Feelin' the Cat Love

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I'm taking care of a neighbor's cats this week. The cats come in between 10 and 11 PM so I walked to their house about 10:15. I was met outside my door by Snowball, a different neighbor's cat. Then I tended to the two cats I'm caring for. Then Spike, another neighbor's cat, showed up outside the door for some love (read: food) and finally, Grisabella showed up. I'd never met Grisabella, but the neighbor whose cats I'm feeding had told me there's a stray gray cat that shows up from time to time that they feed. Sure enough, a gray cat with some wear on her bounded up the stairs and meowed for some food. 

All the cats demanded I give them some attention and so I've spent the last 30 minutes getting my fill of kitty love and am now drenched in cat hair. 

To think, all these years I've been missing the free cat love that apparently takes place on our block AFTER my usual 10 PM bedtime. 

Petting three neighboring cats plus a stray plus my two girls: This has been a really good night. 

We Almost Speak the Same Language...

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Lucy has been hiding in our small walk-in closet for over a month now.The last time she hung out in the closet was right before we discovered that all her teeth needed to be pulled and she'd probably been hanging out there because she was in pain. She appears in good health, but I decided to make her an appointment to be checked out at the vet's. Since I'm working this week and Blair is on summer hours, he gets the task of taking her there.

I approached him this morning while he was brushing his teeth.

"Do you know what to tell the vet?"

"Ugh-swaugh-mai-urg."

"What?"

He spit. "I'm going to say she's been hanging out in the closet."

"And..."

He looked at me. "And... that's it?"

I sighed. "That is not it. Tell them that she doesn't seem to be bothered by light, her appetite is still good, and she purrs and appears happy when I sit in the closet and pet her. Also, she's been extra skittish lately. She runs around the house with her tail drooped and her back arched and freaks out and runs away if we even look at her. Oh, and she's been a little more aggressive lately toward Olivia." 

"Got it."

"So tell me what you're going to tell them."

"My cat's been hiding in the closet and my wife is a basket-case," said Blair. 

Close enough, I guess. 

A Day of Errands

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Today is just a matter of working my way down the checklist. I left the house a little before nine in order to... 

  • Go by the Post Office and mail a package
  • Drop by the Madison vet and pick up Lucy's prescription. (Hold quick inner debate with self over whether to kidnap adorable silky puppy in the front display cage who gave me kisses.)
  • Drive to my regular BP station to fill up then remember I'm mad at them and decide to fill up somewhere else later in the day
  • Get allergy shot
  • Drive to Greensboro vet and pick up prescription for Olivia. (These cats are going to bankrupt us.)
  • Drive to bank and sign signature card for some account--I don't really pay attention--that Blair opened last week
  • Pop into Aveda for the hair-straightening shampoo I ran out of last week
  • Debate going by Apple store to check out cases for my new iPad (blog post coming soon!) but remember scanning e-mail from in-the-know-Apple-friend earlier today who recommended I get a certain case that has to be pre-ordered. Don't feel like dealing with techie people anyway, so just as happy to skip this errand.
  • Swing by Barnes & Noble and pick up a journal as a gift for a budding pre-teen writer of my acquaintance
  • Settle into coffeeshop and realize I forgot to get gas AND pick up a card for my cousin's baby shower. Vow to remember to run by Hallmark this afternoon. Decide to also buy cute pen and chocolate kisses and make a complete gift package for young writer friend. 

Still left in the day are lunch with a friend, annual ob-gyn appointment (or have I shared too much?), and trail run with marimba master Nathan Daughtrey at 5:30.

The forecast today was for clear skies but there have been a few clouds. Every time Nathan and I plan to run, there's either heavy rain or the chance of rain. Today on our run we will have to decide whether to use our newfound powers for good or evil. 

After the run, home to shower, heat up leftovers, and go through finances to more than likely discover that my day of errands means we can no longer afford groceries next week.

A pretty damn good day. 

Cheers,

Dena