Our (Totally Imaginary) Housekeeper

Good help is hard to find. In the past our (totally imaginary) housekeeper made the bed most days, vacuumed twice a week, kept framed items on the walls hanging straight, dusted religiously, usually stayed on top of the laundry and ironing, and emptied the trash receptacles most days. My only ongoing complaints centered around kitchen duties: the kitchen cupboards and refrigerator tended to be a bit bare coupled with a general lack of interest in planning meals.

There's been very little evidence of our (totally imaginary) housekeeper's work lately, which leads me to believe that she may have quit without even giving notice. The nerve! Leaving Chad to tend to all of her chores last weekend and many evenings this week. If only I could remember her name, I'd call her and give her a piece of my mind... not that I can spare a piece.

Light up my Life

This is the light I will buy for the dressing room with my next paycheck:

You Are Cordially Invited

I've been painting, cleaning, planning, sourcing vendors and assembling IKEA furniture over the past month along with several other volunteers to prepare for the new Tarrytown Austin Pets Alive location to open tomorrow! You are invited to nibble some vegetarian appetizers, sip some bubbly (champagne or soda), shop some cute pet-related merch, meet some kitties that are up for adoption and bid on silent auction goodies at the grand opening celebration from 7:00 - 9:00 PM this Thursday, May 19. The festivities and new cattery are at 3108 Windsor Road in the heart of Tarrytown.

Here's the official link, and oh, lookit, you can donate some money while you're on that webpage!

This lovely cat adoption site and fun shop is also my employer as of Friday at noon. I'm breaking a couple of my own job rules by working retail for a non-profit, but I'm pretty excited and a bit nervous to be co-managing the adopt/shop. My co-manager and I have so much freedom and responsibility to run the shop and plan great adoption events for sweet pets. In addition to short-term resident cats up for adoption, we'll also have dogs for adoption at the Tarrytown location on most weekends! The shop sells dog bowls and beautiful locally made dog collars in addition to cute locally made cat collars, cat toys, pet beds, pet-themed jewelry, art and even pet-themed night lights that are locally made by a great glass artisan.

Drop by to say hi! I may be able to introduce you to your future furry friend and/or outfit your current fur-baby with a fab collar and bedazzle you with a pretty necklace.

Save the Kitties!

The kitten nursery at Austin Pets Alive is full beyond capacity with over 50 kittens and a few expecting mama cats. Please consider being a temporary foster family to a few kittens or to a pregnant mama cat who just needs a safe, clean place to have her babies. Mama cats do all the work as long as you keep them stocked with a blanket, fresh food, fresh water and a clean litter box. You can have some cuteness without the lifelong commitment by providing care for kittens and/or mamas until they get adopted to forever homes, or until they can move into one of the many adoption catteries around Austin.

Here's a link to the application to be a foster: click here.

Here's a link for more information: click here.

Here's a sweet blog about the kitten nursery if you'd like to help there: click here.

Purr...

Schedule Huggermugger Sans Big Payday

Between studying lines for dinner mystery shows, performing dinner mystery shows (or having them cancel due to lack of reservations at the last moment), pulling four to six hour shifts overnight at the bottle baby nursery, painting the new Tarrytown cat adoption center and lining up local retailers for the shop component on the new Tarrytown cat adoption center, I feel like I have a "real" job for the past few weeks. Except I don't get paid much in money, but instead earn feelings of accomplishment, kitten gratitude and self-confidence.

That said, I'm ready to start sleeping more like a normal person. I crave yoga classes to work out all the kinks in my shoulders, neck, right arm and back from many hours painting my own kitchen & the adoption center, and stomping around ballrooms in four-inch heels for dinner shows. And dare I admit my shallow want to earn some money beyond the very occasional dinner mystery paychecks and even more rare "use of image" checks that come in the mail from my agent? Yep. I dare.

I want a job that pays me some money. I do not want to fall back into old patterns of taking retail positions, professional marketing jobs or working for nonprofits. I want a job at a for-profit place that doesn't make me feel as if I'm selling my soul or selling out my ideals. I earned a bachelor's degree in Speech Communication, but I'm much more engaged when working with my hands and my brain; rather than dissecting rhetoric or writing speeches. I feel great accomplishment assembling items, organizing spaces, making things pretty and caring for animals. My top three dream jobs are set dresser, decorative production: such as upholstery or jewelry assembly, and retail display production (not interacting with customers; just making pretty displays).

Paging Dr. Freud...

I don't personally endorse taking your mom to a murder mystery brunch for Mother's Day. It sends a strange message. However, I will be performing in a murder mystery brunch on Mother's Day. See the show and enjoy a yummy brunch. Maybe send Mom some flowers and don't bring her to the show, unless she just loves a good, silly mystery.

Click the poster below to make it bigger so you can get all the details.

Kitten Season = Volunteer Season

There are about eleventy hundred kittens being born at this moment. Some of them will end up at the kitten nursery where I and other volunteers will care for them until they can get into foster homes and/or get their precious selves adopted. Forgive my lack of blog updates. I'm either bottle-feeding or dishing up gruel for little scratchy puffballs of cuteness and neediness. Or maybe sleeping.

Puppy Love Update

The Austin Pets Alive puppies that we fostered for several days in January grew up to be teenage doggies. They both turned out gorgeous! Both were adopted.

Wendell found his forever family with his next foster home. His new mom volunteers with me in the Bottle Baby Nursery at APA. Wendell's new family kept the name I gave him, which honestly warms my heart.



Winnie, now known as Talulah, an equally cute and old-fashioned name, was adopted by a family in Lockhart. Look at those lovely blue eyes!

Goodbye Martian, Hello High Noon

Ever since the Martian (that's the name) paint went on our kitchen walls over four and a half years ago, I've thought it was too bright and garish. The wall color glowed and cast an acid green color onto other surfaces in the kitchen and hallway. The paint didn't match anything else in our house. While the Martian paint earned comments for uniqueness and bright saturation, I loathed it. I honestly think that paint made my skin look green whenever I entered the kitchen.







Chad and I finally repainted the walls High Noon blue this weekend. I love results of this repaint. It's bright yet calming. This color picks up the cool blue and gray flecks in the counter top and the cool tones in the kitchen tiles. This blue perfectly pairs with the aqua details in our long hallway rug and on the living room chair. *happy sigh* As an added bonus, when we pulled out the refrigerator, oven and hutch to paint the walls, we also scrubbed all the surfaces. Now we have an impeccably clean kitchen.

You're Here to What?

This weekend I spent some time volunteering at Austin Pets Alive for a special adoption event. I greeted people as they entered the cat building, which also houses the veterinary clinic for cats and dogs. Many people came to visit cats for possible adoptions. Some people brought foster dogs and cats to see the veterinary staff at the clinic. A few people arrived to pick up new foster pets to bring home with them for a while.

As another volunteer and I were standing at the main entrance looking over some paperwork, a cute young lady walked into the building. We all smiled at each other. I said, "Hi. Can we help you?" She replied, "I'm here to get busy." The other volunteer and I exchanged a glance that telepathically communicated, um, she's here to what? Then my brain kicked into gear and I realized that the cute young lady was here to get Busy, with a capital B. Recovering quickly from the awkward millisecond, I said, "Is Busy in the clinic right now?" Turns out, Busy was indeed a dog in the clinic, ready to head to a loving foster home. Busy... what a cute name!

Famous!

No, not me, Silly, but the quilt that I'm making out of some of Chad's old shirts with some new fabrics was featured in the Stitch Lab newsletter this week. I'm so proud that Leslie deemed my quilt worthy of the fabulous newsletter! I love the classes I've taken at Stitch Lab. I'll share more photos of the quilt when it is completed.



Our fierce little lap-kitty, Kenji, posed for this photo featured on our veterinarian's website! Choosing Kenji as a model was a bold choice for our awesome vet, because Kenji bites and growls like a poorly-socialized junkyard guard dog when she feels distress. Thank goodness, she smiled real pretty for her close-up!

Biopsy is a Scary Word

Our sweet old lady cat, Marigold (a.k.a. Miss Mare, Mare-bear, Mei-mei, Old-Lady-Baby and Baby-Granny), had a growth removed from her cheek last week. Due to her senior-citizen status and the suspiciously fast appearance of the growth, the vet (a.k.a. my hero) advised that we should have the growth biopsied to rule out cancer.

A little history: Chad and I dated for nearly five years before we got married. As Chad and I got more serious and started planning for the long-term, he told me he was allergic to cats. Fine, I figured we'd have dogs, because I knew I wanted pets. Eight months before we got married I tried to break-up with Chad for reasons which make absolutely no sense to me now, but which seemed earth-shattering at the time. Chad refused to be part of the break-up, and showed up at my apartment daily much to my annoyance and confusion. I, being absolutely certain of the break-up and its permanence, got a cat. Not just any cat, a gorgeous blond and auburn Persian kitten. I figured that getting a cat would be like Chad-repellent, since he was deathly allergic to cats, or so we believed... Upon telephoning me (I didn't have caller-ID) and learning of my new cat, Chad came over almost immediately to meet her. She didn't even have a name yet. He was so enamored with the tiny puff-ball kitten, that he snuggled and cuddled her, and started thinking up names for her. I nearly named her Pumpkin, but Chad came up with the brilliant name Marigold. Long story short, Chad wasn't actually allergic to cats. He took so many photos of Marigold when she was little, and asked in seriousness if we should make a baby-book for her. As you know, Chad and I did get back together, and he even tricked me into marrying him. What I thought would drive Chad away, namely Marigold, ended up bringing us closer together.

This cat is such a part of our family, that I was devastated to think there was even a possibility that she might have cancer. I got weak in the knees and felt faint when I saw the seven (!) sutures on Marigold's pitiful shaved cheek where the growth had been removed. I kept it together in the vet's office and on the drive home, but started sobbing as soon as Marigold exited her kitty carrier at home. I worried and waited for five days to get the biopsy results. The vet called me himself with results, which I initially thought might mean the news was bad, but he quickly stated that the test results yielded good news. Marigold had a benign cyst, not cancer! I'm so thankful and happy that we'll have our sweet, funny Marigold with us longer, and that her quality of life is still great.

Houston Travelogue X 2, Unenthusiastically X 1

Chad and I went to Houston last May to get away from our everyday responsibilities and chores for a weekend. We stayed at the lovely and comfortable Magnolia Hotel. Magnolia Hotel offers a free breakfast buffet with hot and cold items each morning, a happy hour each evening with discounted soft drinks and libations, and complimentary cookies with milk every evening from 8:00 - 10:00 PM. Our hotel room was cozy, quiet and well-appointed. A coffeemaker with complimentary coffee and hot tea were provided in each guest room.

During this 2010 visit to Houston, we watched the wacky annual Art Car Parade from along the route within walking distance of the hotel. We had great seats for a Houston Astros game, which was within just a few blocks' walk from the Magnolia Hotel. Overall, the weekend was fun, comfortable and relaxing.

Fast forward ten months: Chad and I hoped to stay at The Crossings - a lovely, serene spa resort on the edge of Austin in the hill country for a much-needed getaway. Unfortunately, when I went to The Crossings website to book our stay, a message appeared that The Crossings was closed, and that only previously booked reservations would be honored. No information on the website as to future plans for the now defunct spa. Google searches yielded no more information either. Ugh.

Lacking other ideas, and having no desire to endure air-travel, we settled for another trip to Houston last weekend for our getaway. This time we stayed at the posh Hotel Zaza in the museum district. Our pool-view villa was huge and wonderfully decorated, but our hotel villa door faced out towards a noisy road rather than in towards the hotel hallway as the vast majority of the hotel's guest rooms do. All night and all day we listened to the metro rail make frequent stops three floors down from our room. Our do-not-disturb doortag blew away several times as a result of the winds whipping at our hotel room door. Saturday night a loud dance party with a professional DJ boomed noisily from a ballroom up through our floor until midnight. Apparently the DJ favors Usher and The Black Eyed Peas. The hotel lobby and restaurant displayed signs warning that proper stylish attire was required. Room service breakfast the first morning of our stay was incredibly expensive for what we thought would be a healthy egg white omelet with fresh basil and tomatoes, but which ended up being an egg white omelet drenched in oily pesto with a few tomatoes and lots of mozzarella cheese. Access to the butler's pantry, touted as a feature, was nothing more than help-yourself coffee and hot tea set out near the elevators each day from 6:00 AM - 10:00 AM only - no coffee or tea provided in the guest room. Twelve ounce sodas from the mini-bar were $4.00 each. Want an evening treat? A cupcake from room service costs $8.00 plus a 21% service charge plus a $3.00 delivery fee, tip not included. While the decor of the Hotel Zaza was gorgeous, stylish and modern, the actual welcoming and comfort of guests seems to be an expensive afterthought.

If we return to Houston in the future, we'll be staying at the much more gracious, less noisy and slightly more modest Magnolia Hotel.

Last weekend, our ventures outside the hotel included a quick lap through the Museum of Fine Art Houston, where we saw the Impressionist special exhibit. We experienced our first Blue Man Group show, which was delightfully silly and fun. The best meal we had all weekend was the Sunday brunch buffet at the super-charming Baba Yega restaurant.

While it was nice to get away from our daily obligations and routines, and have time together, I so much wanted to get away to a quiet place in a natural setting rather than another busy, loud city. Days after returning home to Austin during its annual SXSW madness, I received an email promotion for Travaasa - a brand new spa resort in Austin set among rolling hills on the former site of The Crossings. Um, this would have been incredibly helpful information to have before we unenthusiastically went to Houston again. Had we known that a new spa resort would open within a month at the former site of The Crossings, we would have been among the very first bookings. Maybe this summer...

Motorin'

The car I drive now is great when it works right. When something wears out or breaks, it is very expensive to fix. At eight plus years old, my car teeters with two wheels over the white-elephant precipice. I'm jonesing for a new ride, something fun and a little sassy, unassuming and eye-catching, zippy without being cop-bait. Oh yeah, and priced under $25K.

My less expensive option, Fiat opens a dealership in Austin in just a few days. Io amo Fiat.


My more expensive option, Mini Cooper opened a dealership here in Austin this year.


Now who wants to join me for test-drives?

Lions and Tigers and a Bear, Oh My!

Saturday I toured the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation grounds in Kendalia, Texas with some of my fellow Bottle Baby Nursery volunteers. We saw all sorts of animals ranging from primates to raccoons to exotic birds to lions to domestic cats. The only animals we touched were a friendly young vulture with an injured wing and a young dove who waddled after us seeking attention.



Some of the animals at the facility will be returned to their natural habitats if possible. These animals do not get names. Human interaction is kept to a minimum. However, many of the animals are too tame, disabled or dependent to be set loose on their own, but also too large or aggressive to be pets, and will be permanent residents of the facility. To see animals treated and tended with care and respect at this sanctuary restored some of my faith in humanity.



This Fennec Fox was once a pet. While this animal is achingly cute and playful, there are plenty of cats and dogs in need of homes without breeding wild animals in captivity and selling them as pets. The fox was surrendered by its owner, probably because it behaved like a wild animal forced to live in a house. Just because an animal looks cuddly doesn't mean we should put a collar on it, drag it inside our house and name it. This little guy has a happy ending, living in a huge natural enclosure with meals and a heated bed provided.



We also met lions that were formerly pets. The previous owner's family made him surrender the lions when it became too expensive to feed them properly. The lions came to the rescue group emaciated and sickly, but are now thriving.



Cutest animal of the day award went to a Marmoset (tiny primate the size of a squirrel) who ran up a tree limb to greet us through the fence. He waved a carrot slice in the air at us, then settled in to watch us and nibble his carrot, almost as if we were his entertainment. Again, as cute and endearing as he looks, he is a wild animal and should not be kept as a pet. He has thumbs and sharp teeth. He is aggressive, easily bored and smart. (Actually, that sounds like a lot of people I know, but you get the idea. Right?)

In my opinion, some people purchase exotic pets as status symbols and/or to make themselves seem more interesting. I find this behavior short-sighted and shallow. It's one thing to care for an injured wild animal in need of help, but I find it deplorable to buy a wild animal and expect it to act like a domesticated dog, cat or hamster. You want an exotic pet? There's a bunny rescue group in the Austin area. That's kind of different.

I'm Mad at Amazon.com

Perhaps you've heard/read the news that Borders bookstores filed for bankruptcy, that half of the stores will close, after putting many locally owned bookstores out of business over the years. I love books, and hate to see bookstores go out of business. I normally check Book People and my neighborhood Half Price Books before ordering books or DVDs from Amazon.com, because I want to support the local economy. I acknowledge that Amazon.com is much cheaper than Book People, and usually even cheaper than Half Price Books. I find the items I want from Amazon.com in stock 95% of the time. I take advantage of the free shipping from Amazon.com that automatically comes with $25 purchase.

BUT, Amazon.com doesn't charge sales taxes in Texas, despite the fact that they have a processing facility in Irving, Texas, and by law should charge sales tax in the state of Texas. The state of Texas sent Amazon.com a bill for $269 million dollars in back sales taxes that Amazon.com should have been charging customers, and paying to the state of Texas since 2006. Amazon.com's response: basically act like a big bully. Deny the bill. Deny any wrongdoing. Close the Irving processing center and eliminate 119 jobs in a terrible economy. Click *here* to read a comprehensive article on the whole debacle.

As much as I've loved Amazon.com in the past, I think we have to break-up now. The corporation is acting like a big-old-butthead. Amazon.com and their amoral lawyers act with no regard for the law, rules or ethics. I don't want Amazon.com to have such a monopoly over book sales that even more local book and media stores close. Just as Borders is now declaring bankruptcy and closing stores, after forcing others out of business in their wake, so could Amazon.com someday go belly-up and leave us with the sad, very limited offerings on the book aisle at Target.

Next time you need a book or magazine, go support your local bookstore. Or at least support a chain bookstore that pays local and state sales taxes.

Goodbye, Amazon.com. It was great while it lasted, but I've outgrown you and your petty ways. You're like the girl with the curl. When you're good, you're very good, but when you're bad, you're horrid.

Light Bright

Chad and I inherited boring white ceiling fans in the three "bedrooms" in the 1952 house. (We use the rooms as an office, a dressing room and one actual bedroom.) I know we will live in the 1952 house for a good many more years. With total disregard for resale value, I've decided I'm not in love with these ceiling fans.

As with every usable piece of hardware we've pulled out of the 1952 house, I'll donate these white ceiling fans to Habitat for Humanity's ReStore, because someone will like them more than I do.

Chad and I looked at new ceiling fans at Lowe's, and quickly agreed on the style for the master bedroom and office. With Austin's hot temperatures and the road noise from that big street along one side of the 1952 house, we acknowledge the need to keep ceiling fans in the rooms where we spend most of our time.



I'd like to put a chandelier in the dressing room. There is an ottoman in the center of the dressing room, so no worries about walking under the chandelier and bonking one's head. I'm considering the following options:







While we're at it, I'm loving this light fixture for the bathroom.



I'm loving this fixture to replace the cheap pendant lights over the dining table.



I know, I know... I'm getting a bit ahead of myself and quite a bit beyond the budget with the bathroom light and dining table light. I'm just saying these lights look oh-so-lovely.

Always Love

Happy Valentine's Day! I see V-day as an opportunity to appreciate the loves in our life: be they friends; relatives; significant others; furry, feathered or scaly pets; or even hobbies/causes.

In my opinion, one of the greatest gifts to give and receive is time. What better way to show someone (pets included) that you care?



I'd like to echo the sentiment from a song by my favorite band, Nada Surf. Here are the lyrics to "Always Love":

To make a mountain of your life
Is just a choice
But I never learned enough
To listen to the voice that told me
Always love, Hate will get you every time
Always love, Don't wait til the finish line

Slow demands come 'round
Squeeze the air and keep the rest out
It helps to write it down
Even when you then cross it out

But Always Love, Hate will get you every time
Always Love even when you want to fight

Self-directed lives
I want to know what it'd be like to
Aim so high above
Any card that has been dealt you

Always Love
Hate will get you every time
Always love
Hate will get you

I've been held back by something
Yeah. You said to me quietly on the stairs,
I've been held back by something
Yeah. You said to me quietly on the stairs.
You said
Hey, you good ones.
Hey, you good ones.

To make a mountain of your life
Is just a choice
But I never learned enough
To listen to the voice that told me
Always love, Hate will get you every time
Always love, Don't wait til the finish line

More Puppy Love

As promised, I passed Winnie and Wendell on to their next foster parent on Monday. I kinda miss our temporary puppies, but I'm kinda glad to catch up on my sleep and pay attention to our permanent pet residents at the 1952 house. Here are a few more photos of the fatties.



Wendell's legs aren't long enough or strong enough to carry his fat puppy tummy just yet.



Dragging oneself around the heating pad can be oh-so-tiring.



Winnie wants to hold her bottle like a big girl, but her little legs are too short.

Foster Puppies & Sleep Deprivation

When people ask me if I have any children, I usually smile and respond, "I have eight nieces and nephews, three cats and a dog. Yes, I have children in my life, but I didn't give birth to them." This weekend I need to amend that statement. I have eight nieces and nephews, three cats, one dog and two tiny puppies.

The puppies arrived Thursday afternoon, and will move on to their next foster home Monday. These one-week-old pups were taken away from their aloof doggie-mom at the Town Lake Animal Center. The doggie-mom didn't know what to do with her puppies. She wasn't caring for them properly and, unfortunately, smothered one of her puppies. The caring staff at TLAC noticed the situation, and decided to get the surviving two pups out to a rescue group. One of the awesome foster coordinators with Austin Pets Alive sent an email plea out for these puppies on Thursday morning. Immediately, a foster came forward, but this person couldn't take the puppies until Monday. After some instant-messaging with Chad, we decided to take the pups for the weekend. Since then, we've been feeding Wendell (originally dubbed Wheezer due to some respiratory congestion) and Winnie (originally dubbed Whiner because she would not hush her puppy cries) puppy formula mixed with goat's milk from a tiny baby bottle every two or three hours. Yes, even overnight. We're also giving them medicine for their respiratory issues and misting saline solution into their crate/tent/fort with a nebulizer (similar to a humidifier) a few times a day.

Winnie and Wendell are sweet, grunty, fat potatoes. Their bellies grow before our eyes. Their little legs are too short for walking, so they drag themselves around a big heating pad in the crate. Their eyes are still closed, but they know when the bottle is ready. They reach their little front legs out and latch onto the bottle. They wiggle their ears and grunt softly as they eat. Wendell even wags his tail. They have round little rumps that are too cute for words!

I love watching Chad baby-talk to the pups, swaddle them and feed them. He is the best husband/friend/human being to help me with these puppies.

Of course, we have lots of photos. Here are just a few:







The puppy love totally outweighs sleep deprivation this weekend.

Happy Belated Dress Up Your Pet Day

Dress up your pet day is officially celebrated on January 14 each year. Janie did dress for the day, but I am late showing off her darling new sweater. She also has a pink puffer jacket, but it makes a weird swishy-noise when she walks, so she doesn't like it as well.





Also, sweet Janie got into the Christmas spirit last month as she supervised gift-opening. This photo proves that she is the sweetest, most patient and perhaps silliest dog that I know.

Bringing Huggermugger Back

Chad and I play Boggle several times a week. (No, that's not code for anything. I mean the game with the lettered dice. Minds out of the gutters, please.) In the course of finding words, we often consult the dictionary for correct spellings and definitions. One of the many advantages of using an actual printed dictionary versus an online/iPhone dictionary is that one stumbles across the silliest, most charming words in the course of flipping pages. Tonight's delightful find was the word huggermugger which is defined as muddled disorder. Doesn't huggermugger sound much more fun and lyrical than saying "hot mess" or "snafu"? Let's all try to use huggermugger in a sentence this week. Here's an example to get you started: That clearance sale was a huggermugger.

Also of note, Chad said if I ever find the word huggermugger on the boggle board (without using any letter twice) that he'll buy an Infiniti vehicle of my choice for me. Blog readers, you are my witnesses!

Want

I want to adopt this dog:



Update: Cooper got adopted! (Not by me and Chad.) I'm so very happy for him! Sweet Cooper escaped from the dog run at Austin Pets Alive. Luckily, he was found and returned within thirty minutes. He wants a forever-home so, so badly.

I want to buy these boots:



I can wear these awesome boots rain, snow or chilly shine to walk Janie and Cooper.

Do I need another pet? Hmm... Do I need another pair of shoes? Umm...

Prepare for the intervention. Someone send out an Evite. I'm free Thursday night this week.

Interesting

Looking over our mortgage receipt for 2010, it occurs to me that little of the money actually went to paying the principal on our home loan. Over half of this year's payments went to mortgage interest. Thankfully, we have a low fixed-rate loan; as opposed to one of those predatory loans that doesn't pay off any principal ever. Just over a quarter of this year's mortgage payments went to paying property taxes. There is no state income tax in Texas, so property taxes are pretty high compared to most other states. Ouch.

I love our cozy house. I love that is so close to downtown Austin and all the places we like to go. I love that we don't share any walls, ceilings or floors with other residents. I love that we can have three cats and a dog without a landlord fussing at us, and demanding outrageous pet deposits or pet rent. I love that we've made this house our own with the new driveway, deck, fence, air conditioning system, tankless water heater and decor. I love that this house is small enough to maintain cleanliness, but has plenty of room for us to be comfortable.

Do I love the financial reality of mortgage payments and the cost of upkeep on a house? Nope.

2011!

Happy New Year! Looking forward, I send wishes for health, happiness, peace and prosperity. My goals for 2011: take a conversational Spanish class in hopes that I can stop mixing up German idioms and Italian cognates with my middle school Spanish classes; take another dance class, perhaps Salsa; keep my weight steady at the weight listed on my acting résumé; drive the speed limit or slower; volunteer for another kitten season at Austin Pets Alive.

Looking back, 2010 was mercifully less dramatic than the past few years. Thank you, 2010. The best thing that I experienced in 2010 was volunteering for Austin Pets Alive. I love kittens and doggies! The worst thing I experienced in 2010 was four weeks of head-to-toe itchy hives caused by an allergic reaction to nine doses of Cipro. I'm thinking of getting "no Cipro for life" tattooed on my wrist as a permanent medic-alert bracelet. Some stars beside the script should make it look classy, right?

No Room at the Inn

Merry Christmas!

With three funny cats and one perfect dog (vacillating between forty-nine and fifty-five pounds depending on the pecan crop) there's no more room to responsibly house more pets here at the 1952 house. We have a pet hiring freeze. However, I fall in love with different cats and dogs almost every time I go to Austin Pets Alive to volunteer.

Here are my top pet-crushes, just in case you have room at your house to adopt a new friend. Click on the orange names to view their Austin Pets Alive biography and get the email address for adoption information!

Cats:

Vada - Update: Vada and her brother, Vivaldi, have both been adopted! I cared for this lovely long-haired lady at the bottle baby nursery. I love her so much because she purrs and snuggles with people, giving lovey-looks. She also plays with other kittens like a mischievous monkey meets the cutest ninja ever. Hiiiiiiya! Gotcha!

Xylia - Another bottle baby nursery alum, this sweet girl was a singleton (no litter-mates) with an eye infection. She wasn't eating, and seemed lonely and sad. One night I had a little extra time and decided to give her some extra attention. I sat her on my lap and scratched her back and pet her. It took a few minutes, but she started purring. The next day I saw her, I got her out to cuddle before her meal and she started purring instantly. She was so sweet and clearly so appreciative of the attention. The more I and the other volunteers cuddled her, the more she ate, and the healthier she got.

Ernestina - When this tiny muffin arrived at the bottle baby nursery, she only weighed 100 grams, the runt of seven kittens in her litter. She was so small, she looked like a mouse, not a cat. Honestly, I didn't think she'd live. She proved me wrong. This feisty little lady surpassed one of her sisters in weight at five weeks old. She loves to jump from high tables and crates, always landing on her feet with ease and grace. She has giant eyes. She purrs when you love on her. She loves to play with other kittens, especially to chase their tails and pounce on them.

Dogs:

Skittles - Update: Skittles has been adopted! A shy, sweet black and white Pomeranian. I love this gorgeous girl! I grew up with an orange Pomeranian, so I have a soft spot in my heart for these yappie puff-balls.




Update: Cooper has a forever-home! I'm so happy for him and his new people! Cooper - We walked this lovable (love-a-bull) Pittie this evening as part of our Christmas volunteering. He is gorgeous, strong and so, so sweet! His coat is super-soft, and he melts when you pet him. I love his black and white markings. Maybe we could make room for him...

Lulu - Update: Lulu has been adopted! This exotic looking pup is learning to love again after she was abused. Ugh, my heartstrings are being pulled.

I Won't Be There, But You Should

I'm taking the night off this New Year's Eve to celebrate with some non-theatre friends. You should celebrate with your friends (and some of my theatre friends) at a dinner mystery show and DJ dance party.

MYSTERY DINNER THEATRE! FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2010
Dave & Buster's at 9333 Research Blvd, Austin
Appetizers at 7:00, Dinner & Show at 8:00, DJ & Dancing at 10:00
Balloon Drop, Champagne Toast & Dessert Buffet at Midnight
ONLY $70.00! (Price does not include tax or gratuity.)
Reservations and Information (512)346-8015

Can you Say Murder?

On New Year’s Eve, all of the top children’s show television celebrities, Helen Nice, Hubert Quackenbush, Louise Moppet and Richard Hodges, have been assembled to see who will win top honors as the best kids’ show host according to the Parents’ Watchdog Association for Children’s Television Programming. Pirate Pete, whose only reputation is that of teaching kids how to rob their parents blind, is very sure he’s winning that award. To ensure that he walks away with the prize, Pete counts on blackmail to keep each of his fellow hosts from taking home the award. When the pirate gets deep-sixed by a suspected heart attack at the winner’s podium, Detective Safety takes on the challenge to see if Pete’s death was child’s play or foul play.

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

As you may have observed already, I'm stuck at home today with a suspected cold. I take this couch-bound opportunity to write to you.

I've mostly been a good girl this year: volunteering for Austin Pets Alive, not scratching too much when I had those awfully itchy hives, going to the gym, taking care of the house and pets, learning my lines for different dinner mystery shows, going on lots of auditions, being nice despite the looooooooong hours on that commercial shoot, making the trek to visit my family twice in one year and generally doing unto others as I would have them do unto me.

Yes, I confess, I got two warnings for driving too fast this year. I was very polite to the officers who pulled me over, and did NOT trot out the fake tears, even though we all know I could have. I resolve to watch my speed in the future, even when all the other cars barreling past me are speeding even worse than I am. I also confess I made the occasional smart-aleck remark when I should have held my tongue, but as I told my mom countless times, better to be a smart-aleck than a dumb-aleck!

This year for Christmas, I have the usual charitable giving requests:
Capital Area Food Bank - they do great work feeding hungry folks in the Austin area.
Emancipet - controlling the pet population with low-cost spay and neuter surgeries, and offering other affordable vet care.
Save the Children and Unicef - to help all the world's children, not just relatives.
Austin Pets Alive - they have a fun Christmas tree set up at 2807 Manchaca Road where you can choose a pet to sponsor.



For my own selfish wants (because we both know I have all that I need), I'd like to request cashmere-blend socks, and I'd like to direct you to my amazon universal wish list. Just in case you won the lottery this year, remember to err on the side of extra horsepower and torque; instead of carat-size.

As Chad and I are fond of saying, stank you smelly much, Santa. Be safe as you travel. If you get pulled over for speeding in the sleigh, be polite and apologetic. Don't pout or cry, but then, you knew that already, didn't you?

Love, your friend and fan, Jenn

Top ten things I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving:

Chad
my sweet, funny pets
good friends
living in Austin
our cozy 1952 house
online shopping (No doorbuster madness for me, thanks.)
KITTENS!
my fellow volunteers at the kitten nursery for Austin Pets Alive
The Paramount Theatre
the DVR, so I can watch the Macy's Parade in under 30 minutes on fast forward

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Season's Eatings

Typical Thanksgiving food does not tempt my tastebuds or my tummy. Turkey? It had a face. I'm not eating that. Tofurkey? How about NOfurkey - gross. Stuffing? Dry and eww. Yams and/or sweet potatoes? Gag. Pecan pie? Not my fave and oh-so-fatty. Green bean casserole? I wonder why anyone would defile vegetables in that manner. Brussels sprouts? Meh. Pumpkin pie? Maybe a few bites. Mashed potatoes? Hold the gravy.

I'm super-thankful that The Alamo Drafthouse opens its doors on Thanksgiving. After Chad and I do the Turkey Trot fun run to benefit Caritas, and after our nap, we're headed to the only place where Chad can get a traditional turkey dinner while I dine on salad and veggie pizza as we watch the latest box office hit. Hooray!

Sharing Morning Sunny Spot

Kenji and Janie like each other, but they LOVE a warm, sunny spot.

Chad sent this photo to me last week. (I was still asleep when it was taken.) It made my day.

Volunteering: Good for your Mood

I have the post-Halloween blues. Halloween is my favorite major holiday. (All of you who prefer other holidays, go ahead and freak out. To each their own.) Now that I've carved pumpkins, dressed up in a costume, eaten more candy than I should have and watched lots of fun, scary movies, I'm left feeling a little blah, like my aura has turned dingy-beige. Perhaps this is a prolonged post-sugar-rush crash, perhaps a touch of pre-seasonal affective disorder, but I feel less than shiny-happy-sparkly.

The thoughts that put a pep in my step involve the kittens that I and other volunteers care for at Austin Pets Alive. Feeding these little fuzzballs, snuggling these miniature purr-monsters and even cleaning up after these mobilized happiness-spreaders makes me feel better. I can't hold a pudgy, purring kitten and be unhappy at the same time. These states are mutually exclusive.

More than any other volunteer activity I've ever done, caring for kittens warms my soul.

Find a volunteer activity you love. The pay is amazing!

What About this Saturday?

Play with the Murder Mystery Players! All of our public murder mystery shows include delicious dinners, fun prizes and a heaping helping of murder mystery and laughter!

Saturday, November 13, 2010 starts promptly at 8 PM

ONLY $36.95 per person plus tax and gratuity.
Plenty of free parking! You won't get that downtown!

Dave and Buster's Austin
9333 Research Blvd, Austin, TX 78759
512-346-8015 ext. 12106 for reservations. Reservations required.

Can You Say Murder?

Top children's television celebrities assemble to see who will win best kids' show according to the Parent's Watchdog Association for Children's Television Programming. Nominees are: Helen Nice for Stomper Room; Richard Hodges for Mr. Hodges; Dr. Louise Moppet for The Moppets; Hubert X. Quackenbush for Bob the Clown; Pirate Pete (his real name?) for Pirate Pete. Last year's winner Clarice Dixon for Detective Safety presents the award, and conducts the investigation when things go awry. (I play Detective Safety, or Detective Thafety, as I like to call her.)

*This show is not for the kiddies as the show hosts flaunt their true personalities.*