and now my cat story

I took Lindsay to the vet today. I asked for "sick time" at work because I haven't used hardly any of it (we are allotted an X amount of hours each year) and since my manager is an animal lover (he has three dogs and one cat) he understood that pets = doctor's visit he let me leave early today.

I had made an appointment about three weeks ago after receiving a cute postcard reminding me that Lindsay is due for a checkup (a "FVRCP 3 YEAR").

I waited at the bus stop with Linds in her carrier and as I was boarding the bus, the driver told me that Lindsay counted as a passenger in regards to fares.

Think about that for a minute.

Then think about how I had to pay an ADULT fare for Lindsay and I didn't have the exact change of $1.50 so I had to put two $1 bills without getting back 50 cents. He said that "he wasn't pulling my leg that it was written in the policy" at this point, I already had a rough day so didn't want to argue but in the half dozen times that I took Lindsay in the carrier, not once did ANY driver ask to pay for her. The passengers were just as incredulous as I was.

It doesn't matter, it was almost worth it for Lindsay's transfer ticket alone:


For some reason, of the many times I've brought Lindsay to the SPCA hospital she always seems most relaxed around Dr. Goh. So I specifically made an appontment with her and sure enough, Lindsay was totally relaxed after only a few minutes. It could be that she has two cats of her own. I addressed the following concerns:

she drags her butt
she doesn't eat dry food anymore
she doesn't drink water anymore
she made this fan-like noise
she pees at the edges of the litter box
she has really bad plaque on her teeth

Dr. Goh checked her out and gave her a vaccine but said there was nothing too unusual and made a few recommendations for Linds. In fact, she thought her fur was nice, shiny and healthy.

So it seems that Linds is good for a bit. whew.

and now a cat story

link to sfgate article

Cat Burglar Suspect in Garden-Glove Thefts
By JIM FITZGERALD, Associated Press Writer
Thursday, July 20, 2006

(07-20) 13:12 PDT PELHAM, N.Y. (AP) --
A pink-and-white gardening glove was missing Thursday morning from Jeannine Goche's front porch. But there was absolutely no mystery about who had taken it. Willy, the cat who loves gloves, had struck again.

"It has to be him," said Goche, an attorney. "I've heard about him."

As if the gardeners of Pelham don't have enough to worry about, with the rocky soil and the slugs and the big trees casting too much shade, a feline felon has been sneaking into their back yards and carrying off gardening gloves.

Goche's flower-patterned number may soon take its place on the clothesline that's strung across the front fence at Willy's home, which he shares with Jennifer and Dan Pifer, their 19-month-old son Hudson and a mutt named Peanut Chew.

Above the line is a sign that says, in words and pictures, "Our cat is a glove snatcher. Please take these if yours."

On Thursday morning, nine pairs of gardening gloves and five singles were strung up, nicely framed by the Pifers' flourishing tomato and basil plants. Willy, looking innocent, was playing with a beetle under the Subaru in the driveway and occasionally dashing after Hudson.

"This all started about the time people began working in their gardens, I guess March or April," Jennifer Pifer said. "Willy would just show up with a glove, or we'd see them on the front steps. I guess it's better than if he was bringing home dead birds."

A friend, Claudia Bonci, said she was in the Pifers' kitchen recently and had noticed a single gardening glove on the sidewalk.

"Jennifer was telling me all about how Willy was bringing home all these gloves, and there was a small pile of them outside the door, and then here comes the cat with a glove in its mouth, proud as could be, like he was giving me a gift."

Some of the gloves really are gift-worthy.

"A lot of these looked brand new," said Pifer. "Some of them are really nice."
She doesn't know how far afield Willy goes to find a glove, but she has learned it takes him two trips to bring home a matched pair.

Willy, born to a stray last spring and taken in by the Pifers as a newborn, stays out some nights but seems to assemble his collection in daytime raids.

"Mostly it happens on weekends, I guess when people are out gardening," Pifer said. "Can't you just imagine people saying, `The gloves were right here, where'd they go?'"

John Cassone, who lives and gardens across the street, said he isn't missing any gloves. He uses "the big, heavy leather kind" and figures Willy, a wiry type, isn't strong enough to drag them away.

Guess again: There's a pair of the big, heavy leather kind among Willy's trophies.

Willy couldn't care less about the gloves after they're captured. On Thursday he could not be enticed into a grab-the-glove game.

In winter, when gardening gloves are hard to find, Willy switches to his offseason prey, dirty socks, which he brings from the laundry room.

"We find them in the hallway, on the stairs," she said. "I used to think, `Oh, I must have dropped it on the way down.' But now I know better."

Despite his criminal nature, neighbors get a kick out of Willy. Cassone said the cat likes to accompany the mailman up and down the block, all the way to each front door. Willy also likes to climb trees and bat at the heads of people below.

Since Pifer grows flowers and vegetables and herbs herself, isn't she tempted to make use of the endless supply of garden gloves that arrive at her doorstep free, shipping included?

"No," she said, a bit sadly. "I do a lot of gardening but I don't use gloves."

walk the dog

I walked my landlord's dog, Princess, today. It was the first time I ever walked a dog and I can understand, just a little bit even, what it means to have a dog. I tried to wear her out by sprinting a few times but they just love running even if they are tired. That was really nice to see that kind of fun-loving nature dogs have. Linds would never run alongside me much less let me pet her for more than, say, 10 seconds. Well, it is comparing dogs with cats though (sorry Linds!).

Princess and I went to the park and I let her get close to other dogs and we rested on the hill while she recuperated a bit. I let her smell bunch of disgusting stuff but not for too long.

I'll probably want to get a dog someday. I think my ideal would be to have a medium sized dog and two cats.

(I can hear the foghorns in the bay. I love this city.)

I asked Dena if I can walk her again and I think she was happy to because to her it was bit of a chore doing it several times a day, every day. Kinda like having a baby I suppose.

I'm not Gordon

There is a really good co-worker at... work. He has great work ethics, hard working and professional. He's also very friendly. He works in facilities so he's the guy for replacing toners, moving furniture and all yr other facility needs. His name is Gordon.

I work in tech support. I fix computers and install gadgets. My name is Andy.

We are both asians of the same height and build. We are both in support roles.

One time, this older lady, who isn't exactly the sharpest person I know always confused us. She would call Gordon, Andy and Andy, Gordon. Gordon told me a few others have done this as well. Today, I waited for the elevator to my floor. A client who I consider to be sharp and well informed also walked up to the elevator. I said, "Hi Karen!" and she said, "Hi Gordon!"

Here is why it's just bizaare when people make this slip up:



As I mentioned int he intro setup, we have simlilarities but please look at the graphics above again and ask yrself: "how?"

UPDATE: Not more than 5 hours since I posted this, I was setting up a laptop for a meeting, and someone leaned over and started to ask me a question with, "Gordon..." I couldn't help but stop him, laugh and say (holding up three fingers in each hand), "Andy. I'm Andy. You know you are the third person to call me that today (ok so I lied)!" I could tell he was embarassed and he really wanted to ask Gordon something. So at least he knew who did what... I think. damn. wtfbbqonastick?!

walk to the bay

ok, I'm not trying to win the Pulitzer Prizer here. I should be blogging more...

I walked to the bay to get out of the frustration I was feeling all morning:

1. I love the ocean. I love the smell of it. I looked below at the water and saw kelp everywhere.

2. I can't decide if I want to be a fish (like a shark, something dominant so I don't get eaten up by bigger sifh) or a bird. I think the popular choice is a bird but fish gives them a run for the money in my book.

3. The Bay Bridge is HUGE and really high up. I was somewhat nervous walking under the bridge and had to keep my eyes on it just in case...

4. It was sunny as hell and my shiny head was getting pretty hot.

5. I must start a fanzine. Of what I don't know. Something to do with living in San Francisco.

6. I saw my cat "drag her butt" on the carpet for the first time. It was both cute, worriesome and hilarious. I'll definitely have to bring it up with Dr. Goh when I see her next week.

7.

pdx

In less than twelve hours I will know if I (and a few others) will be seeing Sleater-Kinney's final (aka "indefinite hiatus") show appropriately in Portland.

It's fitting since my first live show I've seen was at the same place on 12/30/05.