A Sad Day…but Bittersweet

A Sad Day…but Bittersweet

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This weekend is an adoption event. I have helped at these events before but this one is different because I will be bringing my foster kittens to be potentially adopted. It’s bittersweet for me because on one hand, these kittens have been part of my daily life for the last two months. I have watched them literally grow up before my eyes. On the other hand, getting them to the point where they are ready, socialized and healthy, to find their forever home, is the entire purpose of fostering.

For the last 2 months, I have been fostering two kittens. They came to me at 5 weeks old, underweight with eye infections. Less than one pound each, I could hold one in each hand and have room left over.

At first they didn’t do much. Their eyes were crusted over with infection which impeded their vision. The smaller one only slept the first day. At one point, I found myself wondering if she was going to make it.

The main goal at first was to get some weight on them. I tried everything from kitten formula in a bottle to wet food mixed with kitten formula. Soon they were eating like champs and I was able to use less and less formula as the days progressed.

I didn’t want to keep calling them “the little one” and “the bigger one” or “the one with orange” and “the one with black” so I needed to come up with names for them. I made a list and tried out a few. I landed on Mango (the bigger one with orange) and Coconut (the little one with black).

After about a week, their infections were starting to heal and they became much more active. They were running, climbing, tackling each other. Many times, after an excess of energy was expelled, they would both end up laying on my legs or shoulder. I would sing “Baby Mine” to them until they fell asleep.

I weighed them daily and charted the results. As they grew and became more active, it got harder to weigh them. Active kittens are always on the move and don’t have time to stand still in a bowl on a silly kitchen scale for you. I found that the best time to get their weight was about an hour after they ate. By then, they were usually a little sleepy and more willing to sit still.

Mango, the bigger of the two, is more reserved. She’s the follower. She watches Coconut barrel through new challenges and is happy to try it afterward. She’s also more submissive. Occasionally, Coconut would finish her food first then trot over to the Mango’s bowl, and shove her face in. Mango, being submissive, would allow this and patiently wait for Coconut to finish before eating whatever was left.

Coconut, of course, is the smaller of the two with the large personality. Despite sleeping most of the time when she first arrived, it became clear once she started to feel better, that she was an adventurer. She was bold and not afraid of anything. She is a take charge kind of kitten which is good because she is the example for her sister.

So today and tomorrow will be hard. Putting them in the cages, letting other people hold them. It will feel like a betrayal. I don’t want anyone else to have them. I don’t want to watch anyone else carry them away. They know me. They trust me. And therein lies the crux of the matter. They trust me and I’m essentially handing them off to a stranger? They don’t know them like I do. They can’t take care of them like I can.

Even now, they are running around here in the living room, playing. Unaware of what this day will bring. Truth be told — I hope they don’t get adopted today. I’m not ready for them to be someone else’s family.

Ruffles the Chatty Cat

Ruffles the Chatty Cat

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I want to talk about a cat named Ruffles.

A little background, I volunteer, once a week, for a cat rescue. I clean the cages, scoop litter, refill the food dish, shake out the bed, add water, play with the cat and occasionally talk to a potential adopter that stops by.

On this particular day, there was a cat in the center named Ruffles. She was beautiful! This mostly solid black 7 year-old, long-haired cat with a gray mane. She was super friendly, loved to be brushed, and was quite a chatty girl!

For some reason, Ruffles was spending most of her time hanging out in her litter box. Usually when this happens, it’s a red flag that a cat is sick, nervous or stressed out. She wasn’t sick as far as I could tell. So I figured, despite her friendly demeanor, she might be stressed out.

Her habit of hanging out in the litter box was also troubling because the window to that part of the cage was covered with a poster. So no one, who might be interested in adopting her, could see her if she was in her litter box.

I tried to coax her out in every way I could think of. It worked one time, which was enough for me to be able to get to her litter box and scoop it. But as soon as I opened the divider again, she was back in there.

Even after I left, I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Should I adopt her? Truth be told, I already have three cats and I live in a small one-bedroom apartment. So as I was thinking about her, I kept having to remind myself of this fact.

I do plan to adopt another cat but I’m thinking years from now. I’d like to adopt a senior cat next time around. I hate the thought that some of these seniors have to spend whatever time they have left, in a cage. I would rather adopt one and let it live out its days in a comfortable home environment.

My oldest cat just turned 7. Next in line is 5 years-old The third is about to turn 2. They are all indoor only cats and we live on the 2nd floor. So barring any major illness, I’m going to have cats for a while. I do hope she gets adopted soon because if she doesn’t, I might find myself with four cats after all.

Tips are Not Required

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So, my main job is as a preschool teacher. In my spare time, I deliver food for one of the main food delivery services. I do enjoy doing it but my main reason that I picked up this job is to supplement my income.

I have had many conversations with other delivery drivers and the topic of tips comes up more than you might think. As with any service industry, tips are welcomed and although, in the United States at least, it’s customary, it’s not required.

My thought on it is this, I go into each delivery assuming that the customer will not tip. If I am correct and they don’t tip, I’m not disappointed because it was what I expected. If I am wrong and they DO tip, it’s a nice little bonus.

I average about 50% on tips. I do everything I can to do the job well. I confirm with the restaurant that the order is accurate and complete. If it’s cold food like ice cream, I run my AC to make sure it stays cold (or the heat for hot food). I use an insulated bag to keep the food at the temp it should be. I position the food in my car so it doesn’t slide. I can’t help the wait time or a busy period at a restaurant or traffic but once I have the food, I do everything within my power to get it to the customer in a timely manner. I take pride in doing the job well.

Sure, there are times when I thought I went above and beyond for the customer where I thought I deserved a tip but I don’t judge the customer for not tipping. It’s up to them each time, if they want to tip or not.

There are some drivers I’ve talked to who say they worked for their tip so they deserve it. My thought is that you work for the base pay that the service pays you. Tips are nice but never required. They are nice to get but they are extra. So if we get them…great. If not, still okay.

Would it be nice to get a tip for every delivery? Sure, it would but that’s just not how it works. For now, I just keep on keeping on.

The Liar in Chief

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So Trump is spouting off, fear-mongering again. Saying, with zero evidence, that Middle Easterners have snuck themselves into the caravan heading toward the US. In response, people have been saying,
“Because people trying to “sneak” into the USA from the Middle East always fly to Guatemala, then WALK the rest of the way….::eyeroll::”
Their response to this is going to be something dumb and paranoid like,”They want to blend in so we don’t suspect them”. 
At this point, reporters on location with the caravan have said there is no evidence of middle eastern people among them. Journalists and commentators (even at Fox News) are saying there is no evidence of anyone like this.
It seems that Frumpy is the only one saying it but he usually gets his news from Fox so if he is just making this shit up, either…
1. he is purposely fear-mongering leading up to midterms because the reps know they can’t win without cheating OR 
2. his lies are getting worse/more frequent because his mental illness/dementia (or Syphilis?) is progressing.

The Georgia Republicans are Cheaters

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I was thinking about the race in GA. How Kemp is pulling every play in the cheaters’ playbook to win.
The purging of the voter rolls, the accusal of Dems of hacking the voting machines, the removal of the power cords on voting machines, not to mention that he did not give up his political position before running for governor, part of which is overseeing the election.
Sadly, for the Reps, it’s a “win at all costs” mentality. They don’t care how they win, as long as they win. 
Honestly, I think they see the writing on the wall. They know there has been a shift in the country since trump was on the scene. 
People are angry. People are fed up…and it’s the Reps and their stupid “We get all the stuff, fuck everyone else” and “It’s not happening to us so it’s not happening, who cares who else is affected” mantra that has the rest of the country fired up.
Reps know that they cannot win by running honestly. So they have to cheat or pull dirty tricks in order to win.
Stacey Abrams, for her part, is refusing to concede and I say good for her! The election was not a fair one. They need a recount but again Kemp is who would be in charge of a recount. They should demand an impartial judge.

The Fiction we Live in

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Sometimes…none of this feels real. It feels like we are living in some kind of weird fiction. The characters are…interesting in fiction but dangerous in reality.
I mean — this is a democracy…isn’t it? We have made progress – with protections for minorities, gays, women. 
And now we have white supremacists openly protesting, we have entire groups of people who not only don’t believe rape victims but add salt to the wound by smearing their name. We have protections for transgender individuals being rolled back because those making the rules don’t (or won’t) understand that trans are human beings who need protection just like anyone else.
We have environmental laws that keep air and water safe from pollution being rolled back.
None of it feels real. It feels like at some point, other countries will have to step in to save us…from our own government.

GOP = Gassy Old Politicians

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The GOP has clearly become the party of the straight white male.  They aren’t even trying to hide it anymore.  They overtly champion other straight white males regardless of past (or current) wrongdoings and openly dismiss the likes of women, minorities and the gay community.
Here’s what they need to remember…straight white males are just one segment of society.  If you have two teams and on one are all the straight white males in the country and on the other is…everyone else, who do you think is going to win that fight?
They also need to remember that many of those straight white males they champion in Congress have seats that are opening up for this midterm election. And who do they think will be voting in these midterms?  All those groups that they oppressed have been biding their time.  Just waiting for the opportunity to turn the tide.  And yes folks, that tide will be turning blue this midterm. 
People are fed up.  Assault victims are tired of being called liars.  Minorities are tired of getting the police called on them simply for existing.  People in the LGBTQ community are tired of being called “deviant” or “perverted” and being lumped in with child molesters.
There have been protests.  There have been marches.  There have been speeches.  For too long, these groups have been oppressed.  Now, we have the opportunity in this midterm election, to remove some of those oppressors and replace them with people who will lift up these groups to bring everyone onto a more level playing field.

Republicans can’t win fairly so they have to cheat

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I was stewing over a video I saw with all these Trump supporters, women included, who were spewing the same nonsense about false accusations and lying accusers, etc. when I came across one about voter suppression.
It seems like every time we hear about something that would give one side an unfair advantage over another, it is the Republicans at the wheel. 
They have been proven in multiple cases to have taken part in voter suppression, particularly in predominently minority communities.
Also, the jerrymandering or “re-districting” of certain areas to give the Republican candidate the advantage.
We also have the Russian interference in this last election and we all know who that leads back to.
I mean WTF??? This is an entire system of “If the Republicans can’t win fairly, they “win” by cheating.
So yeah, Reps. if the only way you can win is by cheating, It might be time to get a better team.

The Republicans…They is Mad

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Ok here is my take on why these old white male senators seem so angry (I’m looking at YOU, Lindsey Graham!) about the allegations against Cavanaugh. 
It’s their general perception of women. They look at women…even today…like men did in say…the ’40s or ’50s. 
They don’t pay too much attention to them. They don’t take what they say too seriously. When women DO talk, they kind of smile and tilt their head at them like you would at a toddler trying on mom’s shoes.
Then they give them a proverbial pat on the head with a, “Awww that’s nice now run along and play. The grownups are talking”
This is why they get so worked up when any serious attention is given to allegations like these. Because the “children” shouldn’t prevent the “grownups” from working.
Also, they aren’t even considering that the allegations might be true. They assume they are not so they see this as just putting a man’s reputation on the line for nothing. 
They see it as a big old waste of everyone’s time and with midterms looming…they are getting nervous because they see that window closing. Graham said as much in his sweaty diatribe.

His Own Reality Bubble

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The fact that when giving off the cuff/unprepared remarks Trump’s thoughts are jumbled and unfinished proves that he needs someone to write his speeches for him. 
The problem is that he tends to wander off the prepared statements back into his own ramblings. I don’t think he can help it. He could fully intend to follow the speech but decide to make his own comment about something in the speech and suddenly he is off to the races.
Either that or he refuses to use a prepared speech at all. His whole “I’m the smartest man in the room. I can handle talking about this better than anyone here.” is always his downfall…for anything. 
Of course he also lives in a bubble of people telling him that everything he does is fantastic and that he did a good job with this or that regardless of the reality.