Category Archives: pru

George and Kirby, momo, photo, pru, William

29 Days of Blog – Kitten Parents


Under that blanket is Wil. He’s sleeping after working the night shift. The kittens are “helping” him. It’s an amazing picture because they were actually napping along side him, nice and quiet. They woke up when I came in to put away some clean socks.

Wil and I have different animal parenting techniques. Mine is influenced by my uncle Skip, who was a vet. He told me, when I adopted Pru, that I should never feed her immediately after getting up in the morning or she would learn to wake me up when she wanted food. So I used to feed her as I was walking out the door to work. Prudence had plenty of issues, but she was very patient and polite in the morning. I use the same strategy with George and Kirby. Wil does not.

Wil is a big softy. After Momo passed, Pru came out of her shell with him and trained him to give her treats every time he walked in or out the front door. Or when she just gave him a sweet look. He was so thrilled that she finally liked him, he was easily trained.

The boys have taken it one step further. They have trained him to give them treats whenever they annoy him. Kirby will sit on his chest, when he is sleeping and yowl. And he will GET UP AND GIVE THEM BOTH TREATS. To distract them. Do you see the flaw in this technique? They also like to annoy him when he’s playing computer games. They crawl all over the keyboard and sit in front of the monitor. He gets frustrated so he gets up AND GIVES THEM TREATS. He also gives them treats when he walks in and out of the front door. Or they meow sweetly, giving him cute kitten face.

Big softy. Big sleepy softy.

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100 Days of Happy, pru

100 Days of Happy: Day 4 – Poop!

When you have a cat with as many health concerns as I have, the littlest things can make you happy. (and make you terribly sad, for that matter) I have to keep a close eye on her, because it’s easier to be proactive with some of her issues. So, sometimes, I am very happy when I wake up to see cat poop. I’ll spare you the picture of the actual poop.

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pru

They call it a “lion cut” but she fought like a tiger.

I know what you are thinking, Two cat posts in as many days. Well, A: I’m a blogger and therefore expected to talk about my cats. And B: My mom wanted to see a picture of Pru with her new haircut. (Sadly, Pattie, I cannot capture the goofiness she first exhibited when she came home from the vet a week and a half ago, it’s already smoothed out. )

A not unwelcome transformation has occurred in Pru since everything that has happened with Momo. Actually, the balanced of power started to even out a bit over a year ago, when Pru started standing up for herself more. She was just as likely to chase away Momo as vice versa. When Momo started to isolate herself, Pru started to become more and more social. Hanging out with us in the living room more. Running to greet Wm when he came home. She has started to act like the cat she was before I brought her to Canada, when it was just me and her in our little apartment.

It’s bittersweet, because of the loss of Momo. But at the same time, I’m delighted to see her back to her old self. She more playful, she is more affectionate with Wil. She doesn’t run away when people come over. She is more vocal and follows me around like she used to, hanging out with me when I get ready in the morning.

Pru knows how to play her Poppi. She knows if she stares at him long enough, with big round green eyes, he will eventually cave and give her treats. He’s a soft touch. She “cries” when I leave the house, as well.. that will usually garner her some snacks. In return, Wm has informed her that she is now his new best friend and she’d better get used it.

 

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pru, William

Sleeping

I’ve been working on a post about my recent sleep apnea diagnosis. Truth be told, I can not do it justice unless I include a picture of me wearing a CPAC mask. I have not yet been able to bring myself to do that. I have no trouble looking goofy, as you are well aware. But I do have a probably with my round, fat face. I miss my cheekbones.

In the meantime, here is a favorite, albeit grainy, picture of Pru and Wm taking a nap together. Rarely does Pru allow anyone but me to sleep next to her like that, so it was a momentous victory for Wil. You can tell she’s recently had her annual lion cut. Look at that belly!

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momo, pru

Curiosity, they name is Pru and/or Momo

The kittens are looking at me funny. Probably because I am actually cleaning house. They keep coming over and sniffing about, trying to figure out what I am doing.

I tried to explain to them that the time to come over, all big eyed and kitten curious, is NOT when a trash bag full of two litter boxes worth of excrement and litter ruptures, and THEIR POOP goes spilling out all over the hallway and kitchen.

It really is not the time.

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momo, pru

A Song About the Kittens

The cats still don’t get along. I don’t know if they ever will. Here is a song I made up for them this morning. Sung to the tune of the theme to the “Beverley Hillbillies.”

Ode to Mo and Pru

Let me tell you a story about a cat named Mo,

Eating is her favorite, a hallow leg that’s for sho,

Then one day comes competition for her food,

A snaggletooth kitten, a fluffball named Prud.

Prudence that is,

American girl,

Yankee cat.

Next thing you know, ol’ Mo is getting pissy,

Both cats are fluffing up, getting ready for a hissy,

But just before all the fur can hit the fan,

In she comes, The Girl Who Opens The Can.

Jodi that is,

American girl,

The true Alpha Cat.

Oddly enough, they both seemed nonplussed by my song. Although I am sure that secretly they love my singing.

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momo, pru, William

I’m trainable. Like a monkey.

My new bed has broken me. It’s so freakin’ fantabulous, that all other beds are now The Suck. I’m at the house, packing, and the bed I previously considered to be so comfy is now a box of rocks. The many layers of padding I have added to it, trying to simulate Pillow Top are flat and unflufffilling. They probably need to be flipped and manually poofed up, there is a definite dip in the middle of the bed, where I sleep. And that’s the other thing, I couldn’t even begin to get comfortable until I moved to the previously untouched Edge Of The Bed. Because that’s where I sleep now. I sleep on the right side of the bed. Wil sleeps on the left and part of the right. Sometimes, Pru sleeps on the far right side of the bed, and I am left with a thin strip of bed between the two. (Momo sleeps pretty much on me, or Wil, when she sleeps on the bed. After 4 am, she prefers to just jump up and down on my ass, however. )

So last night, it’s 3 am and I am still not asleep, even though I am pretending I am in my new bed, by sleeping on the edge of the bed. The parts of Wil and both cats was played by Pru, who managed to stretch her body across the rest of the bed, and somehow steal most of the covers. But it’s not the same. She’s cute, but she lacks of the manly arms for snuggling. And that Sleep Number bed is THE BOMB.

When we first tried it out, Wil said his Sleep Number would be 100, because he is a man. I declared my Sleep Number to be 35. Wil said 35 was for pussies, but I told him that 35 was TV’s Bionic Woman, Lindsey Wagner’s Sleep Number and I’d like to see him say that to her FACE. Her bionic face. But, after sleeping on it for a while, Wil has decided that real men like squishy. He will sometimes deflate down to 20 or less, effectively creating a nest, or bowl, of smooshy cushiness. He likes the feeling of sinking in, I can always tell when he’s doing it, because he becomes lower than me. I find that I like it about 35 to 45, depending on how I like to sleep. We usually default at 45 and adjust accordingly. And when Wil gets up for work, I will roll over into the Mattress Bowl and sleep there for while. Although, it’s much easier to get out of bed, if you firm it up a bit before attempting it. I find it impossible to leave the warm, soft Mattress Bowl.

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momo, pru, William

I feel like my old self again. Neurotic, paranoid, totally inadequate, completely insecure. It’s a pleasure.

Maybe Pru is a bit neurotic. I fear that trait is only exacerbated by the move. Momo is handling things better. She’s known me for a long time. Got to know me slowly, in her own territory. And is not an antisocial freak to begin with, unlike sensitive, twitchy Pru. She’s adjusting. Slowly. But she’s moodier than normal. And has a short span of tolerance for anyone but me.

Wm: Honey, can you come get your cat?

Jodi: What is she doing?

Wm: She’s sitting next to the toilet. She won’t let me go to the bathroom.

Jodi: Did she hiss at you?

Wm: Yes. See?

Jodi: Pru? What is your problem. Oh, look… she threw up. Well, there you go. It makes perfect sense. You can’t use the bathroom. SHE is using it. To barf.

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Canada, pru, William, work

O Canada – my home and not-so-native land?

it’s been hard for me to blog the last few weeks, because I’ve had a secret. What was on my mind I could not blog about. Not until I spoke with certain people first, took certain steps. But, it’s all good now, and so I can tell you.

I gave notice yesterday, at my POE. I’m leaving at the end of the month. End of the year, I suppose, as well. I’m moving to Canada. Ironic that I should do it now, and not in 2004, but since I’m not doing it for political reasons, I guess that doesn’t matter. Obviously, I am going to be moving in with Wil. We are looking to get a place for February 1st. And really, I could not be happier.

Moving to Victoria is a lot more complicated than moving to, say, Portland or Los Angeles. It’s a gigantic pain in the ass, to be honest. I’m doing the research, but from what I can tell, I’m going to have to inventory and price every single item I move over there. Every. Single. Item. Like I can remember how much my monkey socks cost! This is what I am going to spend January doing. Separating things into 1. Taking, 2. Storing and 3. Garage Sale. I’ve never had one, but I have some friends who might have a few things to sell, not worth an entire GS themselves, but combined I bet we’ll have a good stash.

I can’t work there, without a VISA. Luckily, I am in a situation where, if we are very careful and budgeted, I can take time off. I’m going to be… wait for it…. a HOUSEWIFE! Hahahahaha! Oh man, just thinking of it cracks me up. I don’t know… what do you think I should do with my time? Improved blogging output, for one. In fact, I hope to do a lot more writing. Learn to cook, maybe? Kick off my shoes and get pregnant? Who knows.

So… what do you think? Be prepared for much discussion of immigration and the politics of introducing Your Cat to His Cat, and Him, and a New Home, all at once, over the next few weeks.



Wil and his cat, Momo

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pru, William

Bonus points if you know who JP Patches is.

Well, the snow did it’s best to prevent me from coming up here, but it finally warmed up and stuff started melting off. You would think that it wouldn’t matter that much, as I am on I-5 the entire way, and SURELY I-5 has been plowed since Monday’s storm. Surely. But you’d be wrong. I guess Nobody cared about the last 10 miles of the United States. It was actually a bit shocking. Because i was driving 70 miles an hour, like everyone else, to hit all these patches of frozen snow. Bastards.

Wil is sick. It’s very sad. He has a bad cold. Last night I made him take some nighttime cold meds, as he had not been able to sleep the last two nights. And I made him go to bed at 9 pm. I wasn’t the slightest bit sleepy. The only problem was, Jack and her sister Hazel were here too, and they had to go to bed as well, they have school this morning. So there was no place for me to go. Wil asleep in the bedroom. The girls asleep in the living room. I suppose I could have hung out in the bathroom.

So I lied in bed and thought, and composed brilliant emails and blog posts that are now lost to the wind. To the best of my recollection, these are some of the things I thought about:

  • Veronica Mars
  • bunk beds
  • jersey knit sheets
  • laundry
  • chocolate chip cookies
  • J.P. Patches
  • Linens N’ Things
  • playing house
  • Christmas
  • kittens
  • Momo and Pru
  • Dijon chicken and rice.
  • pillow top mattresses
  • filing systems
  • border agents
  • WoW
  • boxers
  • orange juice
  • Australia
  • Banff
  • blogging
  • my friend Karyn
  • ergonomics
  • home offices
  • swimming
  • dolphins
  • the ability to suck someone else’s sickness out them with your mind
  • and, of course, snow.

I’m happy to say, that since Wil got about 10 hours of sleep, he’s doing much better. He seems perkier, albeit still congested and coughy.

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