Shut up, gato

Ever since the friend that was staying with Edgar and I moved out with his cat, I think that Fiyero has been feeling lonely being in the apartment all day by himself. He's just not used to living alone anymore. When I first got him in October of 2006, I lived with roommates; pets outnumbered humans in the house, two cats and two dogs against three adults. Edgar moved in May of 2007 to finally even the score. So that was the life for Fiyero until September of 2007, when Edgar and I moved out into our own place. So the cat knows how to be alone. He had to find ways to amuse himself without the aid of others for well over a year, until December of 2008 when we had to move in with Edgar's parents.

Living with Grandma and Grandpa was a totally different experience. His dad might as well have built an altar in his honor and sacrificed mice at his feet what with all of the love and adoration that he gave that cat. His mom was home with him during the day once Edgar and I were back at work, and she would spend all day talking to him.

When we moved back out on our own in September of 2009, Fiyero had two months by himself again before our friend moved in to stay with us. Now after three months of having attention all day, he's back by himself, and HE IS PISSED. Every day when I get home he spends about ten minutes following me everywhere I go and meowing at the top of his lungs as if to say "YOU! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL DAY?! DO YOU KNOW HOW LONELY I AM WHEN I HAVE TO SLEEP ALL BY MYSELF?!" Because that's all he does during the day. Sleep. I've seen it. He spends all afternoon sleeping, regardless of whether anybody is home or not. Then he gets all riled up around 5:00, then spends the rest of the evening being all chilled out and cat-nappy, and then as soon as he sees you wash your face and pick up your toothbrush he's all THE CREEPY NEIGHBOR JUST GAVE ME CRACK AND I LIKED IT AND LET'S RUN AND PLAY AND JUMP AND MEOW!

So I don't understand why he's just so pissed off (because you can tell he's all pissed off) whenever we come home from work, because it's not like he did anything all day that required the presence of another person. If I would have been home, he would have ignored me.

I guess this is preparing me for parenthood, right?

Spotted among us

There was a car in front of me on the way to work today with a license place that said "AWSM GOD." Their tags were expired.

For being so righteous, LOOK WHERE THAT GOT YOU, BUDDY.

Make that six

My boss's daughter is in Girl Scouts, and THANK GOD FOR THAT, because I really thought this year I was going to have to go without Samoas. But now I'll be ok.

So on Monday I signed up for five boxes. At $4 a pop. Since when were Girl Scout cookies $4? I remember when I was a kid peddling my wares like the sugary crack that it is that it was only like $2.50 a box. WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO? But anyways, five boxes. Two Samoas, two Thin Mints, and one Lemon Chalets. And I'm thinking "Wow, awesome, we're getting Girl Scout cookies, we're set to go."

So I get home and tell Edgar in all my excitement about the coming Girl Scout cookie goodness, and what is his response?

"But what about the peanut butter ones?" *sad face*

Now this is all kind of shocking to me because I've been with this man for three years and I had no idea that he liked peanut butter cookies. Those are things you're supposed to know, right? Like allergies (green beans) and favorite TV shows (Seinfeld) and how did he get that scar on his leg (you don't want to know)? Apparently I fail in the delicious cookie department.

So I'm all The Tagalongs? You want a box of Tagalongs?

And he's like "Um, I don't know."

"Tagalongs. They're the peanut butter ones, with the chocolate."

"No, they don't have chocolate."

"Um, yes, I was a Girl Scout. I know these things. Tagalongs have peanut butter on the inside and chocolate on the outside."

*sigh* "Forget it then. I don't know."

*lightbulb* "Do-Si-Dos?"

You would have that it was Christmas with the excited look on his face and the joyous exclamation of "Yes!" that went with it.

God, I love that man.

Flash

I'm bad. I know. How long has it been? Way to long, if you ask me. And if you're reading this, it implies that you're asking and/or wanted to know. Because why else would you be reading this?

Since it's been so long, I'm not going to spend a bunch of time going over the minute details of life over the last few weeks, just to say that it's been crazy busy and to give some talking points.

1. I love the $1 bookstore down the street.

2. At work we're in our "busy time" so I've been, you know, busy.

3. THE COLTS ARE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL, MOTHAFUCKAS!

4. Our friend that's been staying with us moved out this week.

5. Edgar and I were thinking on it and realized that since we got married in September of 2008 we've only lived on our own as just the two of us (plus the cat) for four months. That's only four months of our married life with privacy.

6. I think we're going to have to institute an all naked, all the time policy for a few weeks (see #5).

7. I think I'm going to have to see Avatar, as much as I really don't want to.

8. I've finished 6 books so far in 2010. Go me. Yay for literacy.

9. Did I mention the Colts were going to the Super Bowl?

10. Hummus from George's Greek Cafe is like manna from heaven. I'm not really sure what manna is, but I think it involves food, so I'm sticking with my simile.

I was worried this might happen

Uh oh. I officially like Glee.

AMANDA, ONE OF YOUR NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS WAS TO BREAK UP WITH MORE TV, NOT ADD NEW SHOWS.

Bad Amanda.

This is why you should have to pass a test

Being in this state where Edgar and I are actively trying to get pregnant, I've become very aware of the parenting styles that I see around me. In grocery stores, in movie theaters, in restaurants....basically everywhere. And I've come to the conclusion that I really don't like what I see.

I know, because I have such a right to tell people how to raise their children when I don't have one of my own. Yet.

Except here's the thing.

Edgar and I walked over to Burger King today for lunch. Because Burger King is so great? No, because we were hungry and wanted something inexpensive and 2 Whoppers for $3 is a pretty sweet deal. Anyways, we're at Burger King and this woman comes in and gets in line behind us with two kids. One was a baby in an infant carrier and the other was probably about a year old. So maybe this spreads a little light on the responsibility level of this woman. As in, she's totally not responsible. Anyways, the woman plops the carrier down on the filthy floor and the older (I use that word liberally) boy runs off immediately, tearing towards the counter and subsequently bumping into the people that were standing there in his haste to get to where the toy display was.

The kid is a year old. I don't expect him to have manners. He's one. And that's okay.

But what I do expect is for the kid's mother to have manners. What does she do? Lazily roll her eyes towards the kid, give a half hearted "Come here," and then go back to staring off vaguely into space.

I know little kids. I know how little kids can be. I fully expect my own children to be absolute hellions because my parents always say that you get back three times what you gave your parents and HOLY GOD WHAT HAPPENED TO MY HOUSE? BECAUSE HELL JUST ROSE UP AND SWALLOWED IT WHOLE! I know this. It's coming. I've accepted it.

HOWEVER.

That will be my own burden to deal with. And not push on other people. Other people like a nice lady who might be standing at the counter giving her order and then innocently step back AND ALMOST CRUSH ANOTHER PERSON'S CHILD BECAUSE IT'S MOTHER WASN'T WATCHING IT.

The lady had no control. She just let her little one year old run off on his cute little stubby toddler legs at full speed around the restaurant, not even bothering to see where he went. Um, lady? This is Long Beach, be lucky that you didn't turn around and find your one year old freshly inducted to a gang with a tattoo emblazoned on his little round belly saying "Rollin' with my homies" with a little pistol shoved down the back of his diaper.

Have some responsibility, lady.

Hold your kid's hand. Pick him up. Do something. Don't let him run around a restaurant being a little innocent adorable menace just because you can't shake off the apathy and be an involved parent.

Seeing things like that scare me. Because there are tons of parents like that. People that don't care. People that just ignore their children with a half hearted "Hmmm, don't run out in the middle of traffic" attitude while they turn to face the TV. And I know that I never want to be that parent. It scares me too much.

I want to be a good mom.

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