Feral Follies

It’s safe to say I live in a cat house though which of us three women here is the quintessential “crazy cat lady” it’s difficult to pinpoint. We are all over 40. We are all essentially homebodies. We all talk to our cats as if they were toddlers. I’ve two of my own, indoor only. They’ve been with me for 8 and 11 years respectively and I would move mountains for them. Each of my three housemates has one indoor-outdoor as their own. And then we have the ferals. Mama, Bobby, TJ, Mango. Mama is the mother of three of our cats – 2 tuxes and a calico. The others, 2 are truly feral and one we discovered was abandoned because when we took her to get her spayed, the vet discovered she already had an unregistered microchip from the next county down.

Bobby in “his” chair.

Well, the orange ferals, Mango and Bobby, have decided they are moving in. Mango was first when he wandered in for breakfast one morning because he wanted the “good food” and just never left. He quickly learned to love the lap and now thinks he’s looking of the castle. Bobby, a real tomcat until he got snipped, he’s slowly getting better with people. He loves the head rubs but don’t dare touch him anywhere past the shoulders. He has a biting habit he needs to break.

TJ the Scaredy Cat.

TJ, the abandoned female, she’s a lover when she wants to be but only outside and only if you’re sitting down with your hair back. She’s afraid of long hair for some reason so I always have to have mine up in a bun. She could be sweet if she wasn’t so paranoid.

La menagerie, minus a few.

9 cats. 1 house. And truth be told, every hairball, every “accident,” every item knocked out a shelf or table or counter, it’s all worth it for those cuddles. Hopefully though we are not on our way to becoming another Hemingway house.

Two Hours

In response to: The Daily Post: Daily Prompt – Good Fences

In two hours, I will be relocating again.  Not far this time, but also not into the best area.  Today brings another “adventure” of clearing out my car, loading it up, moving belongings, unloading it, trying to organize my life – again.  And the cats… my God the cats hate moving.  There is a dog and two other cats in the new place.  Mine will be kept in my room for the time being as introductions to other animals are usually long and painful.  My big boy, he growls like a dog at anything he senses but can’t see.

Today brings a world without Internet for at least four days, as they can’t come out to connect it until Tuesday night and even then, with everything the house is going through, there might be issues in finding or installing lines and outlets.  I will be connecting minimally through the 4G on my phone and likely transcribing blog posts on the tiny virtual keyboard.  Tonight brings another night of trying to fall asleep in a new place, around new people. It’s sort of like a one-building commune type living situation.  The lady I’m moving in with is nice and she’s gone all out to make a comfortable space for me. Two others live there, her son and another man. I’m not terribly comfortable around men, but she’s given me the only bedroom with a door and a lock on it. The rest of the rooms – including the bathroom – as yet only have parted together drywall and blankets up for walls and doors.  The house is in a perpetual state of remodel, as it used to be a two-bedroom and has been gutted to be reconfigured into a four-bedroom. Rooms are now TINY.  However with all the loss that my life has seen over the past 14 months (actually over the past decade), my belongings have been reduced to only what I can fit in my car – and most not by choice.  Goodbye three bedroom house that Hurricane Frances took years ago – hello continued poverty.

This weekend also brings trying to get used to a new neighborhood, new people, new surroundings.  It doesn’t give the appearance of a neighborhood I’d want to walk around in alone.  It’s… older.  It’s pretty run down. It’s also surrounded by three major colleges, two within walking distance.  It reminds me of the projects in which I landed after my divorce in 2005.  Here, like there, I will have to make friends fast if I’m going to survive.  When I was in the projects in Fort Pierce, I immediately took to an elderly lady next door who everyone just called “Granny.”  Granny had been in that little house most of her 80+ years.  Everyone knew her and no one messed with her.  She looked after me the three years I stayed there and even after moving into a better place, my daughter and I still went back to visit her often.  She would always marvel at how big my daughter had gotten since the last time she saw her, even if it had only been a month between visits.  Granny was the best neighbor I have ever had.  I’m praying that my surroundings, while rough on first glance, will prove friendly enough that I don’t have to worry about the safety of myself or my belongings.

At A Crossroad (Perblog Oct. 19, 2013)

PerBlog October 19, 2013

 

After spending the majority of this year out of work and the most recent 2-3 months couch-surfing after I lost my apartment, I am finally starting to get settled in at my new home.  It is 2 ½ hours from where I have been for the past decade, but St. Lucie County had just completely run out of opportunities for me. After my old boss passed away and the company closed behind him in January, I simply could not find work that was enough to take care of my basic needs. I’d found temp work here and there, but nothing permanent came through.  With my apartment several months behind, that was it.  I started another temp job and put my stuff into storage, staying between my car and a neighbor’s house (which quickly became very abusive situation).  I approached people that I trusted and no one was willing to let me stay with them until I got back on my feet so without an ounce of help from my friends and no family in the area, I had a choice to make:  continue being homeless and unable to care for myself much less my daughter, or make a change in my life.

It’s been a very difficult change to make.  150 miles away, a previous boyfriend was willing to take me in and provide food and shelter while I sought work and recovered my losses.  His family (3 kids of his own plus two extended family) has been welcoming and friendly as I try to find work here in a much bigger city and try to adjust, settle in and find my way around.  I am still looking for work, but do have some calls coming back for interviews and I am hopeful something will come through soon.  I have so much I need to catch up on – vital bills that can NOT be ignored but right now there isn’t a damn thing I can do about them.  I’m still trying to come to terms with the fact that I am 2 ½ hours away from my daughter until I find work and get a couple paychecks in to be able to get back for visitation, the fact that my belongings are being auctioned off at storage because I couldn’t pay for it, and the fact that I lost two pets in the process, Topper and Moppit, my cat and my dog.  I have very little clothing with me, and only one of my journals – the most recent one – even though I had kept every one of my journals since I started writing them at age 9.  I had to leave when I had to leave, and that meant coming up with only what would fit in my car.  This is the third time in my life I’ve lost it all.  Isn’t it about damn time something other than being shit on becomes permanent in my life?

Well, with nothing to my name, here I am starting over yet again.  Praying to God something permanent comes in so I can once again have gas and food (it’s still scarce here in a household of seven), proper clothing, personal bills paid, and a little to live on.  After those basics are taken care of, I look forward to being able to fix the A/C in this house, as it’s got a bad circuit board and was 92F inside today and my asthma is suffering BADLY for being stuck in this hot, humid air and I’ve no means to get my medication.  Internet would be great too!  Right now my only reliable connection is at the library.  It’s sad, the things we take for granted when we have them constantly.  When not having certain things begins to affect one’s health however, I think there is justification for bitching a bit when trying to change the situation that wasn’t working isn’t itself immediately working.  My life has turned upside-down this year and fallen out from under me.  It is HARD.  Bear with me if I’m angry or depressed or bitter.  All that pretty hope and happiness idealism isn’t always possible.

Taking Back The Quiet

Good Sunday morning to you all 🙂

Never underestimate the rejuvenating benefits of just sleeping in.  Looking for a full time job has been a full time job in itself, as has been catching up on housework (starting my Spring Cleaning early while I have the time).  So this morning I wanted a break and didn’t turn my alarm on, just woke up when the body wanted to.  Fed the fur-kids, played out back with the dog a bit, made myself a little breakfast and took my oatmeal, coffee and Kindle out to the front porch to just read the news and relax at my own pace.  Came back in, washed the breakfast dishes and lit some incense to settle in at Ol’ Reliable (my 10-year old dinosaur of a computer) to just… write 🙂  

Unfortunely, sleeping in did mean that I missed a very early message from a friend inviting me to breakfast (Sorry Alyn!) but I’m hoping I can see him later today since thanks to a foot injury (I’m a clutz), I ended up missing out on the reef volunteer work yesterday.  The poor foot is still quite swollen and red and there isn’t a whole lot of movement in the outer toes.  That happens when you somehow dislocate a toe.. then drop the edge of a desk on it that you’re relocating to a different room, THEN end up inadvertently kicking the corner of the bed that you’re balancing to make.  Tellin’ ya.. I need to start wearing steel-toed shoes wherever I go.  This foot has exactly three days to heal up proper though – at least enough for me to get decent shoes on – as I have two interviews coming up this week Wednesday and Thursday.  Flip flops or fluffy slippers are NOT a viable option!  (Actually, even the flip flops hurt at this point.)

So that’s my morning, as boring as it is.  The dog snoring under my desk chair has the right idea.  But you know… sometimes “boring” is a good thing.  No drama, no rushing… yes please 🙂

It’s Kitten Time Again!

So the night before Halloween this year, I was on the phone with Joe about 0200 and as I’m sitting on the east side of my little abode keeping an eye on Orion and spotting shooting stars, I see a little creature dart just through my peripheral vision. I look down and there’s a little black and white kitten crouched a few feet away. I put my hand down to motion him over and after a moment, he trotted over and literally jumped into my lap. I was chosen! He was thin, and I could feel the flea dirt on him, but overall he looked and acted healthy. I took him in and isolated him from the other pets in the bathroom while I fed and watered him and decided that since he was so friendly and practically chose me without a thought, we’d keep him.

De-flea’d and with a clean bill of health, Topper is soon to be neutered (and I am a firm supporter of spaying and neutering to control unwanted and abandoned pet overpopulation). In this kitten stage (he’s about 6 months old) still, he is an absolute joy to watch explore, pounce and acrobat around the house. Since I’ve all male cats, I expected more of an issue in introducing them but within 24 hours of coming home, he’d found a bond with Spirit (shown above in a photo taken at their first meeting). Spirit has been the one “raising” him, caring for him in all the little ways only another cat could. Midnight is pretty indifferent, then again, he is 16 and is only interested in lying around with me, being peaceful. Hehe, I guess he’s always been that way, kind of like furniture. Furniture that purrs.

By far the most cherished facet of this little kitten’s personality is his clinginess to people. Topper is definitely a lap cat, boldly jumping into laps, curling up with nuzzles then falling right asleep with thunderous purrs. Welcome home, Topper 🙂

Dead Kittehs In SL!!!!!!

I think my pet doesn’t like me anymore :((

(Jyllie is me, Gats is my pet I just took the rest of his name out… Eddie is the almost-most-important-person-in-my-whole-real-life)

[19:08]  Gats: I just hate that song XD
[19:09]  Jyllie Nightfire: my brother sings it to me all the time! 😦 *sniff*
[19:09]  Gats: I still hate it XD
[19:09]  Jyllie Nightfire: i think i don’t like my kitty tonite 😦
[19:09]  Gats sobs
[19:10]  Jyllie Nightfire: noooo sob i sob first :’-((
[19:13]  Jyllie Nightfire sniffs pitifully, tucks tail and walks away….
[19:14]  Gats latches onto her tail and is dragged along.
[19:14]  Jyllie Nightfire: ow….
[19:14]  Jyllie Nightfire is reminded to hold you down and clip those claws….
[19:14]  Gats: >.>
[19:15]  Gats bleeds to death cause she didn’t do it right.
[19:15]  Jyllie Nightfire: nuuuuuuuuu i have a styptic stick just in case!!!!
[19:15]  Gats is already dead 😛
[19:15]  Jyllie Nightfire breathes life into her kitten and remembers she doesn’t like him right now
[19:16]  Gats doesn’t think she’s Heshua or God so she can’t do taht 😛
[19:16]  Jyllie Nightfire: CPR man… Catten Pawmonary Resussitation
[19:18]  Gats: Byebye, for the night, babes.
[19:18]  Jyllie Nightfire: *pout*
[19:18]  Jyllie Nightfire: love u?
[19:19]  Gats is Offline
[19:20]  Jyllie Nightfire: i only killed you on accimident!!!!!!
[19:20]  Second Life: User not online – message will be stored and delivered later.
[20:42]  Edward: wow – what did you use to trim the claws – a chainsaw?

THAT! WAS SO! WRONG!!!  I hope my pet Gats comes home tomorrow?