Susan Boyle Lives My Dream!

This made my heart bubble over, and I cried like a baby.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY&feature=related

Pop's Trip to KU

Mom called me at work today when they were leaving Kansas City. She said the oncologist there told them pretty much the same as the oncologist here. She had no sadness in her voice, was just reporting the facts to me, and sounded like a mom telling a child what a word means. I knew, and she knew I knew, that she was crying inside, but didnt want Pop to know how much she was hurting. I called them to make sure they got home okay, and talked to Pop for a bit this evening. Asked him if he was gonna try chemo again. He said he doesnt know, and will worry about it tomorrow. I know he wont want to, but Mom will ask him to try it, and if he starts feeling sick again he can quit. He'll do it for her. He'll do anything for her, and she'll do anything for him.

Shortly after the phone call, I left work. I didnt come home and cry. I just came home. My world isnt spinning off its axis, and Im not angry or weepy,,,,Im just tired. I cant remember the last time I didnt feel tired,,physically and mentally. I cant remember the last time I was really really happy. I hope it comes again someday.

I am thinking I'll start looking for a tater-head terrier. Dad will shake his head and say "for pity's sake, we dont need another animal". But,,,he will love it, and especially if it can lay on the bed with him and eat little bites of cheese and crackers with him.

Think I need to go sit for a while and just be.

Darkside Soap

A dear friend and wonderful photographer has just taken on a new venture. Soap making. This guy's sense of humor and down-to-earth all around good-hearted soul just makes me smile everytime I think of him. So Im sharing his link here, because he really is a very cool guy, and Im sure his soap is fantastic. Be sure to read all the descriptions if nothing else. Im pretty sure nobody's ever used "Area 51" soap, or "Gassy Uranus" ,,or even "Bunny Magnet" soap,,so it's sure to be an adventure. Personally, Im going to order a bar of "Centralia Mine Fire" ! If you give it a try, let me know how it goes. Here's the link-

http://www.darksidesoap.com/

He also has some fantastic photography at -

http://www.merlavageimages.com/

His wife is super talented too. She makes Fipperies-

http://www.sugarloafcrafts.com/merlavage.html

Mom, Dad and my brother left today for Kansas City to see the cancer doctor there. I cut Dad's hair last night, and visited with them all. I feel left out, not being able to go...but my job is important to them too (taking care of the pups that they adore). My schedule for the next few days is going to be from 6am-11pm. Bah,,,my schedule now is 10am-1am. HA! This is gonna be tough, but I can do it for the folks.

Talked Mom into letting me have a dog at her house. LOL! The Vintulapop would NOT be happy with a new family member, especially one of the canine species. So Mom and I were laughing about my getting a dog and letting it live at their house. And...she said I could if I really wanted. Now,,what this actually means, is that she wants one. So,,,Im trying to decide,,,shall I get one that will snuggle with Pop while he's laid up,,,or shall I get one later,,when Mom will need something to distract her?
I told myself it would be criminal to buy a purebred dog when there are so many mutts at the Humane Society that desperately need homes. But then I found out that our animal shelter does horrible things to the animals before they can leave. They chip them (I know,,people think it's a good thing,,,but it's really not), and they spay/neuter them while they're puppies (also a bad thing for the health of the animal). That being said,,,I really dont think I can bring myself to go anywhere BUT the Humane Society if I'm going to provide a home for a dog. Sigh... I really was going to get them (Mom and Dad) a "tater head terrier". LOL...that's what we've been calling them. A miniature bull terrier is what Im talking about. A Spuds McKenzie pup. I think they're just about the goofiest looking little things, but Mom's wanted one forever, and even though Dad says "NO",,,he would love it. Dad's said no to every animal we ever had growing up,,,then we'd catch him sharing cookies and popcorn with said animal. Anyway,,I need to make some decisions about this.

Will update Pop's dr. visit when I hear something.

Assignment

The assignment of the week is to find something to make me feel some sort of purpose in my life. Im thinking big scale (you know,,rehabilitating wild animals in Africa), but will start small and see what pans out. There are some specific goals I want to meet, but not sure what I'll find in the way of "giving back" that will fit my schedule,,,so right now it's all about research. Even that is a start I suppose. Ultimately, I'd like a complete career change, but I don't know if that's realistic in these times, and especially at my age. But,,,I suppose I'll never know if I don't start looking for opportunities. If nothing else, just the search for "new" in my life will feel productive.

The Vintulapop are finding their nap spots til I go to bed. Tula is on the monitor warming her tummy, Poppy is on her blanky on the back of a chair, and Vin thinks his spot is on me. Not on my lap,,but laying across my chest. I think it's bedtime for all!

Micro Manage THIS....

I produce an average of 25,600.00 for my employer, per month. This is based on the most recent quarterly average report put out. The most recent 6 month average, falls to a little over 22,000.00 per month. At that rate, figure 264,000.00 a year that I bring in. Not the highest producer in the office, but a far cry from the lowest producer, and something Im fairly proud of. Today I was informed that I was short 5.4 minutes in telephone time yesterday, and neglected to indicate where a consumer called from (even though the phone number was there on the screen). Some days,,,I just want to bitch slap somebody that has that kind of time on their hands.

Vin the Wonder Cat Strikes Again

Sat on the front porch for a bit this evening. When I came back in, I had a spider crawling on my arm. Naturally, I screamed and pulled out several chunks of hair during the flailing that one does when trying to rid themselves of a spider. Vinny the Wonder Cat came shooting out of nowhere and sunk his teeth into my leg. This is the second time he's bitten me when I've flailed about. I dont know why he's so freaked out. I mean, he wasn't even in the same room. He just heard the commotion and came running to get in the mix. Damned cat. He's about as neurotic as they come, that one.

Talked to Pop today on the phone. I always ask "how ya feelin' today?" and he always says "oh, pretty good. " It's a stupid conversation, but I don't really know what else to say. His eyes light up when my brother walks into the room, and me,,,I just go sit next to Dad like a lump on a log, and we exchange a few words, but there's no conversation to speak of. I know he loves me, and he knows I love him, just wish the words would come easier.

Blizzard Weekend

Friday was a blizzard here. We got about 20 inches of snow, and it drifted high enough that businesses are still going to be closed tomorrow. But not where I work. Blah. Got stuck in the parking lot Friday when I was trying to get home. Visibility was about a block, and the usual 7 minute drive home took twice as long. It was a mess. Today and yesterday a lot of it melted off. I'll have to "gun it" to get out of the driveway tomorrow, but someone with a plow was kind enough to clear my street. The city rarely does the side streets, and it's tough going when ya drive a car as low to the ground as mine is.

Not looking forward to the new work week, but some of the blues Ive been experiencing are starting to let up. I moved my recumbant bike into my bedroom, and tomorrow I'll start putting in 30 minutes on the bike before I start the morning routine. I think that might help with some of the depression.

Dad's gonna be going to KU Med Center sometime in the next week or so. The Cancer Treatment Center in Tulsa can't get him in til September, but KU Med Ctr has the same technology, and as long as Dad's oncologist can get all his records faxed over Monday, they might get him in this coming week. He's bored out of his mind, and depressed. Bill and I went over yesterday, and we sat in the bedroom with the folks and laughed. Talked about old times. It was good to see Pop laughing. Mom says he's still eating like a horse, and aside from the weight loss, you'd never know he was sick. I pray to God they can do something for him at KU.

My Funkatude...

Today was a bit better than yesterday. MADE myself get out of bed and into work at a reasonable hour, and only cried for a few minutes before taking a deep breath and diving into the grind. Im in a corner pod, so nobody sees me unless they're standing right there. I know what the problem is ...hormones. Think I need to schedule an appt. with my doc to discuss the horrible mood swings and crying jags that are coming with age. Sigh..... Still feel like I've done nothing productive with my life,,but I guess I'll have to deal with that and figure out how to correct it.

Found an error in my commissions today. I got credit for something I didn't do, and although it would've never been discovered, I moped for about 20 minutes, then took it to a manager. Had to show him the error and explain WHY it was an error so that it would be corrected before my commission check was cut. It cost me a little over 500.00 ,,,but at least I can live with myself. Still,,I've been thinking about it all day. It's not the money...it's really not. It's the fact that I sit next to the biggest snake in the place, who makes money hand over fist by cheating the system, and never bats an eyelash. As a matter of fact, she gets pats on the back constantly by management, and I just want to scream at them to wake up and smell the toast burning. There's probably a story just like this in The Bible somewhere, and I should probably be glad I'm not a snake. Maybe I'll crack the Good Book tonite and be humbled.

Tomorrow's a New Day

Another day of feeling unsettled. Actually,,it feels more like free falling through the air and never knowing when I'm going to hit the ground. Hope I can shake this off soon. Maybe tomorrow.

Panic 101

Don't know what the deal is, but I've been feeling twinges of panic all day. Felt it yesterday too. It's been a long long time since I've had a full blown panic attack, but something's bringing it on, and it's keeping me on edge. I want to leave the house, but there's nowhere I want to be. I want to go do something, but not sure what to do. Want to step outside of my mundane life and do something that will be life changing, but no idea what. I dont know what kind of immediate change I can make that's going to take away this feeling of not having much purpose in my life. I hate this.

Im Wearin My Grouchy Panties

Pop's sick today. Sounds suspiciously like the stomach flu, and I apologized to Mom for possibly having passed my bug on to him. I stayed away from their house for several days specifically for that reason. Mom clucked at me and said "the only place he goes is the doctor's office, and dontcha think maybe someone there might've given it to him?" Either way, I hope it passes. Can't imagine already being weak and then having to deal with that crud.

Guess they're gonna do scans on Monday, then he'll get results at a Wednesday appointment with the oncologist. Im on edge,,and I'm sure the folks are thinking about it a lot too. I am praying for good news.

I'm just this side of bitchy today. Had to listen to my podmate all day, and she's about as obnoxious as they come. Oddly enough, I really do enjoy her the majority of the time, whereas other people ask me constantly "how can you stand to sit with her?" Truth is,,she's one of those rare people that say exactly what they think no matter what. And I find that ....really amusing and refreshing. And she can take a verbal punch like nobody else. I know, because I've doled out a few to her. We "keep it real" in our section of the room!
But today,,,I finally asked her if she was going to shut up any time soon? She asked me if I had my grouchy panties on..and that was the end of the conversation.
Got home and the new neighbor has a bearcat in his back yard and they're digging up ground. I can hear pipes falling on concrete (the drive) and I am NOT in the mood to listen to construction. Dont know what they're doing, but I hope they knock off soon and there's some quiet.

Pop's Blood

Pop's bloodwork wasn't so good today. His hemoglobin is way low again. Just a couple weeks ago his oncologist remarked about how good it was. So, tomorrow he goes for another blood transfusion, and has an appt. with the oncologist. Mom's sad,,Dad doesn't say he is, but I know he's getting really tired of this cancer gig. Mom is concerned that he's going to end up in the hospital again (last time was for a month), and I think I'm making it my mission to be the one to stand up and say "no" if they want to hospitalize him. They got his meds so messed up last time he was there, that it was just pathetic. Gave him an appetite stimulant AFTER meals, and morphine BEFORE meals, then couldn't figure out why he wouldn't/couldn't eat. No,,,I think unless they give a specific reason for admitting him, and unless it's an emergency thing,,,it's not gonna happen. Pop's been doing really well at home. Gets tired of being tired, but eats, speaks coherently (hasn't needed pain meds for the last 3 days!), and is doing well in general.

My mother,,is a rock. Her care-giving skills are phenominal, and she does it without any anger (even though Pop's been stubborn as a mule with things like taking pills and bath time), and with love and tenderness. He sometimes seems like he's done with the whole routine, and she gives him a few minutes to stew,,then gently reminds him that he's not giving up on her watch. Then they flirt with each other (I haven't seen that in years), and he's back on track. Mom and Dad have 50 years together, and in the last year, I've seen more love pass between them than ever before. They're like newlyweds.

My favorite family story, is the one of when they met. Mom said she came home on the first day of kindergarten, and told HER mom that someday she was going to marry Bud ___. Gives the term "meant for each other" some real substance, huh? They dated on and off all through high school (back when dating was JUST dating), but everyone knew they were gonna be together when the smoke cleared. Dad told me one time that Mom has been his best friend since kindergarten. They've certainly had some rough spots in their time together, but when it comes down to the wire,, there's no doubt with either of them that they're soulmates. I can't even imagine that kind of bond.

Name Game Thingy

1.Your rock star name (first pet, current car) - Pywackett Cougar

2.Your gangsta name (favorite ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe) - Cookie Dough Sneakers (for shizzle!)

3.Your Native American name (favorite color, favorite animal) - Green Cat

4.Your soap opera name (middle name, city where you were born) - Rae Sterling

5.Your Star Wars name (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 of your first name) - Rinli

6.Superhero name (2nd favorite color, favorite drink) - Red Tea

7.NASCAR name (the first names of your grandfathers) - Calvin Harold

8.Dancer name (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy) -Crayon Chocolate

9.TV weather anchor name (your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter) - Ray Reno

10.Spy name (your favorite season/holiday, flower) - Spring Daisy

11.Cartoon name:(favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now) - Orange Jeans

12.Hippie name (what you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree) - Enchilada Maple

13.Movie (or porn) star name (first pet, first street where you lived) - Pywackett Sunshine

Next Up...Tuesday

I hope I can make myself sit at my desk for 10 hours tomorrow.

Stepford Bunny

Here I sit, playing a game of solitaire before I head off to bed, TV on for background noise. The channel happens to be on QVC, and I'm mesmerized by the sales pitch going on. I swivel my chair to see the TV. There are two women seated at a table, fondling a ceramic rabbit. "See how the bunny almost smiles at you? Wouldn't this be a perfect piece for an office, or a screened-in patio? How elegant, and pristine. This bunny is hand-rubbed for that lovely smooth texture (isnt that an oxy-moron?), and look at the special coloring of this bunny..it would absolutely go with any decor,, blah-ditty blah-ditty blah". The women are speaking in their sing-song hypnotic sales voices, caressing the bunny,,,flashing his smile at me through the television. I...must...have...the bunny. SNAP! Vinny launches his portly butt up onto my bare legged lap and starts to slip. His claws dig in for leverage, and Im whipped back into real life where my leg is bleeding and the pain begs for a cold rag and some Neosporin. Whew...there for a minute, I was afraid I was gonna end up with a 38.00 Stepford Bunny. Thanks Vin!

Ralllllph...

Oh dear Lord,,what HAVE I done to deserve the stomach flu? Granted, it's better today than yesterday (much), but still,,it feels like someone's riding the roller coaster of my intestines. Im going to attempt to eat today...probably a mistake, but Im hungry.

It's cold out (or maybe I just cant get warm enough), and the Vintulapop have the right idea. Looks like a cat bomb went off on the couch...everyone's all snuggled in and too lazy to even come see what's going on in the kitchen when Im in there. Think Im gonna lay on the couch with them. TGIF!

Family Fun

Went over to the folks' house tonite for a bit. Dad was sitting on the couch reading mail. What a warm feeling I got inside. I haven't seen him sitting up since Saturday. Mom told him dinner was ready, and he got up and walked to the table without his walker, and with more "umph" than I've seen in a while. Mom put down a plate of sauerkraut and weenies, and fried potatoes, and Dad dug in like a duck on a junebug! YAY!! He ate a whole plateful, and asked for more. THAT hasn't happened in a long time. God,,thank you for this day!

My mom got a thingy in the mail from some group asking for donations to save the polar bears. It was three pages of how Sarah Palin is deliberately trying to "exterminate" the polar bears, yada yada,,and they included a postage paid envelope to send her donation. My brother wrote on a blank sheet of paper "A polar bear ate my child" and sent it back to them. Im sorry, but I think that's some funny shit. Even Dad chuckled when we were talking about it. He does that kind of thing from time to time, and it just slays me. Im very sorry about the polar bears, and for all the species that are being wiped out because of man's doing,,,but I don't believe that Sarah Palin is purposely out to "EXTERMINATE" bears.

T'was a good day!

A Talk With God

Last night as I lay in bed talking to God, I started down my list of people for whom I pray (due to hardship or illness in their lives) and saved my Dad for last. Dad was diagnosed with cancer in October of last year. Anyway, I saved him for last because I decided to cut a deal with God. If He would give my family a miracle, and put Dad into remission for at least 2 more years, and let him live without pain or weakness or fear, I would committ the rest of my life to serving God in whatever way He wanted me to. All He had to do was fix Dad, and then lead me into whatever direction or give me a sign to let me know what He wanted in return.... no questions asked. It donned on me that I was putting into practice one of the stages of death that people go through,and,,I immediately felt badly that I was assuming Dad isn't going to make it through this. So..I asked for more faith,,AS WELL AS giving Dad a couple years of pain free and happy life. I know that there is a reason for all things that happen in our lives,,and I can CLEARLY see how our family has changed for the better because of my father having to suffer from this horrible disease. But my father, is one of the sweetest, most down to earth, generous souls I've ever known....and I don't understand why he's got to deal with this. Either way, I wasn't questioning God,,I was merely putting an offer on the table to see what happens.

How WOULD I serve God? I have often thought I'd like to have been a nun. I can't imagine what a peaceful life it would be to live life for God 24/7, and not have to deal with jobs, and bills, etc. I dont really know how nun-ship works, but in my mind, it's all about living in a quiet convent and having hours on end to learn about God and the kinder side of life. However, since Im not Catholic, and since I committ at least one of the seven deadlys on a daily basis, it probably wouldn't work out so well. Oh sure, I've taken clothes to Goodwill, but mostly to get them out of my house during cleaning sprees. I've committed random acts of kindness (I love to pay for the person's order behind me at McDonald's when I get breakfast in the drive-thru,,,they always get a shocked look on their faces when Im driving away and the cashier is pointing at me saying "I don't know,,she just said to buy yours too"), but what could I do that would really serve God? Any thoughts? Once I thought I'd go read to little kids at school if there were such a program, but decided I'd not be comfortable enough to do something like that. Once I called the soup kitchen to donate my yearly turkey that I get at my job at Thanksgiving, but I kept getting a machine and nobody returned my call. One year I decided I would help serve dinner on Christmas at the homeless shelter, but was told they don't have a dinner on Christmas, or any other holidays. (What!?!!) I always throw a hundred into the donation box at work for buying toys at Christmas for needy kids, or if there's a collection for someone going through a hardship, I put whatever I can towards it. But when it boils down to it,,,I'd rather DO something, than just throw money somewhere to make myself feel like Im giving back. So,,if you have any suggestions, I'm open to them. And not just to buy God's grace where Dad is concerned, but because I've been hugely blessed in my life, and I'd really like to give something back that doesn't serve my own conscience.
I read somewhere that Mother Theresa had no material belongings other than the few items of clothing she wore. I was in awe of her. I wonder what it's like to be that unencumbered by materialism? I wonder if people are so bored and inactive in doing something meaningful with their lives that they feel they need new and bigger toys constantly to keep them amused? Im not judging (I have no room to),,,I'm just curious.

One final thing....for the people whose lives have been touched by cancer (I have a hard time saying the word out loud, and even typing it),,,you're in my prayers this night. For all the shit you're going through, have gone through, have watched a loved one go through...you have my heart felt best wishes for a time when you can relax and have a little peace in your life. God bless...

Karma...

Tallulah has assumed her position on top of my monitor. She loves when Im on the tube. She lays spread eagle on my monitor to warm her tummy! Sometimes,,she just stares at me. I wonder if the chemical enhancement she had as a baby sometimes causes electrical misfiring in her little brain. It's a little distracting when she hangs her face over my screen.

The dawn simulator didn't simulate this morning. I don't know wtf is wrong with it, but it's a good thing I have a couple back up alarms to jolt me out of a dead sleep. I gotta get a zen alarm clock one of these days to slowly chime me into consciousness. The obnoxious beeping of clock #1 and the steady high pitched scream of clock #2 just pisses me off first thing in the morning. I would return the simulator, but they made a mistake when they sent it. They sent the more expensive model, but billed me for the less expensive model. I mulled it over for a couple days as to whether I should fess up and return it or not,,and now karma has run over my dogma, and the damned thing wont work. Go figure....

Final Thought of the Day

Have you seen the Charmin commercial where baby bear is getting ready to hike the ball to papa bear, and papa bear sees little pieces of toilet paper all over baby bear's butt? Is it me,,or is that ...icky?

Brain Rot and The 5D

This morning I was sitting on the couch watching Bret Michael's Rock of Love Bus Tour, and I could feeeeel my brain start to atrophe. C'mon Bret...don't try to make us believe you're going to grow old with one of those skanks. Keep it real....admit that you just want a big ol' paycheck for doinkin' 10 chicks that can't see their own feet past the bodacious silicone ta-tas.

ANYWAY....

I turned off the TV, packed up the Canon 5D and a couple of lenses, and hit the road for Sterling,KS (my birth town). I went to the house my grandparents lived in til they died (Grandma first, then Grandpa a year later). The house is all but falling down, but I went inside long enough to look around, then back outside to shoot some photos. Grandma had ivy on either side of the porch for as long as I can remember, and it's completely taken over the front of the house now. It is beautiful, and when the sun shines on it just right, it shimmers. Click click,,more photos. Then I took a drive around the lake, and drove back home. It was a warm day, and this was "spring forward" day, so it stayed light well into the evening. I think Im going to look into buying a jeep this summer for some dirt road photography. The ol' Cougar gets stuck pretty easily on some of those deep sand roads.

Watched some pre-recorded shows this evening (DVR is the best thing since cable). I watch the cooking shows,,,they relax me. Til tonite. I started counting how many times Giada said "now I grab my ..." (zester,lemon,tart shell, etc). OCD on my part? I dont think so. I think she just really said it so many times that it started to zest on my nerves. Grab this, tart maker.
Im hooked on "Chopped". Four chefs get baskets of mystery ingredients and they have to McGuyver a gourmet meal out of them. The judges then "chop" the chef with the worst dish. Sometimes the ingredients go together pretty well,,,but every once in a while they get a Starburst candy chew, half a bottle of hot sauce, a slab of beef tongue and a sprig of dillweed. First,,,I grab my dillweed....

Tonite I will hook up my "dawn simulator" light gadget so I can spring out of bed tomorrow morning before noon. My basement bedroom is like sleeping in a cave, and I feel cheated when the alarm goes off and it's still dark and cool in there. It's perfect for sleeping, and lately, I haven't been rolling in to work til about noon. Guess we'll see if the sun rising on my dresser will prompt me to get up and at 'em.

The Vintulapop are sleeping soundly on the back of the couch. However, I walked by with a bowl of ice cream and saw Vinny crack one eye open, so he'll be here shortly to get his share. ... And as if on cue.......

A Day In the Life of Vintulapop

So,,,tornado season has officially kicked off with the blast of the siren earlier today. Yay. I found myself sitting in a storage room closet eating a piece of chicken and wondering if it was clear yet. I gave my basement TV away, and now I have no contact with the outside world when Im in the basement. Especially in the part of the house I rarely venture into ....the storage area. I hate tornado season. While I was sitting in the closet enjoying what could be my last meal, I thought about the fact that my neighbors (just moving in next door) have no basement, and perhaps I should risk my life to go next door and see if they wanted to come sit in the storage closet with me and the Vintulapop (more on the V.T.P. later). Then I started thinking about all the socks and underwear that live on the couch in the basement (hey,,it's 10 feet from the laundry room,,,that's just how I roll). By the time I finished my chicken and wondering how embarrassed I'd be for strangers to see my laundry "area"...the tornado had rolled on down the road, and it was a moot point. Still,,I should probably make an effort to clean the basement livingroom,,at least during tornado season.

So,,the Vintulapop is my little family of three (not counting myself). They're a trio of orphaned kittens that I adopted a few years ago. Not all at one time, but within a few months of each other.
Vin (Vinny) was one of 2 kittens that survived out of his litter. The mother cat died, along with the rest of his siblings. I dont know how...and the foster family didnt either. I held his brother first, then I held him. His motor started running as soon as he nestled into my arms, baby style,,,and I decided I'd give him a home. He's a gorgeous tuxedo cat, with a few neuroses. And the older he gets, the more they manifest themselves. Twice he's had to have foreign objects removed from his intestine because he's a chewer. Toys, ponytail bands, sponges, paper, the legs on a pair of my jeans....you name it, he'll try to eat it.

Tula (Tallulah) was trapped in a house that had been bug bombed twice. When we entered the house, I heard a tiny mewing noise, and followed it to a screened in back porch. She was inside a wall. She was...INSIDE...a wall. There was a hole in the sheetrock, and I believe her mother tried to get her to safety when the chemicals started to saturate the air. My uncle reached into the wall with a pair of tongs, and drug out a flea infested, tiny little thing with a HUGE voice that pierced my eardrums for 20 minutes before I drove her to my vet's office to be euthanized. There was no mother cat around, and this tiny little thing would not survive. My vet thought differently, and refused to euthanize her. She told me the kitten was MAYBE 3 days old, and I'd have to feed her every 4 hours, flea comb her several times a day to get rid of the fleas that crawled on her so thickly her skin was moving, and "stimulate" her so she could potty. Blink blink. Hey,,I work a 9 hour day,,ya know? But as it turned out,,,Tallulah's grandmother (my mom) came to feed her once a day, and I came home on breaks and lunch hour to do the other feedings and um...stimulate her so she'd potty. Im forever grateful to my vet (Dr. Melinda Chambers,,best there is!) that she refused to euthanize Tallulah. Tula is truly my baby, and I dont know what I'd do without her.

Pop (Poppy) was discovered in my parents' driveway in a downpour. She was only a few weeks old, soaking wet, and crying at the top of her lungs. Mom brought her in, dried her in a warm towel and fed her. Everyday for a week my mother told me to "just come see" her. I refused. I knew I'd end up taking her home, and I had just taken in two orphans and didnt want another. Sigh.... I finally went to see her, and of course, brought her home. The next day, I noticed she had a small limp, and because she was so small, I took her my savior vet. Annnnd she needed about 700.00 worth of surgery to remove the ball part of her leg bone that had broken off in the socket when she was apparantly thrown out of a car, or kicked pretty hard. For all the money Ive spent on the Vintulapop, I could've had a pedigreed, no neuroses plagued, pure bred cat. But...I love my little crew, and life is never boring with them.