NoBertNo!

Grumblers

2010-09-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

Every morning I am woken up by either Squeak or Elmo grumbling. They are growling at the other cats. If I don't get up the grumbles turn to hisses and spits. In Squeaks case screeches. Drives me up the wall. This week, the culprit is getting put in the bathroom for a few hours until the tempers calm down. Frustrating but I get more sleep.

Cat sitting

2010-09-12T21:15:00.001-07:00

Since there is a firebug in town I have been catsitting little Honey. she lives at my parents shop and they are worried that something could happen to her.

So, home with Kammy she goes. Don't get me wrong. Honey loves it here. She bullies the resident cats. Takes over my bed and eats me out of house and home. Just when I am ready to say, time to go back, she curls up in my arms and snuggles.

Bert tolerates her but has warned me that if a dog comes here, he will pee in my shoes.

Gardening weekend

2010-05-24T18:09:00.000-07:00

May 24th. Victoria day. I call it Gardening day. When We get to put out annuals with the least worry of frost.

I got my weeding done, annuals and veggies planted. My wildflower garden seeded and some pruning done. Whew!!!! A busy 3 days. Fun though. Greg got involved this year and I liked that for a change.

Getting things in order.

2010-05-09T22:44:00.000-07:00

I think it's one of the hardest things a person can do. Start to get things in order for when you are gone. It should always be in order really. You don't know when you wake up in the morning if you are going to be there that night. Or when you go to bed at night, if you will wake up in the morning.
I remember a lovely young girl years ago that posted on the boards. She was getting married and a week before her wedding she was killed in a traffic accident.

I have at least some time to get the paperwork together for Greg. So he has the wills and the house deed as well as the insurance etc. That is the easy part.

The harder part is the little things I need to get rid of and get cleaned up. The make up I don't use. The clothes I no longer wear, The junk I have accumulated over the years. Time to get rid of it all.

It's also time to start using the things I have saved over the years. No sense saving it for when I am gone.

Windy Weather

2010-05-08T11:06:00.000-07:00

Winds are gusting 60 to 80 km. The power went out this morning and of course my alarm clock went out with it. That's ok. Dear old Bert made sure I was up by knocking things off the dresser. Wasn't he so thoughtful to make sure I was up to feed him?

Things about me I want others to know

2010-05-07T21:20:00.000-07:00

I feel like I won't be around as long as I wanted to be, I think I will use this blog once and awhile to talk about myself. Things I want remembered.

I was born December 12, 1965. In the middle of a big snowstorm. No, I don't like winter that much. I accept it but I am not a big winter person. Autumn is my favourite time of the year. When the leaves are falling and the air is crisp. I love the rustle sound when you walk through the leaves at night.

As for the rest of the seasons, I do love the stillness of a winter's night. Unfortunatly most of my neighbours do not and love to start their snowblowers at 3 am. I love spring flowers. I seem to need them. They give me hope that the dampness and winter is finally over. Summer. Well I am not into the hot days but I love listening to a thunderstorm coming through late at night.

I think I have always felt that way. Most of the time I just accept the weather here along the Great Lakes. It was my choice to live here because it was easier then trying to move to a strange area and find a job and carve my life out. My friends and family lived here so it made sense to stay here too. I learned along time ago to accept things I can't change, like the weather. It makes Greg miserable because he can't accept anything he can't change or control.

My Lady is gone

2010-05-07T20:22:00.000-07:00

I lost my Lady Minnie just after Easter. Three thirty am on April 6, 2010.

She had a bad weekend where she didn't want to eat. Then she felt better on Sun and was eating on Monday. By Tuesday she was eating everything in sight. Happy and relaxed. Wednesday she didn't want to eat again but she was a bit constipated. Still she was relaxed and didn't seem to be sick. Suddenly in the middle of the night she started having seizures. She passed in my arms.

I miss her and I really thought I was going to die with her that night. I felt that bad. Both mentally and physically. I haven't felt good since.

Miss Minnie Fell Yesterday

2009-08-30T20:29:00.000-07:00

She was walking along the window sill and took a tumble. Since then she has been hanging out in the bedroom with the big boys. I don't know if feels sore or just got lonely.

I will have to keep an eye out on her

Blackie is still my boy. I think he is starting to lose a bit of weight himself.

I quit

2009-03-13T09:56:00.001-07:00

Well I quit my newspaper job this morning. No more having to be up at 2 am to deliver papers. Oh that feels good.

Blackie

2009-02-06T01:48:00.000-08:00

I love that big black cat. Really love him. Teddy Bear and Shadow were my heart kitties. I never thought I would love another cat like them. Then along came Blackie.

He is so loving and sweet. I can't take a step without him being nearby. Cuddling is his favourite pass time.

he does have a silly habit. When he is not hungry he plays with his food. Tonight I gave him a tiny piece of cheese. he proceeded to smack it and paw at it and just have a bit fun. Until Oscar ran over and gobbled it up. What did Blackie do? He looked up at me with those big eyes of his as if to say, "Mommie! He ate my toy!"

Digging out

2008-11-19T17:36:00.000-08:00

That's my car. Under all that snow. So for the last day and a half I have been driving Greg's car. Dreading the digging out. I came home form work to find that Greg had dug my car out for me. "I love you too." I told him when I got in the house. He knew what it was all about.

First Taste of Winter

2008-11-18T01:53:00.001-08:00

We are expecting 6 inches of snow this morning. Oh goody just what I wanted! Yuck. It's something I am not looking forward too. Glad I don't go into work until 1:30.

Minnie today

2008-10-26T17:12:00.001-07:00

She is looking better each day

Hyperthyroidism

2008-10-16T01:11:00.001-07:00

Little Miss Minerva has Hyperthyroidism. Today she started taking Tapazole. She is not impressed with taking a pill. Luckily she is a sweet loving and forgiving girl or I would be getting my fingers bitten off.

Hopefully we will get this under control and she will have a few more great years with me.

Misstress Minnie

2008-09-26T18:53:00.000-07:00

I just love this old lady

45 mins later

2008-09-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

Last week I received a notice in the mail from Rogers. At first I thought it was a bill. Years ago they took over my long distance account. Then when I moved, I called in my change of address. That's when the bills stopped. So every couple of months I paid by Internet and would either call, write or email them my new address. Nothing.

So I finally stopped paying. I would pay when I received my bill.

Nothing. No bill.

Once day in January a customer rep calls. I tell her why I haven't paid. She checks. No one changed my address. She says that it will be fixed asap and a new bill will be sent. Meanwhile I paid the past due amount online.

No bill shows up. I email them twice and still no bill.

So then the notice comes in. I call the general enquiry number to reach automated hell. no humans here and no way to be put through to customer service.

I finally go online and look for the number for long distance service. No number.

I randomly try a number. I actually get through to a human who puts me through to another human. A rather rude one. When I try to explain to him that I am not going to pay the amount due until I see the bill he tells me that's my choice. In the snottiest tone you ever heard. I ask him if he would and he tells me certainly. He says I entered into the agreement and I am the one breaking the agreement. He then tells me that I have been receiving my bills all along. He suggests I go to the post office and ask them why they won't deliver my mail. I get my mail buddy. I even got a reminder notice but no bill! He argues with me and I can tel he wants to say something really nasty. I tell him I want to talk to a supervisor and he says No I can't. EXCUSE ME?

Finally he transfers me to the accounts receivable who looks at my account and it took him 15 seconds to find they had accidentally put a hold on my bills to transfer the change of address and forgot to take it off. He apologises to me for everything. From the rude rep to the screw up. He will send the bill ASAP and not to worry about paying till I have it. Thank you Sir.

I will be sending a letter to Rogers when I receive my bill. I want the account closed and I will be telling them all about what I went through.

I don't need this crap.

Update: Received 3 automated messages today, since I called, telling me to pay my bill!!

I Wish I lived in London Ontario right now

2008-09-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

City plans network of shelters for cats

Sat, September 20, 2008

Roaming packs of cats in London could soon find welcome signs -- shelters and food -- at up to seven sites to be chosen by city hall.

Officials want to use tax dollars to help animal activists save cats that would otherwise roam and breed, their proposal to be reviewed Monday by politicians on the city's environment and transportation committee.

Such cats, called feral because they're born in the wild and can't be tamed, have overrun some North American cities, a problem the city's environment chief hopes to avoid here.

"The key part is finding neighbours who want to be a willing host," Jay Stanford said yesterday.

Stanford has found three property owners who already use their yard to feed colonies of feral cats (he won't disclose where unless council adopts the one-year pilot project).

The goal is to find as many as four more homes, then pay to build better shelters, buy food and trap the cats so they can be spayed or neutered, vaccinated and returned to the colony. Giving better shelter and food may draw more feral cats to a neighbourhood, he acknowledged, and some Londoners may oppose the move.

"If we get opposition in an area, we'll try to wind down the operation and move it," he said.

But in the long run, the program may reduce the number of feral cats, he said. Its effectiveness will be measured by marking captured cats and monitoring them.

The proposal is drawing cheers from an animal activist who lobbied against euthanasia -- in 2006, the latest year for which figures were available, more than 1,500 cats were put down at the city pound and humane society.

"I'm very excited," said Dianne Fortney, who for seven years has rescued about 100 cats through her organization, Animal Outreach.

Both Stanford and Fortney say euthanasia doesn't reduce the number of feral cats -- the population grows to whatever level of food is available.

"Trap and kill is certainly not humane and it's completely ineffective," said Fortney, who co-chairs London's animal welfare advisory committee.

Spaying and neutering the cats instead has been done for years by activists, but their work will be made easier by the city's financial backing, she said.

"Londoners will be very proud."

Stanford estimates the one-year program would cost between $7,750 and $17,000.

He doesn't know how many feral cats roam city streets, nor does he believe the numbers are a pressing threat -- yet. "I don't believe it's a problem in London now, but I don't want it to become one."

Many problems people associate with feral cats disappear after spaying and neutering, Fortney said. Fixed cats typically won't fight, howl or mark territory with urine, she said.

While some claim feral cats reduce the population of songbirds, she thinks the effect is exaggerated, especially when the cats are given food.

What is new here

2008-09-18T21:19:00.001-07:00

Lots of things have been going on this month. First of all, I have picked up 4 more cleaning hours. That's good because in the end of August I lost 2 at another job. So I am actually ahead. I also have a partner and that makes a big difference.

The London Free Press have been treating us Carriers like dirt. So I have decided that after Christmas I will be leaving. My quit date is the first of February. This gives me time to get some more hours at my other jobs or if I have to, to pick up hours elsewhere.

I have decided to structure my life better. This means less time paying online and more home time. While I love the Internet, a part of me misses the time I had before I had a computer. Maybe it's time to find this again. No way am I going cold turkey but I do pan on only spending a certain amount each day online.

We wil see how all of this goes.

We are back

2008-09-18T21:19:00.000-07:00

In a sad moment I deleted my old blog. I needed time to clear my head. I am now back with the cats.

Part of the reason I deleted it was because of the new "Anti cruelty" laws coming into effect in Ontario. The new laws while looking good give total control to the SPCA. Our SPCA has a euthanize first ask questions later policy. Cats are rounded up and if they show any fear or aggression to being rounded up, (we all know that most cats will) they are immediatly euthanized as unadoptable animals. only cats with personaities like a very docile dog are saved. Can you tell the SPCA doesn't really know or understand cats? Yet they are the ones in charge.

This was one of the reasons I wanted to erase my traces of the cats off the net. I realize that this was a little irrational. :) So as I said, we are back.