Shaking up the Snow Globe

Operation “Sparta”

Status: Complete

Operation “Sparta” was a success. I just turned in the paperwork and payment a few minutes ago to guarantee Sparta’s permanent stay here at the apartment. Believe me, it wasn’t easy. After last night, I was about to drag him back to Charlotte this morning!

On Saturday, I loaded Sparta into Little Honda and we headed off to Cullowhee. Sparta behaved well in his cat carrier though he was quite vocal with that piercing yowl of his. He was constantly distracting me from driving by bribing me to open his carrier via cute belly flops and rolls wanting his belly scratched. We arrived at the apartment in the late afternoon and I was shocked by Sparta’s horrific reaction to the new place. In the Outer Banks, Sparta had immediately taken to the beach house. Here, without Piddy Paws, he cowered under my bed for several hours before eventually venturing out to meet CC. The little vivacious cat I knew and loved was gone. Instead was a rather depressed-looking, frightened kitten. It made me think the whole idea of bringing him up had been a mistake. All I could imagine was Piddy Paws at home wondering where Sparta was and Sparta here wondering where was Piddy Paws and why he had been uprooted from his old home. I still can’t think about it.

Sunday: Sparta grew to be more adventurous and playful. Still, there was a lacking spark that makes Sparta SPARTA! He’s a wild kitty, playful, never serious. Where was my little troublemaker? He continued to become more himself, and CC and I had a great time with his last night as I had bought him some new toys at Wal-Mart, including a laser pointer. Sparta has never seen a laser pointer before and didn’t immediately take to it. He responds to toys with noise. Here was a silent dot of red light scurrying around the floor, and he didn’t know what to make of it. Eventually, he got the hang of it, and it was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.

Last night: Sparta is unused to being locked in a room, but I have to do so at night because his litter box is in my bedroom and I don't like my door to be open and unlocked when I sleep. It makes me even more paranoid than I already am. So, Sparta spends the night in my room.

Last night, he decided it wasn't fun anymore and started getting mischievous. He yowled a bit and he kept jumping up on my desk where are a lot of trinkets for him to knock to the floor and make a big mess. My sleep was interrupted quite a bit, but none as bad as The Incident at 4:30 this morning!

There is that indescribable sound when glass hits glass and shatters. This is the sound I heard, waking me immediately from sleep. I didn't even have to look over to know what was broken. It was my snow globe collection!

Sparta, in his ultimate and deadly curiosity, had clambered up onto the unstable shelving that housed my snow globes on the top shelf. Maybe if he had knocked a few off, they would have survived. No, Sparta took out two layers of the plastic shelving along with all the snow globes, all the ceramic breakable statues, and all the figures. When I turned on the lights and looked out over the mess, FIVE out of the ten snow globes were destroyed and one of the ceramic statues I had painted as a ten-year old was broken. Somehow, everything else survived.

X's mark what died last night.

Glitter. Sparkles. Fake snow. Water. Glass. All of it was everywhere in a huge puddle and some splashing on the electric cords near the scene of the accident.

I didn't say a word to Sparta. I didn't cry. I didn't scream. I didn't ask for help. Missing Piddy Paws more than ever, I kneeled on the floor and began picking up the shards of my different snow globes and ceramic tarantula, putting the pieces into a plastic Food Lion back while Sparta, scared out of my mind, watched in a corner. When I could spot no more glass, I placed a huge towel over the spot of water and soaked up as much as I could, then dried off the surviving snow globes and figures, put them away in a cabinet, and went back to bed where I finally did cry as I came to the realization that maybe Sparta needed to return to Charlotte.

This morning I was still unsure of whether I wanted to turn in the checks which would seal the deal of Sparta's living in the apartment. I decided that if I returned home after a full day of classes and found the apartment upside down from Sparta's wicked paws, I would immediately drive back to Charlotte, drop him off, and drive back home. My train of thought swerved from track to track throughout the day. Take him home, keep him here, take him home, keep him here... When I returned to the apartment, everything was in perfect order. I called out "Here kitty, kitty!" and here comes my baby boy running down the hallway to me. He sprinted into my arms and began purring so sweetly.

"Alright, baby boy, we'll make this work," I told him and turned in the check. Sparta is officially a member of my apartment family!

SHOUT OUT!!!!

To the girls, which include Barney, who I eat lunch with! Today we played Ice Cream Musical Chairs. We all bought ice cream at Freshens then in a circle, switched our ice creams among each other. I had chocolate with Reese cups pieces. Barney had cookie dough with caramel syrup. I have no idea what the other two girls had but it was DELICIOUS!!!

"There's a party in my mouth and everyone's invited," sang out Barney's boyfriend.

This ice cream musical chairs thing needs to become a daily tradition!! Hopefully, my declining balance points will last out the semester, haha!