Mixed bag

Well, it's been a mixed bag. 

The dog next door (sounds like a bad Hallmark movie) has been barking some, at night.  Not tremendously so, but enough that Mom-of-6-and-a-new-baby is looking VERY exhausted and frazzled.  Worse, actually, than I have ever seen her.  As I see it, she's the weak link.  I doubted she wanted the animal, and if it's keeping her and the baby awake... 

If I felt they would be good owners I'd be rooting for a happy ending.  However, they have, as yet, left a small puppy alone in the yard 24/7, even when it was raining and in the 30's.  The husband played with it 5 minutes when he got home from work (I counted) then went in the house and ignored it.  I never even heard the kids playing with it today, but when they do they spend more time on the trampoline than interacting with the dog. 

I don't see that treatment resulting in a mannerly, quiet, dog.  It's also a small, cat-sized, "cute" animal.  I don't think it's going to be as much "fun" when it hits 30-40 pounds (it's a lab so it will get big!), jumping on the kids and knocking them down.  A lot of adolescent dogs get surrendered to the shelter for just that reason - it isn't cute anymore, and they can't manage it. 

I seriously considered a dog when we bought the house.  I did a lot of research and read several books, finally concluding I wasn't able to give a dog what it would need: consistency, training, discipline, exercise, etc.  

Speaking of shelters, one of the rescues got back and said sorry, can't help.  They did like my rescue story, though.  The kittens have been doing very well, I think. One is having some kind of maniacal fit by my feet right now, but the girls have been more accepting. 

Torbie just, and I mean, just, spent about an hour with me doing God Time, lap time, petting, good cuddles.  She's "fine". 

Ron's cat is having more issues, but is greeting the kittens and smelling them, with good posture and body language.  I think she just doesn't know what to do with them. 

Her behavior has changed some as a result, which has Ron in hysterics.  He doesn't do well with change, I'm realizing.  I think he'll come around.  If not I will have to rehome them. 

At worst, whatever I find will be better than them starving in the woods, getting run over (they had no street smarts), or getting kicked to death by Mean People. 

Thump.  Thump. Crash!  God help the gnat that gets on our property.  That's the nice thing about "good hunter" cats.  You will never have to worry about pest control - they'll get everything from gnats to squirrels.  Bubba even brought me a wild rabbit one time. 

As far as I see it, my only problem is Biscuit's terrible gas.  Oh, those farts will kill you, and he's such a little guy.  They smell like a septic tank mated a garbage truck.  WHEW. 

I don't mind them running around while I sleep, and if you've been reading a while I'm sure that's surprising.  But that's happy background noise, and I'm used to sleeping through kittens.  Just in Houston, I had Shadow (breast cancer), Midi (became a vicious biter so I had to surrender him), Baby Girl the first (poisoned by "a neighbor" - whatever I have now, it's a lot better than my former neighbors), my current Baby Girl (still kicking), and the kittens. 

Ron asked me to lock up the kittens so Baby Girl "feels safe".  I think, unfortunately the "cat doesn't love me" problem is my fault.  I put some cat food in a small bowl in the living room.  I saw BG come in tonight and eat the food, then leave. 

Our old setup had the foodbowls on Ron's dresser, so they had to walk past him to get the food.  Ron could greet them, get some affection, etc. 

I put the living room (really just the front room) food in the bedroom. 

Regarding my house layout, I have, essentially, a "shotgun house" - basically one room wide, with a hallway, deep but not wide.  On the front of the house, I have a 10 foot wide garage, then inside a kitchen/foyer about 15 feet wide.  As you walk in the house you enter the front room - the main room, about 15 feet square.  I have a dining alcove in this room, then a hallway that runs along the left wall to the back of the house.  The computer room runs in the middle, then, across the back, from left to right, my room, bathroom, Ron's room.  I like it. 

I don't have living/dining all that.  I'm fine with that. 

So, I had to redirect the kittens a few times while typing.  They have a lot of energy.  Ron wants them locked up in my room tonight which I find rather alarming. 

The frantic play wouldn't be such an issue if they had outside access, but, pardon me, they are dumb as rocks.  They play in the street.  They walk right up to abusive strangers.  I don't want them outside. 

I have a pit bull behind me.  I could just see one of the kittens squirming through the fence, walking up to the dog, and saying "Hi!  Will you be my friend?"  [facepalm]  We are not close to busy traffic but we are near a T intersection. 

Baby Girl was a lot smarter.  She figured out the cat door on her own, in a day or two (these guys are oblivious).  She's clever. 

These guys are not - although they may just need a little time to recuperate.  If/when the figure out the cat door, they figure it out.  I assume God will only allow that to happen when they're ready. 

Speaking of ready, this morning we went to work very early - 4 AM pickup.  The driver pulled up, backed up, making loud beeping noises, and had the dispatch radio pretty loud.  Normally I would run out, having hysterics, and beg her to be quiet, neighbors, etc. 

Not so much lately.  I don't want the drivers to disturb them, but if they do I don't yell at the driver, either. 

The driver loudly greeted Ron as I rounded up the kittens.  I didn't run out, either. 

I do my best to be quiet.  If someone else wants to be rude, that's on them.  One time I asked the driver to turn the radio down, and she yelled "Why?  It's not that loud!" 

Surprisingly, the dog is fine with the paratransit vehicles.  I guess, for the dog, it's just daily scenery. 

We got to work and paid a refund.  I found it telling.  We paid our refund within a day of the phone call.  I was accosted by an employee while working at the fridge, out on the work floor.  She was very upset at the other vendor, who she feels is ducking her refund.  I had to explain, I'm sorry, that's not me.  She is the skinny white lady with short hair.  I didn't state the obvious, I'm the fat white lady with long hair. 

All my people look alike.  :p 

It took a while for her to understand: two vendors.  "Mine" is the "wheelchair" in the cafeteria.  The other guy has 30-some machines everywhere else. 

I stocked and all the machines looked really great. 

But.  I had a problem. 

Ron and I forgot to empty the change bucket on the bottled vendor.  It backed up all the way along the path, causing a massive coin jam.  I thought I got it, but I didn't.  I think I just need to remount it. 

Worst case, the repairman is coming out anyway for the other vendor, so he can run by and "get" us.  Either way: fixed tomorrow. 

But it was embarrassing.