Mr B&W

Well, I again can't say just what I'm thinking. But the very nice lady at the shelter told me they euthanized Mr B&W for being "deemed unsocial in the behavior evaluation". I do not understand it, and I am very sad and angry. Fill in your favorite cursewords--I can suggest some if you need help, as well as share some tears.

I'm not angry at the shelter, just the situation. I know he was a sweet boy. Well, if you'd like to adopt Ms Tortie, here's the info again:

She is sweet as sugar, and animal number 33104 if you want to head over and drop the $75 for the adoption fees and take home this adorable munchkin. Seriously, she was the quietest, sweetest, calmest kitty I've ever had in a carrier, and a head-butting fiend before I put her in. Give the North County Humane Society & SPCA shelter at 760-757-4357 and ask about animal 33104.

Kitty update

I called just now on the shelter kitties, and Ms Tortie is only about a year old and doing well and ready for adoption She is sweet as sugar, and animal number 33104 if you want to head over and drop the $75 for the adoption fees and take home this adorable munchkin. Seriously, she was the quietest, sweetest, calmest kitty I've ever had in a carrier, and a head-butting fiend before I put her in. Give the North County Humane Society & SPCA shelter at 760-757-4357 and ask about animal 33104. They've given her a name now, but I can't remember it. Something-ee, I think--maybe Callie?

Mr B&W, however, has been euthanized. The very kind lady on the phone said there wasn't a reason marked in the computer, but the vet was at the shelter today, and the nice lady will be calling me back with more info. The shelter only euthanizes for illness or aggression. Now, I'm hoping that the foolishness I was told earlier in the week about "not being able to get near them" is not the reason. I will be angry if it is. He was a little antsy in the carrier, but sweet sweet sweet overall, and even friendly in the carrier, just scared. They marked him as a kitten, age unknown.
He was scruffy enough when I snagged him that I thought he was middle-aged, maybe with some kidney disease--certainly didn't think he was a kitten. Now, I'm not hoping that the shelter (and any loose animals at my complex) were exposed to an FIV or FeLeuk kitty, but I wonder if maybe that accounted for his scruffiness.

If the nice shelter lady hasn't called me back by 4:30, I'll call her again. When I find out what happened, I'll tell you here as an edit in this post.

What a long, strange weekend it's been...

There's no particular reason for it, but this weekend has seemed very surreal, almost like it didn't happen. Nothing special occurred, and nothing weird happened. But it was just a very very odd feeling weekend. I'd like a do-over please.

I took an impromptu nap today, as I was quite tired. It probably ranks as the worst nap ever, because I was dreaming about being so tired I couldn't keep my eyes open as I was napping. It stunk.

I did get some spinning done, though--6 more FunkYarns, and a couple of thread plied merinos. I'll have pictures after Tuesday, I think--I'll have the car that day, and can snap some photos at work on my break. I think I may try to go corespin the September installment of the FatCatKnit's 4oz merino monthly fiber club. I'm a bit behind, as October's installment is staring at me, begging to be a supercoil yarn.

CAT UPDATE
I've been trying to call for an update on the kitties. However, the last few times I've called, I've been transferred to the shelter's message system, and my calls haven't been returned. I don't fault them for this--I'd rather they helped the critters than return my calls. However, this means I have no further info for you, other than the kitties became available for adoption as of the 23rd. If you're interested, or perhaps would like some more information, please call the North County Humane Society & SPCA shelter at 760-757-4357 and ask about animals 33104 and 33105. Oh, and let me know what you find out!

What a day...

Whew! Well, the Seester is gone--we had a lovely time, and now she unfortunately has to sit on four different flights to get back across the country. That's the price you pay for wanting to fly a specific day and using the fewest number of frequent flier miles possible to pay for the ticket.

However, we had quite the day yesterday. I took off work, and we had no particular plans other than to run a few errands (take the cat for a dental, get some passport photos taken, minor things). Well, as it turns out, the [foul names redacted for those readers who would be offended] who lived down the way were evicted on Weds or Thurs, and abandoned their two cats. Yes, that's right, simply moved out and left them there. Maintenance shooed them outside before closing down the apartment to fumigate, so these kitties were outside with no obvious source of food or water for at least 24 hours by the time I saw them Fri morning (thankfully, the weather wasn't too cold or too hot). As Big Man and I took our monkey to the car so I could drop her off for her dental, the black and white kitty (Mr B&W) came trotting up to us mewling pitifully. I had to leave, but resolved to get some cat food on my way back.

Upon my return, I stood at the porch and opened the bag of cat food, and Mr B&W trotted right over (he had been laying on a pile of rags on the porch), and his buddy Ms Tortie came running from behind some AC units where she was hiding. Since I didn't know what shelter I'd be able to take them to yet (they weren't open), I poured some bowlsful of food and water, and went home. They were very excited to have access to food and water again, and were headbutting me and purring and rubbing on my legs as I was pouring.

Once we determined which shelter served my area, I called and chatted with the wonderful staff. They do not euthanize for space reasons, and I could call and check on the kitties any time. If the kitties were being considered for euthaniasia for ANY reason, the shelter would call me before anything happened. Nerves settled, the Seester and I went to buy some cardboard carriers (which are surprisingly expensive!), and set out to catch the cats.

Not surprisingly, the little darlings were happy to let us pick them up, and only slightly less happy to be put in the carriers. They are absolute dolls, and I cannot begin to comprehend how someone could do that to an animal, much less animals as sweet as these little guys. The shelter suggested that, should I see any of the owners around, I should tell them to come to the shelter and sign the cats over so they could be adopted out faster. However, I'm no so sure I could say anything so civil to these people now, nor am I sure I should say anything so civil. I'm remaining polite here, but be assured my blood has boiled and I have cried like a baby and generally want to hurt these....people. Even sadder, the woman turning over a cat at the window next to us was going through the same thing--her neighbor moved, and took one cat and left the other behind.

I'll keep you guys updated as best I can on how the little guys are doing. I would have kept them, but Big Man and I didn't think that would be fair to our monkey given that she's been Queen #1 for going on 8 years now, and she's nearly 16. But otherwise...you would be seeing pictures of my new adorable kitties.

If you live anywhere near me, and would be interested in either of these low-key, sweet as sugar, adorable cats, please contact North County Humane Society at 760-757-4357, and inquire about animals 33104 and 33105. They are both approximately 8-9lbs each, and seem to be in relatively good health. Ms Tortie is very quiet and a little shy, but very loving, and Mr B&W (I think he's a neutered male) is more talkative and a bit more outgoing. Both seem to be quite laidback and are at ease with being handled, even by strangers.
They are on a 6 day waiting period right now so the...people who owned them previously have a chance to "find" them. However, they'll be available for adoption immediately after that, and you may even able to place a hold on them now, should you care to do so.

The Seester

She's here! I just dropped her off at the house--she's going to nap while I go back to work, and then we're going for amazing pizza later. We're not doing anything special (unless you count a Jimmy Buffett concert!) and it should be lovely. Don't think for a minute, though, that this means I won't be doing fibery stuff--in fact, I've promised her a Starsky (she's paying for the yarn--how could I resist?), and I'm also making her a little cropped cardigan. She works in DC, and I think of it as free advertising (and, you know, she's my sister). Um, not all while she's here, of course--she has to approve the Starsky yarn first, plus I'm not that fast!

Here's a picture from the last time she visited, two years ago...

Hurray, my first game of tag! Charlene, jewelry designer extraordinaire, has tagged me in this particular game.

Here be the rules:
1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog - some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

While I don't know if I know seven people to tag, I'll follow the rest of the rules to a T.

1. I cannot wait for the day when I no longer have to go to work. I don't mind hard work; I just don't want to do it for someone else!
2. When I was wee, I liked dipping graham crackers in red kool-aid. It's not as good now, but I don't know if it's me or the kool-aid.
3. Even though I know it hasn't changed, and won't ever change, I check the packages of mellowcreme pumpkins every year at Halloween to see if they stopped using gelatin in them yet. Sometimes I check them twice in the same season.


4. I love learning, but dislike going to school. After being in school for 20 of my 28 years, I am absolutely sworn off ever going back to school. However, I may make an exception for Yarn School.
5. Despite it happening every year, I get agitated when I can't wear proper autumn clothing in the autumn here in San Diego. I should be able to wear sweaters in October, fer pete's sake! For the last few days, it's been over 80 degrees. That's just not right.
6. I want to live in a zillion different places, including (but not limited to) Seattle, London, Australia, Belize, Italy...and yet, I like the idea of settling down somewhere for the rest of my days. Sometimes.
7. I secretly worry that if I ever have my own fiber studio (whether it's a big room in my house or a separate "playhouse" out back), I'll never come out again, particularly if someone brings me delicious baked goods so I don't have to go into the kitchen!

Let's see, who should I tag...

• Liz, maker of amazing batts and wonderfully wacky yarns at Hobbledehoy

• Susan, shepherdess and all-around awesome gal at Martha's Vineyard Fiber Farm

• Velma, amazing spinner and funny gal at COLORBOMB Creations

• Kyra, maker of excellent spinner's accessories including brilliant lazy kates at Chiwawa

• Becky, dyer of beautiful roving and maker of ingenious spindle boxes at Middle Kingdom Fiber

• Abby, dyer and spinner of glorious yarns filled with imagination at Folktale Fibers

• the ever-funny and witty SaintGothric--I'm sure you can find her on LSG too!

Tag, you're it!

Terrible beauty

While I'm fairly certain (which is only somewhat, as there's never any way of knowing for sure) that we won't be in any danger here, there are some folks catching hell on earth a few miles north of me.



I just took these while standing in my apartment complex parking lot. They're not retouched in any way, and were shot with approximately a 1.6 second exposure.

I'm told by newspaper websites that the fire is completely on Camp Pendleton, which is 6 miles north of me as the fire burns. However, while I admit I'm no expert on estimating distances, this seems awfully close--perhaps my judgement is just aggravated by fear of the unknown and anxiety. Be assured, the breeze was blowing steadily against my back as I took these--if it holds steady, good news for those of us in my town, bad news for folks in places north of me. A wonderful man is detailing things over at his blog, so please check it out for more info than you can find on either the San Diego Union-Tribune or the North County Times websites.

I've been busy...

See?

Superwash merino, 8oz

FatCatKnits, colorway Sentinel

Superwash merino, 8oz
FatCatKnits, colorway Malibu

Superwash merino, 8oz
FatCatKnits, colorway Modesty

Superwash merino, 8oz
FatCatKnits, colorway Rocket

Superwash merino, 8oz
FatCatKnits, colorway Blossom

Superwash merino, 8oz
FatCatKnits, colorway Frenzy

Superwash merino, 8oz
FatCatKnits, colorway Atoll

merino, humane angora, soysilk, sparkle, 3oz
Hobbledehoy

merino, bamboo, sparkle, 3oz
Hobbledehoy

merino, organic cotton, lemon sparkle, 3oz
Hobbledehoy

merino, flax, recycled denim, sparkle, 3oz
Hobbledehoy

merino, camel down, sparkle, 3oz
Hobbledehoy

merino, alpaca, soysilk, sparkle, 3oz
Hobbledehoy

These should be in the shop soon (like this week and next, just not all at once!), so keep an eye out!