the
song is "Green Grow the Lilacs"
Tues. March 16 All's well and peaceful at the Zoo. Fritz has decided Penny's not so scary after all, and he's managed to teach her not to go after him. (She only wants to play, but she's a bit "enthusiastic" in her efforts to get the cats to play and scares them away. Then Penny thinks the cats have joined the game and she gives chase.) I was working in the kitchen last night and when I went back to the bedroom to check on Penny (she'd been too quiet for too long), she and Fritz were lounging there side by side, Penny with her head tucked between her paws with her lower jaw flat on the bed and Fritz stretched out on his back and wiggling for a tummy-rub. Fritz seems to have taught Penny the wisdom of "Don't chase us but lie still and wait for us to come to you", because she's calmer with the other cats, too, and they're beginning to relax with her.
I spent a lovely morning at the unemployment office; actually, it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected it to be, and I was out in just about 2 hours. On the way home I checked at the bar and, since they didn't have a bartender for tomorrow, I get the day shift. And Irish bar on St. Paddy's day. That should be good for a couple weeks worth of grocery money! Maybe another day later in the week, too. Maybe I could splurge and get those rollerblades I want so I can raise my "exercise" (read: dog-walking) to a new aerobic and fitness level. A friend assures me that rollerblading is a great buttocks-sculpting activity; I have some doubts about my butt getting sculpted but hey - it's worth a try!
Yesterday afternoon I lay down on the sofa to take a quick nap. Mr. French wandered over via the back of the sofa, let himself down onto my tummy, headbutted and snuzzled me, then curled up and went to sleep. I ended up sleeping about an hour and a half, and Mr. French was still on my tummy when I woke up. He sure is a cuddle-bunny! Cerra continues to integrate into the full Zoo (until recently, she preferred to stay in the spare room - she didn't get bothered there, but she didn't get much company, either) and is becoming quite a little social butterfly. She's such a petite little thing, and she's very easy on the eyes. I need to get going on finding her a good home, because she's almost ready. It took 4 months, but this feral cat who was trapped at 1+ year of age is a perfectly contented mostly-tame housecat now. She's still a little "spooky", but I think she'll continue to come out of her shell and will eventually be quite a social little companion for some lucky person. Punch continues to make progress, too. He's always getting close (but not too close) to me when I'm on the computer - he lies in a little hidey-hole on some shelving that's an arm's reach from the keyboard and swats at the tablecloth until I stick my hand into his spot. Then he swats my fingers, pats my hand, and nibbles on my fingertips. He's a real character - so sweet, curious, and intelligent - and he wears the cutest quizzical expression I've ever seen. Little doll-baby.
Late last night, in an insomniac hour, I watched The Match Game. The woman contestant admitted to having 14 cats, 1 dog, and one parrot and I thought to myself "Wow! She's a bigger sucker than I am - at least I don't have a parrot!"
Thurs. March 11 Well, I certainly have enjoyed this little "vacation" I've had thrust upon me. Penny has really made a lot of progress in the last week because I've had more time to spend with her. She's been spending a lot less time in the crate though she's still crated when I want her to sleep, and that includes 5-6 hours during the day - it's the only way I can come out to the dining room to work. But because I'm here to supervise, she's allowed access to the bedroom, hallway, and kitchen and has enjoyed amusing herself by running back and forth with a toy in her mouth. It helps give her some extra exercise, and she sleeps for longer periods. She's also been less wound up, because she hasn't had to deal much with separation anxiety this last week or so, so she's easier to work with. She's got more focus when it comes to learning new commands and following old ones.
The cats have enjoyed my company, too, everybody getting an extra share of cuddles. And I've been enjoying eating real food instead of takeout. I've actually got time to cook, these days! (Cooking at home is a cheaper and a lot healthier, too!)
And I've been able to get some things done that have been waiting a loooooong time. It's getting cleaner around here, slowly but surely. I finally went to Radio Shack yesterday to get an A/B switch so I can have both my scanner and my printer hooked up at the same time. I have to go back this afternoon to exchange the cable (got the wrong plug on one end) but I should be able to really jazz up my resume and print it out now! And I'm going to do tear-off tab flyers for petsitting, and get them posted around. I think I'll get some colored printer paper, too, so they're more attention-grabbing.
I'm still mulling over my opportunities, trying to figure out what it is I really want to do and if I can get paid adequately for doing it. It's been almost 8 years since I've had a job I really loved (that one ended when the project was finished) and I want to do something I can be passionate about. I'm also exploring the possiblity of going back to school. That would be a tough thing to work out because of the finances, but if I could get a master's degree in animal behavior, I could make lots of money as an animal behaviorist. It's something I'm already pretty good at, I'd be able to choose my own hours, and I'd be independent. I have to take a really hard look at things and see if I can't figure out a way to do it.
Well, I hear the jingle of rabies tag against collar, so I guess it's time for our afternoon constitutional!
Fri. March 5 I'm unemployed. Gad! Though there's never a good time to lose your job, the timing on this could have been a lot better. I've got a bill due for my internet service for the next year, and that's going to take a chunk out of the funds I have for living expenses while I'm out of work. Looks like the Zoo will be eating cheaper food for a while, and the Zookeeper will be eating lots of pasta - it's cheap and it's filling.
I've started searching, but I need to get down to unemployment soon and get registered - I'm going to need that help to get by. If I can find a bartending job off the books 3 days or nights a week, I should be able to keep my head above the water for a couple of months while I search for the right job for me. Let's just hope everybody stays healthy and there are no emergencies!
Penny is coming along, and continues to improve in small ways every day. I really need to finish getting the house cleaned and puppy-proofed so she can be out while I'm home. At least I have some time to put a concerted effort into it now!
