Crazy Cat Lady Diaries

So with our recent move we've had to find a new home for our sweet kitties Emmie and Gretel. My sister Melissa has graciously kitty-sit them for a couple of months now but as they are getting new carpet, Emmie and Gretel have had to start looking for another sweet sap to look after them.

Lo and behold we had a response to the ad we posted on KSL for these two. You won't believe the coorespondance this lady Diane and I have been having:

First Email:

First, I wanted you to know that I was completely enamored by the photos of the girls. They seemed to jump off the screen and say "we're here for YOU"! I have to be careful, though, because my kitty, Holly, died in June and I just haven't been able to adopt since then. I miss her too much. So I hope you don't mind if I start with a hoard of questions...

I'm assuming they're both females, right?
Are they littermates or did they just become good pals?
How old are they?
Do they have any health issues?
How long have you had them and where did you get them?
Are they overly-active, needing a lot of attention? I work from home (on the computer) and they made need to find a nice place nearby to rest for a while.
If I'm out from dawn to dusk, are they okay with being alone for that amount of time?
Do they share a litterbox or does each need her own?
Are they 100% indoor? I insist on this for their own safety.
Are they chipped (the internal ID tag)?
Do they shed greatly, leading to hairballs and internal problems?
Do they have a habit of scratching/damaging furniture?
Are either declawed, leaving them defenseless if they somehow get out, and keeping them from being able to jump onto a bed or couch?
Are they skiddish when meeting new people?
Do they answer to the names they have?
Why, specifically, did you choose to charge $10 for them, knowing it's not a lot of money, but enough to make sure they are being adopted for the right reasons?
Is there a reason that you've focused on the one kitty in your description of the two? Are you definitely looking to adopt them both?

As for me, I'm 51 years old, single, and work from my home as a part-time public relations writer (was my full-time job for 25+ years) and part-time kitty sitter.. I'm a supporter of both the ASPCA and Utah's no-kill shelters and No More Homeless Pets. I've had cats all my life, the last two being my wonderful Holly, who lived to be 18, and her pal, Misty (Mistletoe), who died three years ago at the age of 19.

I very much want two kitties who are either littermates or good buddies, like your photos show of your girls. I'm full of hugs and kisses, so I'd like kitties who wouldn't mind such snuggles, but I do need them to be independent enough to be one their own when I'm on the computer working or when I have to be out.

I'm sorry to ask so many questions. Getting over the loss of Holly has been very tough and I need this to be a good match. Please ask me as many questions as you want.

Many thanks for your help in acquainting me with your "babies"!

D.

Second Email:

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I am ready to meet the girls. I just can't stop thinking about them. I'm pretty much on a fixed income, so I wouldn't be able to make it out to Tooele or pay the $10 (which I would insist upon, if you didn't mention it) until my paydate: Wednesday, Jan. 13. And, as I mentioned, I would want to meet them first before making it happen. But they sound so wonderful!

I know you want to get them adopted as soon as possible, so can you please contact me if someone else calls about them and sounds serious so I can do whatever I can to make it out there earlier? I'm always online, so you can send me an email; but if you want to call, my number is _______. The recording is for "Furbaby Love," the name of my kitty-sitting business, just so you know you have the right number.

I'm nervous, but excited. I can't tell you how many friends and relatives have been getting on me to get another kitty. That's why I'm not telling anybody about these two until (if) I get them home!

Many thanks! Hope you have a great New Year's weekend!!

D.

This morning I told Alvin, "It's like Juno. Can't we just kick it old school, like moses and the reeds, and have a closed adoption?" We may try and take the "girls" (lol) to go see her. More to come...

Video Christmas Card

Christmas Spirit!

I work for a company called Horizon Financial. During the last few Christmas's they've selected a local charity to help, organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Utah Food Bank. This year was a little different. They decided to host an "Angel Tree" for the Head Start program in Salt Lake County.

I think management was a little weary about how well this would be received with everyone so financially strapped right now but the ornaments on our trees began to disappear quickly. The gifts started for these families began to roll in last Friday. It was remarkable to see how generous everyone had been.

On Tuesday my boss Sarah asked me to come help her get all the gifts sorted and organized and then help her take them down to Head Start. What a fun way to get into the Christmas spirit. Each child had a new warm coat, toys, and extra clothes.

I had picked a four year old little girl named Seidi. She needed some new clothes and she wanted a bike. Rosie and I had fun picking out a few little outfits, a pink bike with training wheels, and a play dough set.

Sarah and I had to take two vehicles to get all the items down to Head Start. After arriving there and unloading all the gifts her friend Becall took us to visit some of her students. The first classroom we went in a few little kids were playing, one of which was Seidi. This project took on a whole new meaning after seeing this darling little girl in person. Her long black hair in pig tails, bright brown eyes, and petite little self melted my heart.

I guess Seidi is part of a family of six children. Her mother had lost her job at the beginning of the school year and just barely got another. Her father is no longer in the picture due to drugs. How difficult it must be for Seidi's mother to work and take care of 6 children alone. We heard that when Seidi's mom found out they'd be getting some help for Christmas she burst into tears.

I'm glad to have been a part of this experience this year. It really helped me get into the Christmas spirit. It's my hope that come Christmas morning Seidi and her family will have a really special day. It's my prayer that other families in Seidi's situation will be taken care of as well. Merry Christmas!

Growing up Middle-aged

"You're listening to 97.9 - The Breeze - Cool Jazz"

Sometimes I come across funny memories and I just have to write them down. I had a different kind of adolescence. In an essence I was an "only child" because all of my siblings had moved out and begun families of their own. Being a teen while your parents are crossing middle age and don't have the worry of a big family means you'll watch a lot of Fox News, eat out regularly, and listen to a lot of "relaxing, cool, jazz" on 97.9 The Breeze. (Which is no longer on that station I might add, much to Dad's chagrin.)

There's only so much Enya a teen can take. What I found even more ridiculous was this station's DJ's. They would drop their voices down a few octaves, add a nice nasally tone over the top, and put a huge emphasis on the last syllable of their sentences. Maybe it's odd that I have this analyzed so much but you don't know how much I had to listen to The Breezzzee.

To pass time, amuse myself, and make fun of my parents for liking this station, I used to create pseudo DJ personalities for The Breeze. One of which I had named, Diane Magipinto. Diane was in her mid-forties, single, and very much stuck in 1986. She had big, backcombed, hair, leggings with stir-ups, and mad skills for the perfect "smooth jazz" radio voice. It was so good in fact that it border-lined a voice you'd imagine a 1-900 girl having.

Diane Magipinto segwayed into a new fun game that my mom and I would play. We'd come up with the most ridiculous last names possible for probable married names for me. One of the classics was Natalie Ann King Dillfinder. My mom teased me with that name right up until the day I married Alvin. Thank goodness the man I fell in love with had a solid last name, can't say much for his first name though... just kidding! It's all the more fun to yell, "AALLVVINNN!!"

Good times growing up with Bill and Connie. Love you guys!