I love Halloween, by Orion

This year I decided to take a more 'active' role in Halloween. I wanted my mommy to make me a homemade costume that wasn't too hot or too tight. I like to be able to run! She made me this cool costume - a basketball player! My jersey has my name & I even got to carry my own ball! Oh, she also made little sweatbands for me, but I wasn't digging those & had them thrown to the floor before the camera could even be found!

I love this holiday! It's the best because I get to hang with 'the boys'. I really like those guys. One of the boys is really small - almost my size. He talks to me & follows me around a lot. I don't mind. He's nice enough.

This year there was another lil person with us. I don't think it was another of the guys though. This lil person was dressed like my siblings, Cheddy & Moodles, but in a really weird color. I've never seen a pink kitty before. And the cats at my house, they can be very noisy. Sometimes I'm trying to sleep & that orange one will start talking & won't stop. The only way I can get back to sleep is hiding under the covers next to mommy! I think that's very rude. You can tell he's fresh from the streets! Look how much skin he shows at home! Have a little modesty!

Anyway, this pink kitty, she smelled kinda funny too. I don't think I have that smell at my house. And one of the guys kept staring at her! I was sniffing & looking, trying to figure out what he was so enrapt with & I just couldn't see it!

The guys & I hit the ground running. I was excited to hear, see and smell all the things they had going on their neighborhood. So many bushes to smell - it was like being in heaven! I wasn't worried about getting candy though because I'm trying to watch my figure. I don't work out on the courts for nothing!

There was a scary moment that night. I saw these things in the yard & they looked really spooky! I ran between mommy's legs & hid my face. She explained they weren't real & couldn't hurt me. I wasn't so sure about that white guy on top and didn't look directly in his eyes. Good thing we had a sorcerer with us!

There was another big person with us on Halloween... it was a Pink Cat. It's lucky for them that I likes cats. I don't like pink very much, but Pink Cat didn't stick around the whole time. During our outing the 2 cats went off hunting mice & lil pink kitty didn't come back. I guess she was really hungry for lil mice!

I have to say it was another good Halloween with the boys. After we said goodbye, Mommy & I went home to tell the others about our adventures. SydSyd & Jakester were very interested in the scents I brought back with me! I think they were a little jealous though... I drifted off to sleep not long after that. Trick or Treating really takes it out of a pup!

I'm already thinking about my costume for next year!

Blogger's Advice to Bloggers

I am a regular follower of "The Pioneer Woman"... love, love, love her blog. She talks like I would when I am writing & I find myself laughing outloud. Her post today was "Ten Important Things I've Learned about Blogging." Once again, I found myself laughing... but then it made me come over here to my blog & give it a little attention and some love. Everything needs love to grow, right?

So, I was contemplating The Pioneer Woman's #2: Blog Often. The problem with this is that my life just ain't all that exciting! Work, home, work, home. I think that's the drill most of us do, right?

Sure, I could 'humor' you all about how I had to go out looking for Jakester, because, for the umpteenth time, he escaped the fenced in backyard. On a normal day Jakester doesn't listen to me. On a day when he's free to wander the wicked streets alone, he listens to me even less. To make matters worse, it's like he KNEW Cop'er wasn't home & thought that was an even better reason to cross the street and make a turn... away from me. Dogs are nuts! Nuts, I tell you!

But I don't want to relive that. Boring stuff.

I'm contemplating putting together a list of "Truths"... you know, those things that have just 'come to be' through life. Obviously this might take a little thinking about. I can't throw it all together in this short little blogging time.

I could mention my new "toy"... bought a Droid 2 this weekend. To say it has bells & whistles would be an understatement. Who knew 'back in the day' that phones would be used for more than just calling people?? Now I can check Facebook on a whim, download an obscene amount of games to play when i should be working, text until my fingers fall off and take pictures better than one of my real cameras!

Of course, since I got a new phone this weekend, it'll be obsolete in a matter of days... Time to start looking for a new one!

You Never Know When...

When buying a house of one's very own, all of us have different lists of things that are 'important' to us. Whether its vinyl siding, paved drive, 4 bedrooms, dual heat pumps, gas range, walk-in attic -- the wants are vast & varied.

The first house I bought, when I was single & living on my own with my sister, had vinyl siding, a paved drive, multiple baths & room for the 2 of us (or 1.5 since she came & went a lot). But what I really wanted in my new house were... cats. I had a cat growing up & thought they are the coolest animals. I'd stand up and argue with anyone who didn't think they had as much or more personality as dogs.

On Labor Day, 2001, I set out with my group to find the two most perfect cats to take up residence in my house. I only had one 'type' of cat in mind - an orange tabby; the other cat color didn't matter as long as I ended up with a male & female. I had names picked out.

We left a little pet store in Southside with Roxy (Roxyann) & Riley (Riley being the orange tabby; Roxy was a little multi-colored kitten very attached to Riley. I picked them because they were sleeping together, wrapped in each others' paws). Armed with all the goods that two little kittens could need, we went back to my house to introduce them to their new home. The kittens & I were a happy little family. They were full of love and mischief and fun; making me laugh & keeping me on my toes.

In the process of getting the usual kitten shots, it was discovered that Riley had FIP - an incurable disease that, in his case, affected his neurological system. He crossed the rainbow bridge the day after Christmas 2001.

Roxy suddenly became an only child and loved the attention. She learned to fetch better than some dogs I know and was full of life enough for that little house. I taught her to walk around outside on a harness and leash & she love all things green, so the outside was perfecft for her!

But she didn't stay the only child forever... we welcomed her new little brother, Schmoo (Moodles) in July of 2002. I wouldn't say they 'hit it off', but they played together & tolerated each other. Roxy definitely let him know SHE was the boss & he was ok with that - probably because he's a mama's boy.

We morphed into a new family unit dealing with the changes most lives have - jobs, significant others, moves, dogs. Oh yeah, when I moved in with, & soon after married, my boyfriend, the cats & I went to live in his house with his two DOGS - those smelly, noisy, sloppy critters - Jake (Jakester) and Sydney (SydSyd). What a transition that was! I recall having to go INTO the reclining sofa to get Schmoo out. He was hiding in such a way it almost required assistance from the fire department!

Eventually there came to be a little peace in the valley (though some days that's still under debate). The cats have their space. The dogs have theirs. And look out if ever the two shall meet!

I have mentioned previously in my blog the story of Miss Roxy & her diagnosis of cancer. I've talked about the decisions that have been weighing heavy on my mind. In the end, we decided not to put her through treatment. I couldn't do it to either her or me knowing the cancer would eventually come back & we'd find ourselves right back in the same position we are in.

My little girl has been at home with us, going about her daily routine, though it's a bit slower & involves more sleep now. She's lost weight & the cancer has pushed her left eye from its socket in a manner than might make some people turn away. Through it all, she's been a sweet, loving, tolerant, beautiful little kitty. She's amazed our vet, my family & me. Knowing she doesn't have a lot of time left, I have taken extra pictures, given more pets and talked to her every chance I've had.

This week her eye has become really bad. Though she doesn't seem to notice it, I know it must be painful and unnatural & when I think about myself having to deal with something like that, it's unfathomable how she's still so much herself.

But Cop'er & I decided this week we needed to make the best decision for her. She's starting to look more like skin & bones in addition to the change in her eye. And though the surgeon optimistically told us we might have 2-4 months with her, we don't.

Last night, I slept in the room she has been occupying. I loved on her, talked to her & told her how much she means to me.

Today, Cop'er & I took her to cross the Rainbow Bridge... on her way to be with her brother, Riley. We stayed with her until the end, whispering how much we loved her, what a brave, beautiful kitty she has been & when we will see her again. It could easily be one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make. I didn't know that 9 years ago a little furball would steal my heart the way she did.

I love you, baby girl. RIP.

There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love.
~ Washington Irving

To read more about the Rainbow Bridge...

Leg-in-Limbo Chronicles

We knew it wouldn't be long... Not much time until... you know...
he started running around again.

Yes, Jakester is feeling quite a bit better. He's putting a little weight on his Leg-in-Limbo and he's not trying to snap my fingers off when i get near him. The pain patch came off & he's just finishing up the obligitory antibiotics he has to take.

I think he might be getting a little too used to the "posh life" he's living for 2 weeks. Since he can't do much rough-housing or wrestling with his siblings, he's been in O's sleeping spot while O has been with SydSyd. Sure, who's going to complain about sleeping on pillows and being carried up & down the stairs.

I know some days I'd like to have that kind of service.

When I took him out last night, I put him on the ground and he went to do his business. I happened to be standing at the bottom of the steps. He comes back to me, sits at my feet and looks up.

Ok. Climb them steps, boy! Let's see what you got going on!

Ha. I might as well have said "Jakester, can I carry you into the house?"

I picked him up & he settled in for a nice trip into the house. As soon as his 3 legs hit the floor he was racing to the cushy pillow he's taken over. (I hope Cop'er doesn't think he's gettin' a new one. I didn't tell him to give that one to the dog!)

Jakester still has another week+ with the stitches (that are still intact, but very well licked), so it's likely he's going to be carried around a bit more.

I just hope when he's 'good as new' he doesn't think I'll be carrying him around everywhere. If he has those thoughts, I'll just show him this:

Three Legs & One in Limbo

Jakester has been limping around the house for a few weeks. Cop'er & I thought it might be a pulled/strained muscle. Jakester is one of those crazy 'mutts' (technically he's the least 'mutt-like' in the house since he's a real, live Yorkie) that runs & runs. Could totally give the Energizer Bunny a run for his money! He didn't seem like he was in pain, so we just kept our eye on it. The limping seemed to get better, but after a few weeks of it, we decided to take him to the vet.

And the verdict was... $900, please.

Jakey, the youngster that he's not, has a torn tendon in his hind leg. Obviously he was in pain, right? That's why he was limping? Well, the vet said, no, it wasn't that he was in pain, it was that his little leg was like a wet noodle. Whenever Jakester put weight on it, it would crumble and he'd tilt to the point of falling over.

Ok, that's better than thinking he was in pain.

This tendon problem wasn't one of those things that might get better with time. It needed immediate action... Immediate in the sense that he was scheduled a few days later.

Yesterday was that day. Cop'er had to take a little extra time getting to work via a side trip to drop the poor limbo'd-leg guy off at the vet's office. Jakey hadn't had any food or water since midnight the night before, so for his sake, i hope he was scheduled for an early surgery!

I called the vet's office around 3pm to find out how the little guy fared. The receptionist asked for my name & I gave her Cop'er's (though it's not because I didn't know my own, for those of you who were about to say that!).

"Oh, Jake!" the receptionist said.

Hmmm... he's notorious already? Hasn't even been there 24 hours!

After a long wait on the line--where I checked several time to ensure I hadn't been disconnected--she comes back to say that Jakester is fine. She checked with the doc and went to his kennel... he was just groggy from the drugs.

Ahhhh. I like when things go smoothly. You know, because pets are like kids and I'm like a mom.

Jakey would have to suffer through a night away from the posh digs he's used to. Maybe it was a bigger challenge for his companion, SydSyd. She's used to havin' her guy sleep with her every night & doesn't like when he's gone.

 

Cop'er picked Jakester up from the vet's office this afternoon. When I finally arrived home, I found him sleeping on a pillow in the den, leg shaved, pain patch on his back & looking like he just came in from a long night of drinking.

POOR PUP!

I have seen him up & around, so I know, in fact, he can move. He's definitely three legged with one leg in limbo! He's scarffed down cheese & is still doped up on pain meds. I wonder if he's going to remember any of this...

Cop'er is 'taking GOOOOOOD care' of Mr. Jakey.. In reality, I don't know who is taking care of who.

The Jakester has to keep his stitches in for 14 days. During those 14 days, he's not allowed to act like a madman--no running around in the yard barking at the neighbors, no rough-housing with the other pups, no jumping off furniture like one of the cats... you know, I'm really not sure how he's going to be held back. Sure, right now he's high on meds, but when they are done...

Uh oh. We could be in trouble!

Why Pets are Like Children

Obviously, I don't have kids - unless you count the 5 pets we have. If you are a follower of my blog, you will have already been introduced to our 2 cats (RoxyAnn & Moodles) and our 3 dogs (SydSyd, Jakester and O).

More often than not, Cop'er & I find ourselves as referee, loving parent, disciplinarian and good cop/bad cop (neither comes more naturally than the other for Cop'er, by the way). There's always a fight to break up, teasing to end, loving to administer, baths to give, meals to make, punishment to dole out, messes to clean up, toys to put back, sitters to be lined up. Like I said, pets are like kids.

A few of our "kids" have very distinct personality traits... O likes to sleep in the bed with us at night. He whines at Cop'er's feet until he's carried into the bed to sleep with his Mommy. I can't complain - he's very well behaved when it's sleepy-time. He also like to use the bed for other purposes... burying bones.

Lil Guy as a pup - what a cutie!

Every so often, Cop'er gives the kids a dog bone triat (Alpo, the large variety) to keep 'em busy (aka quiet). Well, O isn't very interested in actually eating the bone. He just carries it around in his mouth, whining to Cop'er for a lift to get in the bed. Once in the bed, he's bound for the blankets. He drops the bone in the midst of the pile and digs, digs, digs until the bone is "buried." There's no telling how many little treasures we might have sleeping with us.

Another very distinct personality is Moodles. He's the baby cat in our family. And by 'baby' I mean the youngest cat, 8 years old. He also sleeps in the bed with us - on the other side of me. He likes to stretch his paws out until he's touching my face. i don't think he knows he still has claws & they kinda hurt sometimes. The little quirk he has is climbing on my nightstand, knocking the lampshade over & over making it tap, tap, tap on the wall beside the bed. Talk about annoying things to hear at 3am!

The kid with the over-the-top trait would have to be RoxyAnn. She's full-fledged animal dominator of the house. She doesn't like the dogs, but puts up with O. She scraps with SydSyd & bops Jakester on the head. She takes nothin' from no one. I think that might even include me & Cop'er! Early in the morning, RIGHT BEFORE we are ready to get up - you know those precious moments of quiet you savor before the day starts - she is on the dresser. You'd think she would just chill, enjoy the quiet herself, but she doesn't. She cleverly paws all the bottles, boxes, trinkets, etc on top of the dresser until they fall over (bang!) or fall to the floor (crash). She does it over & over until I get out of bed, trick her into coming closer to me & throw her out the room. That is not the right way to wake up in the morning - especially on a Monday... or the weekend!

Of course, they all have their good & bad days. Sometimes they are great kids - full of sweetness & love. Sometimes they are the devil's spawn & there is nothing you can do but call it a night. At this point in my life - childless - I still feel like I get a little 'taste' of what it's like. And sometimes, I'm ok with having kids that let me sleep in late on the weekend!

If Your Dog Pees...

I am sure that my dog, Jake, could out pee yours! In the kitchen, in the sun room, in the den, inside, outside, upside down... you name it. Jake does not discriminate on places to pee. He's an equal opportunity pee-er.


In all reality, it's not a good sign when he's peeing everywhere. He's got an infection. So Jake went to the vet this afternoon. All of the sudden, I am Jake's favorite person in the world. I can tell you at home that's not the case! But today, i was "mama". Never seen the little guy with so much love for me.


Jake got his weight taken, peed on the floor in the lobby & had his temp taken (hehe). He wasn't too keen on the Doc. He made a classic cat move to get away - jumped right off the exam table! Now, for any other dog I might have done a 2nd look, but since Jake is like the 3rd cat in the house... nothing new.


Even with an infection, Jake acts the same. He's eating, drinking, sleeping, annoying his sister, Sydney, just as if he were 100% perfect. It's just the peeing. According to the vet, we need to switch to a special prescription diet for him (he's had this several times) & start giving him bottled water. Who knew the little guy was going to cost a small fortune!


Right now Jake's outside hooting it up with his sis, chasing invisible demons & barking at anything that moves. I don't know for sure, but I think he's on his way to being cured! I hope so... or I am going to have to break out the doggy diapers!