A growing family :-)

Our family seemed complete with two mommies, two doggies, a fat kitty and an irritated turtle...but it wasn't. A super sweet 14 year old kitty showed up the day after Thanksgiving and after much digital footprint searching (Wife calls it cyber-stalking...po-tay-to/po-tah-to) we found her owner-who had not updated her microchip in 10 years-and her last known address. She lived 40 minutes away and moved to another state at the end of October. We then found her on Facebook, messaged her, her daughter and a handful of her friends. One friend responded and told us who she gave the cat to when she moved (who gives a cat away after 14 years????). We called the new owner who excitedly picked her up after 3 days of living with us. The sweet kitty had been missing for 2 weeks and after a week they assumed that since she had been sick with kidney problems that she wandered off to die in the woods. We told the new owner (who lives less than a 1/2 mile away), that she is probably out searching for her old family and should be kept inside. The new owner agreed. We called last Wednesday to check on her. No answer. No returned call. Guess who showed up late last night on our doorstep? Guess who is NOT being called. That b*itch lost this cat twice within a month! We are now fostering her until a RESPONSIBLE family can be found (or she learns to like the dogs). We thought we were complete with a house full of energetic boys, but what we really needed was a kitty with a feminine flair named Princess :-) Wife says we can't keep her permanently because she doesn't like the boys-I say she will learn to like them. She traveled back to our house...she clearly had decided where she wants to live. Are we right or wrong to keep her? If I hadn't spent 2 solid days searching online we never would have found the woman in the first place. She never reported her missing to any of the area shelters, didn't post her missing on any of the regional/local missing pet ads, didn't contact the microchip company and made no major effort to keep her safe once we returned her.

Thankful

It's Thanksgiving and thus here is my obligatory "thankful" post. All last week I educated the children on the history of Thanksgiving-how it was nearly lost and the only reason we celebrate is because Sarah Hale worked for over 35 years to make it a national holiday, how the Macy's parade began and how they released the balloons at the end of the parade until 1927 when some genius decided to catch it with a plane and nearly killed himself...you know, the important stuff. This year has brought me a lot to be thankful for-the ability to marry my wife, finally living in our home, our family members we have loved and lost and jobs we still have despite our crappy economy. Yesterday, after swallowing much pride, I went to the store and bought this:

A folding cane. Overall, I have good mobility and little muscle weakness, but lately is a different story-massive headaches, muscle weakness, pain, pain, pain. My right side has been KILLING me, and there are days I could barely walk down the hall. It took enormous strength to decide to buy one-it was like buying a cane was admitting defeat to my body. I have doctor's appointment next month and am on the wait list for an earlier one. I would not be surprised if he scans my brain again, or if there is new swelling/damage. I've been using the cane around the house and it has made a difference, but it's still hard-physically and emotionally. Today, I'm thankful it's temporary and that I am not completely dependent on it...yet. I am also very thankful that we decided to move to this house, this relapse has reminded me just how grateful I am for one story living.

This is how I spend my day...

Location: Picking my students up from the computer lab.

Student: It feels like I wet my pants.

Me: Did you?

Student: (looking down) No. It just feels like I did.

Me: Are you sure? Do you need to go to the bathroom and check?

Student: (grabbing his pants) Nope. I'm sure. Sometimes I feel like that after I stand up.

Me: Okay.

Student: Even if I did, it'd be okay. I wear camo pants. You wouldn't be able to tell.

This is how I spend my day...