Status Confirmation

Just so you all know, it has been confirmed: I'm officially a card-carrying member of Crazy Cat Ladies of America, with visiting rights in other countries that are members of Crazy Cat Ladies International.

What this really means is that I've had to cancel my vacation to the UK for which I was supposed to be leaving Thursday after work. The reason, you ask?

Because I have to pay mucho dineros to take Buca to the kitty kardiologist and the specialty dentist. Like around $1500 worth of specialty veterinary care for a seemingly healthy cat.

Now, I know that most people don't get it. You think I'm nuts to spend that much money on a pet.

But you know what I think? I think YOU don't get it. You don't get that pets aren't something just there for your convenience and that when they become inconvenient, you just throw them away like that toy you got tired of playing with when you were 5 years old. Pets are living beings entirely dependent on us for their health and survival, and all they do is give us love (and lots of extra hair, but whatever).

Whoa. Ok, sorry for that rant, been spending too much time looking at pet adoption sites and wanting to declaw lots of irresponsible humans . . .

So anyway, I'm not going on vacation after all. I'll be taking off this Friday and the following Tuesday so I get a lovely 5 day weekend, which I plan to spend with Buca and Chico, and hopefully doing something productive, like giving away books and finding some bookcases. I also plan to do something completely unproductive, like go to the Zoo or the National Gallery of Art for an afternoon.

I still can't believe I'm spending my vacation money at the vet's office. But at least I got a nifty identification card to confirm my Crazy Cat Lady status. Laminated and everything.

And his Indian name is . . .

Chico Big Ears

Chico

So this is Chico, the newest member of the family. I found him at the local animal shelter and brought him home on Saturday. This pic was taken less than 2 hours after he got home and, as you can see, was already settling in. Yes, be prepared for this blog to become all Chico, all the time, for a while at least.

I know I've been a bad blogger. I've been really busy at work, and just wiped when I get home at night. Weekends are no better. I'm mentally exhausted and it's all I can do to keep up with the basics of a normal life and household, like doing laundry to have clean clothes for work and cooking food and even, occasionally, washing dishes. Crap, that reminds me, my sink is full of dishes again and I'll have to wash them before I can make dinner tonight.

Anyway, back to Chico. Buca is emphatically NOT happy with the new addition. He hisses at him and growls. He has taken to hiding out back in the spare room and in my bedroom, while Chico thinks the living room is huge and rarely ventures out of it. Mostly this all works out just fine, except that Chico, within 24 hours of coming home with me, has taken to following me around everywhere, including the spare room and my bedroom. This does not make for a happy Buca, who has taken a couple of swipes at him. I kind of forgot about all this introduction nonsense and how tiring it is.

In the meantime, I try to give Buca lots of attention and reassure him that he still is The Man. (Get it? Chico and the Man? If you do, you've just admitted either a) your age or b) your addiction to Nickelodeon's TVLand.)

For those who wonder how I came up with this name, it went something like this. Within the first hour after I brought him home, Buca was already hissing at him. I reassured Buca by petting him and telling him not to worry, he was still The Man. And suddenly, it hit me: Chico. I said it, and the little one looked straight in my eyes and bounced away. I reckon that means he knows his name. Right?

There will be lots more cuteness pics up soon, never fear. Cuteness knows no bounds.

PS - K - I left a message for you yesterday; I'd lost the notepad with your number on it and just found it yesterday when I did some cleaning. Give me a call on my cell when you get a chance.

Why, Tony, Why?

Tony, you know I think you're one of the best things to come around since sliced bread. You're hip in that distinctly off-beat, geeky way, especially because you really don't give a fuck what anyone thinks, except that the food tastes great and there's plenty of booze and no laws against smoking. Sure, you're sending yourself to an early grave with all the drugs and OTT restaurant scene living in the 80s, and the drinking and smoking and eating anything you want and travelling all over the place and butting heads with, oh, just about everybody.

But did you really have to wear those JEANS SHORTS in Puerto Rico????
Some things are dealbreakers. The earring, I can take. I don't like it, but I can put up with it. But jeans shorts? Those are dealbreakers, my friend.

Yet another crush falls beneath the weight of style expectations. *sigh*

No Cash, Dude

Sometimes, weird thoughts come to me. Okay, I'll admit it, weird thoughts come to me pretty frequently, but anyway, here's the latest:

What effect, if any, is the shift of our society to a cashless economy having on the homeless people who hang out waiting for our spare change? I can only imagine it must not be good.

Now, I'm not one to give cash willy nilly to every homeless person holding out a cup. In fact, I very rarely give them money at all, for various reasons, but that's another post. However, once in a great while, I'll be in a particularly magnanimous mood and I'll throw in whatever change I've got in my pocket, or a buck or two. One day, I even gave a guy a $5. I have no idea why.

But I have to think that when even I, the original cash basis girl, end up going cashless and rely solely on my bank card, that has to mean these homeless people aren't getting as much money as they used to. It's not as if they can swipe your card for a buck or two.

It also makes me think that the high traffic spots are much more zealously staked out, and that turf wars must erupt on occasion.

The Great Homeless Turf War. Yep, I'll put my money (via the internet) on that bringing down this country.