Personal

Our Denver Cat

It was a week ago today that we took our cat Denver to the vet to be cremated. Last week was one of the hardest weeks for me ever. Who would have thought it would hurt that much to lose a pet. Maybe it was because it was the first one that I have ever lost, or that he was still young, or that he died right next to us just minutes after we fell asleep, but it was hard.

We got the call that his ashes were ready to picked up on Friday. That actually made me feel better. Just knowing that he is in his final resting place really helped me. Every living being on earth spends way more time dead they they did alive. Denver just got there a few years earlier than expected.

We got Denver back in 2000 when my wife’s brother found him abandoned down by the river. Our theory was that someone had a bunch of cats that they wanted to get rid of, so they just dumped them in the river. He was so little. His eyes were barely open. We had to bottle feed him for a week. He was lucky to survive that, so really, he lived eight years longer than expected.

He would grow up to become a big fat cat. We did all we could to get him to lose weight, but he was just lazy. He was easily my cat. He wouldn’t hardly let anyone else pet or pick him up, but he would come to me when I call for him. He slept and stayed hidden most of the day, but he knew when feeding time was. I usually feed our pets around the same times everyday, and Denver would never let me forget. He would always come out and find some way to get my attention and let me know it’s feeding time.

I will always miss him, but I no longer feel sad. Now when I think if him, it brings a smile to my face just knowing what a great cat he was, and how many good times we had together.

Voting Absentee

I work until 10:00 PM on election night, and will be unable to make it to the polls. I, unlike most people, can’t get off work to vote. For this reason I will be voting absentee this year. This is the first time I have had to vote absentee. I think I might like it better. Today we got our ballots in the mail. I now can take my own sweet time to fill it out and mail in back. My only complaint is that I have to pay for postage. I don’t remember the last time I had any stamps. Hell, I don’t even know what the price of a stamp is now days. The envelope also says extra postage is required, but doesn’t say how much, so I guess I will just throw two stamps on the envelope. Not like it’s much, but something kinda bugs me about having to pay to vote. Maybe most people have stamps laying around and it’s not big deal. Not me, I never mail anything.

Death Sucks

Growing up we had different pets from time to time, but we always seemed to get rid of them before they died. This is the first pet that I have ever had die. I can’t believe how hard it is. Part of what makes it so hard is that he wasn’t sick at all, and he was so young. He was only eight. We had him to the vet this spring and they said he was totally healthy except for some tartar on his teeth. He was totally himself on Saturday, a little sick on Sunday, and then dead by Monday. I guess that’s the best way to go.

I have lost a few family members, and while those sucked, it wasn’t nearly as hard as this. When my Grandma and Grandpa died, I was bummed for a couple of days, but then you would go home and things would be back to normal. It’s so hard without Denver around here. I can’t do anything with thinking of him. It’s hard to eat without him begging for food. It’s hard to leave the house without him sitting at the stairs and watching you leave. It’s hard to come home and not see him running toward the door, but the hardest thing to do is feed our other cat and dog and not put any food in Denver’s dish. It brings me to tears every time I have to feed our other animals.

I know I will get over it soon, but it’s really tough now.

I miss you so much Denver boy!!!

RIP Denver Boy

It was a rough night last night. One of our cats was sick. They get sick from time to time. Usually we give it a little time, and if they don’t get better we take them to the vet. Denver was fine on Saturday, and was just laying around a little more than usual, and not eating on Sunday.

We went to bed around 10:30 and took him with us. Hey laid in bed with us and was dead by midnight. He was only eight, but he was a fat lazy cat. He was my cat. I was the only one that he would allow to pick up and cuddle with. I miss him dearly. I might blog more about him later when the tears have faded a little more.

Gopher Game

My wife got free tickets to the Gopher game this Saturday. She doesn’t want to go, so I am taking my Brother. He lives in the Cities, so we will be hanging with him this weekend. I have never been to a college football game before. It’s actually been years since I even watched one on TV. It should be fun just hanging out with my Brother and his Wife for the weekend anyway. It’s probably the last weekend of the year away without having to worry about road conditions. Should be fun.

Adoption Update

I have been kinda bummed out lately. We had to take this Talor-Johnson test for part of our adoption process. We didn’t think much of it. The wife and I both get along great. We know we will be great parents.

last Thursday we got to see the results. I thought it was kind of a joke. There was a little sine wave on the chart of where we should be, and both the wife and I were totally opposite of it. WTF? Now we have to put the whole thing on hold for six months and see a marriage counselor. WTF? I don’t see how or what that stupid test sees. I don’t even know what we are suppose to talk about with a counselor. We don’t have any problems, or I guess we don’t have any problems that we know about. That test much be super awesome and finds our future problems. Whatever.

It almost makes me want to say fuck it and forget about the whole adoption thing. The process is a pain in the ass. Tons of pointless hoops to jump through. it’s no wonder more people don’t adopt more often.

Last Brother-in-law Update

He is OUT!! He Finally moved out. He is now at his Aunt’s until January. Hopefully he grows up by then. It will be so nice not having to pick up after him, and having the phone ringing at all hours of the day and night. It seems so peaceful here already.

Vacation is Hard Work

We got back from our little vacation last night. Why does it seem that no matter how relaxing vacation is, you are always whipped when you get home? We didn’t do a whole lot on vacation. We stayed in some pretty awesome cabins, Three bedrooms, full kitchen, and hot tub. Saturday we spent the day on the lake in a pontoon. I was the only one lucky enough to avoid the sunburn. Sunscreen is my best friend. I am glad I have today and tomorrow off to recover from vacation, and catch up with everything. Too bad it’s raining out today. I have a lot of yard work to get done. Oh well, guess I will check out some of the Olympics instead.

Not Looking Good

It’s not looking good at the Brother-in-law moving out on Friday. That has been his deadline for two months. Do you thing he would even look for a place to live? Of course not. If he found a place he would no longer have free rent, free food, free TV, free cable, free water, free party house when we are gone. He has it made, full-time job with 90% of his income disposable.

I am hoping to be able to talk the wife into forcing him out. He could go stay with his aunt. She has two open bedrooms. I am sure she would let him live there for a month. I don’t know how else we are going to get rid of him.

I knew I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t so nice. I put up with a lot of crap just trying to be nice to people.

I will Never Buy From a Pushy Salesman

I hate door-to-door salesmen, but I am to nice to tell them to get lost. Yesterday a vacuum cleaner salesman came to our house. It wasn’t Kirby, it was some other company that I have never heard of. It was a really good vacuum cleaner though. I was sold on it within ten minutes. Then the salesman kept going on and on with his sales pitch. The longer he went on the less I wanted it. So I didn’t buy it out of principle. Plus I like to do research on high priced items. He was trying to tell me if I didn’t buy it now I wont get another chance. WTF? Redflag! If someone ever tells you this is your only chance at buying an item walk away. What company wont let you buy a product if you want it? It was a really nice and powerful vacuum cleaner, but I think it was grossly overpriced. If it would have been $1000 I probably might have bought it, but it was $3000 or so. The salesman wouldn’t give a specific price. I still want the thing, but I wound never buy anything from a pushy salesman.