As of right now they both have cere's that are exactly in the middle of what's considered male and what's considered female.  It's only a matter of time before they decide to change completely. 

CSI Dog Fighting Ring

I was initially concerned about how CSI would portray dog fighting rings on tonights show.  The show isn't over yet but so far I'm pleased with how it's going.  The portion of the show that *shows* a dog fight was obvious to me that the dogs were acting and that no one was actually hurt during the scene.  Although if you did see it, how adorable is the dog that "lost" that fight?  I just wanted to go pick him up and cuddle him.  ;) If you've ever seen a real dog fight, you will see how obvious it is that this is complete acting.  I was really concerned about how much they wanted ratings in comparison to the animals safety.  By the way, a real dog fight, is vicious and awful thing to witness.  I've seen many videos from animal rights/animal cruelty organizations.  I've cried watching each and every one of them.  It makes you want to do really awful things to those that participate in it.  (Micheal Vick... me and my husband both agree that he should be restrained and allow those dogs to kill him)  Kudos to CSI for putting attention on the harsh reality of dog fighting rings.

Argh, matey

I am getting so sick of checking petfinder.com classified ads and seeing people posting that they've only had a dog a few months but decided that they just don't have time for another dog.  The lastest one was a purebreed boxer and they only had one other dog but they suddenly, four months later, realize they don't have time for a second?  Maybe you should think about that BEFORE you let the dog get attached to you and your family.  I have SEVEN dogs and I find a way to give them adequate attention every single day.  It just baffles me how people can say they can't give two dogs enough attention.  They're just happy to lie at your feet while you watch tv.  I want to drag these people into a shelter and show them what all the unwanted animals get to deal with everyday.  Take them to one of the animal control agencies that don't truly care about the animals, they just want their pay check.  I honestly believe that every person should have to go into a shelter at least once in their life.  It makes them think twice about their actions or deciding that they don't want to neuter their dog because it would be unmanly.  My husband had absolutely no problem getting our boys sniped and that doesn't make him any less of a man for having male dogs who can't reproduce.  I'm sorry I'm having a bad animal day when it comes to idiots mistreating them.  By the way, when my husband tells people our dogs are fixed he says, "I got the boys neutered for Christmas, what do you want?"  I think it's funny and every male he's asked has said they want absolutely nothing.  ;)

I had to remove the collar form Cash again.  He broke it in two after I put it on him the last time and the only purpose it was serving was to further cause him injury.  He seems to be over his obession with that area for now.  Rocky has behaved like an angel with his incision.  He was the one we expected to handle it the worst.  He could care less that he no longer has that on his mind.  Cash was getting really bad about roaming and I'm hoping this will take care of that problem.  (we have a lot of neighbors who don't spay their female dogs and Cash goes looking for them when in heat)

I baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies and some rice crispies treats tonight.  I don't like the rice crispies treats but my husband and a male friend of ours have been driving me nuts about how they would love some fresh ones so I finally gave in.  You know it looks really easy to do on the package but melted marshmellows are really hard to mix "evenly" with cereal. 

Here I go blog on my own.. Going down the only road I've ever known

Have any of you ever noticed that most of my blog titles are from songs or movies?  I had no where to go with that, I was just wondering.  hehe

Onto business at hand, I need a personalized Christmas Card.  I have it down to a couple of pictures of Jasmine that would be going on the card (walmart does it in an hour) And then a few things that I may or may not put on the card as well.... I expect some input people so raise your hand and be part of the class.

Card would read something along the lines of "Hope your holiday is filled with mysterious surprises!"  I say mysterious because she seems like she's being shy and mysterious.  I have other ideas for this one as well.  "Hope your Holidays are filled with sweetness and warmth!"   

This one would have one of the headings above or another one, haven't decided yet.

Same concept as the first, just different facial features.

This the final one of them.  "Hoping your holidays are as peaceful as they are here."  But I have to choose between these two pictures, the closer or the further away.

This one I added just because I thought the lighting effect was cool.  She loves looking at these because she knows it didn't look like that when she was playing with them!

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Listen hear fuzz... bucket!

I forgot to mention earlier that on our trip to Walmart, my husband had seen a shadow of a small cat and actually pointed it out to me, knowing what I would end up doing.  I jumped out of the car and started calling for the little cat but to no avail, she ran off over a hill.  I told my husband that I had no idea what I'd do with her if I'd caught her but we both know I do.  She would've come home with us, been secluded from the rest of the animals for two weeks and then joined the other two in the cat house.  I was just shocked he pointed her out knowing I would go after her.

I went to check on Cash a few minutes ago and he was furiously licking at his, well what used to be his doggy balls.  ;) So back on went the elizabethan collar.  So much for trying to be nice.  I can only imagine what the vet will think when she goes to pull out eight staples and there's only a few left.  Who knows where the other's went.  Rocky is leaving his alone. 

After doing the last dog check of the night, I went to get my pills ready, which I do in front of the small fish tank.  All I kept saying over and over again was omigod OH-MY-GAWD!  There are hundreds, HUNDREDS of little egg sacs covering the tank.  They're on the rocks, the walls, the fake decor, even the front of the filter.  What the hell am I going to do with all those snails?  There's at least twenty snails per sac and at least (at the VERY least) fifty sacs, that's a minimum of (checking calculater to make sure my math is correct) 1000 snails.  Ok, now I feel a little sick and there's a few more oh-my-gawds coming.  Calm down, they couldn't all survive... could they?  I'm going to turn into my friend who has twenty fish tanks going at one time because she has so many damn snails.  (she has several salt water tanks, a goldfish tank, a sick tank where any fish goes that gets sickly, a tank just for her snails, a tank for her guppies, and a tank for any fish she finds at walmart or various other stores that she thinks are dying so she buys them and tries to make them survive) I'm going to have to figure something out if they keep doing this all the time.  You know they ONLY breed in the small tank.  The 55 gallon tank only has the snails I put in it.  They're not multiplying like horny teenagers.  The small tank doesn't even have a heater or air supply (just what comes from the filter).  You would think THAT would be the tank that they don't multiply in.  I'm attaching pictures of the tank. 

You see the large clump neer the bottom?  Yes, well it's feeding time and that is about 25 of those little dots you see all around thank, eating an algae waffer.  Can you imagine what feeding time will be like with 1100 snails eating???  Oh and the others aren't eating now because they found the waffer before the other guys.  And on the far left you can get a glimpse of my male betta.  I thought he was dead the other day, it turns out he's just reeeeeaaaaaallllly lazy.  He was stuck to the filter where it sucks up water... he was laying there so he didn't have to swim to get air to flow through his gills.  Smart but still lazy.

A murderer among us

We were getting ready to leave today to go grocery shopping when I had to go back to the bedroom to get something and that's when I saw it.  He was laying on the floor, half his face was missing and one leg.  The carnage was enough to make one sick.  This was not the first murder at the hands of Molly, the flat coat retriever, she had killed many a beloved stuffed animals before.  (scared you huh?) This one was Jasmine's most sacred of all her animals.  It was her Bear, a polar bear I had bought her at Borders to pacify her while I looked at books.  Molly had stolen her off the bed while we slept.  I know I made sure he was by our heads when I went to sleep because I was afraid she might get him some day.  So, we went off to the store and for the moment, I gave Jasmine the bear she had gotten at Turkey Run this past summer.  After we got done doing the shopping, I took my husband home so he could go to bed for the night and me and Jasmine headed out to pick up another bear from Borders.  When we got in there it took forever to find them, there were only about 20 or so left.  Now I have to find a way to dispose of the body of the old Bear without her seeing what happened.  (she would FREAK out) This is not an inexpensive stuffed animal either at $20 a bear. (unless you spend $30 in the store, in which case the bear is half off but you're really not saving anything unless you had already planned on spending that amount on books)

I removed the Elizabethan collars from both dogs tonight.  I spent a large amount of time with both of them in the house so that I could watch them and be sure they weren't going to obsess about their incision overnight while in their crates.  Rocky ignored it completely, glad to just be able to sniff the floor and Cash was happy to be able to bite at his tail and other various places that he had been unable to reach for days.  They have so much pent up energy from being crated for days.  I played with them a little in a way that wasn't too rambunctious or would hurt their incision.  I can't wait till their totally healed and they can be free again.  And besides that, we have had ice storm upon ice storm here and I'm sick of almost breaking my ass on the when I take them out on a leash to potty.   

Two can be as bad as one

I want to get two or three ferrets so bad, it's ridiculous.  For whatever reason, every few years I get it in my head that I want a certain animal and then the feeling doesn't go away till I get it.  The only time I've regretted the animal was with this last senegal parrot I had.  She screamed all day no matter what we tried.  I was still said when she died suddenly but I know I should've waited before I got her in the first place.  I won't be getting any ferrets any time soon.  We have other things to worry about.  While their upkeep is generally cheap, their vet bills are not.  And if you get the flu, guess who also can catch it?  I love my rats but they're not really playful.  They like to play on their own but not with us.  They LOVE to be petted and go to sleep in your lap and that's what's great about them but I want to be able to put them on their backs and shake them around like you can a ferret.  (not a violent shake.. just playing) I check petfinder.com almost every day (I've always done it) and I look at all the ferrets on the classified pages.  I think that's what we'll end up doing because you usually get the cage with them and it's less hassle than going through a rescue.  All the ones you can buy from breeders are ridiculous in price (over $300 typically) and the ones from pet stores usually come from Marshall Farms (a company that I vehemently to do NOT support).  While most ferrets you find for adoption are probably from the same company, I would not be supporting that company, only providing a homeless animal with a home.  In case you're wondering, Marshall Farms is a large company that mass breeds dogs and ferrets for sale in pet stores and labs.  Their practices have been questioned many times by animal support groups and I will NOT support anyone who sells to labs.  No ifs, ands, or buts.  I will also not buy any product that is produced from Marshall Farms.  They make just about everything for ferrets, particularly popular food for them.  Which, by the way, is not the best food you can buy for a ferret and can actually cause problems with cancer and liver enzymes as they age.  Now, even though we aren't buying any at the moment, that doesn't stop me from playing with them in the pet stores.  We found one at Petco that was all alone and looked immensely bored.  She was white with a grey mask and definitely no longer a kit.  She was very playful and kept jumping at my finger.  (their cages are completely enclosed in plexy glass... not a good thing either... lack of air circulation and even a de-scented ferret still makes quite a musky smell)

Cash, the doberman, had to go back to the vet this morning and get staples put in his incision from his neuter.  Rocky may have to have the same thing done.  I was a bit upset that no one even talked to my husband, they just took Cash in the back, numbed him and stapled him.  Although I'm sure it was more of a job than they were expecting, Cash gets very excitable around new people and one of the games we play with him is grabbing his nub (his tail was docked as a puppy) and he spins in circles to avoid us.  I'm sure it made for a comical scene as the techs tried to staple his testicles back together.  *grin* They also put him in an elizabethan collar.  I cannot say enough how much I hate those things.  He looks miserable.  My husband had to go out and buy a massive crate because his fat head wouldn't fit comfortably in his other one with the collar on.  I was shocked by the size of it when I walked into the back room.  It's 48 inches tall!  When we got home tonight from shopping, Rocky had blood in his crate.  We're not sure if it was from the incision or his gums as he had been trying to chew the collar off for some time.  Cash will have to return to have his staples out but as long as Rocky heals well, he will not have to return to the vet for hopefully another year.  (wait no, he has to go in for xrays on his shoulder, he limps) All I can think is there is no way I can go through this with my other two boys when their appointment comes up.  Cash and Rocky are so swollen and bruised.  My two aussies are so fragile and emotional that they'll act even more depressed than these two have.  Now boys and girls, this is why you should have your dogs neutered as soon as your vet allows.  Their testicles were fully matured so there was a lot more bruising and swelling to the area.  A younger dog would've had smaller testicles and far less pain.  I just want to make sure our female (born August 30) gets spayed before she goes into heat.  I don't need to worry more about her surgery than I'm already going to.  (female dogs spay surgery IS major surgery, even though it's done frequently and is what's best for a non breeding dog... a dog who goes into heat, even once, has a higher risk for complications from the surgery than one who hasn't... a dog who has had a litter of puppies has an even greater chance)

Kiss the little Green men

So, who wants to give me $1500 to go see a Bears/Packers game?  It's over $500 per seat but it's 7 rows up.  Do you have any idea how close that is?  I could smell Brett's sweat from there.  And it would make my hubby happy to see his stupid Bears play (and hopefully LOSE).  It's $80 bucks just to park.  JUST TO PARK.  I was like holy shit, we're going to have to save every penny we have just to be able to go NEXT year.  I decided tonight though that if Brett stays on at least one more year, I'm going to a game AT lambeau field.  I'm going to kiss the walls before I walk inside.  And I'm going to cry like a little girl.  ;)

I bleed green and gold

Who would've thought that the other man in my life would be 38 and a virtual shoe in for the pro-bowl?  Last year on the discovery channel Brett Farve was named 89th most influential person in America our of 100.  There is so much that can be said about him and I could not be happier to support a team that has such a wonderful quarterback inside and out.  All I can hope for is that he plays just one more year so I have another chance to see him in person.  I honestly think I would cry throughout most of the game.  I know to a lot of people, football is just a stupid game but I love it.  I love my team and I love the game.  I love watching a tight Sunday game, my heart pounding, nerves on end, hoping for a win.  The rest of our regular season games will be played at noon.  Shitty for me as that is quite early for me to get up but you better bet your ass that these final games I will be in my pj's every Sunday watching my team continue on to the playoffs.  We only need one more win to cinch the division.  Who would've thought?  These past few years all you ever hear about is "Is Brett Farve too old to play?" "Will Farve retire this year?" etc., etc.  I've known all along that he's not too old and this year he's proving it.  I'm so sick of hearing sportscasters talk about how they knew Brett still had it in him, when last year they were the same ones saying it was time to hang it up.  Last year was a rough year for us, I'll admit that but it wasn't all Brett's fault.  We had a lot of new starters last year and it takes a while for a team to get it together.  If we were to get to the super bowl this year, win or lose, I would be in a puddle of tears.  I am always so happy to see Brett do well.  It's really something to see a 38 year old man act like he's back in high school playing for the state championship.  I will be a packers fan till the day I die, no doubt about it.

I say we neuter him right now... Give him the bob barker treatment

First of all, I'm one of the biggest Angelina Jolie supporters out there but for christ sake will somebody please feed her?  I mean come on, it's getting a bit ridiculous.  She can't weigh more than 120 and that's being generous.  And Ange, starving kids in Africa want to see you wear colors.  The world is sad enough, you don't need to wear black all the time, you're not Johnny Cash.  She's wasting away and Brad needs to do something before she ends up in the hospital.

Yes, I'm in a pissy mood today.  There are days when I'm just sick of being me, sick of my life.  Other days I'm like oh this is wonderful but not today.  I'm sick of being the one to make all the decisions and taking care of every single teeny tiny little detail.  And would it kill my husband to throw his shit away?  My dogs came home from the vet today (Cash and Rocky, doberman and pit bull) from getting neutered.  Rocky has to be on antibiotics for two weeks because overnight (so they say) he was messing with his incision and irritated it.  Cash has to go back tomorrow because some how he managed to rip open one of his testicles.  Of course, waking up my husband in the middle of the night because god knows what is dripping from my dog was not a good idea.  Apparently when shit happens at night, I should just deal with it on my own until it's morning and more convient.  There is no way he could've done this on his own, he's in a small crate so that he can't get to his incision site.  But we all know they will blame it on him or us and it won't be their fault.  We went through this a few years ago with one of my mom's females dogs.  To refresh, on a Saturday she came in from going potty and her intestines were hanging out of her incision.  No, I'm not kidding.  She was fine after an expensive trip to the ER but her regular vet said she caused the tear.  (I will swear to my dying day that the dog never touched her stitches and it was entirely the vet's fault) I'm sure after tomorrow Cash will also be on a round of antibiotics and probably get an elizabethin collar just like Rocky has.  I hate those things.  We have to walk both of them on a short leash so they can go potty and Rocky keeps cutting up the backs of my legs with that damn thing.  And for any men reading this, no I'm not pmsing so don't blame my bad mood on that.  Besides, I hate that and have schooled my brother in the reasons to NEVER say that to a woman when she's bitching you out. 

We're a couple of misfits

I'm very happy to say that my daughter enjoys watching Rudolph the Red nosed reindeer.  This is a movie that I've watched every year around Christmas time.  Now I have it on dvd and can watch it all year long if I want.  Too bad hollywood can't seem to see that it doesn't take bells and whistles to make a blockbuster.  And who doesn't love Burl Ives voice? 

I'm already sick of winter and it's only the first week of December.  I hate walking out to the cats through ice and snow.  Hell, I hate walking to the car in ice and snow.  Some days, it can be in the 20's and I will walk out to the cat house in shorts and be fine, other days it's in the 40's and I'm freezing.  I just prefer to be warm and comfortable at all times.  I love Florida.  It's always warm and the storms roll in fast and with a furry.  I will never live there because my family is here but I hope to be able to visit quite a few more times.  I love the smell of the ocean.  I feel lucky to live so close to Lake Michigan.  If I try really hard, I can pretend it's the ocean.  They call it the sunset coast for obvious reasons.  The best way to end a long summer day is to sit on the end of the pier and watch the sun go down. 

Indigo

A very dear J-land friend of mine just lost the only mother she's ever known.  My heart is breaking for her.  I know she would appreciate your thoughts and a word or two.  http://journals.aol.com/rdautumnsage/ravens-lament/  She is one of the most beautiful people I have ever met and all I can hope for is that she and Doc find healing in one another and the rest of his family. 

The usual suspects

I HATE antibiotics combined with being female.  We have a sheet of ice on the roads right now so I can't even get to walmart without the risk of death.  Some days it just sucks being a girl.

Got the cats their heat lamp today.  The light is 500 watts so you'd think it would put out a lot of heat?  Not really.  I guess that's good and reduces the risk of fire but it's cold out.  It's about two feet above one of the straw bales and the bale doesn't even feel a little warm.  I'm not sure if the cats have figured it out or not.  At least the water heater is still working.  It's quite a few years old so I wasn't sure if it would still work but the water is luke warm.  Of course that means it will evaporate at the speed of light but at least it won't be frozen.  Looks like Jake may end up being a permanent indoor resident.  I'm not completely pleased about that.  He whines frequently and is irritable with the other cats.  He decides to pee on clothes or any other cloth material that may touch the floor.  It's why he ended up in the cat house in the first place.  Shawn took him back to the vet today though and she's not happy with what she sees.  I was pissed too because I followed her instructions to the letter and thought it looked really good to the naked eye.  Apparently, the outer layer of the ulcer is developing some scar tissue that may not (probably not) go away.  Without drops daily, this would be very painful and he could still end up needing surgery at a later date and time.  If the scar tissue doesn't start to get better, he will need to be indoors permanently as his eye needs to be carefully looked at daily to prevent any problems.  And if the scar tissue stays, it increases his risk of getting repeated ulcers in the same spot over his lifetime.  If I was rich and they told me that he would always get more of those awful things, I would tell them to take the eye.  Upon first hearing that, you may think I'm awful but this is a really painful thing to have happen to him over and over again.  I am actually looking out for his welfare, not worrying about taking care of him medically.  My husband has been calling him the jake-inator (terminator) because his eye has a constant red ring around it.  My infection is very slowly getting better.  I had to drain it the other night, very gross.  It still hurts a little but it could have been a whole lot worse if I hadn't went to the doctor when I did.  Cat bites and human bites are nothing to play with. 

None for me, thanks

I guess those of us who don't believe in god were raised "wrong" and are morally impotent.  And people wonder why I choose not to believe in a god or religion for that matter.  Forgive me but catholics are the most hypocritical bunch of people I've ever met.  Preach, preach, preach but don't bother to follow the moral high ground.  Teach your children to stone the nonbelievers because it's the right thing to do.  God would want that.

The following was taken from wsbt.com our local television station

(WSBT) Some parents are being warned not to let their children see "The Golden Compass."

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The controversial movie is set to hit the big screen next week.

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights is leading the fight against the movie, urging people to boycott.

Now, some local Catholic schools and churches are making sure parents are aware.

“The Golden Compass” is based on a popular children's book written by outspoken atheist Philip Pullman.

“I mean, my kids are excited. They want to go see it. It's exciting,” said parent Christine Zupsich.

But critics say the movie is a watered down version of the book, which is part of a trilogy centered on a fight against organized religion.

It includes a plot to kill a character known as "God."

While the movie doesn't go that far, parents at St. Bavo's School in Mishawaka received a note fromthe school’s principal, urging them to boycott.

“We don't need that because the church does so much for our children, no matter if it’s Catholic or not, and so to disintegrate or say God does not exist, I think is totally wrong,” said Principal Linda Hixon.

She's not alone.

The weekly bulletins at both St. Anthony's and St. Jude Catholic Church in South Bend contained warnings about “The Golden Compass.” They ask parents to take special consideration if thinking about going to see the film.

But Zupsich says, although they are Catholic, she'll probably still let her children see the movie.

“I'm not worried at all because I know I've raised my kids the right way. They believe in their faith and it's very strong,” Zupsich said.

The Catholic League is concerned the movie will lead children to the book.

The actors in this film have rejected the idea that the movie's message is anti-church.

The movie hits theaters December 7.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

 

With all that's been going on, I forgot to post that we'd gotten our Christmas tree this weekend.  We usually go the day after Thanksgiving but we were going with the couple in the previous post and they always do the black Friday thing so we waited till Saturday.  Rich told me it wasn't that cold when he walked in our house so I just grabbed my coat.  Had I known that I'd be freezing my ass off for an hour, I would've grabbed a sweatshirt.  We took the horse ride out to the trees and look for what seemed like forever.  Everything takes so much longer when you have a toddler with you, especially when it's the first time she's ever really gotten to play in snow.  Last year we ended up with a douglas fir but I ended up hating that tree because it fell over so many times and the needles were fairly sharp.  This time we were looking at frasier firs, which were the most expensive but also tend to hold their needles longest and aren't sharp in the least bit.  We looked at every frasier fir they had and none of them were the "right" tree so we went back up to the barn to get some hot chocolate and warm up a bit.  I was going to look at some of the other types of trees and consider them but on our way back, I noticed they had many pre-cut frasier's by the lake.  After getting a nice warm cup of chocolate, we made our way to the lake.  By then I was frustrated and cold and just wanted to go home so I was determined that one of these trees would be ours.  There was a family choosing between two trees.  They took the one I wanted.  I was disappointed and thought for sure none of the other trees would match up to that one.  Walking dangerously close to the very cold lake, I found the perfect tree, even better than the other one.  I told Shawn to grab it and I headed back to the car with Jasmine.  By then, Liz and Rich had already gotten their tree (also a pre-cut), a blue spruce and were tying it to the top of their car.  By the time we got home, Jasmine was passed out so I started putting some of the lights on it without her.  Before I knew it, they were all on and it was so much easier than last years tree.  I became so frustrated with last years tree that I took all the lights off and had my mom come over and help me put them all back on.  If we can afford it, next year we'll definitely go with the frasier!

 

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Infection

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So urgent... urgent urgent wait and see

First, as of right now, Jake does not need surgery.  He goes back to the vet on Saturday morning.  He has a severe ulcer on his cornea.  The vet said it was extremely painful so they gave him a shot to calm him down and some medicines that we have to give to him six times a day.  Hopefully, by the weekend, he will be feeling better.

I spent two hours in urgent care tonight.  The bites I have from Jake, have become  infected... all six of them.  Thank you Jake.  I have to be on horse pill sized antibiotics.  I woke up with my arm feeling really sore.  I even woke up from it several times during the night which really told me something was wrong because a tornado can't wake me up.  After I was up for a while, it kept getting worse and it was red and hot so I did a search for cat bites, found a lot of stuff the scared the hell out of me and went to the doctor.  It hurts all the time but is worse when I move my wrist or when my arm is touched.  (Jasmine smacked my arm at the doctor and I swear my pain went from a 4 to an 8 immediately)  After I was home for a few hours, the phone rang.  By then it was 11pm so I thought it was really odd.  Then I realized the caller id said it was from memorial health so I thought it was the doctor's office calling for whatever reason.  (I figured it had to do with the dangerous animal form I had to fill out for my OWN cat) It was my friend Liz.  Her little boy who is one was admitted into the hospital tonight for pnuemonia.  It's the second time he's been in the hospital.  The first time he came pretty close to dying.  They hope he'll be out in the morning.  He was dehydrated and feeling pretty lousy. 

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The cat formerly known as Jake

He is now known as the asshole cat. 

 

This is Jake, aka Jake 'n Bake, aka asshole cat.  (notice the difference in his eyes, the one closest to the camera is the one injured)  This sweet looking cat did THIS with his TEETH.

The worst two are all the way down to my muscle.  At first none of them bled, I had to force them.  And yes, I've washed it SEVERAL times and will do it several more before I go to sleep.  Now you see why he is the asshole cat.  I'm a little concerned as this is a cat who has NEVER bitten me.  I'm hoping it's just an effect of the pain.  But I'm not taking any chances.  I found a small litter pan and took some litter from another box and stuck him in the bathroom away from all other living things. 

Look how pleased he is with himself.  Ready to strike again.  (ok admittedly, he had just finished eating and was licking his mouth) Ok, so I'm really not that upset with him, I just didn't want him hurting anyone else.  He was growling at my daughter and I got his attention so he wouldn't attack her.  That's when I found the litter box.  I'm actually quite worried that he is in such a severe amount of pain that he has resorted to causing me physical pain.  My husband is going to try and come home early to take him to the vet's office.  Which is actually shocking because my husband quite frankly hates this cat.  (the feelings mutual and if my husband goes near Jake, he hisses and runs away) They've never had a good relationship and it got worse when Jake decided that the towels were a good place to go potty.  Jake is part of the outdoor trio that live in the enclosed area.  A problem with having Jake locked in the bathroom... he knows how to open doors.  He used to do it all the time at my moms house and it used to aggravate me to no end when he would escape from my bedroom and free the rest of the cats in the process. 

No good Deed

Why is it when you have a good day, it all goes wrong?  Why does no good deed go unpunished?  Just a half hour ago I was smiling, and singing Christmas carols, now I'm crying and wondering what the hell I'm going to do.  I literally have 20 dollars to my name.  We just put insurance on the car we bought from my mom and that took the money for the week.  I go out to give the cats fresh water tonight and noticed that Jake is squinting.  He wouldn't let me look at him outside so I brought him in to get a better look.  His eyeball has blood in it and his third eyelid is covering most of his eye.  I have no problem having a one eyed cat, I have a problem with how much it will cost to make him a one eyed cat.  I know from past experience that this is what will need to be done, the sooner the better.  He's also got a cold, which will spread to the rest of my cats within a matter of 24 hours but I don't have an extra cat box right now to separate him from the indoor cats, nor do I have extra cat litter.  I don't even know what to do right now.  Why can't these animals stay healthy for a while?