Book-A-Holic & Life with Tammy

Definitely time for an update!

On August 30th I packed up my car with the essentials and moved in with my sis Tammy in Wichita. I started my new job at Book-A-Holic on September 1st.

So far I really like my job. It's a very casual environment. However it can get hectic at times. Saturday was a prime example. I walk in the door a few minutes before noon, there is a line of 5 or 6 people wanting to turn in books for trade credit. I take care of 3 customers and figure their trade, then Kaleb (co-worker) asked me to help him go through 6 huge boxes that had been turned in for trade by 1 person. We have to sort through the books, taking only what we can use based on what is already on the shelves and the condition of the books. We took about half of the books. Meanwhile, Sarah (co-worker) is helping other customers and taking in more trade. This was all in the first 10 to 15 minutes of my shift. It continued in a similar pattern for the next 4 hours! I hope it's not like this next Saturday.

Living with Tammy has been a new experience. Since there is such a huge age gap between us we've never actually lived together. We were both a little apprehensive when it came to living together as we've had our fair share of arguments over the years, but things are going well. Our schedules are quite different so we don't see much of each other. I count this as a blessing! Occasionally we get on each other's nerves but usually we can separate and get over it.

I'm saving the majority of my money so that I'll be able to move into my own place. I'm hoping to move sometime in January. (Hopefully Christmas wont completely destroy that goal!)

Blues No More!

I AM EMPLOYED!!!

HooRay!!! I'll start working at the Book-A-Holic on south Oliver in Wichita next week! Thanks to everyone for all your prayers and support! Love you all!

Job hunting blues!

Looking for a job! Need a job! Is anybody hiring? I'm willing/hoping to move. I'll do almost anything!!!

Sadness

Sadly Masquerade had to go back to being a farm cat at Todd & Angie's house. I made the decision to take her back for several reasons.

1. Mom never wanted her, but would have let me keep her despite all the other reasons.
2. She pottied on Mom & Dad's bed twice.
3. Shadrack tried to eat her and almost succeeded once.
4. If I ended up living with Tammy for a couple months, Masquerade wouldn't be welcome, because she's allergic to cats.

This was just for the best. So even though I love her and want nothing more than to keep her I had to give her back. And at least if she's at Todd & Angie's I can visit her anytime I want.

I'm a Mommy!

Ok, I'm a mommy of a kitty. But let's face it people, at this point that's as close as I'm gonna get!

This is Masquerade! Although usually called Masq, Baby Girl, or No! Bad Kitty!I adopted her on the 7th. So she's been at my house for a whole week. Her favorite bed time game is to attack my legs and feet under the covers. Fun for her . . . not so much for me. Every day is a new adventure in actually trying to find her. So far she likes to hide in the laundry basket (which is usually where she sleeps too), under the bed, and behind the couch. Although yesterday I watched her smash her little body under my dresser without any probably at all. She can also squeeze herself under most of the doors in our house. (There's a towel by my door to keep her in when no one's home.)

However she's kind of living in danger. Shadrack thinks she's a varmint that he needs to eat. Today he almost got her. Her leg is a little sore and he scared her so bad she had a little accident and then had to have a bath. (That was not a fun chore! I have the wounds to prove it!) But she was running and playing and attacking her toys with in 20 minutes so I'm sure she will be fine. We are just going to keep them separate. (Which emphasizes the fact that I need a job so we can move out and Masq can be safe in her own home!)

Here are a few pictures of her playing.

The colorful ball of fluff is her favorite toy that I have!
She is some what vain! Although most of the time she sees herself and puffs all up and hisses at her reflection until she realizes that the other kitty isn't real. (Last night, however, she was super hyper and she saw herself 3 time and puffed all up every time. It was super funny!)

New Style

Ok first let me say that Shadrack is finally home! He came home last night after about a week and a half with the vet. I don't know how many times they did surgery on him to remove dead skin, but this morning he was full of energy and whining to go outside. Unfortunately he's not aloud to go out without being on a leash so this is an adjustment for everyone. I had planned to post a picture of his wound, but he's all nasty and disgusting right now. We'll clean him up good on Saturday (it's supposed to be 90 degrees that day) and then if it's not to gross I'll snap a picture. As it is he has a 6 to 8 inch row of stitches and two drain tubes.


Now on to my new style. I finally chopped off all my hair!!! WooHoo! I sent about 15 inches to Locks Of Love and then I think she cut off a least 2 more inches just to get the style right and everything evened up.


Before
After

Oh, I almost forgot. We finally named the baby horse. Her name is Starlight!

Shadrack's Story

Ok so at the end of my last blog I mentioned that Shadrack (our 9-year-old dog) had been hurt. Well here's the whole story!

I can't remember what day it was or anything but Shadrack had been gone to the neighbor's house for the last day or so. This is nothing new he goes over there all the time and they all love him and even feel like he's almost there dog too. The thing is when he came home I went out to pet him and he was all dirty and nasty and bleeding. So we took him out on the deck and gave him a bath. We found a puncture wound of the top of his neck that was bleeding and then the underside of his neck was really raw but not bleeding. So we treated him with some spray medicine that Dad had and made him stay in the house. Dad called the neighbor and asked if Snoopy (their dog and Shadrack's son) had been hurt too. (He had, but Snoopy never had to go to the Vet!)

The next day Shadrack was really sore and didn't want to go out for anything. But by that evening we made him go out and do his business. In the middle of the night he was a real pest so Mom let him out and he went back over to the neighbor's house.

Dad went and got him early the next morning and took him to the vet's. Dad had to carry him into the office he was so week. The vet gave him fluids, antibiotics, and pain medicine and wanted to keep him overnight. They said they would give him a bath and check him over before Dad came to get him the next day. But when Dad got him they hadn't cleaned him up. Dad brought him home anyway.

So Mom gave him a bath and found a spot that was draining. They called the vet and he said it had to drain. So we left it alone. A couple days later Mom couldn't stand the smell of the draining junk anymore and she decided to give him another bath. And wash the rugs he'd been sleeping on. When she gave him the bath she found these gaping holes in his neck. Dad could see his esophagus so back to the vet he went. They said they would keep him for a few days and do surgery to remove the dead skin and stitch him up. When they did the surgery they said they could see his jugular vein! Eek!

Finally he got to come home, but then he was scratching his stitches and they were pulling apart again. So he went back to the vet. They stitched him up again and now they are keeping him. Mom said he has at least 12 to 18 inches of stitches. Poor guy!

Anyway Shadrack is still at the vet's. Hopefully he'll come home in a few days!

Just a reminder. If anyone has a good name for our colt let me know!