Being Optimistic

I don't know where to begin this blog post!  I've had so many wonderful things happen that I've been on Cloud 9 for two days.  Lots of adoptions, rescues and dealings with awesome people.  I keep waiting for that "Rescue Emotional Rollercoaster" to bottom out, but it doesn't seem to.  I remain completely happy and content about this rescue and it only seems to be getting better.

Remember Newton? This video from his new foster Mom speaks volumes (not to mention that it made me cry!)


I was telling Kim at the shelter that's it's strange that I rarely cry from sad stuff at the shelter, but have a tendency to cry over happy things - like this happy video of Newton.

I rescued Winkle this morning. What a sweet boy...so patient waiting for his rescue day. 

Yes, I sound a bit too optimistic right now.  I wish every day could be like this.  Thanks to the donations I've received, I have enough money to pay my vet bill this month.  My only area of procrastination is one of the most important and that is setting up my proper bookkeeping accounts.  I know how to do it...I just hate it and I'm sitting here on mounds of receipts waiting to go into QuikBooks.  God help me.  I've have found something more important to do each time I sit at the computer to work on it....like "blogging" for instance.  Hahha.  "I think the dishwasher needs to be emptied."

I'm moving forward with great excitement.  The emails I've received from the readers of this blog have really kept me going and positive.  I've had a few "head banging on the desk" moments, but they've been very few and far between.  It ticks me off that I still feel so scared, but it's only week 3 of the rescue's infancy. 

Thank you all so much for taking this walk with me and holding my hand.  You have NO idea how much it's meant to me during moments of complete insecurity.

Newton's Day!

In conjunction with my latest "miracles DO come true", I'm thrilled to pieces to announce that a wonderful foster home stepped forward and offered to take our buddy "Newton":



Some days I walk into the shelter and I feel like such a loser, "I'm only taking one....what about the rest?"  Today wasn't one of those days.  Today, I felt like a hero when I walked in.  Three staff members at different times approached me and asked, "Are you taking the grey and white guy?"  "You know he's been very sad and having a difficult time in the cage..."  "YAY!  You're taking the grey and white guy!" 

Funny.  Some days I leave with 5+ cats and nobody says a word.  But today it was all about Newton!  Thank you Stacey for coming forward and giving this guy a home.

Recently, I've had several people ask me if I make a living doing a cat rescue.  Imagine!!  When I told them that I volunteer...oy...the LOOKS. 

I called the Charities Directorate today.  They must know me by a first name basis now.  No, I don't have my charitable number, HOWEVER....since I'll be receiving my charity number in 2011, I can accept donations NOW  in 2011 and give tax receipts once my number comes in.  This was GREAT news for me and I was wondering why nobody mentioned that little tidbit during the millionth whiny call that I made to them. 

Despite the ice on the roads, it was a banner rescue day for Newton.  It's not that Newton is "that important", he's just one little guy that had been there since mid-October. 

Heck....they're all "that important".

Taking Care of Business (Still)

Maybe it's just the dark gloomy day today, but I'm finding myself completely exhausted and it's only 3 pm!  I've been doing a lot of driving lately and that can certainly add to the tired-factor.  I was back to the shelter, back to the vets, to a foster home, at the grocery store - all this by noon.  I was grateful that the timing worked out so that I didn't have to be at the vets twice today! (Which I had planned to do)

Funny, how I do a good job with reaching out and asking for help for the cats, but when I ask for help for myself, I always feel a good dose of guilt.  Maybe it's just part of my "mother training."

I went back to the shelter today with the task of rescuing an already neutered male ORANGE cat that gets along with other cats.  (Emphasis on "Orange".)  I tested out two different cute orange guys, but sadly they were pretty upset when given a chance to meet another cat.  I hate it when they sabatoge their own rescue.  Maybe I didn't give them enough time, but I didn't have a Plan B in the event they didn't work out in their foster home.  So I rescued "Gwen":

I immediately renamed her "Buttercup".  Buttercup is a petite angel that had already been spayed and microchipped.  She had been at the shelter since November 15th, so I was really happy to have rescued her.  She's not exactly "orange", but there's no shortage of cuteness!  She's upstairs in my washroom until I can move her to her foster home tonight. 

I don't want to jinx it, but I've had an inquiry on Newton! Is it possible he'll get out of the shelter? I'm going to talk with her tonight and am very excited about the possibilities.  Stay tuned...

Last night, David jokingly announced that if I don't do a load of laundry tonight he'll be forced to wear MY underwear.  (I'd like to see him try.)  It's only Tuesday...how could I really be THAT busy?  I went to the hamper today and counted and realized that I hadn't washed David's stuff in TWO weeks?  Poor guy.  He never complains. 

I wonder what else I've been neglecting?  (Note to self:  Turn off computer at 8 pm tonight) 

A Day of Little Miracles

When you're involved with animal rescue, it's easy to become so tangled within it,  that the unexpected rescues, unexpected adoptions, and a car accident that didn't amount to anything seem like nothing more than pure luck.  But if you look closely, you realize it's not just coincidence, but that you've witnessed one (or more) of life's little miracles. 

This morning, I received a phone call from a lovely woman in Guelph who came forward to adopt the 16 year old calico sisters that were so callously abandoned at the Humane Society.  I'm in awe of people's generosity.  I didn't get the end result of this phone call, but I DO know that these little old ladies are safe tonight.

Today, I went to the shelter to rescue "Harley" only to receive a phone call from Debbie at Forgotten Ones Rescue who asked me to pick up the pair of TWELVE YEAR OLD calico sisters for her rescue:

THEN...to my surprise, she asked about "Harley"!  Funny thing, I had already put Harley into a carrier and was going to rescue her myself. 

But allowing another rescue to take her meant that I could rescue ANOTHER cat...or two... :)  So I drove the three calicos to Toronto to meet up with Debbie.  Her car was filled with her own calico-lovefest! 

I ended up rescuing two darling cats for one foster home.  (Pictures to come later.)

On my way to the vets with 5 cats in the car I was rear-ended by an elderly man in a '72 Cadillac.  The front of his car was mildly mangled.  I held my breath as I walked around the back of my car to look.  To my surprise, there was NO damage.  I was so grateful.  What could've happened is frightening.

It was truly a day of little miracles, so I'm going to ask for one more.  It's about "Newton".  Please watch the video below - Newton needs a miracle - now.


Just one more miracle....a little one...please?

Updates and an URGENT Plea!

I've surprised myself that I'm not as stressed as I thought I'd be since I launched the rescue on the 3rd.  Maybe I've become more relaxed in my old age and confident in my decision making.  I've made some very difficult situations this week that a few years ago would've put me into a tail spin.  I'm not saying that they didn't hurt - but I felt at peace.

Adoptions are moving along beautifully, and I'm receiving a surprising number of phone calls from the recent ad I placed in the newspaper.  It occurred to me this morning that the majority of the people that have called me (as a result of the ad) didn't have a computer or email.  They read the newspaper, saw the ad and called to say, "What kind of cats do you have?"  Loved it!  Several were seniors who didn't get a hoot about technology.  Two of them, I'm sending directly to the shelter to adopt.  They weren't candidates for the cats currently in my care, so am hoping they'll still make a little donation for my effort.

AN URGENT PLEA!!

I received a call from a staff member at Guelph Humane.   Two senior cats were abandoned there when their caregiver could no longer care for them.  According to the staff, they are 16 year old sisters, spayed and declawed:

They're VERY VERY sweet and are in great shape as you can tell by the pictures.  Originally, they were going to be euthanized today at 5 pm, but everybody is in love with the girls and the deadline has been moved THIS Monday.  The staff said they're "chillin'" and not a bit phased by the other cats.

These kind of situations really tear up my heart.  Can anybody give these sweet little girls a retirement home?  I can't imagine what it would be like to be homeless at 80-something years old, and that's exactly what's happened to these sweet sisters.  At least they still have each other. 

If you can help, please contact me directly - don't delay - they don't have much time left.  (TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED!)

"Misty"

I went to the shelter today to pick out a cat for Helen, one of my newest foster parents.  I hate when I can choose "anybody", because I have to greet each cat at the shelter, and they all seem so desperate worthy.

I stopped suddenly when I saw "Misty":

She had been abandoned at the shelter when her owner passed away suddenly.  Misty had lost everything.  The only thing Misty had left was a collar with a purple heart that says "Misty" with a phone number that is no longer in service.  Somebody loved this full figured girl.

I'm always so teary-eyed when a cat like Misty is rescued.  Her gratitude was overwhelming and I could hear her purring from outside the door.  I put her in my son's old room where there was only a box spring left and a few empty boxes - remnants that a teenager once lived in the room.  I hadn't gotten around to cleaning it yet,  but the sun was streaming through the windows and she seemed very happy with the quilts I put over the top of the box spring. 

If this isn't gratitude, I don't know what is:



Tomorrow, she's going to Helen's house and be spoiled rotten.  You're welcome, Misty.  You're very welcome.  :)

Busier Than I Wanna Be

I've been a lot busier than I want to be today.  I know some days are like that, but I've really felt pulled in so many different directions that I'm finding I have to make choices on what I can do and what I can't do each day.

I found myself short on time today and wasn't able to meet an adopter at the shelter.  I hate that!  Fortunately, a rescue-friendly staff member at the shelter was able to help.  (Thanks, Tiff!)  Thanks to her, Bronson was able to find a new home today:

I spent part of the day working on admin stuff.  Staying organized is easier than I thought - "Thank you, Google Docs"!   At my own expense, I decided to put a 9 day advertisement in 5 local newspapers just to introduce the rescue.  It wasn't expensive, but I'm hopeful it will continue to generate some more interest.

Thankfully, adoption calls keep coming in!  At least I know folks are looking at the website and there's been interest. 

I was able to make a small bank deposit today with adoption fees that recently came in.  I know, it's a small thing to be excited about, but seeing the cheques made out to "Forever Home Cat Rescue" was really exciting!  Yes, for a moment I actually considered taking a picture of one of the cheques and framing it.  :)

Due to the busy calendar, over the weekend I actually went to Walmart and bought a new Crock-Pot so that if all else fails - there WILL be dinner on the table!  Many years ago (in my first marriage) I was the kind of bride that threw flour on her face to look busy and exhausted when my husband walked through the door after work.  Today, (and husband #2)  I have no qualms about picking the cat hair off my sweater and saying, "We're going to Swiss Chalet.  Be happy."  (To my American Friends:  "Swiss Chalet is a cheap, chicken place)

On a VERY happy note:  I received a call from Helen last night.  She said after "Lane" had passed away she had spent quite a bit of time reading this blog and decided that she could be of FAR more help saving lives as a foster parent than just adopting.  SOOO.....Helen is going to be Foster Parent #21!  I'm going to the shelter tomorrow to rescue somebody special for her.   I couldn't help but think that "Lane" really and truly didn't die in vain - with his death, brought a new foster Mom to help more cats. 

Wow...reading back on this blog post, I'm truly all over the place with it.  But it certainly fits the days I've been having lately. 

More of the Emotional Rollercoaster

My Monday posts are becoming so "newsy".  There never seems to be just one topic any more.  I felt badly about Friday's post regarding Helen and Lane.  Two of my friends had their senior cats put to sleep on Friday, so it was bad timing for a sad blog post.  I tried to warn them "Don't read the blog today!!!" But it was too late. 

So hop on the emotional rollercoaster with me, because I have good news and bad news today.

Our rescue had it's first "casualty of war" today.  I received a call on Sunday from a foster Mom who was frantic as a kitten that was rescued 3 weeks ago was failing.  Thank heavens Dr. S made an emergency Sunday appointment for this little man.  I authorized "Alfie's euthanasia this morning when Dr. S told me he was suffering.  It's unknown what he died from, but we're now on "death watch" for the other kitten in the care.  Shit, I hate this part of rescue.

I don't use the term "casualty of war" lightly.  I really feel as an animal rescuer, I'm constantly at war with the people who abandon them or fail to get their cats spayed or neutered.  It hurts to think we lost a kitten so soon, but this really and truly is part of animal rescue. 

It was a big adoption weekend for our little rescue.  We had FOUR cats adopted into loving Forever Homes!   The post adoption pictures are already coming in:

I really *have to* bury myself in some happiness today.  Wallowing in sadness about a kitten that couldn't be saved isn't helpful to me because I have to keep going.  There was nothing that could be done that wasn't done.  I hate that a foster parent was hurt. 

I met a really sweet young woman today at the shelter.  She wanted to adopt a kitten under the age of 1 year. (Love that!)  We had been corresponding back and forth and I was thrilled when she chose "Dexter":

While she was looking around I knew Kelsey was getting emotional about all the cats.  Their paws reached out to her for help.  I didn't want to tell her that Dexter had a chance of being euthanized tomorrow.  How could I put pressure on somebody that was already feeling so horrible?  But I was happy when she felt that Dexter would be a good fit for her.  He ran to her and purr'd.  Yay!  :) 

Tomorrow, I'm meeting a single guy at the shelter with two cats of his own.  He sounds great!  It'll be interesting to see who he comes home with tomorrow. 

Looking at my calendar, I don't anticipate a quiet week.  I'm hopeful that it's a good week - *sigh*  I hope it's a good week.  I'm worried about the remaining kitten, but know that he's getting the very best care.  That's all anybody can ask for.

"Thank You, Helen"

"Lane" was brought into the shelter a few days ago missing one eye and his other eye about to fall out.  It was obvious to me that maybe it was a blessing that he arrived into the shelter. 

No doubt Lane would end up blind. 

I didn't think there was much hope for Lane until a lady named "Helen" contacted me.   She currently has a blind cat and wanted to help another.  She saw Lane's picture and thought that he looked like he needed a leg up in this life. 

I told Helen that Lane would require expensive surgery, neutering, and God-knows-what-else.  She didn't care.  She wanted him and could afford the expense.  He somehow felt special to her.  

Helen lives on the other side of the city, so Kathleen kindly volunteer to drive "Lane" from the shelter to a meeting place to meet his new "Mom".  Imagine adopting a blind Tom cat without meeting him first!!  

The meeting went well and Helen immediately took "Lane" to the vets for an exam.  His remaining eye was bulging and he needed immediate pain relief and care. The vet lovingly cared for Lane - giving him pain medication.

The news wasn't good.  Helen left a voicemail tonight that said her vet indicated poor Lane was in the final stages of active Feline Leukemia.  He wasn't a candidate to have his remaining eye removed and he was dying.   Helen's voice cracked as she told me the story over voicemail.  I listened and put my head in my hand.   Helen held Lane and loved him as he passed over to the bridge. 

I realized at that moment that the love Helen showed that sweet Tom cat was probably the only love and care that poor cat had ever experienced in his short life.  Her voicemail went on to say that she changed his name to "Mike" because he had seemed like a fighter. 

"Thank you Helen for giving Mike the only love and kindness he had ever known.  I wish they could all be so fortunate."

Two Days Worth of Updates!

Like many people, I really thrive on routine.  I wake up, make coffee, feed cats, let the dog outside, etc.  So when the hard disk on my computer failed (turns out it wasn't a virus) and I lost ALL my data, I was lost.  In fact, I haven't been able to log onto Facebook because ALL of my passwords were set up on a simple little application called RoboForm! 

I think the worst part was losing my Address Book.  If you've sent me an email over the past 4 days, and you haven't heard back from me - please don't be offended, and resend.

Enough whining from me!  I've been a busy rescue girl the past few days and have rescued five happy cats!  "Forever Home"  is now up to TWENTY foster homes and despite all the computer problems, I'm content and things are moving along as they should.

Yesterday, I met an adopter and a new foster Mom at the shelter.  The senior adopter, left with Meriam a senior cat!  I couldn't have asked for a better match.  Our newest foster Mom left with "Seamus":
 


This video cracks me up.  When the foster Mom picked him up, he just dissolved into her arms.  There was NO WAY she would put Seamus back into that cage.  He was going home with her! 

Today, I rescued a couple of cuties for another new Foster Mom:

 "Hansel" is a happy little guy about 6 months old.  He originally came in with his sister Gretel, but the shelter euthanized her.  :(

Prince fits his name beautifully!  He's a sweetheart.  BOTH cats met the vet clinic's Beagle puppy and seemed very smitten and happy to play with him.  That was certainly a pleasant surprise! 

I've done a huge amount of driving over the past few days.  I think I've been on the road more than I've been at home.  A call came in this afternoon from a lovely sounding woman who was interested in a blind cat currently at the shelter, and is willing to adopt a "senior friend" for him!  She sounds SO incredibly nice.  Fortunately, I was able to corral my friend Kathleen into doing the drive tomorrow.  It's a HUGE victory for an unneutered blind cat and a senior cat to get out of the shelter together.  I'm kind of sorry that I'm not doing the rescue myself. 

I'm proclaiming tomorrow an "Admin Day" and am staying home to reorganize my computer.  David's taking the day off tomorrow, so I'm not sure how much work I'll get done.  Having him home sort of goobers up my plans to drink coffee and work diligently in my robe until noon.

It's been a great few days of rescue.  As I was leaving the shelter this morning lugging heavy cat carriers, I heard a voice come from one of the offices,  "Hey Beth!  Did you sing your rescue song today??"   I had forgotten.  "One should NEVER been too busy to sing the rescue song!"

Chaos and Dog Poop

I wanted to name this blogpost "Chaos" because that's the way it felt this morning. I went to bed last night with a computer virus that wiped out my entire hard disk and woke up to copious amounts of dog poop in the basement. I neglected to put the coffee pot in the holder, so coffee poured over my kitchen counters while I was cleaning the dog poop.

I was almost afraid to get in the car this morning! What could happen next?

Today was a euthanasia day at the shelter, so many of my favourites were gone by the time I arrived. In fact, I had planned on rescuing a little tabby by the name of Ginny, but she too was gone. The empty, dirty cages were a reminder that my day wasn't so bad afterall.

I ended up rescuing a cute little calico by the name of "Allie". I pulled her out of her cage and she licked my face like a little dog.

I melted.

Tomorrow is going to be a wonderful day! I'm meeting an adopter AND a new foster parent to save several fortunate cats from Friday's vet day. I'm also giving a tour of the shelter for a VERY brave Brandon (you read about Brandon yesterday) and his girlfriend Alyssa. They have never been to the shelter and wanted to see for themselves. Personally, I think anybody that volunteers for a rescue should take a tour of the shelter. It really adds credence to the hardwork and dedication that it takes to be an animal rescuer. Of course, not everybody agrees with me. :)

I'm typing this blogpost on "the world's oldest computer". It's not my computer and I'm missing the familiar touch of the keyboard, pictures, and important applications. My own computer is being repaired at some Computer Guru's place of business. Hail to the Computer Guru! I hate to admit that I threw myself against the Guru's counter begging him to repair it quickly. I was certain the world's cat population would be euthanized if I couldn't have my computer back in a timely manner.

Hopefully, my computer will be repaired tomorrow and I might have a few pictures to post here. Until then, the blog is a bit...um...vanilla.

The Launch

I'm pleased to (formally) announce the grand opening of Forever Home Cat Rescue! 

Can you hear me taking a deep breath?  I didn't think this day would actually come, but it's here and I'm so excited! 

To date, we have 19 foster homes and 18 cats in our care.  I'm going to the shelter for another rescue tomorrow, so the numbers always change.  I never dreamed I'd be launching a rescue with NINETEEN foster homes!  I figured I'd be fortunate to have 5 foster homes to start. 

It's my pleasure to launch our new website: Forever Home Cat Rescue .  I cannot take credit for this beautiful website.  Brandon Pal, from Palco Ltd donated his time and expertise to design this website for us.  He's a true cat lover  and has two of the most spoiled little rescued cats you'll ever want to see!  Many hugs and thank you's to Brandon for putting together his valuable time, his knowledge and his love for cats to create this site. 

Please bookmark the site:  http://www.foreverhomecatrescue.com/ and tell me what you think!

(As usual, Petfinder is not up to date, so I'm trying to get them to update the cats and bio's on their site.  They've had some major changes to their system, so I'm trying to be patient.  Typically, "patience" is not a personal strength of mine.  :) Regardless, you'll get the idea.)

Sooooo....it's January 3, 2011 and I'm up and running.  (Literally...running)  I'm excited, grateful, humbled, and scared to death. 

"Until every cat is Forever Home...."

Turning the Page On 2010

This is my last post for 2010.  It's hard to believe that I've been writing this blog for three years now!  I'm always surprised when somebody says that they read my blog.  "Really?"

I'm still in Seattle until Sunday.  I wish I could turn off my rescue mentality for a vacation, but I haven't been able to do so.  My Mom has a neighbour who recently adopted two sister cats from a local rescue:  "Beth, do you want to meet her?"  ("No, but I would love to meet the cats!")

The neighbour was wonderful.  She had adopted two unimportant looking tabby sisters who were the casualties of domestic violence in the house and left to give birth to their kittens in a storage shed in the backyard.  They were the fortunate ones.  A rescue came forward to take them, and this couple wanted to adopt a pair of cats.  One of the sisters is extremely skittish and the other friendly.  Bless these people for taking both cats - the skittish one wouldn't have much of a chance without her sister. 

My friend and volunteer web designer showed me the new Forever Home Cat Rescue website he has been working on.  It's 95% finished and looks amazing!  I can hardly wait to launch it when I get back.  As I looked through the pages, I felt the goosebumps rise on my arms. 

While I've been away, the rescue has had two more adoptions and 5 (maybe six!) rescues!  Things are percolating along as they should be, and I am excited about the future. 

 I still remain in "scared to death" mode, but feel SO incredibly humbled by the volunteers who came forward to join me on this new page of my life.  I guess it's not just a new page in MY life, but their lives and the lives of the little felines that rely on us for help too. 

Happiest of New Years to all of you.  Thank you for your love, care and support.  2011 will be another year of rollercoaster rides in rescue - hop on, and enjoy the ride with me. 

What About "Timmy"?

I'm still in Seattle on my mother's ancient computer but felt like I needed to rant a bit. 

My parents know a couple that they have best friends with for the past 30 years.  Lovely people...really.  They're the kind of people that bring chicken soup when you're sick.  I was saddened and shocked to hear that they were going to rehome their "beloved" TEN YEAR OLD cat "Timmy" because they felt like they "couldn't meet his needs" any longer.  Timmy is a HUGE fluffy orange guy, who crawls into your lap the moment you arrive.  I've always loved Timmy - he's a gentle, 20 pound love muffin.  They're sending him to a friend's farm - whatever the hell that means.   Of course, they're keeping the dog who needs to be walked, etc.  I guess cleaning up a pile of poop in the litterbox has become too much for this 74 year old couple?  But walking and cleaning up after the 3 year old dog is OK?

I immediately lost all respect for these people.  I feel shallow for feeling that way...they've been there for my parents and I've known them since I was in University. 

I guess this is EXACTLY the reason why I have trouble maintaining friendships with people who aren't "animal people."  For the sake of my parents, I kept my mouth shut last night.  But I'll never feel the same way about these people.   I wanted to cry as I said goodbye to Timmy.  He was curled into a rocking chair in the only home he's ever known.  He's 10 years old. 

Even as I type, I want to call them and offer to take Timmy back to Canada, but there are Canadian cats that need me.  

...And In Conclusion...

As I type this, Christmas is just about over.  It's 9 pm, and although it's still officially Christmas, I'm feeling in my heart that it's time to move on to the new year and put the holiday festivities behind me.  You may think that I'm crazy, but I have a Christmas tradition of taking down ALL of my decorations the day after Christmas!  I know..I know.. it sounds rather scrooge-like, but it really isn't meant to be. 

There's such a build up to Christmas.  As a mother, I've always felt the pressure to give my children the perfect Hallmark holiday experience - Great gifts, family love, the joyous Christmas dinner.  I guess after all this self imposed pressure, I needed  to bring Christmas to a conclusion.  So I started taking stuff down the day after Christmas just so I could move on with life.  

My three foster tabbies had a wonderful "first" Christmas.  They were in and out of boxes and wrapping paper as all cats should be on Christmas Day.  I tried to snap a million different pictures, but the pictures didn't quite say what I wanted to say about the morning.  The older cats enjoyed watching with the occasional scuffle as the "wild bunch" got too rowdy. 

I've spent part of the evening tonight writing foster parents, asking questions and following up. I can almost see them looking at the time and date of the email, shaking their heads and thinking, "Beth needs to get a life..." 

I will have a life...just as soon as those decorations are down tomorrow.  :)

Merry Christmas everybody!

Diana, Winkle et al

I was back at the shelter today to rescue 1 fortunate cat.  Believe me, I was very aware that this cat would have a home for Christmas and I could hardly look at the rest of them as I walked through to pick up "Diana":

The foster Dad that took Diana only asked for a "fluffy" cat that needed him.  Boy did Diana need him!  Diana must weigh 5 lbs soaking wet.  She's a gentle, sweet soul that was spayed and declawed when she came to the shelter.  When I brought her to the foster Dad's home, she immediately started to purr and acted like she had lived there forever.

Don't you wish you could put bad things behind you as quickly as Diana? 

It looks like I'm going to have another adoption this week!  More on that when I have the adoption agreement in hand.  To me, unless there's an adoption agreement - there is NO adoption.

I ran into a woman from another rescue today.  She was taking Nicholas!  I love running into other rescues at the shelter.  It doesn't happen very often, but it feels good to know that other people are helping the cats there from time to time.

Kim saw me and excitedly asked, "Did you see Winkle????"  I know I'm in trouble with a name like "Winkle".  Such an endearing name! 


I feel so badly for a cat like Winkle.  No doubt he's feeling better tonight with the nails out of his skin. 

The stress of the season is definitely catching up with me.  I feel exhausted!  Of course, as soon as I fell asleep on the couch this afternoon, David comes home early.  Why couldn't I be vacuuming or something?

Lots of wonderful cats at the shelter right now and it's filling up fast.  There won't be a Christmas for some of them.  Please let me know if you can help. 

Some Christmas Happiness

I took my usual 30 minute nap on the same red couch with a fire crackling in my 100 year old fireplace and the Christmas tree lights beaming in their full glory.  I woke up to 3 tabbies asleep on me and I'm pretty sure at that very moment, I had defined the word "content".  Today, I screened foster parents #15 and #16, and Forever Home is really starting to feel like a "real" rescue.  Although I haven't received my first vet bill yet, I'm going to try to think magical Christmas thoughts with hope I'll be surprised that the bill wasn't as much as I thought it would be.  (Has that ever happened?) 

I received some awesome news that "Sophie", a recent rescue, that hadn't been eating is now eating.  We were terrified of the prospects of a feeding tube or worse - euthanasia.  The foster Mom gave her a banquet of food - including cooking her chicken and bacon.  She wanted no part of it.  Sophie wanted Whiskas "crap food" dry food.  Go figure.

Sophie Before:

...and Sophie AFTER....

She's beautiful, isn't she?

I finished designing the rescue's brochure today and sent it in to the printers.  David and I are paying for the start up costs ourselves.  Brochures may seem like an unnecessary, luxury item, but nothing spells "legit" (other than a charity registration) more than a quality glossy brochure!  It's important to me that people feel proud to volunteer AND adopt from this rescue.  Granted, if we run out of money too quickly, the brochures won't get reprinted for a while.  :)

I've been so happy watching Forever Home slowly blossom.  Of course, where there's good news, there's always bad news on the horizon.  But I feel like I'm building a team of people that truly care about the rescue and me.  Surrounding myself with people like that - I can get through anything. 

After the Weekend

I was hesitant to write since I just got back from dropping off my daughter from the airport, but I'm not feeling as melancholy as I thought I might.  We had a wonderful visit!  As usual, it was too short.   Katy had a ball with the cats and I think the feeling was mutual.  When she was in her bedroom, the cats were there too!

I can't help but look at this picture and wonder, "Who is that old chick on the left?" Ahhh...to be 26 again!

Over the weekend, I received a really neat email from a very special lady with whom I placed a cat more than a year ago.  She heard I had started a rescue and wants to foster for me!!  To refresh my memory, she sent me a before and after picture of Chewey:

How pitiful can Chewey be in this picture?

...and his "After" picture:

I wouldn't have guessed this to be the same cat.  This lady obviously saw something in Chewey that I didn't.  I remember thinking that (although I was SO HAPPY Chewey was getting out of the shelter), he wasn't the kind of cat I might have chosen for rescue.  Boy, was I wrong, wrong, WRONG! 

...and an update on the little dilute Tortoiseshell that I recently rescued - her name is now Gwen and she's settling in beautifully! Her foster Dad sent me this picture and I could only laugh:

She looks like "The Rose Between the Thorns", doesn't she?  I'm wondering who was on the sofa first - her or the dogs??!!  Adorable!! Adorable!

I sent out my first Forever Home Cat Rescue "Rescue Update" today.  It felt really good to write it and I don't think I realized how much had really been accomplished in the past 30 days until I wrote it all out! 

As I type this, I'm sitting here wondering who is at the shelter right now and wishing I could do just one more rescue before Christmas.  It's agonizing thinking of the homeless cats that are there right now while my own cats pull ornaments off  nap under my Christmas tree. 

If you can give a cat a home - permanent or temporary, please let me know.  I know the season is busy for everybody - but there are little lives that need help. ( Don't make me take a video of the shelter!!!  *sigh*)

"Dem Changes" Are Here

It's been a whirlwind few days.  My daughter is here and my youngest son is gone.  I'm very aware that my life with my adult children is now going to become a series of hello's and goodbye's. 

It's the damndest thing to walk into my son's room and find it empty.  Of course, the move wouldn't be a REAL family move without the usual tension and fighting.  By the time we were done moving his stuff into his new apartment, David and I were barely speaking to him.  Maybe that's nature's way of saying, "it's time."    He took his favourite cat "Wilbur" with him, so not only am I minus one kid - I'm also minus one cat.  Wilbur doesn't like the other cats, so this is a GOOD thing. 

It's funny - when I announce that my daughter is coming into town, the emails and communication from my friends *STOP*.  I think I've had 5 emails in 2 days!! 

Yesterday, I received an email from a lady who was looking for a younger cat.  She had been already thoroughly screened by another rescue (verified), but didn't drive and had heard that I was a bit of a cat yenta.  She wanted to adopt a cat that needed her.  Unfortunately, I couldn't make it out to the shelter, so my friend Kathleen made the trek out there to find the perfect cat for her.  Kathleen and Kim chose a darling little grey tabby girl named "Kaylee" and drove her to her new home.  I still find it amazing that people trust us like this, but it was a perfect match.  Kaylee loved her and the feeling was mutual. 

It's 10:45 am on Saturday morning and the house is quiet.  My daughter and older son hit the pubs last night and are sleeping in.  David and I are having a preview of our life without anyone in the house - but us - and the cats.

Blissful.  Really blissful...

Scrambling!

It's quite a busy day for me with my daughter's arrival this evening, but I had some fun rescues today!

I received a phone call from Teresa whose foster kitten "Jethro" was recently adopted. She was ready for another kitten, PLUS her Mom was interested in adopting "Lemon" a deaf white cat that had been at the shelter for more than a month!

I walked the shelter floor looking for one single kitten and came across a pair that had been left in a box in a parking lot. I can't even imagine how cold they must've been. How incredibly cruel. I'm happy to announce that Teresa took BOTH of them.  Teresa wasn't home for the delivery, but left me a key, so I was alone in her lovely home when I took the video. Imagine how fun it was for me to deliver ALL THREE cats to her house today:


As promised, I've also rescued The World's Saddest Kitten:


I named him "Little Bobby".  I think he needed a "jolly" sounding name.  He looks so sad.  :(

What a crazy couple of days - my daughter arriving tonight and my youngest son is moving into his first apartment tomorrow.  I'm really glad my daughter will be here to help distract me because of the weird empty nest feelings I'm having.  My older son is still at home, but that's only for a few more months. 

Maybe "Little Bobby" and I have more in common than I think...

Moments of Insanity

(Before I begin my blog post I wanted to say that I had TWO MORE ADOPTIONS last night!!! I've already had three adoptions in total and am not even 100% up and running yet. I guess if cats are vetted, adoptions agreements are printed and the bank account is open, that's good enough for right now. But I'm just too excited!)

On to the blog post:

I suppose like everybody else during the holiday season, I keep having periodic moments of insanity. I tried to wrap Christmas presents today without locking the cats out of the room. What on earth made me think that I could wrap Christmas presents with 11 cats in the house? It took me more than an hour to wrap 6 presents! "Doodle" kept walking away with the bows, Ozzy kept laying across the wrapping paper, and "Parker" would shred the paper as I tried to fold it across the box!

The insanity part wasn't that I DIDN'T lock the cats out of the room, but the fact that I let them REMAIN even though I was going out of my mind! I guess it was just too much trouble to corral cats out of the area.

I keep listening to Christmas music while in the car and working around the house, which is leaving me in a constant state of sadness for the cats at the shelter. How insane is THAT? So now I'm not listening to Christmas music just to save my sanity. Try listening to Elvis singing "Silent Night" and you'll know what I mean.

To add to the insanity, I'm rescuing The World's Saddest Looking Kitten (TWSLK) tomorrow. I saw this guy at the shelter yesterday and wanted to cry. He's about 6 weeks old and quite sick. He came into the shelter starving, dehyrated, his bum completely raw from God-knows-what and shivering from the cold. Bless his little heart. The shelter gave him some medical care when he first came in so I'm praying that his future medical care will be minimal. I'm so thankful for Wendy who is going to take this sad little waif. (I'm guessing she had a moment of Holiday Insanity too!) Pictures coming tomorrow.

Our broken legged boy "Stoney" has come through his surgery with flying colours this afternoon. The vet said he's going to be in quite a bit of pain, but will keep him on pain meds. I'm just glad it's over and am anxious for this guy to be on the road to recovery.

Even this blog post seems a bit insane. I'm all over the place. I suppose this is as good a time as any to include the Paypal donation button as promised:

Please Note: I've been asked to put a Paypal donation button on this blog post. Please don't be offended - no pressure to donate!! But there are several people who would like to donate via Paypal and when I figure out how to put it in the sidebar, I'll do it! In the meantime, here it is. Thank you so much!

"THE" First Adoption!

I'm pretty excited this afternoon! I'm pleased to report that Forever Home Cat Rescue has had it's FIRST ADOPTION!!!   Little Lloyd has been adopted and is being loved and kissed as I type:

I felt like taking a picture of the cheque, but that was too tacky even for me.  :)

It was another day of running around - picking up cats, delivering cats, and saving cats.  One guy in particular is going to be VERY lucky - "Pringles" is going to a forever home tonight.  An awesome young woman is adopting him sight unseen!



Time to start dinner....it's going to be a busy evening!  I just had ANOTHER adoption phone call!

"Tidbits"

There's so many little tidbits I wanted to share today!  Where to start?

The x-rays came back on Stoney and it looks like he's going to need major orthopedic surgery on his foot. I haven't alerted Stoney's foster Mom yet, so I'm sure she'll be surprised when she reads this!  Argh! 

I rescued a Lynx Point Ragdoll recently that is very very sick.  I'm praying it's not Fatty Liver.  Sophie is such a sweet girl and is with an awesome foster Mom - if anybody can pull her through, it'll be Julie.

Looks like I'm jumping into my rescue with both feet and treading water!  It's ok.  Sick cats are part of rescue.  So few rescues are truly financially stable, but I had hoped that I could go a few frickin' weeks without some major crisis that didn't strip the ol' bank account.  Oh well - it's money well spent.

On a happy note, I met an adopter at the shelter today.  She was a lovely person that happily fell in love with "Gill":

I received the following cute email from her shortly after Gill's rescue: (Note: The adopter works from home)

"Gil is settling in nicely – I do have him separated from my dogs and cat but he doesn’t seem the least bit unnerved when he hears the barking upstairs or the whining at the door to get in. However, his typing skills are somewhat lacking and although he tries desperately to help I’m afraid I had to set him to guarding the filing cabinet – which he fell asleep in so he isn’t much of a guard either! Thanx for your patience and keep up the good work!"

Looks like things are going to be great for Gill, my stubby tailed boy! 

I also rescued "Stanley" the Himalayan today and a very cute little guy named "Jethro":

Don't let that sweet face fool you - I think there are horns behind those ears!  He's a rowdy little thing that will certainly be climbing the curtains in his new foster home.  Be good, Jethro!

Speaking of foster homes....Forever Home Cat Rescue officially has THIRTEEN new foster homes!  It's very exciting and keeps me in a constant state of renewed enthusiasm.  :)

Remember this little guy?

That was little "Rusty" whom I rescued last month.  His new Mom sent me the following "After" picture:

As you can see, he's been horribly abused in his new home.  (*wink*!)  I do wonder what Rusty thinks of the pink collar!!  LOL!  Regardless, he looks like a spoiled, happy little man, doesn't he?

It was a busy, busy day for me and tomorrow doesn't seem that much more quiet.  I guess it's just the season.  My daughter arrives from California on Thursday for a long weekend - so much to do! 

Think good thoughts for Sophie and Stoney, please.  They're in good, loving, capable hands.  But I still worry :) 

Christmas Roulette

I'm happy to report that I rescued the little Dilute Tortie today, along with "Evie" a darling little Tortie kitten!  Many hugs and thank you's to Forever Home Cat Rescue's newest foster parents.  We're now up to ELEVEN new foster homes!

Like many of us, I listen to holiday music and sometimes it feels comforting - filled with childhood memories -  and other times it leaves me feeling angry for the little ones in the shelter who will have no Christmas this year other than a plop of canned Friskies in a tin bowl in a steel cage.  When I went into the shelter this morning to rescue the two cats, I was hurt and angry by the empty cages from this morning's Euthanasia Day.  

One of my blog readers sent me a powerful poem yesterday that she wrote in tribute to this blog.  I hope that you cut and paste it and pass it along.  It speaks volumes for ALL the animals at shelters everywhere:


Christmas Roulette

By:  Kristen J.

Red and green stringed beads,
Deafen ears once alert
For the true souls in need.

Wide eyed and sweet,
Once just a kitten at play,
Has worn out his welcome
and can no longer stay.

Family time is coming;
Turkey, stockings and snow.
Too many guests in the house,
He will be the one to go.

Kids have lost interest,
A new dog is in store!
The reasons are endless,
He matters not anymore.

The entity of convenience;
A commitment on sale.
To Kijiji a loved one,
Once they become stale.

In the crate he goes,
A tearful goodbye even made.
The memories are many,
But too quickly do they fade.

“Don't worry” promises mom
“He'll get a good home soon”.
But he is left at the shelter,
Heat is low, darkness looms.

The family is in bliss,
“A good home” they had said.
And still he sits at the shelter,
crouched on a newspaper bed.

In fear and terror he sits,
The cage so cold and black,
He watches the door intently,
Sure his family will come back.

Green eyes once so bright
have dulled with passing days.
With confusion setting in,
Ever vigilant, he still waits.

With empty promises of lies
the family has eased the load.
But no happy home awaits,
No fork at this end of the road.

He bears no ill-thoughts
No anger or blind rage.
He just wants to understand
The events leading to this cage.

With but one simple thought,
A loved companion so easily goes,
Blind illusions ease the guilt,
And dim the lights on death row.

A new kitten for Christmas
marks where this tale started.
But home for Christmas turned
him to the House of the Discarded.

A Full Shelter and an Urgent Plea

If I didn't know better, I'd say it was Summer.  The shelter is full.  TOO full for a winter month.  I always forget that December is a big month for dumping cats.  People are traveling and want to abandoned the cats at the shelter before they go.  It's the same way in June.  Also the people who have been feeding and playing with kittens that were born outside in the summer are now bringing in 6 and 7 month old kittens because it's getting cold. 

Tomorrow is a euthanasia day at the shelter and it's REALLY grim over there.  The shelter is very very full.

I was at the shelter today with my friend Julie to rescue "Sophie":

Poor Sophie had such a bad shelter cold - no doubt they would euthanize her tomorrow morning.  With some TLC and antibiotics, she'll be fine.  Thank you Julie for saving her....and thank you *everybody* for donation so I could afford to rescue a sick girl!

While I was at the shelter I fell in love.  (Yes, AGAIN!)  But wait until you see the following two videos.  You'll be in love too:



Of course, I had to get her out of the cage and kiss her! (P.S. She LOVES other cats and was grooming another cat she just met!)


Please consider this an urgent plea.  I *think* her name is "Keeba" on the shelter website.  She's a Dilute Tortie about 1-2 years old. 

Please help her.  I don't know if she'll make it through the vet day tomorrow.

Getting the Pre-Christmas "Sappies"

I loaned my car to my younger son for the day so had an opportunity to walk into town to run some errands on foot.  The cold air was perfect and I felt so festive as I trudged in and out of the boutique shops in my neighbourhood and stopped at the local coffee shop for a coffee and a scone.  I felt completely peaceful and content to be out and about and suddenly grateful that I started my Christmas shopping early.  The older I get the more I hate crowds and the malls.  I'm willing to pay more to stay out of them or shop early and hope for the best. Being at home by the fire, working on the text for the Forever Home website felt simply perfect. I was interrupted periodically by a curious tabby wanting to see what I was doing.

Yesterday, I received the news that my youngest son found an apartment and was moving out on December 17th.  It was a move we had expected, but were hoping he'd wait until January 1st.  I suppose when I was 19 years old, I could hardly wait to get away from my lame family and be independent (until I needed tuition money.)  We're certain it'll be the same for him too.   

Needless to say, I'm feeling a little sentimental tonight as I type this blog post. 

I received a GREAT "after" picture of Sheldon: (Remember this little waif?)

Look what love can do!!!! Isn't he a poster-child for handsome black kittens?

So as not to be a complete downer today, I had forgotten that I took the following video yesterday after "Stoney" arrived.   I was standing on the stairs below the landing when I took this video.  I hope it makes you smile:
 


How could anybody say that cats are boring?  :)

Fa-la-la-la-la-laaaaa....la-la-la-la!

An Update on Stoney

Until today, Stoney (our broken legged orange and white wonder boy) has been at the vets.  Dr. S decided to try "one more thing" before putting the pins and plates in Stoney's foot.  He sedated Stoney, set his broken bones, and put a cast on his leg.  In one week, he'll take an x-ray.  If the foot remains stable, Stoney won't need surgery.  If the bones move, it's "game on" for surgery.

I'm not holding my breath about the chances of non-surgery.  I'm just not that fortunate.  Regardless of the outcome, Stoney doesn't know he's my Million Dollar Man and seems quite content in my washroom until his foster Mom can take over this evening:


As I'm typing this blog post my son just called down to me: "MOM!!!!  Stoney is rolling around in his litterbox and is COVERED in poop and pee."  Honestly?  I'm afraid to go upstairs and look.  I can't deliver the guy to his foster Mom covered in poop and pee, but I'm sitting here hoping the "Poop and Pee Fairy" will come along and clean him up. 

Please don't tell me there's no such thing as the "Poop and Pee Fairy".... I think he's related to the "Barf Fairy" and somebody barfed up a big hairball in the basement and I'm hoping the Fairies will make it a 2 for 1 bargain.

Abracadabra!!!....

"Delilah"

I don't believe in coincidences.  There's nothing better when "accidents" turn into an extraordinary turn of events.
When I received an email from "Jakob" he indicated that he would like to adopt an easy going cat for his busy family with two younger children.  Toddlers are a daunting problem for most cats, so finding the right fit for a cat matchmaker like me can be difficult. 

I sent Jakob a few pictures including a video of the shelter, so he knows the plight of the animals and where the cat is coming from.  I guess in my haste, I ended up sending him the wrong video.  It wasn't a video of the shelter, but a video I recently posted with an unknown black cat that I gave a new donated "blankie".


Jakob said he watched the video with his 4 year old daughter who immediately became enamoured with "Delilah".  In fact, his wife said she LOVES black cats.  Everybody fell in love with Delilah.  But the question for me would be:  "Was Delilah a good family cat?"

I went to the shelter this morning and picked up Delilah.  She purr'd in my arms while Kim and I set her down on the floor.  She immediately flopped over for belly rubs while I roughly (like a Toddler might) rubbed her belly and gently pulled her tail.  She didn't care....she wanted love and more of it!

Delilah was PERFECT!

Feeling a bit like Santa, I delivered my little black package into the city this afternoon and Jakob was thrilled with Delilah.  She made herself right at home and mew'd at his feet when we walked into the kitchen.  She knew that's a good spot for cats to eat!  She happily trotted around the house and came back to rub against Jakob's legs.  She disappeared upstairs to sniff around, so I figured it was my time to leave before rush-hour traffic.  What happened next still gives me goosebumps:

I put on my jacket and shook Jakob's hand.  I gently called out,  "Bye Delilah...be a good girl!"  On those words, Delilah came bolting downstairs and slid into my legs.  She rubbed and rubbed against my legs as I patted her.  Then she stopped and looked up into my eyes.  She didn't just "look up".  She looked DEEP into my eyes and I felt the "thank you".  I haven't felt that deep communication from a cat in a long time and I could feel my eyes well with tears. 

Everything would be OK for Delilah.  I could feel it.  It wasn't a coincidence that this little scrawny black cat with missing patches of hair found a home.  It was nothing short of a miracle.  Ask Delilah.  :)

The Heart Knows What it Wants

"Now I've gone and dun it."   I've rescued the world's cutest orange and white guy with a very broken foot:

"Stoney" is only 4-5 months old and completely darling.  His poor little paw was swollen and he came into the shelter walking on 3 legs.  Poor baby was severely dehydrated, so he must've been "out there" for a while. 

So I let my heart rule and took a kitten that needs x-rays and treatment.  I couldn't let him sit there in pain when I HAVE an available foster home.  Argh.  Most rescues will wait to rescue a guy like this when they actually *HAVE* money.   But I've always lived my life like this;  When all my friends were waiting until they had money to start a family, I got pregnant on my honeymoon and figured it all out later.  Did it work?  YES!

Update from the vet, Friday 5:30 pm:  ALL of Stoney's toes are broken.  He's going to require surgery and plates will have to be put in to stabilize his feet.  Good Lord.  :(  

I found this little comic on Facebook this morning....thought I'd share:

I'm hopeful that the weekend will be uneventful. I spent much of last weekend doing rescue and was way too busy this week. I know of one special husband that needs some "marital bonding" (Not "Bondage"!!) and I'm hopeful for some Christmas shopping, dinner and a movie and time next to the fireplace...

I can only hope that it's so quiet :)

Meeting and Greeting

I love meeting new people!  I had been working with Brandon over the past 6 years on several websites and had never met him.  He unselfishly donates his time to the cats and is designing the Forever Home Cat Rescue website for me.  FINALLY....I met him today and was able to add lots of kisses to Brandon's own two spoiled cats.  Children of the world should have half as many toys as Brandon's cats!  It's so nice to see cats that are loved like these two.  Ahh...if they could ALL be loved like that. 

My new website officially has a "Coming Soon" on it:  Forever Home Cat Rescue 

I had a "date" this afternoon to meet a single man in his early 40's looking to adopt a cat.  He didn't care what the cat looked like - he just wanted to rescue somebody that needed him.  I felt like a seasoned Cat Yenta.  But there was no doubt when Dan saw "Nadia" he wanted her and the feeling was mutual.  Nadia had been at the shelter the longest.  She was exhibiting signs of distress and depression.  Adoption couldn't have come at a better time for Nadia.

I called Dan this evening to see how Nadia was doing and I heard him chuckle.  He said, "Beth, you'd never know that Nadia didn't live here her whole life.  She's asleep in my lap right now.  The only time she's left my side was to use her litterbox.  She's the perfect cat for me!"   (Insert happy dance!)

I also rescued little "Paisley" the firecracker tabby baby I featured yesterday.  (Pictures coming tomorrow)  She's quite a little character and I'm wondering if the name "Paisley" is too prissy for this goofy girl. 

It's almost 8 pm and I'm exhausted.  I didn't realize how much time I had spent in the car until I cleaned out 3 Tim Horton's empty coffee cups, an empty muffin wrapper, an empty McDonald's Filet O'Fish box and an warm Diet Coke.  I need some nutrition...badly.  Maybe tomorrow...(or not)

Jump On the Rescue Emotional Rollercoaster With Me!

Jump on the "Rescue Emotional Rollercoaster" with me!  It has been one of those days where I was either high as a kite from good news, or pounding my fist on my desk with the bad. 

I was incredibly sad to find that a cat that was to be rescued TODAY was killed yesterday.  "Bryce" was very much wanted by a foster home and a rescue:

He had spent so much time at the shelter to only die there.  There was nothing wrong with Bryce - only that his time was up and he was supposed to die.  Couldn't they have kept him one more fucking day?   I couldn't help but cry for him this afternoon.  "I'm so sorry, Bryce..."

I met an active senior couple at the shelter this afternon.  What a delightful pair they are!  They drove 90 minutes to meet and adopt my buddy "Ozwald":

Ozwald had spent almost 3 hard months at this shelter.  He was completely in love with this couple and I think the feeling was mutual.  It was wonderful to watch them leave with him.  He's going to be spoiled rotten...I can just tell!

Speaking of being "in love"....:



Little Paisley has some pretty bad diarrhea - probably parasites. But she needs a foster home - soon!!

UPDATE on Wednesday 8:42 pm:  PAISLEY HAS A FOSTER HOME!  I'm picking her up tomorrow morning!  Thank you, Wendy!

I received a package in the mail today that I was THRILLED to receive! A really sweet lady had knitted a bunch of squares for the cats at the shelter to lay on. It's so sad that the majority of the cats sit on a single sheet of newspaper:


I wasn't kidding when I said it was a "Rescue Emotional Rollercoaster" today.  I cried when I received those lovingly knitted cat beds just as hard as I cried when I heard Bryce was killed so needlessly. 

What a day.  What a sad, happy, crazy, day.