Computer problems

I'm going to be taking a forced break from blogging. My home computer is acting up. I connect to the internet just fine (I have a DSL line), yet I cannot pull up any websites. It sounds like my computer is grinding away and then just stops.

I could blog from work but I don't really have the time and I only know how to transfer photos from my camera to my home laptop.

Very disappointing.

One quick note. Is there anything that you are highly embarrassed to admit to eating? For the past few days I've been having a craving and had to dash out to the drugstore after work yesterday to buy .....

Not those nasty strawberry flavored ones--yuk!! Cherry! Yes! Mmmmm, cherry twizzlers. Oh yes, I am a sugar addict but I generally don't eat candy--at least I never buy any for myself. But maybe once or twice a year I just have to scarf down some cherry twizzlers.

I broke open the package as I was driving home last night while thinking that there was probably not one natural ingredient in them. At a stop light I found the ingredients and the first one was "corn syrup". I was at least thankful that it was not the dreaded "high fructose corn syrup". As I was chewing away, I noticed how strange the texture was, but oh, that fake cherry flavor!! I was in heaven.

So, I have no idea how I'm going to get my computer looked at. I was thinking of bringing it into the office for our IT folks but we don't have a DSL line here so that won't work.

Hope to be back soon!

Unsung Heroes

Do you work with some unsung heroes? I think everyone does. The folks that help keep your office or school running smoothly.

I came into work today to the news that our mailroom associate, Kendric, died suddenly last night. Rumor is that he had a heart attack. Many tears have already been shed and there is a sad quiet that has settled over the office.

I counted on Kendric for many things. Working directly with our governing board, it seems like I’m always preparing for the next upcoming board meeting. Kendric would help with getting the agenda books out to everyone and would sometimes come along with me for a drive to our printers to pick up the books. Out of copy paper—call Kendric. Jam in the copier—call Kendric. Need help in mailing something overseas—call Kendric. Box too heavy to move—call Kendric.

Last February, I was preparing for an Executive Committee meeting that was going to take place on a Sunday here in our offices. They were only meeting for a few hours, so no meals were planned, yet I bought some snacks and would have coffee, tea, water, and sodas available. My boss, trying to save a few bucks, insisted that no one needed to come in to set things up. Between another co-worker and myself, it was agreed that Kendric would come in. Since it was near Valentines Day, I bought some pink tulips for the table. I also bought a couple of bags of pink and red foil Dove chocolate hearts. I gave them to Kendric and said “I know this is silly, but would you mind just randomly placing the hearts around the table?” He just laughed and shook his head and said “Christine, you are too much”. The following Monday, he came to me with his cell phone. He was so proud of the table he took a photo of it to show me.

We all noticed that the last few weeks he seemed very tired and sometimes seemed to literally be dragging himself to deliver the mail. If I noticed him walking past my office, I would call out “How you doin’ Kendric?” and he would answer “Oh, I’m okay”. With the advent of email, my office snail mail has gone down considerably. Last Thursday though, Kendric came into my office with a pile of thick letters, close to 20 of them. I looked up and was shocked and blurted out “What the HELL is this?” He was so shocked he dropped the letters and bent over laughing. I’m so glad I was able to give him a good belly laugh.

So, please, take the time to stop and say hi to your unsung heroes.

Kendric, you will be GREATLY missed. Be happy and free.

....Possible Second Addition?

Sorry for the delay in posts.

So, you have all met Orson the octopus. He is fitting in quite nicely.

Now, onto the possible second addition. You all know I can never turn away a stray animal. Well, another stray cat has shown up in my yard for the past couple of months. I'm still not 100 percent convinced it is a stray, yet I've sent out an email to my neighborhood listserv about him/her, but have gotten no takers so far. The cat is in wonderful shape and has a shinier coat then some of my cats. He is all black except for a little white patch on his chest and some white on his belly.

I've named him Pyewacket. Quick! Does anyone know the history of that name? No Googling either!

Someone at work told me "if you are feeding it and you've named it...it is no longer a stray!" I used to have to put food down into the bushes but he now comes up to the front porch to eat. He will hiss and run away if I come near him though so sorry for the bad photo but it was taken through my storm door.

I've put out one of my covered cat beds that I've wrapped in a fleece blanket and also put a fleece blanket inside. I then heat up a Snuggle Disc (a great safe device that you heat in the microwave and it stays very HOT for 6-8 hours, then it will slowly lose heat but stays nice and toasty warm for 10-12 hours) and put that under the fleece blanket. I've seen him curled up and sleeping inside it during the day. But, he always leaves at night, which makes me think he belongs to someone. Lots, and LOTS of folks in my neighborhood have pet doors.

I'm hoping he will continue to get used to me so that I can eventually pet him and pick him up. That's how Greybeard became part of my family. My neighbor and I have put out a couple of cat traps but so far he has not gone near them. It's also been too cold lately (I feel) to try and trap him at night.

I certainly don't need another cat, so I'm hoping I can figure out if he does really belong to someone. But, I can't turn my back on him either. So, for now, Pyewacket will continue to get fed and have a warm place to sleep at Possumlady's Home for Wayward Animals.

From the Outside Looking In

Happy Inauguration Day!!!

I feel bittersweet waking up today. The biggest party of my lifetime is taking place less than six miles from my home, yet I feel all the precautions taken in DC have left those of us living close by very little options as to how to get to the Capitol or Mall. My office is within the 50 block radius that security has closed down so my initial thought of driving to my office. parking in our garage and walking from there is not possible. Every local television station (each one claiming to be THE inauguration station), has painted such a horrific painting of traffic congestion, crowds unable to move, standing for hours on end in bitter cold, and the dreaded port-a-potties! Only 5,000 for an estimated crowd of a million or more. I just don't like those odds. The cold always makes me have to go, so in the end that was the nail in the coffin. If I were 20 years younger I probably would have just not thought about it and gone.

But, as I was lying in bed last night watching Nightline I felt okay. They were showing folks getting off of Greyhound buses, each one coming from farther away, Detroit...Houston...Las Vegas. Each one feeling they HAD to make the pilgrimage here to witness this historic event. I thought "yes, let this be their day" I LIVE here and will have plenty of opportunity to see the Obamas as their motorcades whizz around the city. My association's mission was one of Obama's key interests during the campaign so we are already gearing up to ask him to be the keynote at our annual conference in November that will be right here in DC this year. Keep your fingers crossed for that!

So, welcome everyone to DC!!! Stay warm and enjoy this historic and uplifting day. Me, I will either watch it on a large screen at my community center or go to our local independent bookstore "Politics and Prose" and watch it there. Either way, I'm sure I'll be needing plenty of tissues.

New Additions to Possumlady Place?

Yes? No? Who knows.

Well, one definite yes. Confused? So am I.

Let me start out with the one certainty. We definitely have a new member at Possumlady Place. He is large and pink and goes by the name of Orson.

If you are addicted to the site icanhascheeseburger, you may have come across one of the ads on their site for squishables.com. As someone who has never outgrown her love of stuffed animals I was intrigued and clicked on the ad. Squishables are these enormous stuffed very round animals. Each one more adorable then the next. I thought of one of my sisters that was diagnosed with breast cancer last fall and had the idea that a squishable sheep might just be the thing to lift her spirits and keep her company during her journey through surgery and beyond.

So, through the miracle of the internet, I had a squishable sheep sent directly to her. I think she was a little shocked to open the box but she grew to love the little sheep and it even helped in her recovery as she was able to rest her arm on the fuzzy little lamb.

Since then, I started to have a yearning for a squishable of my very own. Specifically, a large pink octopus squishable. Low and behold my Christmas wish was granted.

Everyone…meet Orson.

Pictures do not do him justice. Orson is so big and so pink and so incredibly soft. He arrived in the mail last week when I came home very late after the first day and evening meetings with our governing board. I was NOT in a good mood. It was 9:30 at night and cold and rainy. I had cats to feed and clean up after and it was trash and recycling night. But the moment I opened the box and Orson popped his big pink head out, I squealed with delight. You see, they put them in boxes a wee bit too small for them so when you open up the box they literally POP out.

Right now Orson resides on the top of my bedroom armoire. I had initially thought he would hang out on my bed. But, with so many cats there is always someone throwing up, (or worse). Take note of the large water (yeah right…water) proof covering I have on my bed in the photos. So to be on the safe side and to keep Orson in his clean pinkish glow for a little longer, the cats will not have access to him.

Now, the possible second addition……….

May Old Acquaintance (never) Be Forgot....

Well, it's the end of 2008. The year can't end soon enough for me! This has been a very hard year for many, including Possumlady. Serious health issues for many in my immediate family, along with the death of three of my cats. Any year that a cat dies marks it as a sad year for me. When three die, words cannot describe it.

Oh my heart aches looking at all these photos, especially Butterball's. I still miss him somethin' awful. Sweet Pea has taken up the slack in becoming the new Leader of the Pack, but he does NOT suffer fools! No, benevolence does not seem to be part of Sweet Pea's style of leadership. It certainly was with the B-man though.

I did not have either Sunkist or Greybeard as long as Butterball, but they fast became members of my family and the lack of their presence in my house makes it less of a home.

*****************

Okay, enough with the sadness. My current pack have been begging me to put up the video of them opening up their Christmas toys from their most favorite Auntie, Auntie Michele. This is the second year she has given the herd an entire box of toys. Last year, they were all red. This year the theme was green!

Can you see the little snowman cat hammock? I won it in yet another cat raffle!! I honestly didn't think it would hold my husky gents but behold...

Woody and Sweet Pea, each weighing in at over 15 pounds each.

Here's Figaro, using Woody as a chin rest.

Here's Sweet Pea in a slightly staged photo ;-)

Here's hoping 2009 is a MUCH better year for everyone!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE

'twas the Night Before Christmas...

...and all through the house



not a creature was stirring

not even a mouse

From all of us at Possumlady Place, we wish that your travels are safe and that you've gotten to where you need to go!

Eat, drink and take lots of naps!!

Merry Christmas!