blank blank tailwag blank pant lick wag blank
2004-08-24
11:30 a.m.

Man oh man. What's up, my little hampsters?

My niece came to stay. She's 2 plus a few months. She's never hung out with cats before. I have four cats who have never hung out with a child before. That went well. If by "went well" I mean I had to buy a baby gate to give the cats safe upstairs haven from rolicking child but a hole that's big enough for Maverick is also big enough for El Kid, so she squeezed through it until the cats realized it was futile and just generally sat there looking pissed off while she manhandled them.

I miss her, but they don't. I also don't miss hearing myself saying grandparent attempting to help corral child things. When it's not your kid, it's really weird to discipline/ try to steer them elsewhere, but if I'd left all the yelly up to my sister I think she would have killed me. I spent the whole week feeling like I was walking on a treadmill, very slowly, all day. I crashed at 8:30 every single night and woke up exhausted. I don't know how people do it.

Then my sister and niece left and I got a dog. Whoops? It's not permanent, I am a doggie foster mother. I'm getting hugely attached to the little chien (who is actually a somewhat large German Shepherd-esque mutt), though, but I'm not sure I'm ready for this full time jelly. I am having fun getting my walk on, and feeding kibble, and grabbing both sides of her head and rubbing vigourously and saying over and over and increasingly non-sensically, "Who's a good dog? Whosagood dog? Whosagodog? YES!" So we'll see. But mostly she was just doing terribly in the kennel, was promised to be completely cat safe (and she is!), calm and sweet. So she came home with me, and she's eating, panting, and (I wish she'd stop) endlessly licking my hands, feet, pants, shirt, whatever. She's adorable. I heart her.

She likes me better than my husband. Booyah!

The cats, though she's ignoring them, are largely freaked out. Maverick is too lazy to be freaked, so he went the other direction and is taking advantage of the fact that he can steal new and exciting dog food. The rest of them unionized and make themselves HUGE with the fur puff whenever she's near by. She responds by going, blank blank tailwag blank pant lick wag blank, basically. This doesn't stop los gatos from hissing and running back upstairs to hide. Wusses! I expect more from the Chewdog. His street rep is in tatters now.

Not much else is up. I'm trying to learn Hungarian while I drive, and that's not going particularly well. I haven't even mastered hello just yet. Awesome! Hello, Magyars! American lady speaks English only! Thank you! I always feel like a jerk when I English it up in other countries. Or, almost worse, when I randomly throw in some Si and Y while trying to speak French. Sweet!