Monday, September 28, 2009
This 'n' That
We have had rain off and on for the past two days. It is supposed to get warmer today and then they tell us we are in for it. I didn't stick around to find out what we are in for but I can surmise they mean colder weather. Something I abhor. Because it rained the past two days, we were not able to go to the Celtic Classic. Last year the little creek that runs through the grounds where the games are held overflowed and they had to be canceled. They lost a lot of revenue and this year they cut back on a lot of programs because of that. Maybe I'll get there next year.
My NY Giants are 3-0. People expect me to be an Eagles fan. Sorry. I wouldn't touch that team with a ten foot pole these days. I am not a fan of their coach, Andy Reid, their quarterback, Donovan McNabb, and I certainly am not a fan of that dog-killer Vick. He doesn't deserve the use of his full name. Neither do the others I listed.
I really do not understand some people on this Vick issue. They say he paid for his crime(s). But all they talk about is the money laundering, not the animal abuse. They seem to forget the real issue. So they walk around shouting nasty things to the protesters. I can only surmise that those people simply aren't animal lovers. I just wonder how they would feel had any of those dogs been one of their children...
Moving on:
I experienced something today that also happened a year ago when I turned my TV on to ABC to watch the pre-race show for the NASCAR race. And there were people in brightly colored clothing dancing in the streets to music not familiar to my ears. Ordinarily I have no problem with that. But how did that take precedence over the NASCAR programming? I have pondered long and hard over that question without coming up with an answer. That's Philadelphia for you. I am sure they received a lot of flak when they did the same thing last year, but I guess they just don't care. Other ABC affiliates ran the NASCAR show. Ours chose not to which is exactly what I mean when I say I do not want to have anything to do with Philadelphia. And that includes the Eagles.
My two three-year-old cats have accepted our new boarder, seven-week-old Punkin'. But try telling cats they are too big to play with such a little thing. I call Junior my gentle giant. When he taps Punkin' with a paw he doesn't realize that he can tap him into next week, so I have to supervise.
I think the first part of this week will be fairly calm with no appointments for us or the animals. Saturday Punkin' goes back to the vet for his vaccines. He finally had the last dose of medicine for his giardia problem. I had to give it to him twice a day for seven days. They say it tastes like battery acid. He balked every time I put that medicine dropper near his mouth.
And finally, the wind turbine was turning a lot today as it has been the past couple of days. That's a wonderful sight to see.
posted by Cheyenne at 1:33 AM comment(s) made:
2
Friday, September 25, 2009
Help! I Need More Time
These days I am tired, cranky, sleepy...need I go on? I get to bed around 1:30 am if I'm lucky, and I usually wake up around 7 am, sometimes earlier. But this is only temporary due to my Punkin'. Things will go back to normal as he gets older. He is one day shy of seven weeks old. And he is constantly learning new things.
He is sleeping longer and when he does get up and he's not hungry he will clean his bunny's ears (stuffed rabbit), or he will clean himself till he gets tired and falls asleep again. That's a giant leap forward because when I first brought him inside, every time he woke up he cried and had to be fed. And that meant at least an hour out of his cage where I had to entertain him that entire hour or longer.
I only feed him when he cries. That is his way of communicating to me that he is hungry; otherwise I would be feeding him all the time and I don't want another huge cat like my Junior. That big boy weighs a lot and he's not obese, he is very muscular. He looks like a miniature silver panther.
I have been very lax in my postings. I do hope you all understand why. My housework is falling behind and I get as much done as I can while Punkin' is sleeping. I ran the vacuum cleaner for the first time since I have him and he wasn't liking it. He crawled to the back corner of his cage where he stayed as long as it was on. Afterward I had to reassure him it would not attack him. My other two run as soon as I turn it on. What a bunch of pussies.
The nice thing about Punkin' not crying as soon as he wakes up is that we can stay away longer when we go out. He has finally realized that he can be just as content inside his cage as he is outside of it. As long as he isn't hungry. I weighed him yesterday and he was exactly one pound. He weighed 11.5 oz. a few days after I brought him inside and was 12.5 oz. a few days later at the vet. They ascertained that he was 4-6 ounces under the norm for his age. I think he is catching up.
On another note...
We are going to the Celtic Classic Saturday providing it doesn't rain. If I do get there, I am taking my camera and hopefully I can post about that. I really hope the weather is on our side. I have Scottish blood in me and I have come to appreciate all things Scottish...and Irish...and Welsh. We couldn't go to the Renaissance Faire for the Scottish-Irish weekend because that was the same weekend we found Punkin' outside when he had become an orphan. So I really don't want to miss the Classic this weekend.
And yes I am still working on the wind turbine post...still collecting information on how it is saving us electricity. Our neighbor said when it was really windy one day a few weeks ago he walked over to the meter to see it turning backwards. That is excellent news for us.
posted by Cheyenne at 6:27 PM comment(s) made:
2
Monday, September 21, 2009
Update On Punkin'
All is well in the kitten kingdom. Punkin' had an appointment for today but I had to get him in earlier due to his diarrhea getting out of hand and me being a nervous Nellie. I have never raised a kitten before as mine were both 3 months old when we adopted them. With Punkin' I was afraid of dehydration, so I called and got him in last Saturday.
He had blood drawn for three tests and those were all negative. No fleas, either. Or ear mites. He goes back in two weeks to start his vaccine regimen. He'll be 8 weeks old by then. Right now he is 4-6 ounces under the norm. Doesn't sound like much, but in a kitten as small as he is, a few ounces make a big difference. He weighed 12.5 ounces at the vet on Saturday and was 11.5 oz. three days earlier when I weighed him.
His fecal sample was positive but not for the usual suspect (worms). There is a nasty parasite in his intestines causing all the ruckus in his tiny little body. So off of the worm medicine (he only had 2 doses) and onto the liquid medicine for giardia. And guess what? He hates it! Absolutely hates it. And I have 13 more doses to give him via the medicine dropper. The good thing is once that is all done, he will be rid of that pesky thing.
Other than that, he is doing great. He sleeps at least three hours, gets fed and burped, and then it's usually an hour of play time till he starts rubbing his little eyes with his front paws while lying on his back cradled in my hands and held to my chest. That is one of his favorite positions.
I hope to be able to get more pictures taken of him and will post them when I do.
With his schedule the way it is I have very little time for myself so that when I put him in his crate for his nap, I go into overdrive and try to get as much done as possible till I hear that tiny chirp of his telling me he wants out and he wants food. And then it starts all over again. Just like a human infant.
posted by Cheyenne at 2:47 PM comment(s) made:
3
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Hi, My Name Is Punkin'
Am I not the cutest little thing you ever laid eyes on? My new mommy says having me is like having a new baby in the house. I don't know why she says that. Maybe it's because after I eat she has to burp me. Or when I make a mess I get a waterless bath and smell all fresh and stuff. Or, I know, it's probably because I am eating baby food mixed with kitten formula. Yeah, that's probably why.
I love running all around and exploring after my feeding. And I am a big boy now because I can eat my food right from my very own dish. And boy does it ever smell good right before I push my face into it. Mommy says I'm a little piggy sometimes when I eat.
Here I am with my big bro, Junior. Whenever I am put down on the floor to explore, he lays close by and keeps an eye on me. My big sister, Dakota, has been sort of keeping her distance. She doesn't know what to make of me yet, but she'll come around. I will charm her and have her wrapped around my little finger too. It's what we kittens do best.
I can't say too much right now because I am only 5-1/2 weeks old and I need all the rest I can get. Just doing this tuckered me out and I need another nap. But before I go, Mommy says I am going to the vet next Monday and I have no idea what that is. But I guess I will find out, and when I do I will let you know all about it.
posted by Cheyenne at 3:05 PM comment(s) made:
3
Monday, September 14, 2009
Something Else To Keep Me Busy
We have an orphaned kitten that is five weeks old that we brought in the house Saturday afternoon. His mother was killed by some idiot probably aiming for her as she walked the shoulder of the road as was her habit. When this litter was born, there were five or six of them. Several did not make it past the first week but there was one black one with a set of lungs like you wouldn't believe. I couldn't do anything with it because it was less than a week old, but we were able to take it to the shelter where we adopted our two cats.
I thought that was the last of that litter until my husband found one in the grass alongside of the house. He put it into a box on the porch and later discovered it was no longer there. His mother must have finally decided she wanted to keep that one. Four weeks later, she's dead and Punkin' now resides in our house.
I will call the vet to see what I must do other than feed him formula for now. In another week I can probably put him on solids. It didn't take him long to learn how to lap his formula and he is also using the litter box. Smart kitten. Too bad human babies don't learn that quickly.
So, needless to say, our household is a busy one these days. Between taking care of the outside cats, my two inside cats, and my husband and now this little one, my days are fairly full. I have not been able to be on the computer as much as I have in the past. Sometimes I can't remember when the last time was that I posted something on my blog here. I try to post something every couple of days but when I get tied up with household duties, shopping and the cats, the days slide by all too quickly and before I know it, I am behind schedule. Please bear with me.
posted by Cheyenne at 12:31 AM comment(s) made:
2
Friday, September 11, 2009
I Thought You Knew
The middle child in my previous post is me and it is my family I am talkng about.
posted by Cheyenne at 12:47 AM comment(s) made:
2
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
A Teeny Tiny Tale
Once upon a time there was a family: a father, a mother, a son, and two daughters. The son was the oldest. The family did most everything together. It was idyllic. They never wanted for much of anything. Both girls graduated, the boy did not. He got married and had two sons. The middle daughter married next and had a daughter. And the youngest daughter married and had two daughters. There used to be a lot of gatherings at their parents' house on weekends and holidays. The entire family had always been close-knit. Always.
And then both parents died within 2-1/2 months of one another. And nothing was the same anymore. The oldest daughter was in charge of the estate. She did the best she could to get things settled in a timely manner. It was something she was very uncomfortable with, but she had no choice in the matter. Once everything was wrapped up, she did not see either of her siblings and she has not seen them since. That was four years ago.
The older brother still lives where he always has. The younger sister moved to California earlier this year to be with her youngest daughter and her two children. The three siblings no longer communicate with one another.
The middle child wonders what the hell happened...
posted by Cheyenne at 7:10 PM comment(s) made:
2
Sunday, September 06, 2009
Holy Crap!
Yeah, that's one of my favorite expressions. One of the cleaner ones anyway. The reason for that title is, Friday we went to the fair. It's more like an over sized carnival and certainly isn't the same as when I was a child. But we went and stayed for 8 hours. I have no idea how we managed that but we did.
Our first mission was to find coffee, so we ducked into one of the buildings under the grandstand. Much to our dismay, the place we thought we could get a good cup of brew was closed down for the fair. So we continued on and got sidetracked by a demonstration of waterless cookware. It hadn't started yet and there was promise of food, among other things. And I was hungry. So we sat and waited the few minutes till showtime.
I know nothing about waterless cooking and I wanted to see what it was all about. We enjoyed a nice bowl of salad with raspberry pomegranate vinaigrette dressing. The demonstrator (male) then went on to place a skinless chicken breast and a potato, cut in half, in the electric skillet, put the lid on and said it would be done in 15 minutes. Like that was really phenomenal. Heck, my Griller will do a chicken breast in less time and my microwave will do a large potato in less time also. Nothing spectacular there. Or phenomenal. Or mind boggling either.
We sat through the entire demonstration. Oh yes, we did get a small piece of chicken and a smaller piece of the potato. And then came the sticker shock. They sell three sets. $1695, $1995, and $2395. Then they sell the electric skillet separately at the grand old price of $395. The gourmet cooker, a small pot that works much like a crock pot only gets the job done really fast, sells for $369. Also, a wooden knife block with only three knives is $349. And don't forget that wonderful stainless steel grater with four different shredding cups at $269. When I heard those prices I damn near fell out of my chair.
These are the same sets that have been around for ages. Back in my day, they sold for around $300 I think. Now you can't get one of the separate pieces for that. Except for the grater. But let's not forget that you can get the skillet, the cooker, and either the grater or the knife block free if you buy one of the sets. Oh yeah, let me get my checkbook.
After it was over, I could not believe what I had just witnessed. My head was spinning. There were two couples (and they weren't young newlyweds either), contemplating on buying one of the sets. The one couple did say that they wanted to walk around the fair and discuss it first before making a decision. Not difficult in my book: RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN AND DON'T COME BACK YOU FOOLS, is what I wanted to yell at them. But I didn't. We politely excused ourselves and got out of Dodge.
Later we came upon another demonstration of the cookware made by a different company. Almost identical food presentation. The salad is colorful so it is an eye catcher. Chicken casts a wonderful aroma, so that grabs peoples' attention too. All gimmicks. The cookware wasn't much different from the other one we watched.
The demonstrator at the one we watched told us that we could only purchase from him right then and there. And if we did, we could then purchase anything else directly from him via his cell phone at a later date. He said the cookware is not available in any stores and not on the Internet. Ask me if I care, I wanted to say.
Of course, when I got home I immediately Googled waterless cookware and read all about the fair demonstrations. I also found out that you can get waterless cookware sets on sale for $199 and should never pay more than $300. Of course, they aren't the exact same sets as far as the pieces go, but they do the same thing and are made the same way with the same materials. Who the heck are those companies that sell them at fairs trying to kid? There are three major companies that manufacture them, one being West Bend. I'm sure you've heard of that company. They should be ashamed of themselves.
Looking back on that demonstration, I now can say that there were things the demonstrator did that fooled us at the time. Sleight of hand, if you will. They are so smooth in their presentations and can fool one if they aren't careful. I sat through it with an open mind and a closed checkbook. And wasted almost two hours of my precious time. But that's what I get for being nosey.
posted by Cheyenne at 12:43 AM comment(s) made:
3
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Busy Week
Just about every day this week is taken up with something or other. Monday I had an eye exam (after three years). I am great at procrastinating things of that nature.
Tuesday I will be doing a lot of work inside that will keep me busy most of the day.
Wednesday is our grocery shopping day, which is usually an excursion for us.
Thursday I have a dental exam. Not looking forward to that at all. But at least I have the rest of the day to myself. Husband is going to some kind of auction from noon till whenever.
Friday we will be visiting our annual county fair. I think I missed the fair only once in my lifetime and that was due to husband's heart attack 10 years ago.
Saturday will be other shopping. And lots of NASCAR TV coverage most of the day.
Sunday night is the Cup race and after a week off I am so ready for it.
I know the week will go fast and before I know it, Monday will be here. But at least this week will be filled with fun things. Well, some fun things.
Next Monday (Labor Day) we will be at a picnic. I almost forgot about that. My daughter would kill me if I had forgotten.
So what I'm saying is I don't know when I will have time to post anything. I guess if something strikes my brain and gives me a subject to write about, I certainly will do that. If not, rest assured I will post next week.
posted by Cheyenne at 1:08 AM comment(s) made:
3
