I never really thought I'd ever have a cat being that I love dogs and we always had a dog in the family growing up. However, way back in college I started watching a comedy show that had various charcters in their troupe. There was a character named "Hecubus" which I thought would be a cool name for a black cat. Seemed really fitting.
As I got older, I became fond of cats and funny enough, my college roommate who loved cats, found a yellow tabby and we named her after another character from the same comedy show. I saw how cool cats could be and how easy they can be to take care of when you have such a busy schedule but still want a pet. So...many moons after I left college my childhood best friend, whom I was living with at the time and knew of my 'perfect name for a black cat' came home one day with a tiny little black creature in a small black bag with that gold decorative fringe stuff all around it. It was perfect. I was hooked.
So here I am 18 years later with the same black cat. Yes, I said 18 years. He's done that well. It has not been without it's challenges though. Six months after I got my Hecubus, a stray was brought into the house by my then live-in boyfriend and we appropriately named him after another character from the same show that Hecubus had been christened with. I quickly became an owner of two cats. Hecubus, a black shorthair and Gavin a gray tabby. And both of their names fit quite too well with the characters they were named after. The boyfriend was kicked out six months later and I kept the cat which was totally the better end of the stick. Sadly, Gavin went on to leave this earth about four years ago. And that was hard.
And now, as my 'first born' is getting older his health issues are becoming more frequent. As to be expected. But what kills me the most is how much it stresses him out when I have to put him in his carrier just to transport him to the clinic. Not to mention the stress it puts on him for the exam itself. It's been many years now that we have had to start putting him under sedation just to examine him or get blood work. Which I am fine with no matter the cost. It's way more therapeutic for all parties involved. However, it's the time period that leads up to the initial vet visit that I have more problems as I too, get older and realize how traumatizing the whole ordeal is for my aging kitty.
I've had to take him in this evening, to which I had scheduled earlier in the day but I spent the majority of the day worrying about the whole trip itself, thinking of how horrible this experience will be for my elderly cat and how I can't take that stress away for him. It just breaks my heart. My stomach has been in knots for the majority of the day. And hearing and seeing him grumble and hiss when we get to the clinic just breaks my heart even more. There have been times when the attending veterinarian felt like they could 'handle a fiesty cat' without the sedation and all I heard coming from the back of the clinic was blood curdling screams from what sounded like a cat being tortured. Those times just made me want to puke not to mention extremely angry since I have always voiced my concerns and have said repeatedly that he needs sedation plus it's on his damn chart. Ugh.. why some professionals don't listen is beyond me...
However, I was listened to this evening when I had to take Hecubus into the clinic tonight. And I felt very comfortable with the veterinarian that was on duty tonight. My dear furry loved one is decompressing on the futon, resting quietly and at times, comes to me for comfort after a traumatizing evening. He is fine for the most part but we need a follow up visit which means more trauma, sedation and a sonogram in the next week. Looks like we have some gall bladder issues which could mean surgery which means more trauma and stress for my cuddle bug. Breaks my heart. I love being a cat owner. I still want to have a dog or two in my future. But when it comes to vet visits, it just kills me. I don't really care about the financial part of it. I always find a way to pay for it all. It's just the stress and trauma that leaves a pit in my stomach because I can't take that away for my pet. They just don't understand like a person does. I don't know how other pet owners do it. Maybe I need some group therapy. Haha....Until next time....praying for some stress free kitty health visits. I'm gonna need it. Meow. elizinashe
No, I'm not pregnant. However the 2nd oldest daughter of the Duggar family is. After being married for only two months. Jesus.
I often write about this family as they kind of fascinate me and no, I don't watch the show. I just catch bits and pieces of news online when I see it. Again, I will say I totally respect their beliefs and wanting to have a big family, but seriously, it can't be healthy to live in a sheltered world and keep having babies because you love them so and you believe that they are a 'gift from God'. Yes, children are a gift. But it's one you give to yourself. God doesn't get you pregnant.
So, Jill Duggar Dillard is newly pregnant after being married for only two months. Um...didn't anybody tell her about birth control or the 'rhythm method'? Seriously. They never kissed until their wedding day. Huh? Apparently they were 'introduced' via Skype by his/her parents or something like that. Her husband is a missionary which I do find admirable I will say. So the young couple would Skype and talk almost nightly with her parents closely monitoring mind you and the inevitable happened. They 'fell in love'. Hmm....I can see how that might happen. However, rushing into a marriage so quickly when you haven't really dated in real time, it seems so stupid and naive. According to past stories, the couple weren't even allowed to hold hands or touch each other when they were together in person. Until their wedding day. Do what?
I just find the whole ordeal disturbing. Why not 'get to know each other' before you jump into parenthood. But then again, she's had a lot of practice with all those siblings. Being that she is so young and so newly pregnant, I hope she is able to carry this child to term. Those first three months are crucial. Most people don't even announce they're pregnant until they get past those first two months or so. Geeze....And like her mother, she says that she wants "as many babies as God will give us". Man....it's just never going to end is it? Are any of the Duggar kids the 'rebel'? Sure would be interesting to find out, eh? And if memory serves correct, one of the other Duggar girls has gotten married recently as well. Who wants to bet she turns up preggers too? Just a thought....elizinashe
I've been feeling kinda 'blah' today. No real reason, just 'blah'. Physically I feel fine, other than my allergies giving me a quick tweak and it's too early for anything to be 'hormonal'. Sigh...maybe it's the night shift stuff catching up with me. There was one night that I was feeling really grumpy. And the shift itself wasn't too terribly stressing so I guess I'm just going through a slump of some sort.
I'm still on the search for a good kitchen table without spending a crapload of money. Honestly, I do not know what a good price for furniture really is these days as all my furniture are 'hand me downs', stuff that I have found at used furniture places, Goodwill or some basic retail store like Pier 1 or Target. I have never paid over $100 for any furniture I've ever owned. So forking out $400-600 for a basic kitchen table that's not considered a 'formal' table is a bit ridiculous to me. And the stuff I have found that is cheaper looks cheaper. I don't need anything fancy but I don't want a piece of pressed wood crap that looks all shitty. I want a table now, thank you please. I have friends coming in October and I would like to have them over for dinner. Sheesh...
I met one of my neighbors today while she was out walking her dog. Seems like a cool chic. Naturally, I have forgotten her name but she was pretty cool to chat with. I'm sure we will run into each other again soon. Apparently her husband is a pharmacist and he's trying to get hired at the hospital where I work. And she tells me there is a lady that lives in the neighborhood that works in HR at the hospital where I work. Small world, eh? Got to meet these people.
I love having cable again. Maybe that's one of the reasons I stay home so much now when I'm not working. It certainly helps to have more options channel wise compared to the 6 channels at my previous place that I got with my digital rabbit ears. And it's been most helpful entertainment wise when I can't sleep, due to working nights, as it gives me something to watch other than Jimmy Kimmel. I haven't totally fried my brain cells watching the tube. However, winter will be here which means this chic won't be driving in it unless I have to! Ugh. I pray that we have a mild winter. Not ready for all that white stuff. Until next time....elizinashe
It's back to reality this week. My 'Girl's Weekend' slash 'stay cation' is coming to a close. It's been a great time away and I have enjoyed every single moment of it all. I just love being in my new home and I can't wait to finish up a few things so I too, can host a 'Girl's Weekend'. Just need to hold off on the spending for a bit....which is hard to do when you have a new place that you want to decorate, which is something I haven't done in 10 years or so. Patience, patience....
The said 'Girl's Weekend' was a lovely hit. Music, good food, lots of wine, silly pictures, good conversation and more wine. There's something to be said about having your girls around and just having time to reconnect and not worry about much. Each of my girls possess qualities that I hope to develop as my own as they each are awesome people and have skills and knowledge that I wish I already had. I guess they would say the same about me.
I've really enjoyed my time to just be quiet and road test new recipes that I've had bookmarked for ages since my prior kitchen totally sucked. And I do mean suck. Now that I have space to slice and dice with a dishwasher to clean up my mess has been a real treat. I road tested some zucchini 'bites' on some of my mother's friends when they stopped by for a brief visit slash 'viewing' of my new place. I think I now know how to make it a bit better for the next set of guinea pigs. Along with some other tasty treats I want to try. Maybe I should change my name to Julia.
I have a friend here who keeps bugging me about wanting to come over to check out my new place and give me a housewarming gift that she has for me. Don't get me wrong, I do like her and yes, she's a good friend but she's also a bit overbearing and has lots of drama in her life. She's the type of person that just wears you out after a couple of hours when you're together. I'm really torn as to having her over vs. not having her over and bringing all that negative baggage that she carries into my new place. Hell, she never came over to my old place. Regardless, I feel like I'm being a real bitch for not having her over sooner, but we have both been busy plus I've really liked the peace and quiet I've had thus far. I'm not sure I want to have her over so quickly and listen to her talk all night and try and turn my pad into a 'party place'. I can guarantee that I won't be throwing any huge parties as I am way past that need to 'throw down.' I wish I didn't feel so bitchy and selfish about the whole thing, but I do. May God forgive me and give me strength in this dilemma.
Okay, time to fire up that dishwasher and plot out my next menu for my next visitor not to mention little meals to take to work now that my playtime is coming to a close. (sigh...). However, the bills will always come and I love my job so I guess I need to get back at it and earn my keep. Until next time.....elizinashe.
I'm in, I'm in, I'm in! Finally...and what a mess it was. At least the packing part of it and let's not forget my elderly cat totally freaking out for a couple of days. Poor thing. However, I love coming home now and my kitty has settled in his new surroundings and has much more space to claim as his territory. One being the bathroom closet. Funny, eh?
I have a few boxes still to unpack, mostly 'knick-knacks' that I have no idea where I want to put them. Mostly because I'm trying to keep it really simple. No need to fill up every blank space. And as much as I love music, I still haven't set up my stereo but that's not quite a priority. I want to find a nice cabinet to put it in like I had before but slightly updated. I am so tired older than dirt furniture. It will be a slow process. My next purchase will be a simple kitchen table. Must get one soon.
I broke down and got cable television too. Man...what a treat after nearly 10 years. My favorite channel is Palladia. Totally cool. If you haven't seen it and you dig music then you most certainly need to check it out. And I will leave it at that. And in the wee hours of the night when I can't sleep I channel surf. I have seen two of the Bourne Identity series, watched some other oldies like E.T., My Girl, Sixteen Candles, Footloose-the good one with Kevin Bacon- Philadelphia and several music festivals on the said Palladia. And the futon that a friend gave me is the perfect place to be that couch potato while I surf away in cableland.
I have cooked a lot more and have mini-meals ready in my freezer. I have exploded a bag of lima beans in the microwave, done laundry in my new washer and dryer, dressed up the guest bathroom and locked myself out of my own home. (oh I most certainly did.) My friend who helped me move boxes was my first guest to sit on my porch, my mother was my first overnight guest, my friend in Maryland and his girlfriend sent me my first housewarming gift and a co-worker came by to say hello and gave me a bottle of homemade vanilla extract. Yep, I'm pretty dang happy about all of that.
Other than a kitchen table, my other obsession has been ceiling fan pulls. I want something funky and decorative. I want to frame a couple of pics for the said guest bathroom and begin hanging other pictures around the house. I want to tackle all those recipes that I have been saving so I can road test them and have friends over for the guinea pig factor. I want to keep my wine rack that I resurrected from hiding full of really great wine. And at some point, I will find another bed so I can set up the guest bedroom so I can host a 'girls weekend'. I've waited long enough. But all good things come to those who wait. Next priority is catching me some Dave Matthews with my girlies. Woo hoo! My summer has certainly been a busy one, but it sure as hell has been a good one so far. Thanking my lucky stars! Lookout Dave! Here I come! elizinashe
I love my little blog. I would have never thought to start one until I read my college roommate's blog page. Then it got me to thinking. I have never been really good at writing papers for school, nor am I good at being grammatically correct especially when it comes to 'ending your sentence with a preposition'. I'm pretty good at doing that and I don't care. I have kept a paper journal for years but once I started this little project, the paper stuff went on the back burner. I do miss writing on paper but I get too much in a hurry so it seems more efficient and easier to do it on the wild world of the internet. However, I do still paste important momentos in my journal in hopes that it will inspire another or someone will find it important and learn about my goofy life.
Although my original purpose for having this blog was to write more creatively it has certainly turned out to be a new type of journal, which is fine by me. It has provided me a peace of mind when I needed to gripe and moan, celebrate an occasion or just to have something to do when I am alone and bored. There have been some creative moments, and others are just a plain 'poor pitiful me' infused mess. But, that is the purpose of a blog-slash-journal, right?
I don't have many active readers. If I do then I don't really know about it. I do have a good friend who I met through doing this blog who reads me frequently and on occasion I get other readers who leave their comments. I did get a response from a local entertainment paper in my first year of nursing school who wanted me to participate in a blog forum of some sort. Wow. That blew my mind. Unfortunately, I just did not have the time required plus I don't think anything really became of that project as a whole so I guess I'm better off. I love having my little blog, despite who reads or does not read my little endeavor. It's mine and mine alone and I can do whatever I want with it.
I do go back and re-read older posts from time to time. It sure does bring back a lot of memories for that given moment. And I have certainly come a long way in my life since I started it many moons ago. I'm anxious to see how I progress in the next few years sharing my trials and tribulations as I walk through this thing called life. I'm still learning about myself to which I think my blog is appropriately titled. I couldn't think of anything better. Until next time.....elizinashe
I'm slowly and distractedly packing up my shack and getting stuff in boxes to move into my new digs. I'm getting pretty overwhelmed with all this packing. I wish I had a magic wand to make it all go away and moved in it's proper place, all nice and clean and in the orderly way I wish it to be.
I'm trying to tackle on area at a time but it's beginning to be so much. How did I ever acquire so much shit? And why am I keeping so many stupid things that I really don't need? The bigger challenge is my limited space that I currently have, so when I have five boxes already packed and ready, I don't have any more room to pack much more. So it's all going in stages. How in the hell did I get into this tiny little home in the first place? Sheesh!
I'm debating on a moving company vs. bribing some co-workers into helping me move the big stuff. A moving company will be expensive but quick, not to mention if they break something then that's on them. The friend job poses a challenge as we all work different schedules and they have significant others and/or children. But the bonus for the friend job might be cheaper. The reward at the end of the day will be beer and tacos or wings if they prefer paid by me as their 'reward'. However, that plan could be pricey as well. Plus, if my friends break something then I'd be a little miffed. Ugh. It's a good thing I don't move very often. I just want this move to go as smoothly as possible for the best possible budget. Sending out the calling vibes to my spirit guides to get me through this project. Wish me luck! elizinashe
