Home Again – and it’s rather empty

June 23, 2006

Well, I got home by 6pm and brought supper to mom & dad (Penn Station – yummy sammiches). After supper, though, I returned home. It wasn’t easy – no kitty waiting for me at the back door. 🙁

Tonight I’m going to play my video game and read in the reading room in our chair and remember doing these things with Leo. He’s going to be missed, but I’m going to remember the wonderful times I had with him.

Thank you, friend’s list, for your kind comments in my last post. Your kind words, and the kind words & hugs from my co-workers at B-WISER have really helped me. I wish I could have been with Leo, but having the folks with him near the end is the next best thing.

When I’m a bit more rested from the trip, I’ve got a tale to tell you all about our last evening at B-WISER. Let’s just say that our Wednesday night Lightning Storm had NOTHING on what transpired last evening.

Leo the Lion – RIP

June 21, 2006

One of my parents’ worst nightmare – to be looking after Leo for me and him getting sick.

Today, he was sick. They thought the automatic feeder was broken and was feeding him too much. He became lethargic and had trouble breathing. They got an appointment to the vet and discovered Leo had an enlarged heart and was having congestive heart failure. The vet sent them home while Leo had more tests done. When they called at 7pm to see how Leo was doing, the vet informed them that Leo had passed away. He took one last gasp of breath and then died.

Poor Leo. I’m gonna miss him lots & lots.

Leo the Lion
July 22, 2001 – June 21, 2006

A Fine Day Out

April 22, 2006

Tis been a lovely spring day. Temperature in the low 70s (F), sunny, pleasant breezes. Prit’near perfect. And I actually spent some of the day outside!

I, of course, walked to the post office in the morning for mail (all junk, except 1 bill). But once I got home, I realized that I’d forgotten to get cash at the gas station (they have an ATM machine). So another walk there. And when I got home, I realized that I really wanted to ride my bike. However, the tires were a little flat from the long winter storage. No matter, another trip to the gas station for some FREE AIR (that’s what it says!) and I was good to roll. I rode over to Becky’s house to chat with her, the little ones, and Deanna. Then I rode more (actually almost wearing myself out – go me! Oh wait, I didn’t ride that much. Bad me!)

Leo and I had lunch after that (mmm, haystacks! Taco salads for those of you who dunno what haystacks are). Leo got a smidge of meat & cheese, I also had lettuce & onions & crushed nachos with mine. A little bit of City of Heroes (yay – my new build for The Dominie rocks – he’s a kick ass defender-controller now! And doesn’t get tired!) But then Leo and I were bucking to get outside.

We went out for about an hour. I read more of Wicked while Leo flopped about in the garage and on the patio. Then he decided to investigate more of his yard. By the time I was done reading, he was trying to see what the neighbors (the ones that aren’t mom & dad) were up to. That was at the edge of his leash, so I unhooked him from the long lead & held his little purple leash. He walked me up and down the fence as he sniffed & stared at the goings on. After a few minutes, I picked him up and we returned to the house.

So, all & all, a lovely day. (This is Trina in Work Avoidance Mode. The house really needs a good cleaning & I have other things on my list, but I’m doing a great job avoiding all of that. Go me! I mean, bad me!)

Jealousy

February 20, 2006

I’m sitting in my living room watching the Olympics with my laptop on my lap. And guess who decides it’s time for lap sitting? Yup! Leo!

Leo is jealous of the laptop. He’s never been big on lapsitting, unless we’re in the reading room. But now that I’ve got the laptop, he’s come several times wanting to sit on my lap. He’s currently laying on my right arm. I have enough movement to type with both hands this time. The other night, he was laying in the crook of my left arm and I could only type with one hand.

Ah, now it’s licking the fingers time. Yes, Leo, this is distracting. 🙂

Soup Making Day

December 15, 2005

Thanks to the ice and now snow being dumped on us, school is closed again today. Works for me! I’ve spent the morning making mom’s veggie soup. Here’s hoping I do a capable job of it cuz mom & dad are joining me for lunch. The soup is better with cooking, so they won’t be getting it at its prime, but it should be tasty.

Several of my coworkers and I were going to go shopping (and eating) today after work, but, alas, with work closed, it’s been canceled. So perhaps we can do it next Tuesday instead. Tuesday, meanwhile, is our last day of school before break. And best of all, the break lasts until January 4th. So I’ll have two days to recover from my birthday. (The birthday, btw, will be spent with judiang & elsaf at Elsa’s. 🙂 (Oh! Elsa,, the parade isn’t until the 2nd! Maybe the 1st can be movie day & the second sleep in & brunch day?)

It’s very pretty outside – the ice on the trees has allowed the snow to stick nicely on them. Of course, ice on trees is never good – leads to falling on things like power lines. They say we’ll get 3″ or more snow. Ice might be icky, but I don’t mind snow. 🙂

Well, looks like chemistry won’t be having their test over naming & formula writing until after Christmas break. We’ll have tomorrow for a review, then Monday is Making Gak day. Tuesday is “Spirit of Giving Day” which used to be called “Christmas Fun Day.” With donations to the Pleasant Hill Food Pantry, students get to spend the day doing fun things like playing euchre, charades, Monopoly, volleyball, etc. Movies are also available for watching too. Physics is building toothpick bridges from now until Christmas Fun Day. So they’ve got an easy load for the rest of 2005. We might have to have another build day when we get back – usually we test the bridges the day we get back. We’ll see how tomorrow & Monday go. (That’s 3 periods of building for them, so it might be enough.)

The folks and I have finally started doing Advent. 🙂 Yup, 3 weeks in and we’re finally lighting candles. We have to get in practice because Amy & Rachel join us next Wednesday (YAY!) and they’ve been doing Advent since it began. It’ll be great to have the girls here with us over Christmas. Actually, they leave Christmas evening, so we’re going to do our gift exchange Christmas Eve. Dunno if I can do it! (Actually, I probably can. I’m in it for the family togetherness & the gift giving & receiving. The date is really arbitrary.)

I think I’ve discovered why Leo’s been eating his food so damn fast. I think that he thinks there’s someone eating his food. So he feels he has to hurry up and eat his food before someone else does. What he doesn’t realize is that the person eating his food so quickly is HIM. Stupid cat. 🙂 I’ve decided I should have called him Garfield. He is so obsessed with food these days. Maybe he intends to hibernate. 🙂

Anyhoo, since it’s a snow day, I don’t have any real plans. So I think I’ll go do them. 🙂

Snow addendum

December 8, 2005

I took a photo of the snow! I went out to measure how much we’ve gotten so far (at least 3 1/2″ – probably nearer to 4″) and decided to take pictures.