This might have something to do with the fact that I have two part-time jobs, one which is so new I don't know anything even though some people expect me to, and one which is so old I am close to being able to say I hate it; I have a family of six living with me in my (parents') house; I just had a very well-turned-out booksigning; I am going in for surgery in a week and a half; and I'm still trying to maintain a good but challenging friendship with the Milk Guy.
Most of these things are stressors of my own choosing, but not all of them, and in any case, I'm quite sure I would not have chosen the timing. (I would have spaced them out considerably.) The combined effect is a sort of verbal constipation, which I realise is a repulsive analogy, but it really is kind of how my brain feels right now.
And then the cat showed up.
I should probably explain why there's a Family-of-Six living in my house first, but I'm not going to. Suffice it to say that this Family went away last weekend and returned on Wednesday night. When I left for work the following morning, I heard an inexplicable, high-pitched mewing near the garage--but I couldn't see anything, so I got in my car and left for work.
When I returned home, a long stressful shift and a professional massage later, Heather-of-Six said, "I have to show you something."
In the downstairs bathroom, asleep in a box, was an eight-week-old kitten. Said Kitten-of-Seven (evidently) had climbed into the engine of their car while they had been visiting its owners, ridden back in the engine from New Hampshire for two hours, and been discovered freaking out in my driveway by the children in the middle of the afternoon.I have never had a cat. My mother and grandmother both really dislike cats, and I have little time or patience to want to train one. I don't want cat-hair all over my things, and I don't want it scratching the furniture and draperies, and I don't know that I can afford to keep one. So we are trying to see if anyone down here will take it. But I have this feeling no one will. I kind of think I'm supposed to have it. If this is the case, it will no doubt be a blessing and I will be oh so happy she's here. But in the meantime: Sigh.
Did I mention change stresses me out?
She is really beautiful, though . . .
Photo by jennw2ns: Surprise 2008.
11 comments:
cats are good, but I suggest after she grows, you have her sleep outside, if possible.
Yes, she IS really beautiful! Wow. What coloring!
Dang, you've got a lot going on. Glad to hear your book signing went well. Is your surgery thing serious?
Yeah, the cat hair I could definitely do without. Ew. Blah. It gets everywhere.
But cats are SO low maintenance. They pretty much train themselves. At least, that has been my experience.
She is beautiful, and your mother has learned to like cats. She will require more hoovering (that hair!), but I think she will be lovely company for you. And pets are good stress-relievers, which it sounds like you need! Besides, the way she came to you seems so God-ordained, doesn't it?
How can there be so many unwanted/homeless kittens in the world, when kittens are SO cute?!!
Rod--welcome! Yeah, the outside-cat idea has its appeal, though I think given certain factors of her projected adult size and the animals (both wild and domestic) in my neighbourhood, that might not work out so well . . .
Christianne--from the photos I've seen, she definitely is the most distinctively-marked of the litter. I love it. The surgery thing--partly preventative, partly investigatory, so I don't know yet if it's serious. This cat seems to have a thing for climbing the drapes in the dining room, so some sort of training is apparently going to be necessary, but hopefully not much.
Mom--glad you're more okay with cats! ;) And yes, there is a sort of "You need a cat. HERE!" feel to this whole thing.
Dad--I think maybe some people are able to see past the cuteness to the full-grown animal. ;) Although actually, I think I'd be more okay with this if she were full-grown and in less need of supervision already. She might not have fit in the engine as well in that case, however.
don't quit blogging!
this is exactly how my brother got his wee little kitty too! Once they got it out of their engine they adopted it and she is a cutie.
breathe...don't be stressed.
;)
My wife convinced me to get a cat. He's the coolest thing ever. (Sorry, we can give your cat the second coolest designation.) He plays fetch with us, hangs out in the wet bath tub, trips all the time, and in general just seems to think he's a dog.
Your life does seem crazy busy. I'm trying to unwind the flow of this post. Was it "I was going to write a 'this is my last blog post but then I had to write about the cat, so now I'm going to write my last blog ever later?'
or was it 'I was going to stop blogging but then I got the cat and it somehow served as a message that I shouldn't stop blogging?'
keep up your writing. you talk in a nice gentle breath with your writing. May you be blessed. Hope you recover well. scott
Rhonda--trying to breathe. I keep thinking I'm doing it, and then someone tells me to and I wonder . . . what was I doing instead? ;)
Jeff--I'm trying to find doglike qualities in this cat. I think she maybe has a few, but . . . she's mostly cat. This is probably good, since I'm almost never home. (Family-of-Six isn't always, either.) As for your question: I don't know the answer to it myself, which is why I didn't unravel it for you. The internal jury is still out (in spite of being internal) on that one.
Scott--thanks.
hope your cat will help you well in your recovery. Hope that you won't be out of work too long.
scott
Scott--me, too.
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