BIG News

May 30th is going to be a "BIG" day!!

How "BIG" you ask??

BIG

That's the day the Sex and the City movie comes out!! YAY! (and all the fans out there will know what my reference to "BIG" means...)

Yes, it is one of my guilty pleasures. I LOVE that show. LOVE IT! And now that its been off the air a few years, re-runs are just not the same! I think I know them all - or at least most of them!! Not that that's bad - but its time for new material!!

So, check out the teaser and the website, and...ENJOY!!

Behold!

As promised, here they finally are....the first few photos (of Luna, of course!) from my new camera!

I'm rather proud and impressed - the bottom two weren't even taken using a flash - just a pretty good aperture adjustment!

Did I mention how much I love my new camera?

I think she hates it...

Who hates what?

I think Luna hates my new camera.

"Why?" you ask?

Well....could it be that ever since I got home last night with it, I've followed her around the house taking photos of her?  Could it be that from the moment I got up until just about leaving for work that I followed her around with it taking more photos?  Could it be?

Perhaps.

But she's a diva!  So you'd think the diva would relish the lime-light!  

She's a cat - who knows what's going on in her mind!

Me?  I LOVE my camera!!  (did I mention I looooooove it?)

I GOT IT!

I GOT IT!! I GOT IT!!

ITS HERE! ITS HERE!!!

Yes folks, its finally MINE. After MONTHS of research and talking about it, my Canon PowerShot S5 IS is mine!! And I'm as giddy as a school girl!

Now, if only 5:30PM could hurry up so I could go home and play with it!!

FABULOUS photos to come!! :)

Excitement ensues...

Well, its the day after "the big day" - and I hope all of your kalikimakas were mele! :)

Today is an extension of yesterday's Christmas excitement! Today, at lunch, I'll be going with my man to get my gift....my Canon PowerShot S5 IS Digital Camera!!

Everyone was very generous and gave me a little bit towards my gift this year (THANK YOU!!!), and I can't wait to get it! I feel like its Christmas morning all over again!

Now, the real question is....is it lunch time yet??

(pics and gushing to come after lunch - I mean, I'm at work, but who will be able to work once I get my new toy??)

Who Knew??

I'm a benevolent idealist! (now, is that a surprise to anyone?)

The below is a graphic representation of my personality DNA....cool huh? I always knew I was colorful - now I can see just how much!


Oh, and thanks to Nicole for inspiring me to take this test!

Ode to Nicole & Christmas

In a double header "ode-ing"....I'd like to submit my toes - all decorated for Christmas in a scheme that is sure to make my best friend (and fashion diva) Nicole roll her eyes....

Mele Kalikimaka (as Bing Crosby would say!)

Ain't she the cutest?

Ok, so the snow came and went. Well, not really went... More like it came, and its still there, only now its a crusty icy white sheet outside. But it is what it is. And HOPEFULLY, with a little help from the weather gods, we'll have a white Christmas - even if it is left-over white!

On the flip side...









I have to gush over my sweet little girl....sleeping next to mommy as I type!

AIN'T SHE A CUTIE??

Dreams DO come true...!

We're leaving work at 1pm due to the snow!

Nanny-nanny foo foo!!

YAY!!

And so it begins...

Its now 11:30am and the snow began about a 1/2 hour ago. Visibilities are lowering as I type and the ground is getting whiter by the moment. The snow isn't horrible yet, but its falling in big puffy white flakes - my favorite! So very pretty!

My cell phone's video isn't cooperating as I'd hoped, so no videos or pics yet! BUT have faith... I'll get it to work and be posting videos and pics as the day goes on!

In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed that we get a "snow" afternoon - as in that we get to leave work early! There's nothing more fun than that!

FINALLY!

After a couple weeks of snow "dustings" we're finally getting our first significant snowfall of the season tomorrow....or so they say.

We'll see if it actually comes to pass or if this is more of the media hype that happens so often lately (the STORM of the season - yeah right!)... Either way, it should be fun and exciting!

And even more exciting is the prospect of our first Nor'easter coming on Saturday night into Sunday. Yes - they say it'll be a doozy. We'll see! Of course, that WOULD have to be our first anniversary! But I guess there's nothing more fun than snuggling during a snowfall!

Pics to come for those of you yearning for snow!!

Holiday Greetings....

Holiday Greetings from Luna and me....

There's no accounting for taste...

Every morning when my alarm goes off, if Luna isn't already in bed with me, she'll come and join me with a little gurgle greeting and a bump of the head...

This morning, however, there was no Luna...no gurgle, no bumping. I called her, but nothing.

I got up and started to make breakfast. No Luna.

I made her breakfast. Still no Luna.

I called her. Called my mother (wondering if maybe she slipped out when they left for work). No dice. "She's around..." Sure she is...

I finally went downstairs to the basement to do the "deed" - clean out her litter box. (blech) When I got done, I stood up and what do I find? A little grey head watching me from the INSIDE of the slop sink. It was empty except for the yellow bucket in the sink and the little grey cat sitting next to it.

Now tell me, how is that comfortable and what is the draw to sitting in the slop sink??

And wouldn't you know it? By the time I grabbed the camera and headed back down the stairs she was headed up them.

Figures.

The diva just didn't want to be photographed in such a lowly locale!

Kitten Chat Translated

FINALLY - what kittens are really thinking!!


Kitten Chat Translated

The BEST Wedding First Dance...EVER!

(the title of this entry says it all...!)

Go figure...

"Even if cat's could talk... they wouldn't."

At this time of year when there's so much going on - shopping, eating, going to the gym, avoiding the gym, Christmas songs, decorating, watching the weather for the first major snow-fall of the year - tell me why it is that I'm at a loss for words??

Happy Holiday Season!

Just a little holiday goofy-ness to put you into the spirit of the season!!

Happy Thanksgiving

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!! May you all count your blessings and remember that no matter what problems you may have, there are those in the world who have less than us. Therefore, we should be grateful for our health, family and friends. Because in the end, money doesn't matter, fame, fortune and success can't be taken with you, and material things are just that - material. What counts is appreciating those in your life (both animal and human) that support you and love you and are part of who you are.

So to my family and friends (and all the furry ones in my life too)....

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! I love you all!

Good Girl!!!

Last night was Luna's yearly visit to the vet. I usually anticipate visits to the vet much like people anticipate a swarm of locust or the plague.

I waited at home as long as I possibly could to avoid a wait at the vet (which doesn't help her disposition). When I walked in with her in her little bag, she began hissing at the realization that EVERY SINGLE DOG IN NJ WAS AT THE VET IN THE WAITING ROOM. She was in enemy territory as far as she was concerned. And while the dogs were all friendly and wanted to meet her, she wanted no part of them...

After what seemed like forever in the waiting room, we were finally called in. I reminded the vet of her past "temper" and told him that she has calmed down in the past year, but he should still be careful.

Wouldn't you know it?? He took her right out of the bag and STILL kept his skin in-tact. There was the occasional growl to remind him know who's boss (Luna, of course), but she was SUCH a good girl and I was such a proud mommy! She got all her shots, got weighed (she's a whopping 16.6 pounds - such a cute LITTLE girl!), and he was even able to examine her teeth and ears and listen to her heartbeat. Something he could NEVER do before!!

YES, my change in marital status has DEFINITELY been good for her too!!

The visit was over lickety-split and we were on our way. By the time we got home, she was starting to get a little groggy from all the shots and then I had to give her some flea goo on the back of her shoulders. So she just isn't her usual diva self today or last night for that matter.
When all was said and done, she climbed into her towel shelf and groomed herself to get the "vet cooties" off her (see pic)... She gave me the occasional cat kiss (slow blinking of her eyes) and went to sleep. She spent the night there - I guess she was happy and safe there...

I just can't gush enough about how proud I am of my little fuzzy girl!! And yes - she definitely got treats last night because she left the vet in tact!! GOOD GIRL! :)

Tradition?

This week, Thanksgiving will make its annual return along with heralding the beginning of the holiday season. This is a time of year filled with tradition. Turkey dinners, stuffing, eating too much, fishing (for some of you), football (for others), Christmas trees, shopping at 4am (even I wouldn't do that), caroling, decorating, holiday songs up the wazoo... Tradition. It holds us fast and its something we look forward to each year.

But what happens when acts are considered "tradition" that really should be stopped? What happens when something is masked as tradition in order to justify what really is a barbaric act?

Its no secret that I'm an animal activist. Heck, I've been called a tree-hugger, PETA Person, you name it. And quite honestly, I wear any and all of those titles proudly.

Today at lunch, I settled in for my usual Yahoo! reading while I ate and was horrified to see that Japanese boat fleets have taken off to hunt for humpback whales (and other protected whales) in the name of "science" when really they are sold as food and medicine (a practice that is BANNED by the International Whaling Commission). They justify their actions as "tradition". They claim that their smaller fishing villages have hunted whales for hundreds of years in order to sustain their people. Perhaps this is true. And perhaps killing a small number of whales LOCALLY off their shores could be considered the same act as other types of fishing in general.... However, how can they justify traveling thousands of miles from Japan to the humpback whale breeding grounds off of Antarctica to kill HUNDREDS of whales? Were they traveling there hundreds of years ago? I think not. And they justify this in the name of science. They need to travel and kill these magnificent animals in order to study their reproductive systems and feeding patterns. HUH? That makes about as much sense as needing to chew gum in order to solve an algebra problem! (Its called animal testing people, and its SO yesterday and outdated)

I by no means am intolerant of other cultures' traditions. I believe our planet is what it is (good and bad) because of other peoples' practices. I think we should strive to embrace each other's traditions and beliefs. If we did, I think there would be a lot less strife in the world.

HOWEVER

I also think that as the dominant species on this planet, we need to become enlightened enough to be able to protect this planet and all of its inhabitants. I think we need to become stewards of the planet and begin to take responsibility for our actions. It is foolish and ignorant to kill these whales. It is. Period. There is no need for traveling to Antarctica to hunt them down. There is no need to harpoon these whales, chase them for hours while they're wounded, and then drag their half-alive carcasses out of the water and on to a ship where they can die a slow painful death. It is a barbaric form of hunting (another act which I am extremely opposed to)! I hope Greenpeace can stop their hunt (or at the very least, hinder it) and continue to educate the people of this world.

It is a shame that horrific acts like this continue to survive in the name of tradition. Tradition is what is supporting this whale hunt. Traditional medicine is what is supporting the poaching of tigers and other now endangered animals in China and other countries in that region. Tradition is what supports the fur trade around the world where animals are skinned sometimes ALIVE - all because mom/grandma/great grandma/whomever had a fur coat, so its tradition and fashionable. Tradition is what has supported the CLUBBING (yes, clubbing, as in using bats and sticks) of baby seals in Canada. "Traditions" like these are systematic of a species that is going to lead to the demise of this planet. Sometimes traditions should be broken and NOT upheld.

So in this season so richly steeped in tradition, while you decorate your Christmas tree and light your Hanukah candles, please keep in mind that not all traditions should be celebrated. Sometimes its better to take a step back and ask if its not better to break some traditions.

And for those of you who always bring up my eating of meat/wearing of leather, yes, you're right. I do eat meat. But I'm trying to eat less meat. And the meat I do eat, I try to ensure (if at all possible) that it is from a source that is responsible (ie, organic, cage free, etc). And yes, I do wear leather, but I'm making a conscious effort to buy less leather and more synthetic leathers/suedes. Just because someone eats meat doesn't mean that they aren't trying to change their spots. And keep in mind that it isn't all or nothing. If you justify atrocities by saying that its ok because you eat meat (for example) then you're just acting as a facilitator for said atrocities!

Gnaw on that for a while!

Ode to my past (and present) furry friends...

I just read a very nice article about giving thanks for the cats (and dogs - for those of you dog people) in your life... It was a sweet ode to the cats this woman had been owned by (because any cat person knows who really owns whom) throughout her married life. I teared up a few times as I read it, because not only were her sentiments sweet, but it made me think of my own past furry companions as well as my sweet Luna...

My family's first cat was Mishka - which means "cat" in Russian. Mishka was an orange tabby cat who would play hide-and-seek with my father (or so the stories go, since I was just a baby when we had her). From the way my father tells it, you'd get the idea that Mishka was really a human in furry attire! I really have no recollection, since I was so young, of what ever happened to Mishka. In my young mind and memories, she was just there, and then she wasn't.

After Mishka, Spook came to live with us. Spook was a black cat that originally belonged to close family friends. One thing led to another, and Spook came to live with us when they could no longer keep her. Spook was a cool cat, but she crossed over the Rainbow Bridge shortly after the Chinese food place opened behind our house. I was still young at the time, so I thought nothing of it, but other adults in my life made the innuendo...and when I grew up, I finally realized what they meant. I'd like to think that Spook just went off on her catty way and lived a long happy life outside rather than think of her as my appetizer from dinner that night. Let's just leave it at that!

Tiger came next... Tiger was a tiger looking cat. Good cat, but unfortunately, I don't remember a whole lot about him either since I was so young. I do know he and my mother had a very strong bond.... I guess I'm going to have to ask about Tiger a little more - he was a cool cat from what little I do remember.

Next came Codie. Codie was our mutt. Good mutt - but a little crazy. Actually, in hind-sight, I'd be willing to venture that she was just hyper. Since I was in middle school, I really didn't know any different...I was hyper myself, so what's to say she wasn't normal (to me, at least)? Codie was a good dog. One of my favorite memories of her was when my brother was a baby, sitting in his high chair eating yogurt, and she'd eat it out of his mouth (he was a willing accomplice). Gross? Perhaps, but a fond memory nonetheless...

After Codie met an untimely end thanks to a UPS truck (yeah, that's what Brown did for us!), Goblin came along. She was a scroungy kitten that came staggering up our driveway one day. My mother thought she was going to fall over any second, and we gave her tuna to hold her over. From then on, she was part of our family. The vet said that she had a spinal birth defect that would never allow her to walk properly (hence the staggering) and she might not last long... But over 18 years later, she was still kicking, and we, unfortunately had to help her cross the Rainbow Bridge in December 2005.

Goblin was never really my cat. Yes, my brother and I promised profusely that we'd care for her if only our parents let her stay. That lasted all of 10 minutes. But, even though we sometimes played rough with her, we still loved her and to this day, I do miss her. She was a good cat....even if she was as old as dirt when her time came! She hung in there long after anyone could've guessed she would've.

Post Codie but during Goblin's reign came Brandy. Brandy was my little "Pooperoni" as I called her. She was a good little beagle. My father had her trained to follow his commands (a trait that still impresses my high school friends to this day). I'll never forget the day that she dumbfounded us all. She knew that when my father told her to "go sit down", she was to go to the kitchen and sit in her bed. Well, one summer afternoon, my mother, brother and I were playing a game in the living room during an especially bad thunderstorm. Brandy didn't have much of a liking for storms - she was downright chicken to be honest. Well, she kept coming in the living room for attention, but we didn't want my father to come home and find her there, so we finally told her to "go sit down". Wouldn't you know it? She went in the kitchen and brought her bed back into the living room with her, and sat down. We just stared in amazement! GOOD GIRL!! After that, we didn't have the heart to send her back to the kitchen, so she rode out the storm with us...

Brandy was my friend, but she was my brother's dog (even though, just like Goblin, my mother took care of her). Her passing hit my brother especially hard. It hit ME hard too - harder than I thought it would. She got sick (and old - 14 years old if I remember correctly), and the time finally came to take her to the vet for the last time... I'll never forget the entire family crowded in that small office to say goodbye. I held her face and petted her while my brother hugged her and we all cried. It was peaceful but heart breaking. Even my father - the one who always claimed he didn't love her - gave her a kiss on the nose. He loved her. We all did.

In October 2004, Luna came into my life. She was my first pet. Mine. Well, actually, I was her first human, and she was the world to me. Luna had a rough childhood (thanks to, well, we won't go there) which in turn made her misunderstood by other people. But the past year has given her the time she needed to heal and she has helped me through a rough time. Even while we were both in our "past life" (that's what I call the past 9 years before last September), she was always there for me. When times are bad and when I've felt most alone in this world, she's always been there for me nudging me or rubbing on me almost as if to tell me everything will be ok. She's my world and I can't imagine being without her.

We've spoken, and she understands that she's never crossing the Rainbow Bridge. She's ok with that - she understands, honest! :)

The animals that have come in and out of my life have all made an impact on me... They've contributed to who I am and I'm thankful for it every day. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of Brandy and Goblin especially...I miss them the most. But then I look at my Luna and I'm thankful for having her and realize how lucky I truly am - no matter what.

Really? A cat??

You've got to check this out!



If only my sweet Luna liked water this much!! When bath time comes, well, let's just not talk about it.... Put it this way, her last bath was last winter, and my scars are only just now starting to fade!! :)

Ever feel like this...?

I have to admit, now that I'm all 'grown up', I really enjoy writing.

I never was much of a writer in school. A talker, yes. Writing? Not so much my friend. I dreaded those hundred + word essays they'd make us write. And forget writing an entire report! That was relegated to the night before, as late at night as possible (and that was BEFORE computers, so talk about writer's cramp). Hated it. And I don't think it was a case of not knowing what to say, but knowing that I wanted to say something and not being able to get it out before said writer's cramp reared its ugly head (or hand).

And now, at 32 years old, when I finally have come to appreciate writing my thoughts down (thank you techology gods), it seems that my thoughts are getting all bottle-necked. Lucky me.

I mean, I always have something I want to say. And when I'm not saying it, I'm thinking it. The thoughts are always flying around my head. Its just that, when its time for them to come out - whether its speaking or writing - they all get jumbled up. Almost like a proverbial bottle-neck.

Frustrates the heck out of me...

That's why, now that I have my computer, I love writing so much. It allows me to type and just think in a random stream of thought. And when it appears that none of it is making any sense (other than to myself), I can always reach for my trusty DELETE button. Man, I love DELETE!

Anyhoo - I guess what I'm getting at, in an extremely round about way is that, well, you know what? Maybe there really isn't much of a point to this... I guess it was just another one of those situations where something was flying around my head and it just spilled out. And while there's a lot more up there, well, this is what came out.

Take it for what it is.

(and quit sitting there scratching your head with that deer-caught-in-headlights look on your face!)

Fie!

Fie on Halloween candy! FIE!!

I'm making an earnest attempt at "regularly" going to the gym. And while I don't really want to talk about it (thus possibly jinxing it), I am trying!

But this ever so delicious and scrumptious Halloween candy is making it difficult. Yes, I could just throw it away. But its soooo good. And quite honestly, I don't want to waste food (or the money that was spent on it).

So I have a dilemma.

Continue to keep it around and eat it or just toss it. What to do? What to do?

How about Option C: I'll just eat it all. Now.

(I mean, it IS for the better - less temptation to have staring @ me, right?)

Boo!

Happy Halloween!

Today is Halloween. Hall-o-ween. That's the first of the Fall/Winter holidays (in my book). Halloween always is followed by Thanksgiving in the blink of an eye, and before you know it, its Christmas then the New Year.

Where has this year gone?

Just yesterday it was the New Year. I had lofty goals of moving out of Mom & Dad's house.....NOT that they have ever said to get out, but I want to be on my own. Its only natural. So, THAT was my goal, my resolution if you will, for 2007. With the only prospect of a roommate being a gay male I found on a room mate search site (yes, that is how HE qualified himself - not me), my goals, while still there, most likely won't be achieved in 07. And what's worse, is that I was turned down - or at least ignored by said gay male. He never responded to my email inquiring about his place. Eh, that's ok. He's a dog person. I'm a cat person. It would never have worked out!

So, here it is Halloween... And the scariest thing to me is that I have no idea when I'll be moving out - no matter how much I wish it was today.

That's ok - at least I'll have plenty of chocolates and candy to look forward to, right? After all, even if the trick-or-treaters don't come to the door, that's no excuse for not having plenty of candy on hand. Halloween thru New Year's really is the only span of time you can quasi-justify having too much candy on hand and eating it all!

Felíz Cumpleaños

Felíz Cumpleaños a mí amor!

You guessed it...its my man's birthday today!! The Big Double 3!! YAY!!

I hope you have a wonderful year and that all your wishes come true!!

Happy Birthday Sweetie!!

KUDOS

...no, not the food. The CONGRATS!!

I want to brag just a bit about the FABULOSO job that my man did on the web site he designed. Its for the fly shop (also known as his home away from home). He's put tons of hours into designing and researching and I'm really proud of him!

Its still a work-in-progress, so check back often for more updates and new pages.

And in the meantime, GREAT JOB ON THE WEB SITE!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY...

...TO NICOLE!!!

Yep, today is Nicole's 30th birthday....AGAIN!!!

Just want to send a shout out to her and wish her a year of great things and a lifetime of happiness!!!

Happy 30th Birthday Part Deux, Nicole!!!!

So proud...

I need to spread a little kudos here in honor of Nicole! Nicole is a huge knitting freak (in a good way, of course) and has decided to sell her knits for kids. She's created a company called "Little Pink Bunny Hand Knits" and she's finally been posted online!!

So YAY!! GO NICOLE!! WOOT WOOT!

And...that's a pretty good logo if I do say so myself... Courtesy of Luna Designs (aka, ME).

Progress, not perfection

My best friend introduced me to FlyLady.com. Its a site that helps you get your home (and in turn, your life) in order. Good site. Now, while I'm not an official member and I don't visit it daily or follow it religiously, Nicole is always there to pass on the pearls of wisdom that she learns from the Fly Lady...

So along those lines, today's topic is the fact that I should strive for progress, not perfection. The idea is that if you strive for perfection daily, you'll never achieve it and you'll never change if that's what you're trying to do (as I am).

Rather than beating myself up for missing the gym last night, for example, I made the effort to get up a little earlier this morning and go before work. Now, while it would've been ideal and perfect if I had more time and could've spent a little longer there, at least I did most of what I needed to do. Some is better than none. And I'm proud of me for getting up and going - especially since I'm not a morning person and the sun hadn't yet come up. That alone was a big incentive to stay in bed and cuddle with Luna. But instead, I figured if I'm going to change, I've got to work to do it...and staying in bed wasn't going to accomplish anything!

So I'm proud of me. Sure I'm tired. But I also know I made the effort to go, did what I had to do (well, MOST of it) and now I can feel good about doing this for myself and taking the steps to better myself.

Even if it wasn't perfect, its progress. And that's what its all about, right?

Maybe next time...

Well, sorry to disappoint, but when push came to shove, I just wasn't inspired to make any jewelry.

Maybe next time...

Go me...

Well, its Saturday night and I'm home.

Now before you give me that sympathetic look of "oooh, poor girl", its not so bad. I spent the afternoon at the craft store, and in addition to the scrap booking stuff I got the other night, I've been Ms. Crafty McCraftinstein today.

I just finished Luna's scrap book. This is a project I've wanted to do for years. Three to be exact. She came into my life on October 6, 2004, and ever since then, I've been trying to get this done. I made a lame attempt at creating one before, but it was a journal from Pottery Barn, and while it was very nice, the pages were too small and, well, the execution of it just wasn't there.

So the other night I found a great deal on a cat scrap book and grabbed it. I got some extra filler pages today at the craft store and headed home.... And it looks great. And what's best about it is that I have plenty of pages left to fill and that gives me more of an excuse to take more photos of Luna. Yeah, like I needed that!!

In addition to my scrap book finds, I also grabbed some fabulous beads. More fodder for making jewelry! Always fun! That's what I'm going to do next. Its still early.... And if you're lucky, I just might photograph what I make and post it here! We'll see.... :)

Are you kidding me???

I don't wish severe weather (or the aftermath thereof) on anyone....but this is so unfair!!

The photo here is of the Oklahoma City area. For those of you who are not weather freaks (like I am), those red boxes indicate tornado watches for the areas within them. And yes, that yellow circle indicates the area where Harrah is. Harrah, for those of you who don't know, is where Nicole (my best friend) lives. Harrah is where I spent 4 sun-filled, severe weather void days in June.

HARRAH IS SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF A TORNADO WATCH AND PART OF WHAT MANY METEOROLOGISTS ARE THINKING MIGHT BE A TORNADO OUTBREAK IN THE NEXT 24HRS OR SO.

Harrah is so lucky. Why couldn't I have been so lucky in June?

WHY OH WHY????

Tell me why is it that I traveled all the way to Oklahoma in June to visit my best friend in hopes of finding some of that severe weather they're famous for and had 4 days of beautiful weather? In fact, my best friend's husband said it was the first stretch of that many days that they'd had that were sunny. OF COURSE IT WAS!

I mean, their weather is so famous, Rogers and Hammerstein wrote it into one of their songs...

OKLAHOMA!
Where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain....
And the wavin' wheat can sure smell sweet,
When the wind comes right behind the rain...

If they're so famous for their severe weather, why wasn't I privy to it? I even went to my own personal mecca - The National Weather Center! I toured it and their 360˚ tower that provides a fabulous view of severe weather coming in from any direction. Nope. Sun. Just sun is all I saw.

And now my friend posts this today.

Its so unfair.

But I do have to say, that photo is FABULOUS! Now if only I could see weather like that some day!! NJ is too tame!! Oh well...maybe next time I'm out there...

Ouch - Part Deux

Explain to me why I hurt more TODAY than yesterday?!!

Ok, maybe its because I went to the gym again last night (I don't want to talk about it). But last night I worked my upper body (versus lower the first night)...so you'd think that I could at least WALK today.

Not so much my friend. Not so much.

I feel like a 95 year old needing a walker! I woke up today and my eyelids hurt! What is that about?

Walk it off...work through the pain.... Ok, think of EVERY sports-related cliché you could think of, and right about now, none of them work! Just like my body. Still in rebellion. Still not liking me much!!

You know what it DOES like though?? ADVIL!!

OUCH!

Ok, I made a valiant attempt at bettering myself last night... I went somewhere, but I don't want to talk about it. Ok, I do...

I went back to the gym! And OMG - I am in PAIN this morning!!

The last time I was there was April 30th. That's what my card said. APRIL 30th! SO MUCH has changed since then! I wasn't even legally an Ortiz the last time I was there (perish the thought!). Its been 5 1/2 months since I stepped in the gym (unless you count visiting Mr. Bill on July 4th to say HI - which I don't). So basically my body is in rebellion this morning. I woke up and the only part of me that didn't hurt is a small part of my left ear lobe - and that now hurts because I poked it putting on my earrings this morning! So basically, I'm a ball of OUCH!

But I feel good...and I'm going back for more tonight!

Go figure!

Bragging momma

So I headed into the bathroom this morning to take a shower, and couldn't find Luna on her usual table watching the world go by. She always sits on a table right inside the bathroom door watching down the front steps and has a birds-eye view of basically the whole upstairs. She likes to keep an eye on us.

This morning, she wasn't in her usual spot. I thought I'd find her on my bed, but no dice. So I headed back in the bathroom to get ready for work, and lo and behold, what do I find?

There was my little baby girl - curled up IN the towels. I guess it was a nice toasty warm nest for her on a chilly fall morning! She basically spent the entire morning there....so I guess that's her new bed! Could be worse - at least the towels are clean!

Fall has arrived in NJ....

Well, we went apple picking today!! And it was fabulous! After a thorough search online of "local" NY/NJ apple picking orchards last night, we found the "perfect" place to go...

After a fabulous home-cooked breakfast, we got ourselves together this morning and headed about 35 minutes north of home up to Masker Orchards in Warwick, NY. When we finally got there, it took a little while to scope things out, but we finally got the lay of the land and decided what areas we'd pick from and we had a ball!! We picked mainly Red Delicious (and delicious they were) and Empire apples. We tried to find Mitsu apples but those were either done with their season or we were entirely inept at reading the map of the orchard. Needless to say, no Mitsu apples made their way home with us. Maybe next year!

We did, however, pick a bushel of fabulous apples!! Including THE PERFECT apple...

All in all it was a fabulous day!! We roamed the orchard looking for the just the right apples and had so much fun doing it! The scenery was incredible, and the apples were YUMMY!!

So this year, we've so far gone pumpkin picking (that was last weekend - and you can see our "perfect" pumpkins in the image above) and then this weekend apple picking! We're just becoming regular farm folks!! HA!

Can you answer this...?

I just saw a video on Yahoo! that was about a Cat Fancier's cat show in NYC this weekend. Lots of cute cats competing for best in show and talent contests. And in addition to that they have other cats that will be there up for adoption. While I know deep inside that Luna could beat them all (not that I'm biased, but she is the prettiest and sweetest!), I fear for the safety and well being of any judge who might try to handle her there! She has mellowed out, but I'm not so sure she's too keen on strangers and I doubt there are enough bandages to help the poor soul who tries to pick her up!!

And the adoption part of the show got me to thinking about homeless animals and their fate...

Each year, millions of cats (and dogs, too) are euthanized in shelters simply because they have no room in the shelter and no one wants them. On the flip side, breeders (and even some non-breeders) breed their pets just to make a buck. I personally know of private people (non-breeders that is) that have "pimped" out their dog because they were able to sell the puppies for several hundred dollars a pop. Now, while no one can deny the adorability of a rolly-polly puppy (or kitten), those 5 or 6 animals took the place of 5 or 6 people going to the local shelter and saving 5 or 6 puppies.

There is no excuse for this.

Its a shame and its not fair to the millions of animals who will die this year simply because no one wants them. Just imagine your own life being ended because no one wants you next time someone you know (or maybe even you yourself?) decide to get an animal from a breeder rather than rescuing one!!

Cat, dog, person, or "other" - everyone deserves to live and be loved....everyone!

Elizabeth Gilbert Book Excerpt & Discussion

This is definitely worth checking out:
**this is a long video and really only the reading itself is the best part - and that's only the first 10 minutes or so)

STILL?

Ok, its 2 HOURS LATER and I'm still at work... What have I accomplished in that time? Eating lunch and not much else my friend. Not much else...

Its official...

...its now mid-day at work and I've officially done nothing. Well, not NOTHING. I am blogging. And I checked my email. AND I did finally send the last few pages of our HUGE hellish issue to the press this morning! So I guess I was quasi-productive. But after a 3 week period of non-stop work (my butt print is permanently indented into my work chair), I need a little mental break.

A wise friend of mine told me yesterday that I've gone into a downward spiral. For someone who made such strides and made such progress over the past year, the past couple weeks have been very destructive to me. I knew I was miserable...and I guess I still am somewhat - I can't just assume to be presto-chango perfect now - however, I made it through a rough time at work in tact. And while I can blame part of it on stress and lack of sleep (all caused by my work life), it really isn't fair to dole all that badness out on my friends and family. So...this is a public (ok, who reads this stuff?) apology to my friends and family - and primarily to my best friend and my wonderful boyfriend. Both of them have supported me and seen me through a rough time....not just the past 3 weeks, but the last year and, in Nicole's case, the past DECADE. So thank you for being there for me and thank you for understanding and still standing by me...

I'm making a resolution (a not-so-new-year's resolution) to try to go back to seeing the positive things in my life rather than dwelling on the icky stuff. And I'm going to make a resolution to try new things (which I've been pretty good at doing the past year, but have slipped lately). And in homage to that...I'm going to make an effort to try to write on here more often! So check once, check often.... Not that I have any kind of theme or general topics I like to write on, but I guess that's the beauty of a blog, right?? Just ramble on and someone is bound to be interested in what you're saying!!

Cats and my humble opinion...

I read something very interesting and true online today... It was an article about loving cats and how cat people tend to think of their cats as their offspring - their own children. Dog people do too - but this is about cats...! The piece of the article that really hit home for me (and really made me tear up) read the following:

"Our thoughts often evolve to women when we think of humans who treat cats as their 'children.' Almost everyone knows a woman who live alone with her cat(s), and these relationships are always symbiotic in nature. One might wonder who benefits the most, human or cat. The cat thrives on the constant attention and pampering, and the 'cat mom' glows with the knowledge that in this sometimes cold world there is at least one sentient creature who gives her unconditional love, who will be there for her day-in and day-out, regardless of what society as a whole throws at her. Not a bad trade-off at all, I think. I would have no fears of choosing that lifestyle, should circumstances dictate."

"The knowledge that in this sometimes cold world there is at least one sentient creature who gives her unconditional love." The idea is so simple. And this is one of the most important things that I love about Luna. She is always there for me. Always has been. Always will be. Even when I have a bad day, she still loves me. She doesn't care if I shower, wear make-up or do my hair. She doesn't care if I'm rich or poor. She doesn't care if I gain or loose weight. I always know where I stand with her. If she's happy, she shows it, and if she's not, well, I have the scratch marks to prove when she's shown that too! Point is, I can always turn to her even when I feel like there is no one else to turn to.

THAT is what unconditional love and acceptance is all about.

And its something we should all strive to feel for each other.