Say a prayer for Samantha...
(Parts of this cross-posted from Cats General)
I don't know if anyone's noticed, but I haven't been around for quite awhile. The beginning of this month, I was dealt a pretty big blow at work and I've been taking time to "lick my wounds", so to speak.
Well, I've been down in the dumps for about 3 weeks now. It's been weird - I've had "down" times before, but never have I felt quite like this. I think it's because not only did work affect those 40 hours a week, it was also affecting our (mine and Josh's) future plans - family plans, etc. It's bad enough when you hate your job and you have to deal with it for 40 hours a week but when it affects you at home and is affecting your future, it's a billion times worse.
Josh has been great though, trying to do everything he can think of to cheer me up. "Little Shop of Horrors" is in town and he knows I love that play (he hates theatre, especially that show) so he got us tickets to see it next weekend. He's been supplying me with a steady stream of Wendy's chicken nuggets (because as I've stated before, it is no secret that they are laced with crack - they're SO addictive). But today... today he topped it all.
We had to go to the new PetSmart down the street to return something I'd gotten for Samantha. He wanted to look at the fish tanks (he can't wait to start an aquarium) and I wanted to show him an adorable calico kitty that was there a couple days ago. She was gone, but there were two little 8 week old black and white girl kitties who were absolutely adorable. Of course everyone was crowded around them and they were shy and hiding... until I went up and put my finger on the glass. They both put their paws up to "touch" mine. I about melted right then and there. I turned around and (almost jokingly) said "Ohhhhh, they're so cute! Can we take them home?" FULLY EXPECTING HIM TO SAY "YEAH RIGHT" and drag me out to the car. Instead, he smiled at me and said, "You owe me so big!"
My mouth dropped. I told him that we couldn't afford it and that's when he laid the big one on me. "I was waiting for the right time to tell you but I guess this'll do. John <his boss> gave me a HUGE bonus and is doubling my salary. We can afford it and I can tell there is something there, why else would they be shy with everyone else but reach out and touch you?" So there he stood, Mr. "I-hate-cats", convincing ME that we COULD take them!!
So here we are, back home... with four cats :eek: and one poor dog who doesn't know what hit her. Kirin and Sushi have hissed at the girls a couple times but they've hissed right back (they've got the brother-sister routine down pat already!). No one's gotten physical, so I'm assuming the hissing is just them figuring out who's the boss and all that. They're not too sure of Samantha, but aside from pouncing at them a couple times (trying to play), she's been AWESOME with them. Even so...
Pray for my poor Samantha puppy... she's now an official "cat herder", in charge of keeping four kitties in check! She's handling it really really well though - the babies are jumpy and hates when she barks, but she's actually kept that to a minimum. She's a trooper, allowing two more kitties into her house, although I think she thinks Mommy and Daddy have gone off the deep end.
