Two more days!

Last Wednesday the admissions person at Sac State sent an email to all the applicants letting us know that they would be emailing admissions decisions after 5:30 on Wednesday, Dec. 3rd. Of course, I didn't get the email which caused for a very tense Thanksgiving holiday, but I'm hoping it was just due to a glitch in my email address and not some subliminal message on their part. I have since updated my email address with the school and am now just waiting. I am beyond nervous, to say the least!

I've been technically waiting since October 15th, but it's these last few days that are driving me crazy, and I'm trying to get myself prepared for all possibilities. I haven't even really delved too deeply into the "if I get in" scenario beyond knowing that it will be intense. I guess I don't want to be too let down if things don't go according to plan. Actually, I haven't thought too much about the "don't get in" plan either...guess I don't want to jinx it. I guess my Plan B would be to apply for next semester, volunteer in the meantime and take my other corequisites (pharmacology, government and U.S. history) while trying to earn a bit of money and also work on my bestseller. Soooo...I guess that's Plan B. What's Plan A? Jump around the house like a lunatic, jump around some more, cry, open champagne, call everyone, update this blog and jump around some more. The bummer is that my honey won't be home...I'm going to be all alone :-(.

Think positive thoughts (if anyone's out there!)

And, on another note...my cat Oliver has decided that he is my Christmas present...

Sad news about Shakey Jake

It's been a few weeks, so I can write this without tearing up. Poor little Jakey is no longer with us. His fungal infection was just too big for his little immune system, and after a scary episode of labored breathing I took him to the emergency vet where I was told he was "oxygen dependent." He was such a great little cat, and I can't help but wonder why I keep getting all the sick animals. I have made Tibi and Oliver promise that they'll just keel over...no long, drawn-out illnesses...please!

When I went to pick up his ashes, they had made a little ceramic paw print, which made me cry like a baby. It is just the sweetest little thing, and I have added it to my growing shrine to all my dead loved ones...so far I have a picture of my mom, a painting and photograph of Truman, Jake's ashes and paw print, and a wooden cat that sort of resembles Judi. It's kind of sweet in a sad sort of way...my little shrine of love or sadness or appreciation and gratitude...depends on my mood.

Hug your kitties!

One of my favorite sites...

I know...it proves I'm a cat geek, but this website has the funniest cat pictures. I love this one...the kitty looks like my Trumie.

moar funny pictures

There's a Fungus Among Us

So for anyone that has not yet been bored to tears with long-winded recitations of my kittie's horrible illess, the good news is that the vet listened to kitty's lungs today and said they sounded "good." Jake (AKA Shakey Jake) has a fungal infection in his chest...poor little baby. It is actually quite a nasty bug with the most expensive drugs on the planet. Let's just put it this way...I could lease a Prius for what I'm paying for his meds.

He has been on the fluconazole for about 4 weeks and just started a 2-week run of amphotericin last Friday. Today was his second amphotericin dose (which has to be done at the vet's office...of course! Nothing easy about my life!), so Jake and I are just really hoping things will start looking up soon. Even after he is clear of the fungus he will stay on the fluconazole for three more months...Prius anyone? Not me!!!

What else is new? I am killing it in Microbiology, though I must admit I got Bs on both of my lab practicals. They were totally trying to trick us with some of those questions...but whatever. I am cleaning up with all my other exams and projects, so an A is pretty much assured, as long as I don't choke on the next exam or the final. And tomorrow I sign up for A&P...woo-weee! Keep your fingers crossed that I get the class I want. I am trying to talk my current Micro lab partner into taking the same class so she can be the one to skin and cut into our dissection kitty. I can't even think about it.

Kitten Update

So it's been about a week and the kittens are coming along nicely in their socialization process. So far, Pearl (Nathan if a boy) is the bravest...she and Midge (aka Marvin) are at a friend's house getting socialized to kids AND big dogs. Fun! They are doing great and no longer hiss when you approach or reach for them. Pearl may get adopted today...she's got a potential mommy coming over to see her!

William (or Wilma) is now sitting on laps, purring and letting himself be petted. He hissed at me this morning, but I expect that to stop in a day or so. He has a potential home already! Keep your fingers crossed.

Quincy went to the SPCA this morning to get spayed/neutered...guess I'll find out soon enough if I need to rename him. He was soooo scared and meowing up a storm. I was in tears after I dropped him off. Poor little baby. He let me pet him through the wires of the cage yesterday, and we'll work on picking him up and holding him in the next day or so after he feels a little better from his surgery.

Wish them luck!

Kittens!!!

So here are three of the four kittens I've rescued so far. Though I wasn't going to give them names, I couldn't help myself. Without knowing their gender I just guessed....the little black and white one is William, the little beige one is Pearl and the black one is Midge.

Want one? ;-)

Operation Kitten Rescue!

Well I've gone and done it. I have become an Animal Activist...whoo hooo! Last night I trapped three feral kittens from our neighborhood shopping center and have two more to capture tonight. Next I'll go after Big Mamma, but that will strictly be a "fix and release" scenario. Frankly she scares the shit out of me. I am hoping to be able to socialize the kittens so they can be placed in homes. I already have several potential mommies/daddies:

1-Friend's neighbor whose cat just died. May take two!
2-Same friend's other neighbor whose cat went missing :-(
3-Guy from the shopping center who watched me trap 'em
4-Girl at work
5-Another girl at work (a very tentative maybe...she may have just been humoring me)
6-Nurse that came over today to take hubby's blood and tinkle for insurance screening

Hmmm....seems I have more potential mommies and daddies than I do kittens...I may have to auction them off on ebay! Anyway, they are soooooo cute, but they won't yet let me get close enough to pet. They hiss and act all fierce...it would be funny if I didn't know how sharp their little teeth and claws are. So far I have snagged a tuxedo kitty, an all-black kitty and a cream colored kitty with darker colored points. Super duper cute.

I will snap some pics as soon as I can...they're pretty wiley.

I've Gained a Pound...WTF?!?!?!???

Either I am seriously retaining water or I have been pigging out waaaaay too much lately. Stepped on the scale this morning, fully expecting to see a drop of a pound or two. Nope! It went up by a little over a pound!!!!!! So, I am going to do an experiment...no refined carbohydrates, wine, Tofutti Cuties or sweets for a whole week...I will weigh in again on June 6th. Stay tuned! (oh woe is me...a week without Tofutti Cuties! What is the world coming to?!?) My friend Liz says I need to "eat more protein and less carbs", but the food I love is awash in refined carbos...I will do my very very best to stay away from the Tofuttis and the wine though. Here's a look at today:

Breakfast: Pineapple and a banana and a whole-wheat, organic pop-tart type thingy
Snack: Eggplant Hummus & half a whole-wheat pita
Lunch: Apple & Tomato soup (see how good I am today!)
Snack 2: Beans (Vegan baked beans to be exact...not just a boring ol' can of beans)
Snack 3: Jolly Rancher (Sugar Alert!)
Dinner? Hmmmmm....maybe some Edamame and Indian food...it's Fusion Cuisine at its finest!

p.s. I am sooooo hungry today!

In other news, our Science Project is going well! It is now Day 4 of 30 without any grocery shopping or dining out (at least on my end...Thomas likely cheats and goes out to lunch). Slowly but surely the goods are getting all 'et up'. I really should take a picture of my fridge, you would not BELIEVE it! We have more condiments than a frat house full of bachelors...seriously.

*****************************
Good Kitty: Started my financial filing stuff...wasn't as fun as it sounded in the book, so I stopped part way.
Bad Kitty: Aforementioned Jolly Rancher
Short Term Goal: Go to early morning yoga at least ONCE in June!

Hugs to all my peeps! Oh, here's a cute picture of Shakey Jake to please all you cat lovers out there...he's my little Killing Machine..isn't he just grand?

Life is Hard

It is with great sadness that I report the passing of my kitty, Truman. He was assisted on his journey by his vet, who came to the house today around 2:00. I had spoken with her the day before, and so I spent Truman's last night with him...on a Thai Massage Mat laid out on the kitchen floor. He's been so despondent and weak lately, I'm hoping he knew I was there for him.

Today was even more difficult, and I could not bring myself to be present for his passing. I just did not want that memory in my mind, so I gave him some love and wished him a peaceful journey, then let Tom and the vet take over. I have to say Tom did an admirable job...staying with Trumie until the end, then wrapping him carefully in a cloth and laying him to rest. We just went and got a red hydrangea plant that will go right above my sweet little baby, so that his beauty will live on.

It's an odd feeling...sadness, grief, guilt, and relief all at once. I know he is released from his misery and pain, but I will miss him terribly, especially when things around the house remind me of him...his favorite spot on the sofa, the recycling box he'd sleep in at my feet, his spot on the bed, the absence of his impatient meow when breakfast is served, the sound of his purr as I fall asleep. For all of my sadness, I have countless happy memories of Trumie and feel so lucky that he chose me to be his mommy. All he wanted to do in his life was to give and receive love. He did both better than most and I know the soul of him, the thing that made him so precious and lovely, lives on.

So if you have pets in your life, give them some extra lovies today.

It's a good thing I don't have a problem with alcohol...

It's a good thing I don't have a problem with alcohol because I could NOT give up drinking wine. Went wine tasting in Napa yesterday with Tom, his friend Eric and Eric's squeeze Melanie. The boys, for reasons completlely lost on us, went on a bike ride while Melanie and I rented a chauffered Mercedes and traipsed around Napa sipping wine and having a grand ol' time. I am proud to say I did not get nearly as tipsy as I did the last time I went to Napa, so I feel I've regained some dignity in that regard...there's nothing like being gently asked to leave Mumm and having to walk to dinner thanks to a blood alcohol level almost as high as George Bush's IQ.

Before we dumped the boys and hopped into the S-Class, the four of us went to Sterling...here's a picture of us on the Gondola ride up to the winery...note to self...drink BEFORE getting on the Gondola...do not make Sterling the first winery of the day.

Our second winery stop was Frank Family Winery...they were very low-key and super nice. They also (BONUS!) had a big black kitty and great champagne. We spent quite a bit of time there talking with the wine pourer guy (who I think has my dream job, by the way) and, of course, drinking wine. The thing about wine tasting is that it's almost impossible to remember what you like well enough to buy, so at Frank Family I ended up with just one bottle of champagne, though now I'm regretting not getting a bottle of Zin. Oh well...

The third winery was V. Sattui (I probably spelled that wrong), where a friend of mine (Hey Coop!) had a gorgeous wedding. Talk about chatty and friendly wine pourer guys & gals. All that goodwill must have rubbed off on me because I gave a strange man from Israel a Fig Newton, which he described as a "very bad cookie." See pic of Me, Mel, the cute Isreali guy and his buddy from Colorado (who wasn't so cute and I think may have been stoned...but then again, if he were stoned he would have been jonesing for my newtons!)


Our fourth, and final, winery was up a windy mountain road...the type of place I would never be able to find on my own. Here is where we met The Rain Man of Wine. He was actually very nice, but he kept asking us impossible trivia questions like, "how much does an oak barrel cost? (Something like $750!), and I forget what all...I was liking his wine, though. It was here where I blew caution to the wind and dropped a cool $100 on four yummy botttles...can't wait to see what I got (Ok, I might have been a wee bit tipsy!).

In other news...Trumie is having appetite issues, but I'm hoping that will clear up as the Leukeran clears out.

Breaking out of Food Jail

Just recently I realized that I constantly, constantly think about food...when can I eat and what will it be? Once I've eaten I think constantly about what I just ate, fretting over it, worrying about it, obsessing with the guilt. Well I am sick to death of thinking about food all the time. Every time I go on 'a diet', all I think about is the next meal, the next snack, those extra 200 calories at the end of the day I've managed to snag by sweating my buns off at the gym. I'm sick of logging what I eat, tracking my calories, buying special "on-the-approved-list" foods...I am sick to death of it all.

So, I am officially breaking out of this prison of food obsession. I remember a time in the not so distant past when I didn't really think about food at all...when I was hungry, I ate something. When I wasn't hungry anymore, I stopped eating. I ate pretty much whatever I wanted, though this was when I was a pretty strict vegetarian so it was mainly healthy food. The great thing about being out of food jail at that time was that I was teeny tiny...well, teeny tiny for me...actually I looked darn good now that I think of it. Everytime I go on a special diet like Weight Watchers or South Beach or whatever, I always obsess to the point where food becomes the sole focus of my life. Bah humbug, I say!

Though I have only been out of food jail now for a few days I feel SO MUCH BETTER. So free...I am not beating myself up about every little thing. If I want some freakin' chocolate, I'm going to have a piece, enjoy the heck out of it and move on. I really feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders....aaaaaah, what a relief. I am reading a book called "How to Become Naturally Thin"...I'll let you know if there are any pearls of wisdom that must be shared.

So, that's the latest news...in other news I am sad to report that Truman doesn't seem to be feeling well right now. It may be the effects of the Leukaran, and I'm hoping once his bone marrow and white blood cell count recover in a couple of weeks or so he'll be back to his regular self. He did vomit a little blood this morning, but it was much less than a few days ago. Lets hope he doesn't have an ulcer...I cannot handle seeing him suffer. :-(

Thanks to everyone for their well-wishes on Mother's Day. I was mostly weepy the night before, but then was so busy preparing brunch for Tom's family that I didn't have time to sit around and feel sorry for myself. Stay tuned for pics...I may have outdone myself with this one. See my cute table???


Much love to all my peeps!
Mo

35 5/6 years old and STILL getting carded!

It's a really sad state of affairs when the highlight of your week is being asked for your ID at a sushi restaurant. Not sure if it's because I look young or was acting like a dork (probably the latter), but it made me happy nonetheless. After dinner we went to see Poseiden, about which I have just one word...Netflix. It was entertaining, but not something that is so special-effectsy that you must see it on the big screen. The most amazing thing about the flick is how long those people hold their breath...David Blane look out!

Well, it has finally happened...Truman has started to refuse having anything to do with his tuna-water/medicine combo. The wiley little guy finally got hip to me. He has been off his "meds" for two days now and I'm hoping to see some improvements...the prednisone was doing icky things to his stomach, and I am beginning to see the benefits of a more holistic approach.

Good kitty: Kept at least 3 feet between myself and a box of Krispy Kreme donuts today at my client's office
Bad kitty: Ate more than my weight in sushi, edemame, agedashi tofu, wine and popcorn.

Why is everything so centered around food? I hate that I'm so obsessed with food...I wish I could just stop thinking about it and get on with my life!!

Nightie night!

Ignorance is Bliss

As you probably know, my kitty Truman was diagnosed with gastric lymphoma just over a month ago. According to the doctors, in all their infinite wisdom, he should be dead by now, or dead soon. Truman, however, seems to be the only one who did not get the memo. He's tooling around the house, purring like crazy, jumping into my lap, giving me love-bites and basically doing all his normal, cat-like things. The big question as of late has been whether or not to medicate. I tried a cancer drug called Cytoxan, but Truman knew something was up...not sure if it was the funky smell of the food, or the fact that I was wearing rubber gloves while I prepared it. Anyway, he took one taste and the jig was up.

For some reason, he hasn't tuned into the fact that his nightly "tuna-juice-treat" is prednisone in disguise, and we're going to try another drug starting Monday. We'll see how it goes. For now, he's doing great and sends his volumous love.

If we learn nothing else from Truman, it's that you're only as sick as you think you are. Oh, and of course, beware of chefs wearing rubber gloves.

Have a beautiful weekend all! We're planning a bike ride on Sunday...the dreaded Daffodil Hill...3 full miles of up, up, up. My butt gets sore just thinking about it.

Hugs!
Maureen & Truman

P.S. Check out this cute T-shirt I got at J.Crew!


Short-term goals: Same as yesterday, only I forgot what they were.

Good Kitty: Initiated an apology to Thomas this morning :-)
Bad Kitty: Should be working right now :-(