Soooo....

[UvaGirl]

Sooo...it's Wednesday. I spent all of yesterday thinking it was Wednesday, so it feels like deja vu. In my usual irresponsible way I have spent too much money, and now have to survive for another 6 days on not very much cash. Grrrrr So not good for my social life. Ah well. It will be good for me. I'll amuse myself cheaply and creatively....

[mistyisjafo]

I feel your pain Uva. I'm currently broke. Well I have a savings but I can't spend it. To top it off, the last two weeks of work have been incredibly DULL!!!

[Kevy Baby]

Originally Posted by UvaGirl

Sooo...it's Wednesday.

Ya threw me for a sec. I'm like "It's not Wednesday; it's only Tuesday!!!"

Stupid International Date Line!

[Ghoulish Delight]

So...I've dodged a bullet.

It's 4:00 Friday before a 3 day weekend. Generally, I can expect to start inching out the door at about 2:30 before such a weekend. But we made the mistake last night of finding a problem with a critical product. How critical? Well, within 5 minutes of the email going out, there appeared my my manager, his director, a couple other managers, and a VP in the test lab. Suffice it to say, I didn't exactly leave at 5 yesterday.

So here we are today, having put in a lot of work yesterday to characterize the problem. I'm thinking perhaps all is still well for leaving by 3 (which is when the email from the CEO says to leave on holiday weekend Fridays). But then I get a meeting notice from 2-3. Not a good sign. I get to the meeting. Remember there was "a VP" in the lab yesterday? Well, at this meeting was "the VP", as in the senior VP of our entire division. Lordy. So it was immediately apparant that 3 was out of the quesiton, 5 might even be a challenge.

But here comes the bullet...and email titled "Weekend support".

Fortunately, I didn't get tagged to be on call for the weekend. Phew.

So...I'm waiting for something to install so I can get the last automated test I need to start running so I can maybe get out of here by 5. Maybe.

[Prudence]

So, Prudence, what did you do for fun today?

Oh, first I started off with a 7:50 dentist appointment to get the last scheduled filling done. Whee! And then topped that off with a 1:15 MRI. The day just gets better! Meanwhile, my boss gave everyone else an early holiday and took the day off herself. Leaving me here. To cover for everyone. Isn't she the best?

Gah. Definitely a McDoDo's night.

[Ghoulish Delight]

*WHOOSH* The sound of 5:00 rushing by.

[Prudence]

There are two orange kitties that hang around our complex. They appear to be a pair -- maybe siblings or parent/offspring. The slightly larger one is really skittish and I haven't officially "met" him yet. In fact, I've only seen him twice now. But the tiny orange kitty is super friendly. I think it's a she. She is so sweet and friendly.

And starving.

We've been feeding her off and on, but I wasn't really sure if she was a stray or not. And I haven't seen her in a few weeks. But I just saw her today and she's starving. If the cat, when viewed from above, looks like an I with jutting out pelvic bone and shoulder blades and then a teeny spine with visible ribs -- the cat is starving. She's too active to be skinny from illness. If someone DOES own her, they damn well aren't taking care of her.

So we are. I can't bring her inside since Sashapants goes ballistic if I even come close to her after petting orange kitty. Mild manner scaredy-pants turns into hissing, aggressive hellion. Not going to work. But I'm feeding and watering her outside.

Today, as soon as she saw me, she set up this howl so loud my husband could hear it in the garage. She was so skinny -- I took one look at her and RAN for the cat food. Oh it just makes me sick. She's too friendly to have been feral. She was someone's pet once. She keeps trying to come inside, so she's probably used to that. I've been seeing her off and on (but not in this state!) for over a year, and we've had lots of people in the complex take advantage of the housing market and sell their condos for significant profits. I'll bet she used to belong to someone and they left without her. We live amongst wetlands and have rodent problems, so it's possible she's been eating that way. I don't know.

But we'll feed her. And maybe other orange kitty will be encouraged to be more friendly. Even if I can't save both, I'll at least save the one. I'm trying to find a good home for her before winter. My mom's current cat (that, by the way, she adopted the same way -- clearly former indoor pet, clearly starving, fed and adopted and has never wanted to go outside since) is in much more advanced renal failure than my Boris and they have plenty of space for another cat. And she's as much of a softy for cats as I am, so maybe it will work.

In the meantime, I'll feed her outside.

[Not Afraid]

Poor babies!!!!

Most orange tabbys are male. (Just as most calicos are female). I wonder if both have been neutred. I sure hope, if your Mom will take the friendly one, that you can trap the skittish one. They need to be tested, given shots and neutred - especiallt if they're going to be outside. Orange Tabbys are usually pretty friendly and will come around over time.

Good luck! My My Big Orange Boy, Jack sends his good wishes for his brothers.

[Prudence]

I know most orange tabbies are male, but I'm pretty sure this one is female. (Which makes her even more special!) The other one is bigger and darker and I'm guessing male, but I haven't been close enough to check. My brother has a female orange tabby called "Blossom" who has more GI distress than any cat I've ever known. We are planning to trap both, if we can, and do the whole vet thing. But I want to have a home for them before I do that -- no point in getting them tested if they're just going to stay outside and catch something. If my mom takes one or both they'll end up being inside only.

Right now their names are ORange Kitty of Doom and Other Orange Kitty. OKD came running for her food this morning. I swear she looks fatter just overnight. (Still super skinny, though!) She's so friendly. Just lets you hold her any which way.

[Kevy Baby]

Soooo...

Speaking of kitties, is there anything more disgusting than discovering where your cat barfed with your bare feet? It gets all squished up between your toes and you have to hop on one leg to the bathroom to clean it off.