Pass the cat prozac....

Hi ya'll,

I spoke to the Vet and they said they can probably give Monkey some shock therapy. ( ha , just kidding) They said they can probably find something to help her anxiety.
The Burmese rescue lady also emailed me and said she has a single lady who would love to have Monkey if the vet can't help her.I can't just let the dumb girl starve herself to death. Gah!





That same morning, before I called the vet I see a smaller version of THIS!

(that is what Cavuto did to his stomach while he was in quarantine)


He's doing it again. apparently Monkey is not the only stressed out cat.




So Monkey AND Cavuto will be going to the vet Friday when hubby is here with the car.

Why can't any of our pets just be normal? LOL



********************************************************************



Saturday we DID go to the oak furniture store (for the hundredth time) we looked , we debated , we BOUGHT!


Kind of looks like something someone threw together in the back yard ,doesn't it?
They all look like this.







It has 2 extensions that hide inside the table.


The chairs were hideous and uncomfortable . We looked at every chair in the place. I sat in chairs, we debated, we hemmed, we hawed and we finally realized that we love our chairs back at home.












In the end we bought just 2 chairs. (for now) it's not like we're going to be having any dinner parties. We don't know any body.


So we got these 2 el-cheapo yet sort of comfortable chairs.


After all that ... and all that money....then the
salesman says" it should be delivered in about 3 weeks"


3 weeks! damn ,you know I hate waiting.







Some how that big ole table must fit in THIS little space.


The stroller is about to be put away for the winter :(

This place is a crackerbox.

*********************************************************************





We also went to Sainsbury (the grocery store)
that place was so packed I have never seen anything like it.

the picture just doesn't do it justice.







*****************************************************************************

Our weather has been absolute crap for days and days......the wind blowing like a frekin hurricane,pouring rain. And remember "I " get to walk everywhere. :(










It was only a matter of time before I had to get myself some British wellies.









Yesterday was my day to stay home and clean and do laundry all day .Yippeee!!!


So today, I'm outa heah. Off to the big town of Fareham.


Have a great day peeps!

luv me

What a bunch of crap........

I have always been a crazy animal lover. One of my earliest childhood memories is my cat had gotten run over and I think my mom tried to lie to me about it ,but I was looking out the window at the snowy street when some men came and scooped him up with a shovel. I knew it was my cat.


Since the street was snowy, I had to be 3 or 4 years old. We were out of New York and in Puerto Rico by the time I was 5.


By the time I was 8 or 9, my mom had quit trying to protect me from tragedy. We had a Siamese cat named Charlie (he was the second Charlie) he wasn't ever neutered so he was crazy to get outside. We lived in Orange, California in an apartment. My mom would just throw him outside.
He would come home totally beat up by other tomcats. Abscessed, ear's ripped, you name it. Well one day he came home and his entire head was abscessed. Swollen like a beach ball. My mother had no money to take him to the vet.


So what did she do?


She drives down to the city pound and instead of doing this dirty work herself....she makes me (an 8 year old) take my beloved cat up to them and say that "I found him and he is sick."


I manage to do this, while bawling my head off. They take my cat and even at this age I know they are going to kill him.


Well, all throughout my child hood I had many beloved pets that became "disposable" to my mother.


I tried to NEVER be like that. I have always loved my animals just like they are my own children.


I have had to rehome a few ,in dire circumstances and it was hideous. It's also been a very long time since I had to do such a thing.


Well, the situation with Monkey has gotten so bad; today I actually emailed the Burmese rescue people. I sent them the following note. Even if they found the perfect situation, how could I trust it?


Yet, I hope they can /do.
My little girl is miserable.

"

This is Mocha aka: Monkey. She is a purebred Burmese. She is 7 or 8 years old. We have had her since she was a little kitten.

She is very tiny and very scared of everything. The Vet jokingly called her a midget.

We also have 2 much larger male cats. In the last year we moved from the US to Hampshire. Due to one of the males being put into quarantine ,Monkey and one male stayed here in England (with my husband) and I took the (quarantined) male back to the US for 7 months.

He and I returned to England 2 months ago. Since the cats were separated Monkey is now terrified of them. They bully her and she is miserable.

In the last week I noticed that she had lost weight, because she was too afraid to go down the stairs to eat. She is now being fed in the bedroom. Then she started urinating on my husbands’ clothes in the bedroom because she’s too afraid to go down to the litter box. She now has a litter box upstairs. She spends all her time growling and her quality of life is the pits now.

We love her very much but if we could find the right home for her, for her sake, we would be willing to let her go.

She is a difficult cat. As I said, she is very tiny. Maybe, 4.5 pounds. She is front de-clawed, has NEVER been outside and obviously could not be allowed out with no claws. She is very vocal when she wants something. And she is afraid of most people and ALL animals. She gets cold easy and she doesn’t like it. She loves to hang out in warm places.

She would be happy in a home with a single person or an older couple with no kids or pets. She is a very sweet girl when she’s not scared. She loves to sit right in your lap and sleep right on you.

Back at home, she had a few “girlfriends” that she would come out to visit. (2 of my friends) She hides from everyone else.

She is perfectly healthy cat, she is spayed, and up to date on vaccinations, mircochipped, even has a pet passport (although she HATES to travel)

She doesn’t have any bad habits except she does feel free to get on the kitchen counters.

I hate to consider giving her up, but I feel awful for her, being like this.

This is her Catster page. There are more pictures of her on there.

http://www.catster.com/cats/58517

If you know someone who might be the perfect person for Monkey please let me know. "

*************************************************************************

I pray that somehow the cats all start loving each other. I pray for a solution that will let Monkey be happy and live a normal life.

Before:




Now:




That is so damn sad. I don't know what to do.

Cleaning this place up.....

You may have noticed that I have cleaned up my blog rolls. Any blogs that had not been updated in over 3 weeks have had to go to the bloggy graveyard. I can't have the clutter of moldy old blogs distracting my eye, making me think there is something to read ...when in fact there is nothing but cobwebs.

If yours is in the graveyard and you decide to start posting again, let me know and I'll link you right back up :)

Just buy it for Gods sake!

Ola ya'll,

Well I am just disgusted about Thanksgiving. I already knew that it is NOT a Holiday here, but I figured hubby and I would probably make ourselves a Thanksgiving dinner even if it was chicken.



Yesterday I get the fabulous news that not only does my husband get to go to Spain ...but yep...that's right ,he'll be in Spain for Thanksgiving.





Yours truly will be home alone...no doubt on a pity pot, and THIS is what I will be having for TG dinner.




"

Festive Bake

A freshly baked pastry lattice filled with 100% chicken breast pieces, bacon and sweet cranberry & red onion relish and stuffing."

I may even splurge and add some chips.

Woo hoo!


**************************************************************


My grandcat , Insano. Isn't he cute?


I got nuthin' people. My spouse is on the plane home from Finland ,I am planning my walk to the grocery store and that's it for today.


Exciting ,I know.






***************************************************************

As you know ,I've been going insane looking for a dining room table and chairs. Still don't have one. I find a decent used set online and email it to my spouse. He ignores it until it's already sold.
Why?


Because THIS is what he really wants . A solid oak "butterfly table".



I told him that "what you are talking about is an heirloom quality table, not something we can sell when we go home."


He says " so we'll take it home. "









I didn't even mention how the light oak table will not even match our decor at home.

(That is home)






Well, fine . ...I don't care if he spends a million dollars on a frekin' table ,I don't care if it doesn't match our dark shit at home.......just GET ONE already!








Because if I have to look at THIS much longer....God only knows what I may do to that man!






Remember the "dresser incident" ?


http://catsonthecounter.blogspot.com/2009/02/you-romantic-devil.html


my husband is going to be the death of me. (Love you honey!)


But, I digress....I meant to say "this weekend we are going back to the oak furniture store for the 100th time and we better be buying a frekin' table and chairs."

****************************************************************************

Ok ...I guess I'll shut up now that I've gotten that off my chest.


I'm off to the grocery store in the rain.

Note to self: but a real umbrella.

Happy Friday peeps!

I'm too old to get up at 4:45.......

(Remember to click the pics to see them full size)

Ola ya'll ,


Yesterday I actually got to go on a field trip. Hubby had to go to a meeting in a town called Warwick. I got to tag along.


We had to get up at 4:45 and leave by 6 for our two and a half hour drive. Let me remind you ...my husbands driving is horrifying. Well, 2 and a
half hours of it ,going 90 miles an hour in traffic, at the crack of dawn ....was not exactly relaxing.


We arrive at 8:30 and he drops me off in the town of Leamington Spa. It's freezing cold out and nothing is open yet.

Damn, why didn't I bring any gloves!?


I finally find a drug store that's open and kill half an hour in there.






By 11 I have been to all the thrift stores, all through 2 malls and several expensive department stores.


I hop on the bus to Warwick, get off in the towne center and start walking around there.I have walked for miles by now and I'm starving too.















This is how one "goes out to lunch " over here. You find a fish and chips shop. You order a diet coke and a "portion of chips"
All of this cost's about 2 pounds.

They give you enough chips to feed a whole family.Those things are covered in salty goodness. (this serves a secondary purpose of swelling you up with fluid retention so you don't have to worry about trying to find a place to go pee) Because there ISN'T one.
Then you have to go outside and find someplace to sit and eat them. You could never eat all of them.





I had to eat mine sitting on the edge of a cold concrete planter.
Gah!


Then I went to all the thrift stores in Warwick and some gift shops.


I found absolutely NOTHING to buy all day , except some chapstick and some wart remover (that would be for hubby, not me)











Warwick is built on hills.
My legs were feeling the burn.












Some cute doors around there.

I am starting to get really tired and cold. I wish there was some indoor place to just sit and smoke. No such thing exists.



















I took a few pictures and walked and walked some more.

Went in a couple antique stores. Didn't find anything (affordable)



















Hubby finally came and picked me up. As soon as I got in the car I could barely keep my eyes open. In spite of his driving I took a nap . Wishing I could sleep the entire way home :)



It gets dark around 4 P.M.
and there was some truck turned over on the freeway so we had to take a 40 minute long detour .....






....on top of the 2 and a half hour drive. UGH!

I thought we were never going to get home.


And I must say ,I actually felt sorry for hubby. He has to make this trip about every week. :(

Next time, I think I'll stay home.



*****************************************************************************





So close and yet so far.........




There is a moth in that light fixture.
















Cavuto intently guards his prey ,while wondering if he should jump into the light.













He decides not to risk the jump and becomes exhausted waiting for the moth to fly into his waiting maw.




Happy whoopin' Tuesday peeps!

A day in my life.......with pictures

Ola peeps,



Well you just KNOW it's going to be an exciting day if you have the following conversation with yourself.



Oh..whoops, let me set the scene first. Picture it ,Boringville,England. Yesterday. It's 11:30 A.M.
My spouse has just left for his flight to Sweden.




Cavuto woke me up at 7. (He's getting brave enough to get on the bed , despite Monkey acting like the exorcist girl) So I am alternating , all morning, doing my downstairs chores, checking my email...upstairs , going back downstairs to smoke ...and becoming a nervous wreck because my spouse is running late (as usual) and is not yet packed , showered ,dressed or anywhere near READY to make his flight on time.



Ok...so it's 11:30 , he has just left ...miraculously....packed and dressed etc.. (despite my nervous breakdown)




also, since I woke up ..the weather has gone to hell in a handbag. It's now rainy, freezing and windy as hell.







11:30

self: "well, should we even bother to take a bath and get dressed today?"

(I realized later that I said "we" to myself)


I did in fact take a bath and get dressed . What a waste of time ,energy and clean laundry.













Then I drank several cups of coffee while going up and down the stairs ....checking my email...searching for ways for desperate old ladies to make friends with other desperate old ladies...you know, the usual.


In between that, I was doing chores and smoking cigarettes under the stove vent.












Earlier ,

I had told hubby "Something is wrong with the cat box."


it was stuck upside down, where the cats couldn't even use it.


He grudgingly fixed it and then handed me a 500 pound bag of cat poo "feel this! this is why it wouldn't work, it was too heavy."


I didn't know. I thought he had emptied it the day before.


















!2:30


Notice the cats have very little food .

fed the cats.



















13:20



remembered to start the dishes I had loaded .





















13;45

did laundry.


Monday, I bought a really cute pair of jeans at the thrift store, when I took them out of the washer they looked like they would fit an 8 year old. Score! they must have been brand new! Fail, they will never fit me now unless I get the waist of an ant.


Despite the let down , I still have to go hang my laundry in the bedroom to dry :(









14:25

Hear a hideous screaming noise like a woman is being killed.

Run to see what it is.







Cavuto had dared to get near Monkey.


She went berserk.















He looked totally innocent of any wrongdoing.















15:00


Started reading this book.

Not too bad.





















!6:07

Noticed this place was like a freaking iceberg. Tried to figure out how to turn the heater on.


No clue. Just turned it until a green light came on.




















17:00


All day I have smelled "cat poo" did not know why.


Finally discover that after hubby fixed and emptied 500 pound bag of cat crap he left it sitting right by front door.

sa-weet! Take out trash.












17:40


Hear the sounds of hell screeching though the house.


Run down the stairs and see Monkey on the couch with O'reillys jaws clamped around her neck.


Pry O'reilly off of her "you bad boy!"

try to hide her under couch pillow.











A few minutes later , Oreilly is the picture of innocence in the cat stroller.


"Who ,ME ? I would NEVER be an asshole like that."














18:00

Spot a flying insect in bathroom ,to my blind eyes it looks like a mosquito.

Automatically I yell "CAVUTO! there's a bug in here!!!!"

Shockingly, Cavuto comes rushing right in there, chomps the alleged bug right into his gullet.

Proving (once again ) he is NOT as dumb as he looks.














18:05

Look at dinner options. Not too thrilled.

Decide to eat leftover beans and rice.
Throw them in microwave.

Hear hideous screeching coming from living room.

Rush in there .....















Find both boys tormenting Monkey.























18:30

Turn on the nightly NCIS ......it's all that's ever on.

Return to kitchen to finish making dinner.















18:40


Notice my nails are all jaggedy .....go search through O'reillys toy box for the only emery board in the house.








errr..what's left of it .


















19:00



Notice both boys in cat stroller looking Innocent of any wrong doing.














19:10


Return to couch with dinner. Move Monkey.
Dine to NCIS.
















20:25


Do dishes ,clean up kitchen.

Hope to God it's bedtime.

All this excitement is killing me.









There you have it ....... a day in the life of an expat.

Don't be too jealous :)


Have a great day peeps!