My beautiful sweet kitty

Caesar was run over by a car last Saturday and was buried by the people who hit him so I'll never see him again. They saw our "Lost Cat" sign and called today.

He was a beautiful, sweet cat and he got me through a lot of hard times. I'm glad I have so many pictures of him to remember him by.

Federal holidays are nice - IF you get them off

Last week, I made plans to go hiking over Veteran’s Day weekend, thinking that I had a three day weekend to exploit. Well, I was wrong. So here I am, at work on a federal holiday. The only upside is that I get two days off at Thanksgiving, and I only got Thursday off at my old job.

I went walking around in the Theler Wetlands nature park in Belfair with my mom on Sunday. I didn’t even realize it was there until I read about it in a hiking book. It’s really quite fascinating, and so interesting to think that all of Kitsap used to look similar to the preserve. So much of it has been destroyed to make way for housing subdivisions. I’m all for people having their own places to live, but long-term land management doesn’t mean land for me, no land left for my children and grandchildren to appreciate in the future. One of the reasons I hate Wal-Mart so intensely is the way in which they built their stores in Bremerton and Poulsbo. In Bremerton, they decided it was cheaper to pay the fine for building on a wetland than to find a new location. In Poulsbo, the city council voted not to let them build the store, so they just built it right outside of city limits. Evil, nasty corporation. I am beyond glad that they have lost so much money recently.

My apartment is completely unpacked. However, I have not yet bought my shelving unit, so most of my stuff is in piles on the floor. Caesar is finding this to be endless fun, though, and he keeps hiding behind piles, then jumping out and attacking me when I walk by. He is also loving my new trunk, as it is the highest point he can reach in the room. I think it makes him feel powerful.

...to grandmother's house!

Ceasar is bored. This morning, he was sitting on my trombone case, which I have leaning upright against the open closet door, and he was simply staring at me while I ate breakfast. I am apparently the newest zoo attraction for my own cat.

Last night, I got to watch ‘Into the Woods,’ a musical by Steven Sondheim about what happens happily ever after. The first half is so hilarious that it lulls you into thinking it’s a comedy – which it sort of is – but the message of the second half is just so beautiful, it really comes together to make such a wonderful musical. I watched the staging with Bernadette Peters on video with K., and this was my first live performance of it. It was really quite marvelous, and the woman who played the Witch was brilliant! I loved ‘The Last Wish’ that she sang. Her voice could give you shivers.

My favorite comedic element of the musical is the two princes storyline. The best line of the whole musical is when Prince Charming (the elder brother, not to be confused with Prince Charming, the younger brother) tells Cinderella he’s fallen in love with Sleeping Beauty (the younger went after Snow White when Rapunzel died), and she asks him why loving her isn’t enough for him. “I was raised to be charming, not sincere,” he replied, in stentorian tones. The guys who played the princes caught the comedic pomposity of the princes beautifully, not to mention singing beautifully. All in all, a wonderful evening.

Next up, ‘Whistle Down the Wind’ with my mom. I think I’ll see ‘Jersey Boys’ with my brother when it comes out in December, too.

And the difference is...

Here at home, I still:

• have to work to find things to fill my time
• eat piles of fruit
• play piano out of boredom
• get onto the computer entirely too often
• wake up early because I've gone to bed early out of boredom

But, there are some major differences:

• I don't have to deal with the boys' father
• I don't have to see the boys' father
• I don't have to talk to the boys' father
• I don't sweat as soon as I step outside
• I don't need aircon
  
• I have a real room, and I can actually use blankets

By the far, the best thing about being home is not getting yelled at for eating whatever food is available, and it's so nice to raid my mom's stores because she's also an organic/health food freak. The other absolutely fantastic part of being home is being able to hang out with my cat, whom I love dearly and haven't actually been able to spend much time with since I had to take him home from Austria at Easter.

I'm already hard at work on finding a job, and I have an interview at a legal staffing agency on Tuesday in Seattle. Thankfully, I'm on a bus line to the ferry, so I can still get by with not having a car, something for which I am duly thankful. I hate driving, and had no special fondness for thinking of how annoying it would be to have to get back into the American consumptive way of life. Now I don't have to. The Port Orchard library is right next to the foot ferry dock, so I'll get in lots of reading, I do believe. :) I have a feeling this new stage in my life will be much more fulfilling and much better for me, in terms of personal well-being, than the past two months have been.

goodbye, Patch

Today, H. got the news that his pet rat, Patch, has died, probably of a brain tumor. This made him quite sad all day, so he got a piece of chocolate and cancellation of long division for today. It's not every day your first pet dies on you.

He was a stinky, nasty, long-hairless-tailed rat, but he was Henri's rat, and that's what mattered. So, goodbye Patch - I hope you have no idea that your body is now living in a freezer, awaiting pet cremation. That would just not be cool.

Note: I don't really like this whole pet cremation thing, or this trend towards spending billions of dollars on pets. I'm attached to my beautiful Caesar, but I don't buy him those massive giant cat play dealios. I certainly won't be cremating him when he dies. He'll be buried in a cardboard box with holes poked in it for faster decomposition, just like every other pet I've had. I'll probably plant some sort of pretty bush or tree on top of his grave to remember him by. But pet cremation? It's like $100. That's a lot of money, just to keep a pet's ashes. Thoughts?

The Joy of Flying

Flight #1: 7:35am from Vienna to Frankfurt, with Air Berlin aka Niki. We got sandwiches - and not too shabby ones - for an hour long flight. Everything went well, was really professional, and the time sped by.

Flight #2: 11:20am from Frankfurt to Atlanta, with Delta on standby. Because I thought it would save me money to go on standby with an employee ticket (thanks A.!), I chose this option. Turns out that's not the best possible plan when it's spring break in the US and holy week (meaning spring break with Catholic/Lutheran overtones) in Europe. After carting my stuff all over the airport (Delta busted off the wheels on my wheely bag on the way to Austria, so I had to use one of those stupid carts - not exactly the most user friendly devices ever), got to sit and wait at the gate, only to watch the plane leave.

Flight #3: 11:35am from Frankfurt to Cincinnati with Delta standby. Because the first flight was delayed, so was the second. But, I didn't make it onto this one either. One flight left out of Europe for the day.

Flight #4: 12:05pm from Frankfurt to JFK with Delta standby. Got the last ticket available for the flight to JFK. As I arrived at my seat, I saw, to my horror, a baby in the seat next to me. Somewhere, I was sure, God was laughing at me. A lot. Thankfully, it turns out the baby was actually sitting directly behind me, not next to me. Small miracles. Time Caesar has been stuck in his little bag thus far - 7 hours.

Flight #5: 4:40pm from JFK to Seattle with Delta standby. Nice and warm in this part of the airport - mainly because there are so many people. Everyone has crowded around the gates because both flights in this area, San Francisco and Seattle, are overbooked. The gate attendant keeps asking for volunteers to wait to fly until tomorrow for 'Delta dollars.' Time Caesar has been stuck in his little bag thus far - 17 hours.

Flight #6: 7:05 from JFK to Seattle with Delta standby. My feet hurt. I was supposed to be available for economy or first class, so I had to wear nice shoes. They hurt. I bought two New York t-shirts. I figured I may as well, since I've never been to New York before. I see, not particularly surprised, that I have not been cleared for this flight either. Barring unfortunate circumstances for some other passengers, Caesar and I will have to find a hotel for the night. Time Caesar has been stuck in his little bag thus far - 21 hours.

Flight #7: 8:00am from JFK to Seattle with Delta standby. Full flight. Last night - $130 for myself and the cat, cheapest that could be found according to the hotel reservations lady. I'm just glad I didn't see any bugs in the room and things looked reasonably clean. The driver asked me which airline I was flying with in Spanish. The other passenger had to translate for me. I didn't expect to feel the same way I usually feel in Austria - not understanding what's going on around me - in my own country. Maybe I should have taken Spanish in high school. Caesar is now more unhappy than ever since he was able to experience the relative freedom of the hotel room last night, and now REALLY hates his bag.

Seatac To-Do list:

• take Caesar to the Pet Area to do his business (he didn't, too scared)
• report my lost luggage
• try to call my mom, and see if she actually came to pick me up since I hadn't been able to confirm the morning's flight

Am now at home, deeply grateful that I actually made it here. It took about 41 hours to get from my house in Vienna to my mom's house in Port Orchard. It took my mom 16 when she flew at Christmas with Northwest. AND she had a free first class ticket. Now that's what I call traveling.

Sick Kitty Update

The second visit cost €56. *sigh* And this does not include the health certificate checkup this Friday to get him back to the US. He has been fine, if a little bored since he went on the antibiotics. The bored part has nothing to do with the being sick part, but all the other cats moved to Canada on Saturday, so he keeps wandering around the house begging me to play with him or pay attention or anything. Last night, we played with the blue feather toy for awhile.

I also have good news to report - today I don't feel like garbage! :) Last Thursday, I missed work because I had no voice, went to work on Friday, with the help of my small pharmacy I brought with me, then came home, took Caesar to the vet and went to sleep. Saturday and Sunday was spent in an orgy of self pity and television viewing; at least five little bags of tissues gave their lives along with a roll of toilet paper and a significant amount of my facial moisturizer. Monday I missed work again, made it out of the house for my one hour of Farsi instruction, and was so wiped I came straight back home. Today I am back at work, feeling much better, although slightly annoyed that I showed up for the first lesson and didn't teach until the fourth. Because I no longer have internet at home (which made Saturday and Sunday just that much more fun!), today is also my catch-up-on-internet-activities-day. On to more witty observations about fascinating happenings in the 'heart of Europe!'

Sick kitty

Poor Caesar spent the better part of today vomiting all over the house. It was not fun. Not for him, clearly, and not for me as I got to clean it up. Since cats often have gastrointestinal problems, for various reasons, I didn't really pay much attention until it turned pink. Thinks only turn pink if an animal hasn't had anything to eat and is bleeding from the stomach. This is clearly bad. However, there are various reasons for this too, none of which I could take care of myself.

So, off to the vet ten minutes before they closed. Fun! That meant that the base fee would be €20 instead of €100, the after hours fee. This is definitely good. However, he needed an X-ray (nothing bad, thank goodness!), two antibiotics (which he hated), and an IV drip because he was dehydrated and had a fever. Poor baby. Poor me - the visit cost me €81,20 total. Oh, well. Only the best for my baby! Unfortunately, we travel back to the US in less than two weeks, so he better get healthy fast. He's sleeping now, which I hope will help him recover more quickly.

Tomorrow, I get to spend more money on my kitty. fun! But as long as my little friend is healthy, that's all that matters. I have great earning potential - but there's only one Caesar. :)

They're called 'ticks'

Today I found a rather ugly looking grayish-brown thing on Caesar's skin. I had no idea what it was, but it looked somewhat like an enormous mole. Because Caesar's fur is so thick, it was hard to separate it and see what the thing actually was.

I showed it to my landlady, and she said that it was a 'blah-blah' (this is my version of what she said in Spanish). Clearly, I don't know the Spanish word for such things, but she did say it was a parasite that was sucking my baby's blood. Gross.

Hence, the Google search, when after typing in parasite cat removal, I finally found what I was looking for, after wading through a couple pages on the various other ailments cats can get if they go outside often (which Caesar now does).

It's called a tick. And it's really, really ugly. Thankfully, they're pretty much harmless in this part of the world, although apparently Australian ticks cause paralysis. Remind me not to go to Australia. Seems like all the worst nasty disease carrying creatures live there. Anyway, now I have to start doing regular tick checks on Caesar, and removing them if necessary. The process is kind of gross too, have to grab the tick by its head with a pair of tweezers and pull gently so you get rid of the whole tick. Now, little bits of these two ticks are still in my poor baby's skin, but apparently cats can usually handle that just fine.

Nasty little bugs. I hate bugs.