Friday, January 16, 2009

Guest post by Weis : Bike ride


Bike rideYesterday, I decided to go on a bike ride.


I put on the bike rack, threw on some thermals because it was cold, packed up the rest of my crap and drove to riverside. I parked at my friend, Kevin’s house. Unfortunately he was not home and my water bottles were locked inside his house. I shrugged it off, jumped on the bike and headed off.



It was much colder than I expected and my fingers were freezing. I missed the usual road I take through a park so I took the next one. This one had a big concrete curb, which popped my tire when I hit it. Not a huge deal. I have all the stuff I need to fix a flat. I stopped and went to work.



The cold ass rubber was not very pliable at all. Getting the tire off was a lot harder than normal. My headphone wires kept getting caught on what I was doing.. I slung them behind my neck and kept working. Finally I got the blasted tire off and pumped a little air into the tube to find the leak. My lousy stinking generic pump was not working. I tried many different configurations to no avail.



Some old dude stopped by and offered to let me use his pump. Finally I gave up and accepted his offer. I gathered up all my crap and prepared to carry my bike to his house when he spotted a little piece of plastic. It was the missing piece of the pump! I then unpacked all my crap and got back to it.



I was unable to locate the hole, though I heard it leaking. I started walking towards some water so I could submerge it. On the way over, I felt it hitting me in the face.. I found the hole! I feverishly cleaned and scraped the area surrounding the puncture and put on one of my little patches. I put the tire back on the rim and started pumping it up.



Lo and behold, it was still leaking!! The patch did not stay on or something. I decided to forget about patching it and use my extra tube. I pulled out the extra tube, removed the tire once again and then put it back on. I pumped up the tire, which took about 20 minutes with my crappy microscopic pump. FINALLY I was done with this ordeal.



As I was looking around on the ground to make sure I got all my tools and crap, I saw part of my destroyed headphones. Wonderful! I tossed the busted earbuds on the ground and took off. It seemed as though I had spent an hour fixing my dumb tire. I was only about 1 mile into a 15 mile bike ride. I was too cold and I had no music. I decided to just give up on the whole thing. I doubled back, dropped off my bike and headed to the YMCA to get a shower and change.



What a frustrating hellride it was.
--

Kindest Regards,
Wesley Black
Fuel Multimedia
FuelMultimedia.com


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I shall post latah today peeps!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Oh crap....pass the cat shrink....


Hi ya'll ,



Yep, I know I'm behind ...once again. Sorry about that. There's really been nothing to report.
Hubby is traveling ,so I had planned to try and go somewhere ...fun,exciting or exotic.



Until I found out that it would take me about 2 and a half hours (one way) to get anywhere. Gah!
So,today I stayed home nearly all day and cleaned, did laundry and scrubbed the gross spots on the carpet....once I found that scrub brush under the kitchen sink.



Every time I have to hang laundry to dry in my LIVING ROOM...it takes me back to the last time I had to do such a thing.



Picture it......1980....I am married to my first husband (my childhood husband,if you will) we are in Colorado, I am 18 years old ,stuck in our motel apartment all day with my infant son,while he is at work. We are in fact so poor/broke that we have to do our laundry by-hand, in the bathtub and hang it up all over our little hovel. Including CLOTH diapers!!!!
OH the horror!



Those were SO bad ,HE had to do them :)
It was so hard to ring out clothes by hand ,he pretty much had to do all of that.
UGH. how primitive.



Isn't it funny how just NOT having a dryer can suddenly make you feel dirt poor?
Oh , ha! like YOU would know.



My sister keeps joking about us getting a NEW cat to keep Cavuto company when I go home. Well, HA! she is joking about the wrong cat.



O'Reilly is the needy one. He has gone completely nutto.



At first ,I thought it was sweet /and or cute that he wanted to be ON our backs all the time. But after being here all day .......unh-tuh...the boy has gone wacko.



I wake up at the butt crack of dawn and he has LITERALLY tried to stay on my back ALL day long.
















Cavuto is able to relax anywhere.


(see example)


He gets up at 5 A.M. but could be napping by 9.









This is Monkey, since she's been here.



She's freezing her ass off and I bet she stays in this bed about 23.5 hours a day.











She's a very kinky girl....NOT!


A very BORING girl...I mean For O'Reilly.






Unbeknownst to my hubby , I have spent my evening signing him up as a cat foster parent.




Really, he'll love the idea , once HE's home all day with O'Reilly.







And who could be sweeter,than my crazy cat man, right?






Cavuto's place was closed today ;( so I was not able to go see him. Yesterday ,he was so glad to see me ,he was drooling like a St. Bernard, they had been closed Sunday too. He had been two days without seeing anyone. his voice was nearly gone when he spoke. (which he does quite often)



I forgot to say ,the other day when the Vet left ,he said " He sure is chatty."
Yeah, too bad it was all screaming in agony.



He IS chatty , but usually it's all good chatty. Thrilled to be alive, awake, seeing the sights ...chatty.



Oh...I can't wait to get him out of there. I just hope the other cats are going to be OK,when their mama is gone.



It's always some damn thing , ain't it?

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I didn't know this was going to be a big ole cat post ...but like my mother used to say " the squeaky wheel gets the grease"



That's a whole 'nother story.



It's 22:36 ...what the hell time is it? I'm too old and senile to have to do math when I want to know what time it is.



Should I still be up?



I must go stick my head in the stove vent and smoke.....I'll be right back.


ok, I'm back ,but I still don't know if it's bedtime or not. ack!

***************************************************************
My old self tells me that it is.......so here's some recent observations before I hit the sack.



I have not seen ONE kid acting like a brat in public here.
Well, there was that one toddler that crawled all over me at the bus station, but I blame his mother.
If you came to MY town, you would want to drag every kid under 10 to the bathroom to whip their ass, and then their mother too.
Don't see it here. I have not even heard a kid cry in public. Go Britain's. You are doing it right!



Oh crap, did I already say about the pink highlights?
If I did ,just ignore me.



Blond hair with vibrant pink highlights are very popular, even with OLD ladies! I have seen countless geriatric women with bright pink highlights.
GO old ladies!

Young girls are down with dark purple ,dark blue...whatever matches their outfit..err hoodie.



Oh...here I am ...alone in a foreign country .It is weird and oddly lonely. There have been times at home ,like when I have been out on the boat in May, by myself and I'm the only one out there. It's like your the only person left in the world. That's kind of how it is right now.
Well, it would have been , if I hadn't had O'Rielly on my neck all day like the Boston strangler.
I even hung up a coat rack today ,with him on my neck the whole time. When I was done ,the whole damn thing was crooked. can't wait until my husband admires my man skills.



I have many more observations.....just lost somewhere up in my addled brain.Maybe I'll remember some in the morning.


Don't hate me because I'm senile:)


Figaro....figaro...figaro.....



Luv me








Sunday, January 11, 2009

Is that a mink ? No honey,it's cat hair.

Wow, it sure is easy to get behind . My hubby has to travel this coming week. Which means I will be left here car-less. My brilliant plan was to keep the car and just drive it where i had to go.



Well, yesterday we had a driving lesson. I actually drove all the way to the quarantine place. While nearly hitting every parked car on my left side. And while stalling the car at the entrance to every roundabout. Drivers honking, cussing and flipping us off.



That car has no frame of referance to know where you are on the road. there is no hood sticking out or anything. It's like the windsheild ends and there's the road.Half the time I couldn't even remember what gear I was in.



Needless to say, once we arrived at our destination my husband turned to me ,neveres jangling audibly ,veins throbbing on his forehead and said " I don't think you should keep the car."







Sadly, I had to agree.









*****************************************************************************
Speaking of quarantine......the day before yesterday when I arrived to see cavuto ,the vet was there doing his rabieT blood draw. they shave a part of his neck and draw blood for the rabies titre test. I got to stand outside the door and wait ,listening to him scream his head off.



Anyway, then we recieve the crap filled news that his 6 months of quarantine begins WITH that blood draw. ALL that time he has been in there does not even count yet!



If we were not already scheduled to go home, I would have totally lost it.I would have went berserk!



Refreakindiculous!!!!!



Anyhow, he was ok yesterday. But freezing. I can not wait to get him out of there.They are closed on Sundays so we won't get to see him today. I wonder what goes through his poor little mind.


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

Obviously, since I will NOT be driving myself anywhere ,hubby had to take me to the library yesterday. I can not be left here book-less :)



So he dropped me off in Fareham then went to do his own errands. I went and got books and then ,a few days earlier ,I had seen this hideous but warm coat at the thrift store. it was a couple sizes too big. But ever since I'd seen it ,I kept wishing I had bought it.



I arrived here with 2 brand new wool coats. A red one and a black one. You can imagine how lovely they look now , all covered with cat hair. I have to wear them while I hold Cavuto every day.



They look like something I stole from a bag lady.



Lukily , the ugly ,too big coat was still there! Yay. I now have a Cavuto visiting coat.
And an entire roll of masking tape to try and de-hair my wool ones.



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


When hubby picked me up (at the glamorous bus station) it was already dark out. And did I mention FREEZING?



I suggested "lets go to a pub for dinner."



We went to this place:













http://gouk.about.com/od/foodanddrink/qt/Milltitchfield.htm



I thought it was awesome. it was really old and cozy. Fireplaces burning. Old wooden and flagstone floors.



You go in and find yourself a place to sit. then you go place your order with the bartender. They give you a wooden spoon with a number on it . The napkins and silverwear are in an old tea pot on your table.Then they bring your food by the number on the spoon.



I had to order something British :) So I got an "open chicken pie and chips"
I expected it to be like a chicken pot pie . Well it wasn't. it was like the bottom crust of a pie ,with a whole chicken breast inside . Hmmm. i knew I should have gotten the fish and chips.



Hubby got stuffed chicken and asparagus. It was looking pretty good. Stuffed with bacon. mmmmm.



Too bad we can't go try a new pub every night!



The only complaint I have is the bathrooms. Freezing cold, and then you get to wash your hands in guess what? That's right FREEZING cold water. gah!


I had to keep my gloves on until the food arrived.


I swear I have never been so cold in all my born days.


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Oh ,woops! I almost forgot this.

An Award For Me.....

Thank you, Charlette ,from http://goldentosilver.blogspot.com/ for giving me this award. A little history of the award must be posted with it, so keep reading.

The Van Gogh's Ear Award was created by.... Roger of Idaho Photo; The following is an excerpt from his blog. Please link your award back to his site.


A Top Award for You
Every year I like to make up a award and hand it out to people that make a difference in the blogsphere. I like to make it a award for all to enjoy and pass out if one so wants to, I just ask if your going to give it out to link back to me as the creator of the Van Gogh's Ear Award.

Inspiration of the Van Gogh's Ear Award
You may know the story of Vincent Van Gogh a well known artist in history. Although a brilliant painter in his later years went quite insane he received the nickname of fou roux ("the redheaded madman"). The most bazaar of Vincent's behavior is when he cut off the lower part of his own left ear lobe, which he wrapped in newspaper and gave to a prostitute named Rachel in the local brothel, asking her to "keep this object carefully. After this he suffered recurrent bouts of mental illness, which led to his suicide July 29, 1890 he was 37 years old. His works of art are priceless.

The point of this award
We are all artist in are own way be it art, photography, writing, philosophy, comedy, blogging and we all go a little crazy sometimes. But if you ever feel so crazy to cut off your ear and give it to a prostitute "Seek Help"!

Always remember you're unique.
Just like everyone else.

So, I would like to pass this along to the following bloggers because I truly do enjoy reading what they have to say mainly because of their own little unique way they have of saying it.


Star from Star, Simplified
Vicki from Desert Dirt Diva2
Soul from Soul Survivor
Jamie fromEveryone thinks I can fix it.....
and last but not least Mary from Pathways

Enjoy your ear guys! :)

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I have some new observations for y'all but I will have to do them later. I must get ready for the day . I'll be back latah to do comments too.


Have a great Sunday!

Luv me

Friday, January 9, 2009

I got nuthin'



Hi Y'all,


Well hubby got to go to a meeting in London yesterday. I could have taken the train up there with him. But after thinking about being trapped out in the freezing cold all day with no where to go ,I decided not to go. I'll probably regret that. ack!



Instead ,I took the bus to Fareham hoping to find a grocery store. Then I would have gotten groceries ,pulled them around with me all day and then taken the bus to see Cavuto ,then walk home.


There was no grocery store . So I just looked at some shops ,found nothing really.Oh , yeah I did find a brown hoodie . 5 pounds at the thrift store.





Then I took the bus over by Cavuto. Saw him . He was as ok as possible.He sits in my lap and pads his feet. (with his sharp claws) lol

He has some kind of scabs on his ears. I tried to take a picture of them . Ha! that was a fiasco. He would not sit still.






















This is the fabulous place where I hang out. LOL
And my trusty bag.













Glamorous ,isn't it?














The splendor of it all :)








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


Ok, here's some comments to you guy's comments. My memory is too crappy to answer them in the comment box. :)


...........................................................................................................................................................




and i can't wait to hear the due date of his new brother or sister--
BWA HAHAHAHAAHAHA

(you know he'll need a friend.)


HA HA . NO we will NOT be getting another cat!






oh hey-- PS--
i have a very nice crusty litter robot i will sell ay for cheap-- barely used!


Thanks, as sweet as that sounds ….we have 2 of them at home.




Just a note to say thanks for linking to my blog comment guide - glad you found it useful and hope you've noticed more people commenting here :)


No problem! Everyone I know likes to act like they’re so computer illiterate that they can’t comment on a blog




The news is good. I know Cavuto agrees. Hubby gets a gold star for understanding and being a real support. You must feel better already.

I DO! The past few days are my first cry-free days since I got here. Yes, hubby is a prince for doing this!



Blogger

Wow.. so what's going to happen with your other 2 cats when Dear Old Stepdad meets us in Arkansas this summer? Hmmmm?

They will have a nice little British cat sitter come and check on them daily.




Are you really coming home to stay? What ever makes you happy makes me happy!


No, I am not coming home “to stay” just to wait out the quarantine. That will be over in June. I would have had to return in May because my youngest son is getting married. Then we’d all be home for summer. So Cavuto and I will come back here after summer vacation.





Kudos to hubby for being so understanding! I hope you can work all the details out ok...also hope hubby can take care of the other two with no problems, or are you going to bring them back too so they can all be together again.


Nope, they will be staying here with daddy. The expense would be too ungodly! I will be leaving hubby my huge list of cat care instructions. LOL Which he will find totally insulting, but someday he will go “ut oh, where’s that list she gave me?”



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


Nothing planned for today except to walk (freeze) to see Cavuto and PRAY that hubby leaves work early so he can pick me up.


Have a great day guys!


Luv me

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Random crap and a surprise ending.......

Hi y'all,


Is this Tuesday or Wednesday? Hmmm....Hell, I don't know.
Anyhow, yesterday I took the bus to Fareham to do some shopping and go to the library. There's a big indoor shopping center there ,but there never seems to be enough time.


Here's how it goes. I leave here around 10 , walk to the bus stop. The bus arrives and then takes about half an hour to get there. Then ,I have to be waiting for the bus back by 2 ,so I can take THAT bus and get dropped off by Cavutos place. Then I go see him and then walk home from there.


So, like I said, I barely had any time to shop. I was mostly searching for WARM things! Like turtlenecks ,sweaters and warm socks that would cover my entire body. I did not find any of those things.
But I did get a couple pairs of British jeans at a thrift store. Not sure yet if they will fit on me or not. I have no idea what size clothes I wear here.I'll find out in 2 days after they dry . lol





On the days that I do not take a bus any where I must walk to and from the quarantine place.


Like today.


Believe me, if I could get my hands on THIS outfit, I'd be wearing it!








Where was I going with all that?



Oh yeah, Monday when I went and saw Cavuto ,he looks and sounds so sad and lonely. I sat there bawling (as usual) for the entire visit.

Monday night I (while bawling, as usual) told my hubby "I can not take 6 months of it."

He said " I know ,I can't stand it either."









Look at this knucklehead.


Where could he be , to be sleeping in such contentment?












Ha! on daddy's back.

Sleeping through happy hour.













You saw it here folks.
A Crazy cat man.







Some random crap:




When I poured out my first bag of frozen spinach I found that it was frozen into these little muffin shapes.

How convenient.(for portioning)









Fancy a brew?

You know you do!

(how's that fro some crappy advertising?)

Those are actually little tiny splenda pills.
It takes 6 of them to sweeten a cup of coffee.

I'm probably dying of Splenda over dosage as we speak.










Look how short (and bland) the paper towels are.

I find myself not wanting to use them because I will run out so soon.











Ok , I saved THIS for last.


The wheels are in motion. As soon as we figure out all the details ,Cavuto and I are going home!


Have a great day peeps!

Luv me

Monday, January 5, 2009

I am the luckiest old bag in the world...

Hi Y'all ,

I'm a few days late ,but here's my New years post.

I always try to be grateful for everything I have .And that includes my family and friends. I am always grateful for them. But apparently I have not been as thankful for other things as I thought I was.In reality ,I have been going around every day taking a multitude of things for granted.


So , for this new year I will be even MORE thankful.








I will be glad when all my cats are in the middle of everything. The way they should be!











I will be thrilled every time I get in my truck ,10 feet away from my front door and am able to just drive where ever I want to go.














I will look at my washer and dryer with a newfound love and appreciation!

When I put on jeans that are not stiff, I may even hug my dryer.







I will smile every time I see my hot water heater ,which holds enough hot water for an actual bath.











I will no longer bitch every time I have to unload my fullsized dishwasher.













I will rejoice in the good old american braodcast system and the thousands of choices they have layed out before me.



















I will cherish my blender with it's handy dandy food chopper.

















I will no longer complain that my overstuffed , walk in closet is too small.




















I will clean with joy, my double sink!

















I will relish every morning with my golden girls!















I will bask in the warm glow of my t.v. every weekend , as I watch hours of "I love Lucy"













I will be thankful every time I am able to sit at
my husbands parents old table.













I will never again say that my house is" too small".

It has never looked more beautiful to my eyes.











I will thank God every day when THIS is my view!


What an ingrate I have been. No more of that !

Happy New year peeps!


****************************************************************************
Some comments on ya'lls comments:


Are cats like dogs!? Dogs (according to The Dog Whisperer) don't acknowledge the past, they only live in the present in which case Cavuto wouldn't be missing his old life even if he was a bit pee'd off about his situation now



I have heard that as well, but I’m not sure I believe it. Their memory seems to be too good for that to be true. And …if that were true wouldn’t they be just as thrilled to see you after an hour, as opposed to when you’ve been gone for a week? I wish it was true.



Is there a way to leave him a mirror so he wont feel alone (I probably sound silly, but if it helps "_.



Haven’t asked about a mirror, but I think I will. I can’t even find MYSELF a mirror around here yet though. LOL



Is coming back here with him still an option? Then what? Would you have to be here for six months...and have him rechipped- of course, and fill out all the paperwork, but then you could take him back and he could go home with you? Would you bring the other kitties back home, too?



When they first took him away ,at the animal reception center, the choices were ,quarantine or take him back home .I am not sure yet what all that would entail .They have already re-chipped him and redone the rabies vaccines.So, I am not sure what all would still have to be done. But he would have to be gone for the 6 months .If I did go home, NO , I would not take the other 2 back with me. They would stay here with their daddy.



Hubby may be a terrible tourist but he does understand how you feel about Cavuto's being in prison. This is a hellish situation. Would Cavuto face the same situation coming home? Would his present chip suffice for entry?



Yes, he may not crack up bawling as easily as I do (lol) but he does love the cats like I do. He has been gone most of Cavutos life, so far. So he just doesn’t know and love him like he does O’Reilly. But he KNOWS that I do.

I am hoping that this chip remains in his body. If so, then yes, it would work to get him back in this country.(6 months from now)



Listen to Sarah..I agree. Just about a month has passed, hasn't it? Hang in there;




Actually, it’s only been 22 hellish days. The thought of over 5 more months to go, is hideous.



P.S. so you did not get to stop in any of those wonderful shops....were did you stop...heck even if your not a tourist you still gotta explore....when you learn how to drive , you can go explore.....have you driven yet?



Ha! NO we did not stop anywhere. You funny me. J We went directly to the gals house, bought the t.v. and stuff and then came home.

Yesterday was my first driving lesson. It was just around a big empty parking lot. And I owe hubby an apology; he wasn’t all hateful and grouchy with me. :)

The car is a stupid 6 speed and I kept getting it in 4th instead of 2nd. But all in all, it didn’t seem as awkward as I thought it would. Of course, being out in traffic will be a whole ‘nother story.



If you did come back....what happens then?



Him and I would wait out the 6 months in the comfort of home. We’d have to re-do the vet stuff, but not the chip or the rabies thing.



How long were you all supposed to be in England?



Up to 5 years, but I doubt we would stay that long. Maybe a year or two.



And if you do come back here, how long before you can have him rechipped and head back over there? This is so confusing....I can only imagine what YOU'RE going through. What a mess! We need to order a miracle.



We would be able to come back here in June, when his 6 months is over.

YES, I would LOVE a miracle about now J



If you stay there, I would take him a covered cat bed/box. It'll help hold his body heat when he's curled up in it. Maybe put a soft throw inside it that has your scent on it. That way he can snuggle down into it, and be cozy warm.



They have a cat carrier with no door on it in there but it doesn’t look like he gets in there. There is no cat hair on the bedding in there. He does have his own cat bad sitting on the plastic lawn chair. I think he sleeps in that. But it’s damn cold in there!



Here's whatcha do:Find a stray cat. Get a large shopping bag with a zipper. Place stray cat in bag. Zip up the bag. Go visit Cavuto. Take stray out of bag, place Cavuto in the bag. Zip it up. Walk out. They're happy - they have a cat. You're happy - you have Cavuto. Oh, that's all right, thanks are not necessary, just tryin' to help.



LOL, believe it or not, I think someone already tried that. When Cavuto first went there I asked if I could bring O’Reilly to see him and the answer was “NO”

Apparently THAT is why. Everyone would be switching the cats.

Including me. J

Good idea though.



Happy Monday y'all!


Luv me



Sunday, January 4, 2009

Hotel deluxe



Hi Y'all,

Well we didn't make it to London proper. I suppose the area we went to would be called the outskirts of London.

If you recall the way my spouse takes a trip .......

Road trip fun with Skatzi


He does not go out of the way to have fun, eat, ect...

So ,we went and got the stuff from An American mom , then we hightailed it right back home.
It's always cool to meet a blogger in person. She's only the second one I've met in real life.
Her and her hubs and adorable baby were all very nice. (Good luck in California guys!)

My spouse got home and immediately set up his new T.v. and my Lucy dvd's are on the way from Floozie 2 . Yee haw! (Thanks again floozie2 for sending my stuff!)


Here are the only sights we saw on our little trip.







Nice empty hotel.














We can get you a room there REAL cheap
:)
















Now I know where to get those middle eastern dress's I've had my eye on.














We saw the word " Halal" all over the place . Since I had no idea what it meant ,I looked it up. Even the Subway sandwich place had a sign saying "all meats are halal"







Halal
(حلال, alāl, halaal) is an Arabic term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law and custom (opposed to haraam). The term is widely used to designate food seen as permissible according to Islamic law. It is estimated that 70% of Muslims worldwide follow Halal food standards[1] and that the Global Halal Market is currently a US$580 billion industry[2].

In the Arabic language, the word 'halal' refers to anything that is permissible under Islam.







It was like suddenly being in a different country.

My spouse kept nagging me to quit taking pictures.

Hello, I'm a tourist . Um ..NO!



We went beforehand and saw Cavuto.
Click the arrow to see the pitiful baby.






Every time we go there we are very tempted to send me and Cavuto home. We will have to decide SOON wheather we will do that or not. 6 months seems like an eternity for him to be in there.

My hubby even said "If it was O'reiily in there ,I'd be going home right now and living on peanut butter sandwiches if I had to."

Well, he will understand then if I can not bear it for Cavuto either. We will see.


I still haven't been able to get to my comments OR my NEW YEARs post. Sorry, I'm trying:)
Mr Landlord is coming today to fix our faucet so i must get busy cleaning this place up.

Have a great Sunday peeps!

Luv me