Kawaii

Totally and completely fawntastic.

Life isn't completely fawntastic (yet), but I think it has the potential to get there. ^___^ Weekends tend to put a positive spin on my outlook, but when Tuesday rolls around, and I have classes, I'll probably start moping again. That's the general pattern.

Lola Gives a Soft Hello

It's funny how I've formed a definite weekly routine; it involves a roller coaster of ups and downs that seems a little eccentric most of the time. I only have classes Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, which is nice for the most part. Having three day weeks seemed like an awesome schedule at first, but then when the semester actually started up, I found out how difficult it was to balance out three days of intense amounts of work with four very intense classes. I kind of feel like this is my first year of college since this is the first semester where the work I'm given is of interest towards my future career.

After my Thursday night class, I tend to become overwhelmed with a huge sense of relief. The week is finally over, and I can go back to my old self. For the next four days, I don't have to worry about classes, homework or getting stressed out. That's exactly how I felt last night. All of a sudden, that smile comes back and my attitude towards all the work I've done throughout the week and the people I talk to makes a 180. Poor Beth and Shawn have to put up with quick changes of attitude. They're troopers though, thank goodness.

I've made sure to keep up with small rewards for myself along the way. So if I have an extra tough week, I usually splurge with goodies on the weekends, meaning that I don't hesitate when I see something sweet. I've become pretty weak when it comes to coffee lately, so the "something sweet" usually means that I'll opt for a good quality piece of chocolate as I drink my coffee. The small little piece of goodness somehow makes the entire week seem worth it.

Another example of weekend splurges is my newest plushie addition, Lola. I fell in love with the fawn when I saw one of my favorite sellers on Etsy put her up for sale. I immediately bought her (and received a lot of teasing from Beth because of yet another plushie purchase) and waited for her arrival. Shawn picked her up from my house and brought her to me last night. As soon as I saw her in person, I knew that it was meant to be. Her old fashioned look reminds me so much of Mark Ryden's artwork; I decided to name her Lola after another favorite artist of mine. (Ryden and Lola seem to have a very similar take on art, hence my decision to name her Lola instead of Mark or Ryden. Plus, my fawn needed a feminine name.) Lola's sitting right next to me as I type. *taps her on the head* She's one of my favorite plushies now.

Yukimo + Apple

Besides enduring my ups and downs, I've been dealing with Yukimo's own roller coaster of emotions. My poor little hammy has been going through so much change lately. What most people don't realize is how sensitive to change small animals are. In fact, the reason most hammies end up dying is because of a disease that has to do with nervousness. I was worried that all the moving from my old apartment to my house to my new apartment would really hurt Yukimo, and it did for a while. She started to tear her fur on her underbelly out a couple of times, leaving her with reddish-pink skin. I tried to spend as much time with her as possible at my house, but she fought back.

Yukimo absolutely hated the fact that she had to adjust to a new home and would bite almost anyone that picked her up. Eventually, Mom and Kathleen became scared of her, so when Beth and I had to move to our new place and leave Yukimo behind for about two weeks, no one held her. I was struck with guilt the entire time, but I had to wait until my air conditioner was fixed (since she can't survive in the extreme heat) before I could bring her back to live with me. As soon as she was back with me, I noticed a difference in her. She's been extra active around her cage; she hasn't bitten anyone for weeks; and her fur has almost completely grown back.

Yukimo has never looked so beautiful and fresh before. I'm so happy to have my perfect hammy back. She won't have to adjust to a new home again for a long time, so I think it'll only be good times from here on out!

Of kittens and decisions: two sisters times two.

Isis

For the last few weeks, Beth and I have been on the search for two kitties. We were pretty anxious to get the search over with, because we were sure that having new companions would make the depressing times a bit more warm and happy. So far, we both admit that we were partially right... and a little wrong.

Beth searched around online for a while, trying local animal shelters and sites like Craigslist. Finally, she came across a girl from our own university, who lived only a few minutes away from us, was putting up two sister kittens up for grabs. Beth and the girl corresponded through emails for a couple of days and finally settled on a meeting time. Although we couldn't meet the girl, her boyfriend was able to hand over the kittens to us-- for free and with a few supplies.

Our first impression of the kitties should have probably tipped us off. As beautiful as they were, they were also a little cold. I'm used to dealing with animals though; I know that not every pet warms up right away. Having a relationship with a new companion can take time, especially with cats who have been shipped off from one home to the next since they were born. Moving around as much as they have had to have been difficult. I know that if I were a cat, I wouldn't want to have to adjust to a new home every few weeks. Hell, I'm going through the same thing as the cats with moving from apartment to apartment, so maybe the fact that I can relate with them made me soften to their distant relationship to us.

Loving Isis

After only a few hours of being with us, they were ready for some cuddling. They spent the first two days in my room so they could adjust to their new surroundings a little at a time. Shawn was sweet and bought the majority of their supplies on his way over to my place. I had been worried about how Shawn's allergies would be around the kitties. Even though Shawn has three cats at his own house, he's never been able to hold back with the teary eyes and stuffed nose. (I'll admit that I was very disappointed when I found out that the boy that I loved had allergies to the animal that I wanted my whole life. *sigh*) So far, Shawn's allergies haven't acted up at all. In fact, I walked into my room the first night the kitties were here, and Shawn was laying down on the floor cuddling up with the grey and white one. I couldn't stop smiling after I saw that.

At first, Beth and I tried to claim each one of the cats as our own, but after spending a little more time with both of them, we've come to realize that they're both a package deal. Beth and I basically have one cat, yet we feed two, haha. The ringleader, explorer and friendly one is black and white. I've also come to know her as the kitty with the purring problem: she just doesn't stop purring! She's a little motorboat.

The Ringleader

The grey and white kitty (the one I thought would be "mine") is the quieter one. Sadly, I found out later that she's a bit less friendly and more skittish than her sister. (It's amazing how different the two are, yet their love for each other makes them seem somewhat the same.) Even though she's more distant, I still feel drawn to her. I think her regal stance is what I really love. That's one reason I decided to name her Isis. Isis is an Egyptian goddess, which was known to be "Queen of the throne." She was the wife of Osiris, the Egyptian god of "life, death and fertility." (Thank you, Wikipedia.)

Osiris happens to also be one of Shawn's kitties, one of my favorite cats that I've ever met. Osiris is extremely intelligent, witty and suave; I've always thought of him to be the most human cat I've known. So although Isis is a little shy compared to her sister, I think that air of mystery is meant to be, considering she's the wife of Osiris. It's only recently that I discovered what a little trickster she is. Underneath all of her regal qualities lay a really funky, crazy kitty. I think knowing how connected her and Osiris are (in my mind) makes me bond with her more. That's what I'm hoping for in the longrun.

Isis' sister doesn't have a name yet. The reason behind that is most likely because Beth and I are still deciding whether to keep the sisters or not. As much as we love cats, and as much as it hurts me to admit it, I didn't feel a connection with them over the first few days they stayed with us. I'm not the person to give up though, especially on something as special as a cat. Beth and I were determined to love them and let them know that we really care for them. Our plan has been working so far, and I know this because they've become more and more friendly over the past few days.

Isis, Thoughtful

What we had been worried about the most was the relationship they shared. Because of their extreme closeness with each other, we were unsure that they'd bond with us at any point in their time with us. The idea of sister kittens is really wonderful, but the experience has been made into more of a test-- one that I'm still hoping to pass with flying colors. Letting them walk around our apartment and have the freedom to explore throughout the day has made them feel more at home, I think. Plus, we realized that their attitudes changed. Ever since Beth mentioned possibly giving them up to the Humane Society, they've warmed up to us by following us around, waiting for us outside of closed doors, and purring even more (if that's even possible). It's amazing how in tune with us they are. I think we're finally speaking their language. 

Isis and her sister are adjusting to their new lives. Beth and I still aren't sure if we'll be keeping them with us, but we want to give the new living arrangement a try. We figure that a few days of trying to bond with each other will give us a better idea of what to do. They're still young enough to go through a bit of change, so I figure that we can test out the waters for a few more days.

Things seem to be looking up at the moment. Isis, her sister and I just spent the day in the main room-- they lounged around next to me while I worked. They seemed to like my laptop a lot. In fact, they showed their love for it by trying to climb on top of the keyboard while I was typing.

If that's not love, I don't know what is.

We are the fighters, inside and out.

Yukimo, Determined

I've been slowly trying to fall back into a comfortable routine in the past week or so. Previous to that, I had been so focused on getting things done that I didn't take any time to just enjoy... life? In between my last post and the one I'm writing right now, I've had some not-so-good experiences, times that I'll be happy to forget about.

I wrote two posts this last weekend. Only one post made it to the public, and even that one stayed just a few minutes. Something about the posts didn't quite click. I'm very particular with what I share with people, and that side of me isn't something I'm proud of. To those of you who caught that post, thank you for the private messages. You will never really know how much I've been soaking in your advice and your concerns about my life, but just know that your words are fueling me to just keep going through all the bad stuff. I'm pushing my way through this bad time in my life thanks to you. Even though I haven't responded to a lot of comments and private messages, I plan on doing so soon. You're all so wonderful-- thank you.

Instead of ranting on and on about the bad stuff, I thought I'd wrap it all up in a nutshell. That way, the reality of everything seems less harsh and somewhat distant.

Yukimo, Oh My

Basically, the move was more difficult than Beth and I anticipated. Our apartment was one big mess, one in need of a lot of repairs. The air conditioner was broken for a week, leaving Beth and me with an apartment that was 95 degrees after walking (a long walk) home from classes every day. The manager of our building suddenly left her job and left us with no one to contact as far as repairs and Beth's parking space went. In the end, Beth found out that the parking space promised to her from before we even signed the lease was unavailable. This wouldn't be a huge deal, except for the fact that we live in a busy city, on a crowded college campus. Having no transportation is proving to be difficult (and boring).

Since the air conditioner was broken, the only source of ventilation we had was opening the windows to hot, but breezy, weather. The window in my room was broken and let in swarms of flies, spiders and mosquitos. I'm still recovering.

From day one, the cable company has screwed up our phone, wireless internet and cable TV. Over the past week, Beth and I, together, have probably spent over four hours arguing and pleading with the company to get everything around our apartment to work. Tears were involved on my part. (I have a love/hate relationship with technology.)

The good news about my situation is that I was given a few days to rest this weekend. Surprisingly enough, I discovered that working doesn't even seem like real work anymore. Work is more of my getaway from all the crap that classes give me. I've never dreaded working for Vox (the first job that I actually enjoy), but it still seemed more of a structured routine a few weeks ago. I realized that classes make work seem more fun. Work is freedom. In the work world, I'm an adult with responsibilties, not a student who has to do homework assignments. In a way, I've already graduated from college just because I know how ready I am to be in the working world. That's a nice thought, and I think I'm starting to get the hang of this transition-- a little at a time.

Yukimo, the Feisty

One perk about my new place is that the apartment building allows the tenants to have cats. (This is the part where I jump up and down, squeal, dance and make merry.) *dances* As mentioned in past posts on my blog, I live for cats. I have always been drawn to them, but I've never had the opportunity to have one as a companion for myself. This apartment, as horrible as it may seem right now, is giving me that chance to finally have a kitty for myself.

Beth and I went to the Humane Society to check out the kitties this last weekend. Our experience with the people that worked there was anything but good, but in the end, we did get a better idea of what we're looking for as far as cats go. ^__^ For the next few weeks, I plan on checking online ads, newspapers, other animal shelters, and friends of friends who have ads for giving or selling kitties. I know that raising a new kitten can sometimes cause a little more stress, but for me, it's the kind of companionship that I need right now-- with or without the stress. Animals have an amazing calming power on people, and I can only see good things happening with the new addition(s) to our little apartment family.

The only part about getting a cat that made me hold back was Yukimo. Small hamsters don't always bode well with kitties running around the house, but I think I can make the situation work. I'm confident in myself as an animal lover; I can train a cat well enough to not want to eat or "play with" Yukimo. After all, Yukimo is a huge part of my life already. I wouldn't even think about getting a cat unless I was positive that Yuki could handle the change.

Yukimo's a fighter. She can take anything! I think I can, too. (Yukimo's inner fighter must be rubbing off on me.)