As a teenager I was accused of anti social behavior. I was in an untenable family situation, I had raging, undiagnosed, bipolar disorder, force fed 40 mg of Prozac a day on top of that (which made the bipolar worse). Couple that with a rebellion against God and you have a pretty unhappy kid.
And here I am today trying to socialize 2 feral kittens. I have had a policy with Spot "Pet while you eat", some sites said to force petting on him at other times but we didn't like that (either of us) so I stopped and let him come to me. He does.
So I'd say he's about 80% socialized. He lets me pet him (willingly), comes over to me with his tail up, meows, rubs against my ankles, etc. He isn't hiding as much, either, and willingly comes out whenever it's feeding time.
I slept pretty well last night. As you may know Ron likes to go to the kitchen in the middle of the night, for vodka. He sits in his wheelchair and drinks. Mama cat didn't want to waste an opportunity (none of the cats bother me at night when I am sleeping or trying), and went over to Ron,begging.
Ron is quite proud of his unofficial title as "treat man". He began giving her treats when something small rubbed against him. He looked, it was Spot, meowing and begging for treats, his tail in the air, as Ron petted him ("Heather, he's so small!"). According to Ron he gave them both treats as Spot marched back and forth, rubbing against Ron with his tail up (confident/happy body language). I was really happy to hear that.
I woke up with a vicious headache. I will not be working out today. I took some of my new Kratom (at this rate I will need to get more pretty soon, I only got the 60 count capsules). It helped a little, I got up.
All 5 cats wanted their breakfast. I fed everyone the appropriate food (nothing of note except Biscuit threw up in his food bowl, I had to get a glove to clean it out and give him fresh) and they munched happily together. Spot was very social with me, especially compared to a few weeks ago. Ron told me about last night and I was thrilled for him. I want all the cats to interact with him.
I put on my bathrobe and went outside with a bowl of food for Cleo. I didn't see her at first, she came over from #2. She crept in sideways, watching me. I turned my head and said hi to her. She paused. Her tail slowly lifted in the air and she said: meow. That is a big step socially. It was a small, quiet, meow. She gave me a couple more as she came up on me.
And then #2 put up their garage door, making a lot of noise, banging sounds, talking loudly. That was it for Cleo and she ran off. But I saw it as a big step.
I have been looking up feral kitten videos. Most of them focus on "taming" forcing them into purritos, holding them in your lap and force petting them, etc. That looks like rape to me. It's just not how I think I should approach Cleo EVEN ASSUMING I could get my hands on her, which I can't. I have put one finger on her back, twice. Each time she jumped, turned around, hissing at me, and ran off.
I'm going to tell you about Frosty. First, I need to tell you about Bubba (the black cat). Bubba loved friends and brought home other cats to live with us on two occasions. The first one was Frosty. He just showed up one day, with Frosty, meowing at Frosty. He was clearly reassuring Frosty I was OK when I went outside, but Frosty ran away from me with tuna in my hand. Ran away. From tuna. I did a very slow process of putting the food at the edge of my property and standing on the porch while Frosty ate, then working it closer and closer, slowly petting him, then holding the door open and inviting him in with a big bowl of tuna right inside the house, etc. At the end of it Frosty became a lap cat and loved to spend hours on me every night as I watched TV.
So, I've done this. Just not with a kitten. Frosty was by all accounts around 10 when he came to me.
So far I have basically gone out on the porch and put the food by my feet. Spot came and ate. I slowly began petting him and getting him used to being handled, until I picked him up and brought him in the house. I don't pet him if he doesn't want it. I call him and put my hand out, if he comes over I pet him and give him a treat. I also pet him while he eats, inside the house. He approaches me on his own, and Ron - which makes me really happy as Spot was afraid of the wheelchair.
Cleo has proven more stubborn, it was a huge deal for her to be in the same yard as me. She has worked over to eating next to me without petting, but if I sneeze or make a sudden move she bolts. You can see why I get so angry at the #6 kids for chasing her. Today she meowed at me, which is more domesticated than feral, and her body language is warming up. I am proving myself to her, I am safe, I am consistent, I am a feeder. I won't hurt her or allow her to be harmed (except for the spay), I may get her in the house after all, it remains to be seen. If I can, I will. I don't want her outside with the real ferals (#6 children).
Other than that the cats have been unremarkable. Mama cat likes to go out in the garage so we are letting her for now (it is attached to the house), we keep the door propped with a dumbbell.
The headache is not getting better,even though I took more Kratom. I believe I am working on a migraine so I am going to lie back down. I filled my primary purpose, feeding/watering the cats and helping Ron with some things.
I just need to be upright and functional when my grocery delivery arrives.
Saturday, August 3, 2019
Friday, August 2, 2019
Friday
I got up early, headache, Excedrin. I hate to take too much but my Kratom came today (I got my own bottle). That will drastically reduce what I am taking (Excedrin) because NSAID's are nasty addictive and cause rebound headaches.
We went to work. We were gone for 3 days and it looked like we had made one day of sales. Not good. We stocked what we could.
We went to the bank (we had taken money out of the machines as we need inventory money). Yes, the door was still broken, but a very obese man ran to open it for us.
We took care of our business and called Arturo. There's a reason we use Arturo.
With paratransit you say "Pick me up at 11" and they can come anywhere in basically an hour window. When we do our transaction we are literally stacking hundred packs of money up on top of each other, it looks very impressive. It is all $1 bills, though, less than your paycheck, and probably 80-90% of it goes to expenses. So we get to keep maybe one hundred pack out of the whole lot.
BUT, ONCE, years ago, a driver walked in while the teller was taking the last of the money off the counter, maybe $300 left - driver walks up to us, looks at the money (the rest is all gone) says WOW YOU HAVE A LOT OF MONEY. We did NOT. BUT the average driver is extremely ignorant and loves to gossip.
She was early, and went back out to the vehicle to wait "Just wanted you to know I was here". When we went out we attempted to explain, it was not that much money, it was $1 bills "Oh" and we didn't even get to keep all she saw.
I then asked her what she thought would happen to us if she told other people we "had a lot of cash, at the bank" how safe it would be for us waiting outside at work, etc. She said "Not very" and agreed not to talk about it. But she did, and a couple of drivers mentioned our "big cash deposits" when we were riding with them.
We realized we had a BIG problem. By this time enough time had passed we did not know the original name of the first driver who started all this. Ron began planning trips so long we would be finished well over an hour before the driver could come, but it entailed waiting with a bunch of ignorant illegals and their hellspawn, undisciplined, children.
See, I would think if you wanted to get upset you would be, about that. How more than one driver has done that, drive around blabbing to everyone who'll listen that Ron and I are "Rich" "carry around bags of money" "always at the bank" etc. How dangerous it is to gossip about something like that, how it could get us hurt, killed, and probably got our house robbed in 2012. How about that?
THAT I find plenty upsetting. So Ron and I started using Arturo. We call him when we're ready, he's nearly always in the area. If he's not around we call Alex. They show up 5-10 minutes later and we have a straight trip home, and no gossip from the drivers. Well, I gossip about the cats.
Anyway, Ron and I talked and decided we did not want to go out later, so I had Arturo go to a McD's and wait while I ran in and got us some food. We went home, I ate (Spotty likes chicken, so does his mother), and took a nap.
Torbie and Biscuit slept with me. The doorbell rang a little later and I checked, it was the Kratom. I have samples for "white" kratom, which is supposed to be good for energy. I plan to save them for a bad depression morning and see how they work. I put that away.
I noticed more food was gone from the bowl. I got up and did computer things for a while, then cat things. Then back to the computer. Helping Ron. Etc.
I checked the mail and saw Cleo hiding on the porch next to Ron's pillowcase. Good, he will become a familiar scent to her. She ran off when I got within about 12 feet but she did stay put for a while. I saw some rocks out of my flower bed this morning so I am guessing the #6 kids were chasing her and throwing rocks. If I catch them at it I am reporting them for animal cruelty. At the very least they will get a lecture from an officer, and their mother is illegal and they REALLY don't like attention from the authorities.
Another question, why are the women in the family wearing orange all the time for their formal wear? Latina woman have olive complexions, and look better in cool colors (purple, black, royal blue, emerald, etc.). Orange and yellows just make you look sick - I know, I also have a cool complexion. But for the quince last year, the daughter wore a big floofy coral colored dress (and they are on welfare?!). Last week I saw the mother in a similar toned formal dress, that was too tight. Never a good look when you can see the lines of the shapewear under the clothes. Anyway, I guess they don't know what colors will make them look best.
I wear a ton of black,for instance.
Ron is drinking in the kitchen. I will take him back to his room because the new cats don't know to get out of his way.
Spotty has done really well today, he came towards me on his own,several times, rubbed against my ankle, let me pet him, laid down right next to me, etc.
His mother is a little irritable today, but she's pregnant. She has been fine with us, just doesn't want other cats near her, sometimes Spotty is OK but sometimes not. That is fine and will all be fixed shortly, literally.
Ron just asked for "something small" to eat. I gave him his other lunchable. He has really liked them. I'm glad, he's getting some protein and healthy fat in his diet.
Today's headache came back so I got into the bottle of Kratom I bought for myself (Ron got big bottles, I got a small one). This is a kratom-sized headache,moderate but not severe. It tends to work best on those. And Red Elephant works pretty well so I got that.
I need to decide if I am getting a delivery tomorrow or Sunday. I need to feed Cleo. And I need to do the boxes again.
Biscuit knocked a bowl of kitten food on the floor so I had to sweep it up and it was wasted (I use the dustpan to sweep up litter so I'm not feeding that to the cats). Of course it was the expensive brand. But I didn't get it all apparently and the big cats are having fun playing treasure hunt.
I think I will look around on the Walmart website.
We went to work. We were gone for 3 days and it looked like we had made one day of sales. Not good. We stocked what we could.
We went to the bank (we had taken money out of the machines as we need inventory money). Yes, the door was still broken, but a very obese man ran to open it for us.
We took care of our business and called Arturo. There's a reason we use Arturo.
With paratransit you say "Pick me up at 11" and they can come anywhere in basically an hour window. When we do our transaction we are literally stacking hundred packs of money up on top of each other, it looks very impressive. It is all $1 bills, though, less than your paycheck, and probably 80-90% of it goes to expenses. So we get to keep maybe one hundred pack out of the whole lot.
BUT, ONCE, years ago, a driver walked in while the teller was taking the last of the money off the counter, maybe $300 left - driver walks up to us, looks at the money (the rest is all gone) says WOW YOU HAVE A LOT OF MONEY. We did NOT. BUT the average driver is extremely ignorant and loves to gossip.
She was early, and went back out to the vehicle to wait "Just wanted you to know I was here". When we went out we attempted to explain, it was not that much money, it was $1 bills "Oh" and we didn't even get to keep all she saw.
I then asked her what she thought would happen to us if she told other people we "had a lot of cash, at the bank" how safe it would be for us waiting outside at work, etc. She said "Not very" and agreed not to talk about it. But she did, and a couple of drivers mentioned our "big cash deposits" when we were riding with them.
We realized we had a BIG problem. By this time enough time had passed we did not know the original name of the first driver who started all this. Ron began planning trips so long we would be finished well over an hour before the driver could come, but it entailed waiting with a bunch of ignorant illegals and their hellspawn, undisciplined, children.
See, I would think if you wanted to get upset you would be, about that. How more than one driver has done that, drive around blabbing to everyone who'll listen that Ron and I are "Rich" "carry around bags of money" "always at the bank" etc. How dangerous it is to gossip about something like that, how it could get us hurt, killed, and probably got our house robbed in 2012. How about that?
THAT I find plenty upsetting. So Ron and I started using Arturo. We call him when we're ready, he's nearly always in the area. If he's not around we call Alex. They show up 5-10 minutes later and we have a straight trip home, and no gossip from the drivers. Well, I gossip about the cats.
Anyway, Ron and I talked and decided we did not want to go out later, so I had Arturo go to a McD's and wait while I ran in and got us some food. We went home, I ate (Spotty likes chicken, so does his mother), and took a nap.
Torbie and Biscuit slept with me. The doorbell rang a little later and I checked, it was the Kratom. I have samples for "white" kratom, which is supposed to be good for energy. I plan to save them for a bad depression morning and see how they work. I put that away.
I noticed more food was gone from the bowl. I got up and did computer things for a while, then cat things. Then back to the computer. Helping Ron. Etc.
I checked the mail and saw Cleo hiding on the porch next to Ron's pillowcase. Good, he will become a familiar scent to her. She ran off when I got within about 12 feet but she did stay put for a while. I saw some rocks out of my flower bed this morning so I am guessing the #6 kids were chasing her and throwing rocks. If I catch them at it I am reporting them for animal cruelty. At the very least they will get a lecture from an officer, and their mother is illegal and they REALLY don't like attention from the authorities.
Another question, why are the women in the family wearing orange all the time for their formal wear? Latina woman have olive complexions, and look better in cool colors (purple, black, royal blue, emerald, etc.). Orange and yellows just make you look sick - I know, I also have a cool complexion. But for the quince last year, the daughter wore a big floofy coral colored dress (and they are on welfare?!). Last week I saw the mother in a similar toned formal dress, that was too tight. Never a good look when you can see the lines of the shapewear under the clothes. Anyway, I guess they don't know what colors will make them look best.
I wear a ton of black,for instance.
Ron is drinking in the kitchen. I will take him back to his room because the new cats don't know to get out of his way.
Spotty has done really well today, he came towards me on his own,several times, rubbed against my ankle, let me pet him, laid down right next to me, etc.
His mother is a little irritable today, but she's pregnant. She has been fine with us, just doesn't want other cats near her, sometimes Spotty is OK but sometimes not. That is fine and will all be fixed shortly, literally.
Ron just asked for "something small" to eat. I gave him his other lunchable. He has really liked them. I'm glad, he's getting some protein and healthy fat in his diet.
Today's headache came back so I got into the bottle of Kratom I bought for myself (Ron got big bottles, I got a small one). This is a kratom-sized headache,moderate but not severe. It tends to work best on those. And Red Elephant works pretty well so I got that.
I need to decide if I am getting a delivery tomorrow or Sunday. I need to feed Cleo. And I need to do the boxes again.
Biscuit knocked a bowl of kitten food on the floor so I had to sweep it up and it was wasted (I use the dustpan to sweep up litter so I'm not feeding that to the cats). Of course it was the expensive brand. But I didn't get it all apparently and the big cats are having fun playing treasure hunt.
I think I will look around on the Walmart website.
About the bank
As you know, I was pretty upset when the bank's door was broken (from what I can tell someone tried to pry it open with a crowbar). Ron was upset, too We complained, they made excuses. This went on for weeks.
Somewhere in it Ron and I turned a corner and simply stopped caring. Either I go through backwards or someone helps us. It is interesting to see who does and does not help. Young mexicans/"spanish" of either sex refuse to help. So to the older ones. Middle aged with occasionally help. Security guard is almost always gossiping, texting on a cell phone, or generally shirking his duties and does not help.
Ron got annoyed that he did try to call, but the office was closed. I have asked him, since them, if he would like to call. He said no. I asked if he would like ME to call. He said no.
OK, I can respect that.
One important tenet of our marriage is respecting what Ron wants done. By that, I mean, say I see him struggling to put his shoes on. "Do you want help?" "No" [continues struggling, I walk out of the room]. It is not the easy thing to do, the easy thing is to take it away from him and do it myself, but it is not the RIGHT thing. The right thing is to respect what Ron wants to do for himself.
In this case, Ron wants nothing done. So I will respect that. To those who told me it affects me to, you are right. But I am seeing it more as a hidden camera test for passers-by. "Which one of the people, walking by, will help? If any?" And the unlikely one generally does. Today a very obese middle aged white guy came running over to get the door for Ron, and was genuinely embarrassed when we both thanked him.
Ron does not tell me how to manage my illness, and I return the favor. "Unwanted help is harm" is one of our mottos.
That's where we are right now.
Somewhere in it Ron and I turned a corner and simply stopped caring. Either I go through backwards or someone helps us. It is interesting to see who does and does not help. Young mexicans/"spanish" of either sex refuse to help. So to the older ones. Middle aged with occasionally help. Security guard is almost always gossiping, texting on a cell phone, or generally shirking his duties and does not help.
Ron got annoyed that he did try to call, but the office was closed. I have asked him, since them, if he would like to call. He said no. I asked if he would like ME to call. He said no.
OK, I can respect that.
One important tenet of our marriage is respecting what Ron wants done. By that, I mean, say I see him struggling to put his shoes on. "Do you want help?" "No" [continues struggling, I walk out of the room]. It is not the easy thing to do, the easy thing is to take it away from him and do it myself, but it is not the RIGHT thing. The right thing is to respect what Ron wants to do for himself.
In this case, Ron wants nothing done. So I will respect that. To those who told me it affects me to, you are right. But I am seeing it more as a hidden camera test for passers-by. "Which one of the people, walking by, will help? If any?" And the unlikely one generally does. Today a very obese middle aged white guy came running over to get the door for Ron, and was genuinely embarrassed when we both thanked him.
Ron does not tell me how to manage my illness, and I return the favor. "Unwanted help is harm" is one of our mottos.
That's where we are right now.
This will be a quick one.
Slept OK, woke up with a headache. Got up, feeding time. Spot has figured it out, Mama is a little slower but a much bigger appetite. She is after all eating for 6 or something now. Ron did ask me when we are "having the abortion" and I reminded him Tuesday. I don't feel bad about that.
Anyway, they ate. Ron asked for some Kratom so I took it to him. He said he wished he could make friends with Cleo.
"Give me your pillow case" I told him.
????
"She sleeps under the chair on the porch, I will put it out there for her so she gets used to you." He couldn't get it off quick enough.
And I did, take it out there and put it under the chair. She was very skittish when I fed her today so I finally just left the bowl out there for her to eat after I left. She saw me bring it, I think it is enough right now. I will sit out there later with her.
I use cheap pillow cases so no big deal if something happens to it. But my hope is that Cleo will get used to Ron's scent and realize he is safe, too. Ron has a huge heart for abandoned cats so I would like to see them friends.
That of course would bring his "girls" up to 4. Biscuit is very friendly with Spotty so I think they will become good buddies soon.
Slept OK, woke up with a headache. Got up, feeding time. Spot has figured it out, Mama is a little slower but a much bigger appetite. She is after all eating for 6 or something now. Ron did ask me when we are "having the abortion" and I reminded him Tuesday. I don't feel bad about that.
Anyway, they ate. Ron asked for some Kratom so I took it to him. He said he wished he could make friends with Cleo.
"Give me your pillow case" I told him.
????
"She sleeps under the chair on the porch, I will put it out there for her so she gets used to you." He couldn't get it off quick enough.
And I did, take it out there and put it under the chair. She was very skittish when I fed her today so I finally just left the bowl out there for her to eat after I left. She saw me bring it, I think it is enough right now. I will sit out there later with her.
I use cheap pillow cases so no big deal if something happens to it. But my hope is that Cleo will get used to Ron's scent and realize he is safe, too. Ron has a huge heart for abandoned cats so I would like to see them friends.
That of course would bring his "girls" up to 4. Biscuit is very friendly with Spotty so I think they will become good buddies soon.
Thursday, August 1, 2019
The rest of Thursday
Ron woke me up at some ungodly hour to tell me we would not be working today. I turned off my alarm and went back to bed.
I got up and fulfilled my primary function in feeding all the cats. Spot lets me move him away from his mother's (she is a little cranky right now) food, and to his own bowl. Breakfast was uneventful. I cleaned all the litter boxes. Water fountains are fine.
I decided not to work out (I take 2 days off, a week) and took my shower. I got dressed, I was going out. I brought my stun gun. I got ready to head out and decided the cats needed a nibble while I was gone. Biscuit was lurking around like one of those huge horses, with the little cats all around him. I opened up a can of his (expensive) Urinary SO wet food. Spotty ran towards it eagerly. I have discovered he loves all things urinary formula - dry and wet. Biscuit sniffed at him while he ate but didn't object. I think Biscuit likes him.
Spot is pretty pitiful at times, so I think Biscuit pities him. Cleo was AWOL today, if I had to guess the little shithead kids next door probably terrorized her in some fashion and sent her into hiding all day. I would get her in the house if I could, and I felt it was fair to her. Right now she would be terrified. Spot is far more docile and even he is pretty timid.
I got my stuff and headed out the door. I went down the main street in the subdivision. I was menaced by the very aggressive dog in the rental house. That is not a sturdy fence and the dog has actually broken the fence. I put my hand on my stun gun as I passed the house, on the other side of the street. For some reason all the vicious dogs live on the one side.
And yes, I talked to the police. I can zap an aggressive dog with a stun gun, if it is attacking me. Totally legal.
A rather long wait at the bus stop but I had brought a drink. Finally got picked up. I didn't see any disabled today but I did encounter a lot of people riding the bus who had no idea what they were doing, where they were headed, even the most basic of information like "Am I on the correct bus?" One old man stood next to me, as I sat. He was wearing a heavy jacket and put his arm up to grasp the safety railing. Oh, the BO about knocked me out of my seat.
WHY in Houston do I see so many people in long sleeves/shirt, and COAT in the middle of summer? It was feels like 100 F on the way home. Why? I can understand wearing a uniform for work but many of these people were clearly casual day off.
I saw a lot of floppy unrestrained breasts under minimal clothing today. If I had been a man, or a lesbian, I might have found it exciting. I guess they didn't feel like wearing bras today. They didn't bother me, I didn't bother them.
I got off at my stop and walked over to the bank. Door is still broken but just me today. I did our transaction, changing $1 bills into $20's. I was so glad no one on the bus had any idea what I had with me today. Most of what I got back was my pay, and $100 for Ron which I set aside carefully (he later gave it to me). A very long walk to the bus stop, and an even longer wait on the bus. I must have just missed it. Normally I catch the 86, and have a wait on that. Today I wanted another bus and I kept seeing one 86 after another.
My bus finally came. One woman shoved in front of me (one of the no bra gals) and got on. I got the seat I wanted.
We ran the route, all sorts of people got on. I rang the bell for my stop and the man sitting across the aisle got up. Now, normally I do not pay attention to other people on the bus. Some people it is clear they have serious issues that preclude them from driving. One woman in the back kept screaming periodically, another was shouting into a cell phone, etc. So I don't look around or stare at the other passengers because NO ONE knows more than me what sort of freaked out crap can lurk behind a normal facade.
Anyway, I had my backpack next to me on the seat. I got off, went off to the side, and there's a man, the one sitting right next to me, now off the bus and WAY up in my personal space, close enough to kiss. I turned and faced him. The normal reaction would be to back off, and he did, a little. I put on my backpack, staring at him. He just stood there waiting for me to turn back around, but I wouldn't. The bus had left by this point.
I kept my eyes on him, my face set in a strong expression. I have been told I have a very expressive face. "Don't try it" I thought. I put my hand in my pocket on top of the stun gun, and took off the safety.
He mumbled something, turned around, and walked off. I waited until he got half a block away before turning around. I crossed the street and looked back. He was following me. I took out my cell phone, he backed off again and crossed the busy street. I crossed as well, keeping him in my line of vision. He followed me all the way to the store, but not inside.
Because, guaranteed, he did not want his face on camera for whatever he was planning.
I bought some drinks and a box of Cracklin' oat bran because that just sounded like the best snack in the world at that moment. I left, I did not see him. I went to my bank. I did not see him. I made my deposit, careful to keep my cash hidden discreetly.
I left, keeping an eye out. I had to cross two streets and wait beside basically a highway. To go get the cat food. That is why I find it so funny when readers accuse me of being negligent and uncaring, how many of them would walk around in the heat, hours out of their day on their day off, waiting at bus stops, and carrying cat food home on their back, from the bus stop? Very few.
I did not see anyone. I did see him at the other bus stop. He was drinking alcohol and jollying around with some people at the bus stop. The bus came, they got on, he started to get on, got off (I was watching him), looked around, saw me watching him,and meandered off in another direction.
My bus came. I got on, he did not. I rode up to my intersection, got off, crossed a very busy street, walked across a huge parking lot. I stopped at the Kolache factory, used the bathroom, bought some Kolaches and ate them. Then I walked over to the pet store.
All the shopping carts were stuck together, I finally got them loose. I looked at cat toys and bought a few (the chirping bird, chips when you bat it). Someone came by and asked if I needed help, I told him yes and he took me to the pet food. There it was. I put it in the cart next to the toys and got some treats, then paid (!) and left. I carried the cat food and toys in the backpack, with the drinks/snack in a tote bag. I had a pretty good wait, but when it came, it was the same driver. We chatted a little. I got off the bus, did not see my transfer bus roaring off as I have so many times! Not today (but I must have just missed it).
I looked around and saw no one. Even no-goods were hiding from the heat, and it had a heat index of over 100. I waited quite a while on my bus. Finally! I got on, rode to my stop. I watched the bus as I got off, looking to see if anyone got off to follow me (has happened 1 or 2 times, I felt). No one did. I started walking.
I got home and Spotty ran to meet me, meowing. Adorable. I fed everyone and put my stuff away. I tried to take a nap but could not, too many Diet Dr Peppers. I washed some bedding, have it in the dryer (I will run the load when it is cooler. Then it's the first of the month so I ran a cleaning cycle on the washer.
I'm going to go check the mail pretty soon, then fix myself a sandwich for dinner. The Lunchables (generic brand) were a big hit with Ron, but he kept trying to figure out a way to sell them. I had to tell him the other vendor already tried that, they didn't do well because they have a high food cost.
When it comes to cold food, the customer wants:
Very low price ($2.50 max)
Name brand
Big portion
You cannot have all 3. You can have 2, but not 3. So we fill it with vienna sausage, protein shakes, and average quality sandwiches. I did not tell Ron this but lunchables were tried, they were too expensive, no one bought them at the "fair to the vendor" price, when generic brands were introduced at the "low price" the customer didn't want them. They basically want us to sell premium quality name brands at our cost. And they are making $50K plus a year. The other vendor can afford to "eat it", we cannot. So we have enough to satisfy requirements but no more.
Not to mention, we have tried buying things at the grocery store and taking them into work. HUGE hassle, HOURS lost out of every week, hardly any money made, not enough to justify it. Not to mention I was accused of being "racist in favor of the mexicans" (to my face) because I had some mexican snack foods available for sale - they were cheap, and tasty. But the white, black, and asian customers felt I was "favoring" the mexicans and it was hurting our sales. So I stopped. Customers aren't always logical, at work.
So no lunchables at work, but Ron loved it and would get it again, he said. They are cheap, I got generic brand, and have a decent amount of nutrients. It is a lot better than nothing. They are not a big portion so he can eat it when he's a little hungry, but not much. I am pleased.
I went out and checked the mail, found Cleo under my chair. She has probably the prettiest markings of any cat I've met, save Bubba and Torbie. She has mackerel tabby swirls over orange and black patches. Gorgeous. She was fearful as always but ate a pretty good amount before she spooked and ran off. Her water bowl looked good.
Now it's time for my dinner, I just fed 7 animals so I think I'm due!
I got up and fulfilled my primary function in feeding all the cats. Spot lets me move him away from his mother's (she is a little cranky right now) food, and to his own bowl. Breakfast was uneventful. I cleaned all the litter boxes. Water fountains are fine.
I decided not to work out (I take 2 days off, a week) and took my shower. I got dressed, I was going out. I brought my stun gun. I got ready to head out and decided the cats needed a nibble while I was gone. Biscuit was lurking around like one of those huge horses, with the little cats all around him. I opened up a can of his (expensive) Urinary SO wet food. Spotty ran towards it eagerly. I have discovered he loves all things urinary formula - dry and wet. Biscuit sniffed at him while he ate but didn't object. I think Biscuit likes him.
Spot is pretty pitiful at times, so I think Biscuit pities him. Cleo was AWOL today, if I had to guess the little shithead kids next door probably terrorized her in some fashion and sent her into hiding all day. I would get her in the house if I could, and I felt it was fair to her. Right now she would be terrified. Spot is far more docile and even he is pretty timid.
I got my stuff and headed out the door. I went down the main street in the subdivision. I was menaced by the very aggressive dog in the rental house. That is not a sturdy fence and the dog has actually broken the fence. I put my hand on my stun gun as I passed the house, on the other side of the street. For some reason all the vicious dogs live on the one side.
And yes, I talked to the police. I can zap an aggressive dog with a stun gun, if it is attacking me. Totally legal.
A rather long wait at the bus stop but I had brought a drink. Finally got picked up. I didn't see any disabled today but I did encounter a lot of people riding the bus who had no idea what they were doing, where they were headed, even the most basic of information like "Am I on the correct bus?" One old man stood next to me, as I sat. He was wearing a heavy jacket and put his arm up to grasp the safety railing. Oh, the BO about knocked me out of my seat.
WHY in Houston do I see so many people in long sleeves/shirt, and COAT in the middle of summer? It was feels like 100 F on the way home. Why? I can understand wearing a uniform for work but many of these people were clearly casual day off.
I saw a lot of floppy unrestrained breasts under minimal clothing today. If I had been a man, or a lesbian, I might have found it exciting. I guess they didn't feel like wearing bras today. They didn't bother me, I didn't bother them.
I got off at my stop and walked over to the bank. Door is still broken but just me today. I did our transaction, changing $1 bills into $20's. I was so glad no one on the bus had any idea what I had with me today. Most of what I got back was my pay, and $100 for Ron which I set aside carefully (he later gave it to me). A very long walk to the bus stop, and an even longer wait on the bus. I must have just missed it. Normally I catch the 86, and have a wait on that. Today I wanted another bus and I kept seeing one 86 after another.
My bus finally came. One woman shoved in front of me (one of the no bra gals) and got on. I got the seat I wanted.
We ran the route, all sorts of people got on. I rang the bell for my stop and the man sitting across the aisle got up. Now, normally I do not pay attention to other people on the bus. Some people it is clear they have serious issues that preclude them from driving. One woman in the back kept screaming periodically, another was shouting into a cell phone, etc. So I don't look around or stare at the other passengers because NO ONE knows more than me what sort of freaked out crap can lurk behind a normal facade.
Anyway, I had my backpack next to me on the seat. I got off, went off to the side, and there's a man, the one sitting right next to me, now off the bus and WAY up in my personal space, close enough to kiss. I turned and faced him. The normal reaction would be to back off, and he did, a little. I put on my backpack, staring at him. He just stood there waiting for me to turn back around, but I wouldn't. The bus had left by this point.
I kept my eyes on him, my face set in a strong expression. I have been told I have a very expressive face. "Don't try it" I thought. I put my hand in my pocket on top of the stun gun, and took off the safety.
He mumbled something, turned around, and walked off. I waited until he got half a block away before turning around. I crossed the street and looked back. He was following me. I took out my cell phone, he backed off again and crossed the busy street. I crossed as well, keeping him in my line of vision. He followed me all the way to the store, but not inside.
Because, guaranteed, he did not want his face on camera for whatever he was planning.
I bought some drinks and a box of Cracklin' oat bran because that just sounded like the best snack in the world at that moment. I left, I did not see him. I went to my bank. I did not see him. I made my deposit, careful to keep my cash hidden discreetly.
I left, keeping an eye out. I had to cross two streets and wait beside basically a highway. To go get the cat food. That is why I find it so funny when readers accuse me of being negligent and uncaring, how many of them would walk around in the heat, hours out of their day on their day off, waiting at bus stops, and carrying cat food home on their back, from the bus stop? Very few.
I did not see anyone. I did see him at the other bus stop. He was drinking alcohol and jollying around with some people at the bus stop. The bus came, they got on, he started to get on, got off (I was watching him), looked around, saw me watching him,and meandered off in another direction.
My bus came. I got on, he did not. I rode up to my intersection, got off, crossed a very busy street, walked across a huge parking lot. I stopped at the Kolache factory, used the bathroom, bought some Kolaches and ate them. Then I walked over to the pet store.
All the shopping carts were stuck together, I finally got them loose. I looked at cat toys and bought a few (the chirping bird, chips when you bat it). Someone came by and asked if I needed help, I told him yes and he took me to the pet food. There it was. I put it in the cart next to the toys and got some treats, then paid (!) and left. I carried the cat food and toys in the backpack, with the drinks/snack in a tote bag. I had a pretty good wait, but when it came, it was the same driver. We chatted a little. I got off the bus, did not see my transfer bus roaring off as I have so many times! Not today (but I must have just missed it).
I looked around and saw no one. Even no-goods were hiding from the heat, and it had a heat index of over 100. I waited quite a while on my bus. Finally! I got on, rode to my stop. I watched the bus as I got off, looking to see if anyone got off to follow me (has happened 1 or 2 times, I felt). No one did. I started walking.
I got home and Spotty ran to meet me, meowing. Adorable. I fed everyone and put my stuff away. I tried to take a nap but could not, too many Diet Dr Peppers. I washed some bedding, have it in the dryer (I will run the load when it is cooler. Then it's the first of the month so I ran a cleaning cycle on the washer.
I'm going to go check the mail pretty soon, then fix myself a sandwich for dinner. The Lunchables (generic brand) were a big hit with Ron, but he kept trying to figure out a way to sell them. I had to tell him the other vendor already tried that, they didn't do well because they have a high food cost.
When it comes to cold food, the customer wants:
Very low price ($2.50 max)
Name brand
Big portion
You cannot have all 3. You can have 2, but not 3. So we fill it with vienna sausage, protein shakes, and average quality sandwiches. I did not tell Ron this but lunchables were tried, they were too expensive, no one bought them at the "fair to the vendor" price, when generic brands were introduced at the "low price" the customer didn't want them. They basically want us to sell premium quality name brands at our cost. And they are making $50K plus a year. The other vendor can afford to "eat it", we cannot. So we have enough to satisfy requirements but no more.
Not to mention, we have tried buying things at the grocery store and taking them into work. HUGE hassle, HOURS lost out of every week, hardly any money made, not enough to justify it. Not to mention I was accused of being "racist in favor of the mexicans" (to my face) because I had some mexican snack foods available for sale - they were cheap, and tasty. But the white, black, and asian customers felt I was "favoring" the mexicans and it was hurting our sales. So I stopped. Customers aren't always logical, at work.
So no lunchables at work, but Ron loved it and would get it again, he said. They are cheap, I got generic brand, and have a decent amount of nutrients. It is a lot better than nothing. They are not a big portion so he can eat it when he's a little hungry, but not much. I am pleased.
I went out and checked the mail, found Cleo under my chair. She has probably the prettiest markings of any cat I've met, save Bubba and Torbie. She has mackerel tabby swirls over orange and black patches. Gorgeous. She was fearful as always but ate a pretty good amount before she spooked and ran off. Her water bowl looked good.
Now it's time for my dinner, I just fed 7 animals so I think I'm due!
Another don't read me if your eating or squeamish post
The sales man was right. Cat food makes a big difference in litter box odor.
The time I was told that was in the 90's, the man was trying to get me to Nutro. Mr Gray had proven resistant to Science Diet for his bladder condition (Biscuit is my 3rd cat with this), I didn't want him on Friskies, so I went to the pet food store.
The sales man swore I would have less odor. So I bought it and he didn't eat much, and the odor was just as bad. I put pet food sales men in the "anything for a buck" category and forgot all about it.
You may know I switched Biscuit to Royal Canin, from Blue, when I found out he had urinary tract disease. The acronym for that is horrific. I will say "Bladder stones". Anyway, I put him on the bladder stone diet from RC and it worked great, no stones. He is happy, healthy, his fur feels better, plenty of energy, super cuddly, and a very good appetite for his food. Glad I did it.
I was so impressed I took my other 2 off Blue and put them on Royal Canin. Torbie got the senior formula, Baby Girl got the "middle aged" (7 +) formula.
I got a bag of Meow Mix kitten when the strays showed up. I was concerned with getting something tasty without a big commitment. I wasn't ready for that. So I have been feeding that, to them outside.
I brought them in the house this week and I can ALWAYS tell when they use the litter box. I had forgotten the stench of cat sh*t. My guys have very small stools with no odor, because they're on Royal Canin. The cats on the cheap food are passing large turds with a horrible stench.
You can bet I will be buying some Royal Canin when I get the money. I can hardly wait to get Spot and Mama cat on appropriate formulas.
Whew! Can't forget to clean THAT litter box!
The time I was told that was in the 90's, the man was trying to get me to Nutro. Mr Gray had proven resistant to Science Diet for his bladder condition (Biscuit is my 3rd cat with this), I didn't want him on Friskies, so I went to the pet food store.
The sales man swore I would have less odor. So I bought it and he didn't eat much, and the odor was just as bad. I put pet food sales men in the "anything for a buck" category and forgot all about it.
You may know I switched Biscuit to Royal Canin, from Blue, when I found out he had urinary tract disease. The acronym for that is horrific. I will say "Bladder stones". Anyway, I put him on the bladder stone diet from RC and it worked great, no stones. He is happy, healthy, his fur feels better, plenty of energy, super cuddly, and a very good appetite for his food. Glad I did it.
I was so impressed I took my other 2 off Blue and put them on Royal Canin. Torbie got the senior formula, Baby Girl got the "middle aged" (7 +) formula.
I got a bag of Meow Mix kitten when the strays showed up. I was concerned with getting something tasty without a big commitment. I wasn't ready for that. So I have been feeding that, to them outside.
I brought them in the house this week and I can ALWAYS tell when they use the litter box. I had forgotten the stench of cat sh*t. My guys have very small stools with no odor, because they're on Royal Canin. The cats on the cheap food are passing large turds with a horrible stench.
You can bet I will be buying some Royal Canin when I get the money. I can hardly wait to get Spot and Mama cat on appropriate formulas.
Whew! Can't forget to clean THAT litter box!
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