Lose One, Gain Another

Stuart and I were more afraid of telling our landlord about Binx than we were about the responsibility of keeping him. On the second night, Binx slept in Stuart's bed, kneading away at anything he could get his paws on. He also fell in love with Stuart's giant stuffed dog and mounted like a pro. ...Uh oh!
That night, I bought him a toy and a stuffed puppy dog from the toy section of Wal-Mart. He kneaded the dog to bits and still loves it today. Aggressively, he played with a "Flutter Ball," or a ball with fake feathers on the end. He was spastic, rolling and running and attacking!! It nearly dangerous for us to play with him as hooked his talon-like claws into the toy.

Quickly, a routine was established. Sparta would spend time in the living room with me while Stuart played with Binx in his bedroom. Then, Binx would wander around the house while Sparta stayed in my bedroom. Then, Sparta would get the house again while Binx played outside on his own.
At first, Stuart and I were extremely wary of letting Binx outside alone. First, we refused to do so until we purchased an identification tag and rabies vaccine. Then, we would follow him around at varying distances to let him grow accustomed to his new territory. However, while Binx wants nothing more than to be outside in the grass and the sunshine constantly, his fear of being abandoned or lost again overrides that desire, and he'll stick to our sides like glue. If I try to go inside or close the door, he'll come running from whichever corner of the yard. If I try to close the door when he's inside, he'll come running from whichever corner of the house to go back outside.

The last time I had an outdoor cat, he disappeared. Frisky was my love and joy. He was a Maine Coon mix with a fluffy tail and the sweetest face with a beautiful orange coat. He played, snuggled, licked my ear to wake me up, and was the perfect cat. He was also an indoor/outdoor cat. While we were at school, he played outside in the woods behind our house then came home when we did. One day, Father let him out at his usual time of 5:30 a.m. We returned from school. Hours went by, and no Frisky. We searched the woods, called the animal shelter, and asked the neighbors. Frisky was never seen again.
After this experience, everything in me screams never to let Binx outside without supervision. In fact, I typically pace the windows trying to follow his every movement when he is outside. However, it would be mean to force the outdoor-loving cat into the lifestyle a lazy house cat, and it would be nearly impossible for him to roam and be free as much with him and Sparta refusing to get along. So, outside he goes.

Binx

Soon after we found Binx, however, another stray showed up... this time a young black lab mix. He was boisterous and friendly. He also loved to chase Binx. Where he came from, we never found out, but it was clear to us that he needed to go. Our landlord, who despises dogs, also was fed up with him since he'd wander onto his property looking for treats and a petting. His first encounter with Binx included Stuart making a mad dash for the back door with Binx's talons locked deep into the skin of Stuart's back. He also ran around in the road, begging to be run over. Then, one morning he began howling from loneliness at 8 a.m. continuously. Nope, that was enough!
 That afternoon, Stuart and I loaded him in the back of my Honda and dropped him off at the shelter where he was named Bronco. We knew he'd get adopted: he was still a puppy and gorgeous. Also, he'd be warm and get daily food and clean water. Mission accomplished.
Then, on November 7, disaster struck. As I was playing with Binx outside, my cell phone started ringing. Unable to answer, it went to voice mail. It was my mother calling to tell me that it was time to say good bye to my childhood cat Piddy Paws. For two weeks, Piddy had been struggling to breathe, and the vet said there was nothing they could do for him. It was that day to make the decision every pet owner dreads.

Piddy Paws

15 minutes later, I checked my phone to read two text messages.
One read, "Piddy has taken a turn for the worse. Taking him two vet shortly and depending on what they say, I will decide what to do. Wanted you to know it could be today."
The other said, "Piddy's heart murmur has caused congestive heart failure like I emailed you. Nothing they could do and he was suffering. He is at peace now. I pick up his remains in couple of days as you requested."
As I stared out at Binx pouncing in the overgrown grass, I didn't know how to absorb the shock of the loss of Piddy Paws. What I wanted more than anything was to hold Sparta forever, but he soon wriggled out of my grasp. Devastated as I was, Piddy Paws' death was something I had prepared myself for. I had said my good byes earlier when I first learned that he wasn't doing well. I knew then that it was highly unlikely he would see another Christmas.
Binx will never take Piddy Paws' place. There's no replacing that big, fat, silly cat, but Binx certainly entered my life at the perfect time. And, thankfully our landlord said we could keep him. Thank goodness because I couldn't have lost a second cat in less than a week!

Rest in peace

Where I'm From

It started with a drop of McCoy blood,
That long ago infamous feud,
Now filmed for television in order that
My kin be laughed at and discussed
(Not that they weren't before)
And here I am, my sisters and I, seventh generation.

From three months of Sunshine, too much,
North Carolina was the right fit for us.
A little town - Mt. Hollywood, we called her.
We kids believed to be made for bigger lives.
And so they dreamed, and I wrote -
A sign of boredom at first
Now, a career choice I look forward to regretting.

From childhood, growing up like a stubborn, endless weed
Reciting Dr. Seuss before learning how to read,
From animals of both me and those as pets
Me as a cheetah, horse, wolf, growling dog,
Breathing animals: cats, dogs, fish, frozen lizard,
Oh, the green snake, hermit crab, hamsters galore,
Baby birds, week-long guinea pig, and the turtle that refuses death.

From books to falling for film
Moonstruck, Moulin Rouge, Adventureland, The Lion King
Oh, longing to do that!
Met by my mother's harsh tongue and quick sting
Still, I dreamed on a bed by the window
Where the trees' leaves fell over and over again
Until cut down, I tearfully plotted revenge.

From running barefoot on the splintered deck
Round the pool, both swimming hole and frog love boat
Never tanning, always burning my white Welsh skin
Resisting school for summer's play or tuning out to write the day away
In a world that only made sense in my head
Until college showed up and brought me here instead. 

The Summer of 2012, A Review

It's that time again... here's the 2012 Summer Review.

Best thing that happened: Stuart and I are together in the same city in the same house!

Worst: Beach trip

Best single day: Spending the day with Stuart going to the animal shelter, walking through downtown Waynesville, and eating at Bocelli's

Worst: Pick a day from the beach trip

New friend: Brandy, one of my staff writers, and Pauline!

Song of the summer: "Spotlight (Oh Nostalgia)" by Patrick Stump, the entire Trespassing album by Adam Lambert

Artist of the summer: Adam Lambert

Best day trip: Taking Kate and Seth to the WNC Nature Center; seeing the 4th of July fireworks at Lake Junaluska

Wish I had: gone tubing

Movie of the summer, DVD: Safe House, Machine Gun Preacher, Reel Steel, John Carter

Movie of the summer, theaters: Snow White and the Huntsman

Most proud of: Handling The Western Carolinian newspaper, mastering the Frisbee golf game in Wii Sports Resort

Could have lived without: upsets at the newspaper

Couldn't have lived without: Stuart's understanding

Loved: Walking through downtown Sylva and Waynesville with Stuart on several occasions, Nutmeg hysterically chomping on a cherry, playing tag with Sparta, getting away from that crazy landlord and moving to downtown Sylva 

Wished: Slowed down and enjoyed the little things, I could have gotten my security deposit from that crazy landlord in Cullowhee

Dreamed: about the zombie apocalypse

Surprised by: How well my relationship is with my grandmother now, needing to wear long pants in the middle of June and August

Appreciated: My family's support (those that did actually support me), Pauline's generosity and care

Hated: Family drama, not having cruise control in my Honda, the oppressive heat, not enough moments enjoying summer

Stressed over: Family drama, making the newspaper perfect, the newspaper's annual budget

Smiled at: Stuart bringing me Bojangles and flowers, Cherry Berry Chillers, Pauline's amazing ability to make me feel like the most loved person in the world, my aunt and grandmother's constant support, two silly beagles

Biggest change: Alcohol free, threw out my pineapple loveseat

To be continued: Finish my degree at Western Carolina University, continue to make The Western Carolinian an award-winning newspaper, cherish the little things in life, call my grandmother every Thursday

Photo of the Day: July 20

Well, we got the Wii Sports Resort!!! It's been awesome!! There's Frisbee Dog, Frisbee Golf, Canoeing, Wakeboarding, Sword fighting, Archery... we just can't stop playing!!!! You can bowl with 100 pins each time!! It's ridiculous!
One of our favorite is Frisbee Dog where you throw Frisbees at a wriggling little puppy! It's too cute for words. Here's my Mii and my yellow puppy! Aren't we adorable?

Photo of the Day: July 15

This was taken with Stuart's camera. I was in the middle of a plethora of dogs!! The white one in the middle is a less-than-a-year-old Great Pyrenees puppy. She will one day be a gigantic protector for the family's goats. Right now, she's a slobbery, clumsy puppy!!

Movie Minute: Howling with the Dog

This is how I spend my time while pet sitting!! This is Rose, and she is the sweetest little dog! But, she's got a big attitude!! And, she wants a treat!

Photo of the Day: June 23

I keep forgetting today is Saturday.
Stuart and I spent a good few hours at the Jackson County Animal Shelter. They had SO MANY KITTENS!! And the most adorable Scottish Terrier. He looked like he hopped out of Disney's Lady & the Tramp!
This photo was taken in 2010 of the family dog Candy!! She LOVES watermelon! It was one of the great parts of summer: corn on the cob, hamburgers, swimming in the pool, Cats & Dogs, going to the beach, and watching Candy eat the watermelon rind!

Photo of the Day: June 6

This big guy is Hoss Jr. He's only three months old and already weighs more than any adult puntable-sized toy dog. He is a mix between a Great Dane and a Mastiff, and he's got no idea how big he really is!!!! He also has a heart of gold!

Photo of the Day: June 3

This is my new favorite dog at the animal shelter. Her name is Streets, and she is a terrier mix with a HUGE heart!!! I really hope she gets to go to a good home with kids because she loves to snuggle and play, play, play!! Definitely a dog worth rescuing.

Movie Minute: Dogs Vs. Mini Horse and Donkey

I try to go on a walk at least five times a week. My driveway is at least a mile of rocky dirt that goes up and down the mountains where I live. Along this route live a handful of dogs, all of which I have made friends with. They used to come out and bark at me to be petted then go back to their respected porches to wait for my return. Nowadays, they have grown so used to me that they have started following me for the duration of my walk. While it's fun to walk with the dogs at my side, there are occasional issues that arise.
Take Bartholomew the donkey and Shaggy the mini horse, for example: they do not like dogs!! And, the dogs are too dumb to realize that they shouldn't go into mini horse and donkey pens! Here's what happens when they do:

Photo of the Day March 1

Meet Bagel and Butter! They're the two beagles that terrorize my neighborhood! They're constantly together and if they lose one another, you can tell that they miss each other. They howl and look around for the other. It's the sweetest thing you've ever seen. Butter is the lighter colored girl. She's got a heart of gold and is always into mischief! Bagel is the leader, fearless and loyal. All he wants is someone to rub him behind his silky ears and to always be at Butter's side. I love them to death!!

Photo of the Day February 17

This is Rebel! He's the cutest puppy in the whole world!! He's our neighbor's puppy, and every time I go on my walk, he will follow me around. He actually followed Stuart and me from his house at the bottom of my mountain all the way to the top without breaking a stride. I absolutely adore him, and I wish I could get a puppy of my own! Here he is in my trailer before I had to drive him back to his house because he refused to stay on the porch!

Movie Minute: Sheep Herding Demonstration

Stuart and I attended a sheep herding demonstration at a fair in Raleigh over the summer. This was the same fair that he really proved himself a man and won me a stuffed animal by throwing a ping pong ball into a fish bowl! :)

Photo of the Day August 28

I love this picture! My roommates' pets, Fleetwood and Mac, are fascinated by my hamster!!

"Hey, Doc, you ever get the feeling you was being watched?"

27. Marley and Me

Book 27: Marley & Me by John Grogan (A)

Grogan and Marley

This is the second time I've read this delightful book, but this time I read its pages out loud to Stuart before we went to sleep nearly every night. Stuart and I desperately want a dog! However, a dog is a huge responsibility compared to a small hamster that lives in a cage and an independent cat. Add to the fact that Stuart's apartment doesn't allow pets and we soon won't be living in the same city again... getting a dog wouldn't be enjoyable or a shared experience.So, I decided to read this book about a loveable, wild, catastrophic, unpredictable Labrador retriever named Marley to let us know what we'll be getting into in the future.
The last three chapters were heartbreaking. Just like Enzo in The Art of Racing in the Rain, Marley passes away to doggy heaven. It is a long drawn out process from the common lab trait of hip dysplasia and the inability to let go for the family. Stuart and/or I cried every night until the end of the book when Marley has been put to rest between two cherry trees in Pennsylvania and the family moves on to a life without the dog. The most heartbreaking of all is when the three Grogan kids say their goodbye with letters and pictures to put into Marley's grave. I had trouble reading through that part!

Christmas morning 2008

It makes me think of all the time, effort, money, and love I have put in and given to Sparta. My mom found him under a car at a gas station late one night with the intention of giving him a warm place to sleep for the night. Instead, he became the newest and craziest pet of the family. As Piddy Paws continued to not use the litter box, I decided Sparta was the pet take with me to Cullowhee. Since then, he has been my constant companion. Though not nearly as loyal or as dependable as a dog, Sparta is one of a kind and I know he loves me as much as I love him. I hope at the end of his life I get a moment like this with him so I can say good bye:
"Tomorrow the house would be loud and boisterous and full of life again. For tonight, it was just us two, Marley and me. Lying there with him, his smelly breath in my face, I couldn't help thinking of our first night together all those years ago after I brought him home from the breeder, a tiny puppy whimpering for his mother. I remembered how I dragged his box into the bedroom and the way we had fallen asleep together, my arm dangling over the side of the bed to comfort him. Thirteen years later, here we were, still inseparable" (256).
A book that will move you, make you cry, make you laugh, and remember the little things in life. But most of all, Marley & Me will make you cherish and think of your pets in a whole new light!

Works Cited:

Grogan, John. Marley and Me. New York: HarperCollins 

Publishers, 2005. Print.

Photo of the Day June 22

This is Rocky. He's a housebroken, trained German Shepherd mix at the Wake County Animal Center. He's absolutely amazing on the leash, super friendly, and is super fluffy! Believe me, if I didn't live in an apartment and had the financial stability, Rocky would have come home with me that day.
This Saturday I am volunteering as an adoption counselor at the big Adopt-A-Thon event!! I can't wait to help all these pups, cats, rabbits, and other critters find good homes.

21. The Art of Racing in the Rain

Book 21: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (A++)

First of all.... GO OUT AND GET THIS BOOK NOW!!!!! IT IS AMAZING!!!
Now with that said, here's why:
Told from the viewpoint of a lab mix named Enzo, the reader watches the makings and times of Enzo's family. At the brink of his death, Enzo describes living among this family and how when he dies, he expects to turn into a man... his one true wish... based off a TV show he saw on Mongolia. Denny, his master, is a "minor league" race car driver looking for work. He has the amazing ability of racing a car while it's raining while everyone else crashes and burns. He acquires a wife, a beautiful woman named Eve. Together, they bring home a baby girl named Zoe, whom Enzo protects to the very end. Tragedy strikes, and Eve falls ill with a brain tumor. After her death, Eve's parents sue for custody of Zoe saying they have better means of providing for her. A three year battle ensues while being told through the eyes of an amazingly intellectual and intuitive dog.
I must say that the antagonist grandparents... I seriously want them to jump out of the pages of the book and appear before me just so I can punch them in the face!! Those rats!!! How dare they try to take a little girl away from her father!! It was sincerely heartbreaking to read about Zoe playing with her toys and repeating meaningless chants her grandparents had coached into her head to explain that everything "will be okay."
Enzo is a wonderful narrator full of spunk, sarcasm, humor, and sincerity. His one mission is life is to protect his family. His one dream is to become a man and use opposable thumbs.

When trying to prove that man's closest relative is the dog and not the monkey, he says, "Case-in-Point #2: The Werewolf
"The full moon rises. The fog clings to the lowest branches of the spruce trees. The man steps out of the darkest corner of the forest and finds himself transformed into... A monkey? I think not" (20)!
The book really demonstrates how when a dog's family goes through tragedy or stress, it affects the dog too. Just because they don't have a soul or the logical thinking of a human being doesn't mean they don't feel just as strongly as we do.
Here, Enzo explains pain when Eve begins experiencing the telling migraines of the brain tumor: "The intensity and arbitrary nature of Eve's affliction was far beyond Denny's grasp. The wailings, the dramatic screaming fits, the falling on the floor in fits of anguish. These are things that only dogs and women understand because we tap into the pain directly, we connect to pain directly from its source, and so it is at once brilliant and brutal and clear, like white hot metal spraying out of a fire hose, we can appreciate the aesthetic while taking the worst of it straight in the face. Men, on the other hand, are all filters and deflectors and timed release... They have no idea that the manifestation of their affliction... is merely a symptom, an indication of a systemic problem... Suppressing the symptom does nothing but force the true problem to express itself on a deeper level at some other time" (62-63).
The book was amazing, descriptive, heart-warming, and raw. And of course as with all animal novels, I cried at the end. You can always foresee the ending of a book with an animal as the main character. Like Marley & Me and Where the Red Fern Grows, the humans continue with their lives and the animals pass on. The same holds true with Enzo's life, yet this time the reader knew from Chapter 1 that Enzo was going to die as he knows it is time and Denny even schedules a non-round trip visit to the vet. Still what's amazing here is that while the dog dies, the story continues for just a chapter more........ Read it!!! You'll love it!!

Works Cited:

Stein, Garth. The Art of Racing in the Rain. 

New York: HarperCollins, 2008. Print.

You Can't Beat that Feeling

I've been on my feet for 2 1/2 hours.
I've been serving people water, sweet tea, and unsweet tea.
I've been hurrying about clearing dirty dishes and soiled, damp cloth napkins.
But still there's a smile on my face!

Tonight after two classes in McKee, I headed to the Balsalm Mountain Inn to serve dinner. Catman, the owner of the local no-kill cat shelter, was trying to raise money for his 70+ cats in a wonderful dinner provided by the BMI staff. I was drink girl, filling and refilling, and I had a blast! I met a group of students, and we had the best time joking around and assisting each other as we went through the routine twice in one night. Eventually, I had to pack it up because of my 8 am knockout of a class tomorrow morning.

 This all started from my dedication to the Jackson County Animal Shelter (where unfortunately they do have to kill the animals eventually). One of the employees I've gotten to know well asked me if I would help out since they'd most likely be short-staffed. I jumped at the chance! More matter how many times I see The Viking around campus or if I'm not doing well in a class, I will still be smiling after a day of volunteering with those amazing animals up at the shelter. Why not expand my volunteering to serving dinner for people who love them just as much as I do?

Throughout my whiny high school years, I escaped the long hours after school taking orders at McDonald's or cleaning tables at Logan's Roadhouse thanks to the unwavering financial assistance of my parents. I wasn't even really backed into a corner to get a job, was hardly ever pressured to get one. I just sat in front of my computer through the afternoon working on my latest book gathering cobwebs in my nonexistent bank account. When I hit college, I still didn't have a paying job until last semester, and I probably make less than minimum wage with my little university-salary, cranking out a couple of articles bi-weekly. But, I digress! The point is I've never had to serve food! I've never been in the restaurant business. And, you know what? It wasn't so bad! I bet if I did it every night, I'd have a different opinion, but for the night I had a grand time. And when a lady asked me, "Where do you volunteers come from? Are you in a fraternity or sorority?"
"No," I answered with a smile. "I volunteer at the Jackson County Animal Shelter, and they asked if I could help out tonight."
With so much sincerity, the women replied, "Thank you, thank you so much, thank you!"
Your video games, your computer monitor, your television screen will never tell you that! And even if that woman hadn't said what she said, it still would have been the best night here so far because I was involved in something bigger than myself.

***If you think you have room in your life for a new pet, I'd highly suggest typing "Jackson County Animal Shelter, Cullowhee, NC" in your Google/Yahoo/Bing search bar and taking a look at some of the great animals there. Or type in "Catman2" for some amazing cats. Personally, if you're looking for a dog, I'd take Patch from the animal shelter. He's a Dalmatian/border collie mix with an amazing personality and extremely obedient. That dog stopped on a dime! But all of their animals are incredible. I should know; I see them about four times a week! And, if you live in the greater Charlotte area or anywhere between there and Cullowhee, I will most definitely provide free transportation to give one of those furry faces a home!