Current News about YOU....

Well let's see, summer classes started last night. I should be done with my degree in Dec of this year. Being the worrier I am though I'm stressing myself out with the idea that something will go wrong between now and then and I won't get to graduate. I'm trying not to let it get to me.

Work is work. I've been her almost seven years and it's about time for a change but I want to wait until I finish my degree before I make an extreme changes. I have a lot of projects going on right now that of course I don't seem to be making any progress on. I detest having to wait on other people in order to finish a project it alway makes me neverous that they aren't working at my speed. (Yeah I have control issues. )

Other than that life is pretty boring. I kinda just feel like I'm in waiting right now. Waiting for school to be finished so I can start to make the changes I want. Oh well, good planning never hurt anyone I suppose.

Interesting thread. Lets see... Just working on my car as usual as much as I can, and trying to work on my sisters too, busy cleaning my room (which takes about 3 months ) and just the usual around the house stuff. Oh yeah, I got in a car wreck like a week ago, noone was hurt, but still shook me up a bit. My cats are all doing great, except MissKitty who has unending clumps of matted hair on her. If we get rid of them, they just come back! Seems like the only thing that would work is shaving her bald ... oh and we have a stray cat in our back yard whos really sweet. I dont want to pet him though just incase he has a contagious disease.
Thats about it,

Peace,
Brandon

Originally Posted by superkitty

Last month I had the pleasure of meeting another TCSer, Pamela, in D.C. She is the kindest nicest woman, and pretty! Of course we got to share more cat pics and stories, and I was honored to see pics of her RB Sunniday. I was so disappointed I didn't have time to see her furrkids, but definitely next visit.

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Superkitty-So that's why my ears were buring and red!!

I really enjoyed meeting Superkitty in person, getting to know her better and talk about cats (of course)!! And she got to see me being a KLUTZ! I spilled meat juice all over my clothes during lunch!

I am looking forward to meeting her again in the future. That's one thing I really appreciate about TCS- how there are so many awesome people out there who LOVES cats!!

What's up with me?? Hmm, I just moved into my new apt so it's a nice change. Cicadas are FINALLY starting to disappear from my area! It was almost impossible to walk down the sidewalk from my apt to my car without stepping (crunch) on cicadas!!

Things aren't so great at work so I am keeping my eyes open for another job! SHHH.. My cats are doing great. Spike has started picking a bit on Pepper so I am working on that now. They are doing great otherwise! I can't think of any other exciting news to share so I'll stop for now.

I'm enjoying some "down time", after three solid months of marking tests and written exams. We were in Hungary last week, where we lazed at a spa and overate in terrific restaurants. I've had this week off, too, and have been sleeping till 8:30 a.m., spending too much time online, and reading (I'm halfway through Hillary Rodham Clinton's "Living History", which is fascinating; I've revised my opinion of her - she's much more down to earth than I'd given her credit for, and surprisingly forgiving of political foes). I'm birdsitting our niece's parakeets - the female is afraid of me, but the male seems to be wooing me (?) with all sorts of weird attention. He keeps trying to push birdseed into my mouth, and serenades me. It's a strange experience, as I'm not a "bird person". JC is thrilled to have us back home, and is very playful and cuddly. I'm going to hate having to go back to work!

OK, Tricia, but how is JC taking the extra attention from the 'keet? I should think he'd be more than a bit jealous??

I feel like I am going 90 miles per minute these days. Even though school is out for the summer, there is still plenty to do. I decided to take the summer off from having to deal with homework, so I have a long list of stuff that has to be done and things I want to do, such a reading and work on my art work! I am planning a baby shower this weekend for a friend of mine, that has turned into a nightmare than anything, actually it's not that bad, just a few things that keep popping up that I wasn't expecting. Anyway, I am getting my hair cut tonight, and I am excited about that! I love change when it comes to my hair!! WOOT! Zack and I are planning our anniversary weekend, which is still 2 months away (August 10), but we want to plan now since we decided we are going to New Braunsfels!! I have never been, but says that Schliterbahn is a lot of fun (it's a waterpark!)

I don't think I have any more news other than I wish I was home than here at work!

Oh, and I love my new position as a Mentor! I have to be online as much as possible now!

Have a great day!

Current events? I live a very boring life! Lol, actually I'm still working on 10 of 11 memory quilts for my friend who's dad passed away, we have a 300 serving wedding to cater Sat afternoon, Decoration where my FIL is buried Sunday, with lunch at my MIL's house........hmmm, my garden is planted and growning and WET as all get out right now......
we have another smaller wedding to do in two weeks for one of Charlies' nephews.....not even sure what else is going on, just trying right now to make it through the weekend! (If anyone sees someone flying by them tonight or tomorrow, its probably me on a sugar high, we're making white chocolate cheesecakes, white-chocolate dipped macadamia/coconut balls, croissants w/ chick. salad, ham & Cheese and roast beef, sweet and sour meatballs, sausage balls and I forget what else for Saturdays wedding tonight and tomorrow night).

Originally Posted by RicaLynn

OK, Tricia, but how is JC taking the extra attention from the 'keet? I should think he'd be more than a bit jealous??

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My in-laws are away, and the parakeets are in their dining room (I don't trust JC - he's smart enough to figure out how to open the cage - any cat that can make phone calls or operate the VCR and DVD player wouldn't have much trouble "breeching" a bird cage). I go over there every morning and evening, and try to spend "quality time" with the birdies. They seem to like being talked to. I tell Jamie that I have to "go feed the birdies", and find him sitting in the kitchen window waiting for me when I get back. He's not being neglected - my husband is also on vacation right now.

JC operates the VCR and DVD??!!?? Can I send him to live w/my mom so she'll stop calling me in the evenings??

Does he react to the birds' scent at all? If I love up on anyone else's pets, Bella has to give me a good sniff and maybe a nibble, just to be sure I'm still me!

Originally Posted by RicaLynn

JC operates the VCR and DVD??!!?? Can I send him to live w/my mom so she'll stop calling me in the evenings??

Does he react to the birds' scent at all? If I love up on anyone else's pets, Bella has to give me a good sniff and maybe a nibble, just to be sure I'm still me!

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JC loves electronic devices, and "buttons". I'm hard of hearing, so our phone is hooked up to an amplifier, and any calls made are set up so that the reply is amplified and shown as a text message. The VCR and DVD player are pre-programmed to broadcast with subtitles.

Thanks for sharing everyone! Keep it up!

Ok, Mikka's post begs for a reply. I am cheering on the Tampa Bay Lightning in their quest for the Stanley Cup. LET'S GO LIGHTNING!

It's officially summer for me, i.e. school is out. Usually, summer is my down time, but as a few here know, I have been pounding the pavement applying for assistant principal positions. I haven't really posted about it, because it's the most long, drawn out, bureaucratic, frustrating process in the world. My school district is pretty large, both in number of schools and sheer mileage. (We're the 9th or 10th largest in the nation.) At $2 per gallon for gas, I have spent a small fortune driving every inch of it.

Anyway, according to what I understand, I am the top candidate at 2 schools right this moment. Tomorrow, I have to interview before the superintendent's committee, but still won't know anything for sure until the School Board appoints on June 15th.

In the meantime, I am also interviewing in the school district where I actually live. I had one interview yesterday and another tomorrow. I think my suits are wearing out!

Hmmm...what new with me?!?

I"M TIRED!!! I started a new job 3 months ago as a Records Co-ordinator for a large law firm and my probation will be up in 2 weeks. I've never had to move so much in my life, since when a lawyer says he needs something, that means he needed it as of yesterday! I am responsible for over 10,000 records and right now they are in a total mess. It's going to take me forever to clean them up, but at least it will keep me busy!

Since starting this position I have lost a total of 17 pounds and currently am trying to eat a healthier diet and less take out food. Not easy when your exhausted at the end of the day and don't feel like cooking.

Also, we are constantly renovating something at my house. The current project is repainting the front porch and stairs. After that, we will have to tear down the garage which is at least 80 years old (I call it the Pioneer barn). We hope to reclaim some of the old wood and incorporate it into our kitchen renovation which will happen next winter. Maybe I can make a kitchen island out of it or a small cabinet for plates etc.

Right now I'm trying to plan my summer holidays which I can start taking right after my probation! Yay! I hope I survive until then.

Good luck Deb!

BTW - I've been such a stranger to the Lounge recently, it's really fun to catch up on people I know and find out about people I don't know this way!

Gary and I moved firms two months ago and THIS SUCKS! We work on "Wall Street" and have always avoided the "big firm" jobs because we are just NOT corporate people. This time we moved to another small firm that was recently started by a friend for 10 years, and as it turns out he is a TOTAL CONTROL freak! We're used to being in control of what we write, when we write it and what stocks we're going to look at, but all of a sudden we seem to not be involved in the decison-making process! Poor Gary is so frustrated, I've never ever seen him so snappy and unhappy. The bummer of it all is this is exactly what the job would be at one of the large firms - only we'd be getting paid a LOT more for it! (I think of it as we're missing out on getting paid for the pain and suffering, LOL!) UGH! Hopefully we'll chat with Simon this weekend and get some of this straightened out.

We have no plans for a vacation this summer (again), but this year I do NOT want to miss seeing Heidi and Christy (valanhb and okeefecl) in Ohio in August! It would be even better if Kass could get her butt down there too! It is so cool to "actually" meet people from TCS. I'm so glad Superkitty and Pamela got to meet!

We've really got to do something about work, which is about all we do these days. I also REALLY want to get down to MD to see a friend who's boyfriend got called up for reserve duty training.

I haven't finished knitting the throw I started for Gary TWO YEARS AGO. I have about four inches left, and it's been that way since last summer!

We have no social life, and Heidi's on top of the websites, so....

Oh! Tuxedo's off the Epogen. He's not technically anemic anymore according to one measure, but still anemic according to another. We're keeping him on immune suppressants, but other than that - our little guy acts like he's feeling great! I just hope he keeps these levels up (even though they're technically low, they're SO MUCH better than where he was!!!) now that he's off the main meds.

Little Flowerbelle is like energy on paws. She keeps all of us - including the other four cats - very busy. And she still won't eat over the bowl, so a good portion of every day is spent cleaning up after her.

My news:

Still recovering from our recent loss, but it is getting a bit better. Wink and Noddy are both in mourning, and now spending a great deal of time at our feet. But onto brighter news-

Starlight had his first official full bath (new pics were posted in his thread in SOS) He is now downstairs, and has the bedroom, master bath, stairs landing and upstairs to run in. He is like a little powderball he is so darn cute. A sturdy chicken wire door prevents him from gaining anymore access to the house, and allows the other animals to investigate him as well safely. He has a new bed, and is clean and I believe relatively happy to be here.

Mike just got a shipment of knives to repair, so tomorrow I know where he will be. Out in the shop fixing the pocketknives for PUMA.

The horses need a bath, it is getting hot enough where all the mud is finally drying out, and I need to get some calamine lotion on Trav's feet to stop the case of mud fever he got this winter.

The cats are spooked because of the road work so they are hiding under the wood pile and the hay barn. That's fine with us, it is safe back there, and they have cool places to lay in the dirt.

I got the material about the feral cats book in the mail the other day, so that is a project I am working on. I have also recently teamed with Anne and started a business 4NetNeeds, where we will take clients all the way through building a website for them from scratch and then doing promotional work as well. I am quite excited about this opportunity. We offer a free website review for anyone interested, and then will write up a proposal for them. After that, it is up to the person to decide if they want to go with us or not. We are currently working with our first client.

So life is busy, which is good, because my thoughts occupied and my mind busy. Summer looks good from here, I am finally tired of the rain!

What a great idea, Shell! I don't get to come around as often as I like, so I really enjoyed getting to read all the short updates on everyone's lives!!

As for me . . . I'm still working full time in the research lab, which I love. My project is really moving along, which my boss is really happy with, but which also means I have no life. In addition, I'm getting two of my college classes out of the way this summer (an 8am statistics class is one of them, huge major ick!). I moved at the beginning of May to an apartment all my own. Luna is doing very well . . . she loves the new place. She gets more spoiled every day.

I have a boyfriend, which I think I may have mentioned before. We've officially been a couple since January, but we've been dating since November, and we were friends before that. He's from the Czech Repulic . . . he moved to the US when he was 13 or 14 . . . (which means CUTE accent ) Anyway, he's really fun, nice to me, etc. . . . he's deathly allergic to Luna, but he went and bought a huge supply of Claritin and brought it over to leave it at my place . . . so he can take one whenever he comes over. And he still plays with her, which earned him huge points in my book.

My apartment complex has these cool little 4' X 6' garden plots . . . that you can sign up for at no extra charge. So I got one and planted my very first veggie garden: 3 tomato plants, 6 bell pepper plants, 6 cucumber plants, some herbs, and one pepper plant that was supposed to produce bell peppers, but has decided to sprout something else instead. I have no clue what kind of peppers it's growing, but they sure as all heck aren't green bell peppers . . . so this should be interesting . . .

I guess that's it for me . . . I'll try to put up some more recent Luna pic's soon . . . whenever I can find the time. I'm so glad to hear that most everyone is leading happy, if very busy, lives.

Breathing. Inhale, exhale - repeat. I should have it written on the back of my hand. Reminds me of a terrible blond joke.

A man sees a blonde always wearing a walkman & headphones. One day in the office, she trips, hits her head (knocking off the headphones) and despite the best efforts of the paramedics, expires at the scene. The man picks up the headphones and hears, "Breath in, breath out. Breath in, breath out...."

Sorry, I just feel blonde sometimes!

Today I am off to plan a new spay/neuter clinic for my animal shelter (10a,), type up some case notes on a pitbull fighting raid (1130am), packing (1230pm) then driving to DC (200pm) to attend the National Council on Pet Population {Never can get the title correct - that blonde thing again) all Saturday. Sunday I am putting together an Animal Hoarding Investigation Course to teach all day Monday. Monday night, partime job till 100am after the class ends at 5pm. Tuesday - collapse. See all planned out!

Somewhere in there, I have to fit my daughter and my social life plus breathing! And to top it off, the Parrot Anti-Defamation League of Norfolk is claiming that I have said disparaging things about a group of wayward quaker parrots whose nest went up in a blaze of glory on an electrical transformer two weeks ago.

Oxygen and British Crisps are the things that keep me moving. Oh, and really good chocolate plus some encouragement from the significant other fanclub.

But for now, its off to the aqua-referesher and some shampoo along with a little soap to get me moving for the balance of the day. Wish me luck and say a few extra words on my behalf if you feel inclined so someone will make sure I don't fall asleep on the road!

And whose idea was it for this thread anyway === Lincoln Nebraska?

mdog the tired
Watcher of too much late nite TV
He of poor nutritional habits
Wizard of waiting till the last minute
Keeper of the plate with too much stuff on it

A kid told that joke to David Beckham(Do you people know who he is?)

MARK Have you ever had Thorntons Chocolate?. It's to die for

I'm an actor/director with the NJ Renaissance Faire, which starts tomorrow so for the past 3 weeks I have been going in 4th gear with no brakes. Monday is sewing, Tuesday is my Fairytale Troupe rehearsals (I'm the director), Wednesday I have rehearsal for the Maypole Dancers, then I go home and do some more sewing. Thursday is reserved for Bob (the S/O), Friday is more sewing, Saturday and Sunday I'm rehearsing from 10AM to 7PM. Thats been my normal week. For the past 1 1/2 weeks I've added 2 new costumes that need to be created and a "well" to be built for the fairtytale The Frog Prince. Tonight I have to put the hinges on the 3 panels of the well, sew a curtain to cover a door for privacy and hem my own chemise. Everyone else's costume is finished.

Plus my 50 hr a week full time job.

I have created 4 costumes (no patterns, just a picture), repaired 2 gowns, designed and built a well set piece, and put new circles under my eyes. But I'm proud of the work I've done and proven to others I can do it! Poor Bob has been a little neglected tho. He's been sitting on the couch watching TV over the sewing table and having threads tossed at him. I usually join him in bed about an hour after he's gone to sleep.

Pipsqueek and Frantic are both doing fine altho Pipsqueek has been a little clingy due to all the coming and going I've been doing. Next week, my weekdays settle back to normal.

Sandy, the exhausted Lady of the Realm

Good idea, Shell!
As for me, I've been busy working at Wal-Mart, (Plant City, FL). I haven't been in the management positions yet, but working as a front end cashier in a busy store which is for me right now, stressful enough. I can't even imagine the stress our front end mangager-bakery mangager has. Thank goodness she has a support manager to co-work with her to help run the front end.
I usually bring in on average 2,000.00 to 8,000.00 per day, depending on what type of register I'm on: speedy vs. big check-out. It seems like that place is my second house...customers ask me, "Do you ever go home?"- I work 40+ hrs. per week.
When I'm not at work, I'm home spending time with my husband on Tuesdays, and giving Faline, Simba, Nala and Tiger entertainment by 'playing' with them-which usually involves letting them come out their 'cat-room' and letting them look out our living area window/sliding glass doors. What lovable friskey and fun-ever growing felines they are.
A couple of weeks ago my husband and I had a great opportunity to go one day and walk around in Hillsborough River State Park, FL USA and while we were there, we saw an alligator lazily swimming down the river as well. We also saw two turtles getting a few rays of sun on a log.
In a couple of weeks, we will be celebrating our 1st anniversary (June 28th), and at the end of this year, we'll be flying up to Washington State to see my family for Christmas and New Year's Eve/Day.