What has become of my life

Sunday morning

5 am - wake up
5:10 am - wake up again
5:15 am - go cuddle the kitten
5:20 am - wash my face and put on clothes that don't smell
5:30 am - meet Elizabeth on the back porch and get into my car
5:31 am - smash my right side mirror to pieces while backing out of the garage
5:32 am - repark my car, get into elizabeth's, and drive down to the run
6 am - get to the run and look for my coach
6:10 am - start running through the M-Streets and talking in loud voices about our absolute disgust of all the tear downs appearing in the neighborhood that do not comply with the original asthetic
7 am - stop running, drink lots of water
7:20 am - get home. Hug my big kitty. Go hug my little kitty. Make sure no one feels left out

This is not good people. My life now revolves around my cat, my kitten, and the 5 miles I have to get in.

I replaced the mirror this morning. I'm hoping these runs don't put me into the poor house. My budget for the month has officially been blown out of the water!!

Violet

The newest member of the household moved in, and its been interesting, to say the least.

My friend saved a mama cat from a shelter and was looking for homes for the four kittens. I decided I could take another one in.

I brought Violet home last Wednesday night, and poor thing was completely scared out of her mind. I put her in the back bedroom and she hid. I came in with a book and read, and she came out from under the bed a bit, but she was still figuring things out.

Lets just say, by Friday, Violet has figured out that humans are the most wonderful things in the world, especially me. She just wants me in the room with her. She runs around and completely tires herself out, and then comes over for some pets and a cuddle. Its really sweet, BUT its kind of upsetting to the senior feline member of the household, Penny. I think Penny could take it ok when she could ignore the thing in the other room, but the thing not only meows at the door, but now she puts her nose and paws under the door trying to get out. You really can't ignore that.

And so, the hissing begins.

I try to share my time between the two of them, but its a bit much. I can't let Violet out of her room until she has been to the vet tomorrow, and she wants out DESPERATELY. She reinacts escape from Alcatraz whenever I open the bedroom door.


Tomorrow night, Violet gets to room the house. Cross your fingers Penny doesn't attack her.

Enough of me to go round?

For the last month or so I have been contemplating getting another animal. While I love love love dogs, I have to admit that I'm not responsible enough. I just can't make the final commitment there.

So, I dropped the subject for a while, and then...

Last week I went ot lunch with a vendor contact, and at the end she looked at me and asked if I was an animal lover. The next thing you know she is showing me pictures of a little tabby kitty she rescued that is 8 weeks old, and I melted.

I really don't need another cat.

My current cat is very used to and happy with her situation.

I haven't had to deal with a kitten in years and years.

But, of course I said yes. I'm picking up the little bugger on Wednesday. I stayed up late last night researching on the internet kitten care and how to introduce a kitten to an older cat.

I'm seriously crossing my fingers my Penny doesn't take out the new addition to the family. We are going to baby step it and put the kitten in another room and gradually bring her out.

I want to give the baby kitty a good home, and the girl who rescued it said if it doesn't work out, she will always take it back. So, I do have a backup plan.

Who knows, Penny might have some deeply hidden mothering needs or something. (I seriously highly doubt this, but one can dream.)

Worst cat mommy ever

Currently, I'm in a state of house overhaul. I just got it into my head that I needed to fix up some things. So, I'm fixing them all up at the same time. I put new doors on, I retiled my bathroom floor, I updated the backyard, etc.

The problem is everything is going in piecemeal, and now I'm stuck doing all the clean up work. Case in point: my new front and back doors. We popped them in over a month ago, and I'm finally getting to caulking the edges, painting the frame, and staining the new boards on the floor. I have never stained before. This has turned into a new adventure.

I started on Sunday with the actual stain. That was easy easy. The house smelled a little bit, but I didn't really take note of it. Then according to instructions I had to put on a clear coat. They warned that would really stink. I thought I would put a coat on and then go to running class. No big deal.

Well, as some may remember, I live with a cat, who had the joy of being locked up wiht the clear coat fumes for 2 hours. I came home and the poor thing was high. Seriously, she was in a great place. If she could talk, she would say "hey man, I'm Jonesing for some Funyuns." I opened windows and started airing out the place. Not good.

Lesson learned. One should stain and clear coat things outside the house and not inside the house, unless you want your cat do go on a psychodelic road trip.

The heat, yeah not so much

Yes, I live in Dallas for many reasons, but not a single one is because of the weather. I hate the heat. I can deal with the two months of Spring and the two months of Fall, but the summer just about kills me. I spend most of the time in doors in the air conditioning or in someone swimming pool. Just can't stand it.

So, just imagine how happy I was last night to run a 5k in 82 degrees with humidity. I thought I was going to die. After 2.7 miles I just turned to my friend and said "we have to stop". We walked for about .2 miles and then finished it up. I could have probably ran the whole thing, but I wasn't happy. Isn't this running thing supposed to be fun? I wasn't having fun.

Our time was about 2 minutes slower then the 5k I ran back in March when it was 45 degrees. We just wooshed through that thing. It was lovely. The air was brisk. I was all bundled up.

Last night, I was sweating buckets. It was nasty. Seriously. I wouldn't let the race photographer get a picture. Really don't want to be captured red faced and dry heaving my way down the Katy Trail.

I guess this means I'm switching to running in the mornings...

Pressure Washers

Ok, its official. I have the theme for my summer party. I'm going to have a pressure washer and vietnamese food party. Everyone seems to have a pressure washer. It's like they are coming out of the woodwork.
Cindi has one
Jenn has one
Malice has one
Kerry has one

Why does everyone have a pressure washer? Are they a necessary evil? Do I need one?

So, my house has four outside walls. I'm thinking I will invite over my four pressure friends plus several others, assign them a wall, and let them get to it. I will help out of course. And then afterwords, we will eat fresh spring rolls and I will have coolers of beer and wine.

I think it sounds like a great idea. And then later in the summer I can have my "lets paint my house and eat thai food party". Does anyone see a theme here???

I'm not sure I Like Being an Adult

This morning I'm going to sign my paperwork on my refinance. It has taken over a month to get this thing through. I didn't know it would be so annoying. You have to sign over 1000 sheets of paper and give them all your information including the name of your first born. My mortgage guy is very sweet, but its like I'm leading him. Kept having to write him and see what was happening.

At the same time, I'm trying to finish up work in my backyard. Working with contractors has me about to pull my hair out. It was all hurry up and pick us, and then it takes 3 weeks to pour and stain the concrete, and then he immediately wants all his money. I love how they can work as slow as possible, but you have to give them money ASAP.

I want to pressure wash the outside of the house. I want to paint the outside of the house. And so on, and so on. Its like the thing with the house never ends.