So the community we moved to has a website with a forum/message board type thing where you can post just about anything. People talk about anything from politics, to the city, to posting info about coming events. It’s basically a free-for-all ongoing conversation around town, and a good medium to get to know your neighbors, etc. Anyway, a post caught my attention the other day that is still bugging me.

Hey everyone, I have two cats that I love very much, but… recently they’ve started peeing in our house (at least one of them has). It’s not all the time, but frequent enough to where it’s become a problem because of my 17 month old daughter. The vet says unfortunately it’s nothing physical, like a UTI. He says the only option outside of putting them down is trying to find a new home for them. He said often he finds when cats change homes they don’t have these tendencies in the new environment.

Really? A vet actually said that, over a behavioral problem? I’m gonna have to call bullshit on this. I know how frustrating this problem can be as I’ve had to deal with it before, but I’ve had animals all my life, and have been to a few different vets. NONE of them would ever say something like that. An animal with a medical problem, that is suffering and has a diminished quality of life, well that’s completely different. But this is a behavioral problem that the owners just don’t want to “deal with.” And I know this will garner many eye rolls, but my animals are like children to me. Would someone put a kid down because they urinated somewhere they shouldn’t have? NO.

I’m so mad that I can’t post on the boards yet (waiting for admin to approve my registration), and the person doesn’t give an email in their profile. Either the vet they went to doesn’t have the compassion to help the owners figure something out, or the owner is lying about the vet saying that, is just regretting taking the cats in and wants an easy way out. Forgot to mention, she says the cats were strays until about two years ago. She also claims that she called every shelter around here, and no one will take them - which is also bull because I personally know the people at the shelter we got Leo from, and they will take any animal that comes to them. Anyway, this just bugs me. Animals are not disposable. Get a second opinion, research the problem, take them to a cat rescue, SOMETHING. Don’t end its life just because you “can’t handle it anymore.”   

You’ll have to pardon my inability to focus on one topic tonight… my foot is really bothering me today and I’m kind of spaced out on painkillers and anti-inflammatories that are not supposed to make you loopy. Uh huh. Right. *edited* I decided that since I went on and on about these two things, I’d cut it off there and save the other stuff for another entry. Like tomorrow, when I’m not about to pass out from the pain.

———-

OK, so despite my usual “we can’t afford it” speech, John talked me into seeing the midnight showing of The Dark Knight on Friday. Oh, how I loved this movie. I’m not a huge Batman fan, although I did like the first two. Clooney was okay, but don’t even get me started on Val Kilmer. Anyway. We went, I loved it, and I would actually pay to see it again. I thought it was fabulous and I can’t stop talking about it. I really haven’t been this hyped up over a movie in a long, long time. And Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker? Amazing. Anyway, while checking my email and news online today, and I saw a headline about how parents will be upset because Dark Knight is too dark. I read the story, followed a link to another, then another, etc. By the time I was done, I learned that some people are actually trying to get groups together because it’s too dark and inappropriate for kids and Oh My God, The Movies are going to hell in a handbasket and *gasp* everybody boycott The Movies!

What the hell? Seriously, you couldn’t tell by the previews alone that this movie was probably not for young children? It’s not a straight take of the comic book, with the pow! and bam! and all that. It’s dark, complex, layered. Dude, it’s Christian Bale in a tight black suit. Wait, that’s not where I was going with that. 

So this got me thinking about how people are up in arms over everything these days. It’s like, if there’s not something to bitch about, we just can’t be happy. You know those people, right? The ones you stay away from, because Hello, Debbie Downer. I feel that we, as a society, are becoming that way. Back to this specific instance, though… just use some common sense. You saw the previews on tv (and if not, have you been living under a rock in the bat cave?). There are plenty of other movies out that you can take your kid to see. I don’t think it’s necessary to boycott (seriously?!) a freaking movie because you don’t feel that you can take your 10 year old to see it. Am I out of line on this? I mean, I know I don’t have a kid, but good God. Do we really have to make a deal out of everything?

————

Touching on the notion that we need something to bitch about to be happy, but first the good part…

Extreme Makeover -  Home Edition. If you didn’t know, last week the show came to Ohio after choosing a family from West Chester, which is about ten minutes south of here. A good friend that I work with is friends of that family and had the inside scoop all week, so it was really neat to get updates on what was going on behind the scenes. If you watch EMHE, you know how it goes… the family is nominated by family members and friends to have their story chosen. They surprise them, send them on a vacation and build them a new home in 7 days (actually, I learned that they really only have FOUR days to build. It adds up to 7 with the filming and multiple takes, travelling, etc.) The story is really touching - as they all are and I admit I cry just about every week - and I wish I could’ve volunteered but I had to work the days that my company was scheduled to be there. I also had to work the day of the reveal so I couldn’t go to that. I can’t wait to see it this Fall! (special section on our local news site & Akers Angels, the family that was chosen)

OK, so what’s the bad part? With just about the nastiest tone ever, I’ve heard several people saying things like “well good for them, but I could use a new house too”. Or “those lucky bastards”. Or my personal favorite… “what makes them any more deserving than anyone else?”.

Woah. Why can’t anyone just be happy for someone else anymore??? When did it become okay to be that ugly and insensitive? When did we all become so jaded and bitter? I don’t know why this surprised me so much, but it did. I mean, I can kind of see the concern of the house being in perfectly good condition and how it was a shame to tear it down, but I know for a fact now that every salvagable part of the home to be torn down is donated to that particular community so that others can benefit from it. That’s something at least, isn’t it?

Here’s the thing. You have to be nominated and chosen. There are tons and tons of people in need of a new home, but they can’t do them all. They’re a tv show, they’re not God (or whatever you subsribe to, if anything). This bitter, jaded, jealous and cynical attitude blows me away. Sure, I felt a little pang of wow they’re so lucky when I heard about it. But I didn’t make snarky comments about how I think I’m more deserving. Gah, I’m giving myself a headache talking about this. Bottom line (mine tonight, anyway): stupid people need to shut up and get over themselves.

Well I’m going to take another ketoprofen and get over it, because I need some sleep. Podiatrist tomorrow @ 3:45PM. Hopefully, he’ll be able to figure out more about what’s wrong and what to do about it. ‘Night…

I have several things to talk about, but I’m going to keep this one to a single subject because it’s just too weird, and it might also be useful in the event that something happens to me and y’all need proof that I was stalked and bludgeoned to death. I’m only half kidding… I think. I’d try to keep it short, but you need the whole story to appreciate it. And it’s all very high school-ish, so bear with me. 

I was friends in junior high with this girl. She wasn’t really a part of my core group of friends, but we did hang out some. As freshmen, we went our separate ways and later that year I heard that she had run off to Florida with a truck driver. I didn’t think about her much after that, and truth be told, I guess I kind of forgot about her. 

Fast forward to 2006, a letter shows up at my mom’s house. The entire first page was about how she’d found God. She then went on to say how she can’t understand why I hate her and why we’re not friends anymore, but that she forgives me. I hadn’t talked to this girl in 10 years, so it kind of freaked me out but I just laughed it off. 

However, the letters have continued, along with birthday cards and Christmas cards (all still being sent to my childhood address). Then she found me on Myspace. I got a sympathy card about my cat dying, and TWO cards congratulating me on our new home, so I know she’s been following what’s going on in my life. She sent messages to my mom. In all of them, she goes on about how she loves us and cares about us. She remembers details, names, etc. She’s freaking me the fuck out.

The most recent arrived in John’s myspace inbox tonight. My profile is private and I have her blocked, so she sent him a LONG message about how we’re both going to hell because we won’t talk to her. We’re also “ugly in our hearts” but she still loves us because it’s just satan making us that way. She doesn’t even make sense in most of it. Seriously, if I printed it out, it’d be ten pages. Can you say psycho???

I have no interest in being friends with this girl again, especially now. So what do you think, how soon should I file that restraining order? I know responding would just fan the fire even more, but honestly I’m getting kind of scared here. They’re truck drivers, they travel all over the country and she still has family here, so I know she’ll end up back here eventually. I’m worried she’ll show up on my doorstep. I’d hate for her to meet Mr. Pistol when all she wants to do is love us and care about us. *shudder*