Month: August 2008

Cat Person in Big Dog World

So I am a cat person. I confess, I confess. And to me dogs can be good and less good. Our dog wavers between the two sometimes depending on if it’s tolerating the cat or not. See, I really like that Dakota is potty trained, listens pretty well (unless she chooses not to), and has not made it a constant habit of chasing Cheddar. These are good redeeming qualities. But this cat person is still alarmed by the sheer volume of our dog, the puppy-impulsivity, the big slobbery tongue that always seems to migrate toward your face, and a few other typical dog things. Are these things atypical of a dog? Heavens no. But for a cat person they take a little getting used to. But I think Dakota will soon learn that her best friend is Matt and her other caregiver is me. Don’t get me wrong, people, I really care about this dog. I’ll stand in that backyard and watch the dog pee because she whines when I leave her out there first thing in the morning. I’ll do the work, the whatever it take. But deep inside of me I have and will always be a cat person. And my husband? a dog person. So now our family is pet complete. =)

Regardless of my stance on dogs and cats, though, you can’t help but agree that we did get a really cute dog. And she really does have her shining moments (like right now as she calmly lays at my feet). New things we are trying to teach her: “settle” – not to be psycho in the house (we’re actually limiting chasing games and rough-housing to the backyard because we don’t want any confusion when baby comes), “sit” and “lay” – how to listen to us say them and then do them, “stay” – she really has a tough time with this one, and in general the lay of the land when it comes to this home. So far she’s not doing too bad. Some moments are better than others for me and her alike. And when it comes down to it, I have to remember that Cheddar as a kitten used to pee and poop in unwanted areas, attack the dishes at night, refuse to be touched, howl at the door and head-butt it, and other less than desirable things. But look at how far he’s come. That’s hope for Dakota right there.

Cheddar’s good when he’s at eye level, but the floor’s a different world

a favorite position

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Niagara Falls

Vacation was wonderful. The falls were beautiful. Time away was marvelous.
There are so many pictures and stories, but I’ll just do my best to sum it up quickly and nicely.
Matt and I went on our surprise Thursday night to Beauty and the Beast ( a dinner theatre) and had a wonderful time. We sang our favorite songs for the remainder of the weekend.
Friday I got off work earlier than expected and we were on the road by 11am. We got to Erie Pennsylvania by about 5pm, went swimming, ordered in Chinese Food (a tradition), and conked out. Saturday morning we headed to the Falls, went on a 5 hour tour of the Falls (complete with seeing some of the original rafts created by those who attempted to go over the falls), grabbed gyros and conked out. Sunday Matt and I recovered from the busy day before (primarily me), revisited some falls parts, found an Applebees (huge victory for we who were tired of tourist food), saw the Falls lit up and some fireworks, and conked out. Monday we made the treck home while leaving the best for last… crab legs at Red Lobster to celebrate our 1 yr anniversary.

Some vacation quirks and perks are the following:

  • passing a car where the driver’s foot was hanging out the driver side window (decreases confidence)

  • Hollering random Greek words (mainly “Bleppo“) during vacation – Matt had studying to do for an exam and I was “helping” by defining many vacation experiences by the three Greek words I know. And you know what? Not a single experience did I have trouble labeling a Greek word. I’m that good.
  • foreign guy who knew as many English words as I know Greek offering to take our picture and then standing uncomfortably close to the falls and moving around a lot. You should see the picture, Matt and I look a bit intense and decided soon after not to let anyone else take our pictures.

  • and many more that I will have to share at another time.

And last but not least… more pictures.


american bridal falls

lit up falls

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Fight or FIGHT

She paced around the backseat, restless from the middle of the drive. And then I looked in the rear-view mirror. And her ear and half of her face were pressed into Matt’s cheek as Matt held her in a bear hug. She stayed there for five minutes and stopped whining. – Instant buddies.-

“Let me go in first, ” we strategized, “and that way the first meeting isn’t a husky running through the front door.” I crept in to find my feline, purring and rubbing my legs.
“Oh buddy… how you’re going to be horrified.”
After a trip to the potty, I went back out to retrieve my husband and Dakota. Matt had found a neighbor to chat with and handed off Dakota to me. Since I consider myself to be of sound mind in most occasions, I decided to wait for the expertise of my husband before attempting the first meeting. With expectation of a hissing brawl followed by taring through the house and a dive under the box-spring, in we went. Matt had Dakota outside and I went inside first to find Cheddar wandering in the back of the house. With the normal routine of petting, he ran alongside of me as I walked from our room. “Buddy… you may want to go slower.” He ran under the table for a second, doing the regular rounds, as I stepped outside. Then we all came in. And when Cheddar caught sight of Dakota the hair began to rise, the back hunched high, and the pupils got HUGE. He wouldn’t take his eyes off of her as she pranced about the house on the leash. When she left the room with Matt, Cheddar followed, occasionally returning to me for reassurance through petting. But that brave little booger just kept right on following her down the hallway. But once we got to the hallway and she got too close…. HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.
From then on, Cheddar backed himself into places (like under the table) and hissed at Dakota (which she interpreted as playing and bounced about) and Cheddar lunged at the dog 3 times his size. Flight was never an option in Cheddar’s book. It was fight or FIGHT!

So now, nearing Monica’s bedtime, Dakota finds herself “in bed” (her crate) and Cheddar is laying 3 feet away from her… in plain view…. just watching. With preparation to hunch up, hiss, and attack with little provoking.

Well, thus far no bloodshed. Now all we have to do is teach Cheddar not to lunge at Dakota and Dakota not to view Cheddar as a cheese-it. But as for today’s work… Cheddar remains loving towards Matt and I. And Dakota hasn’t outright attacked my kitty, so I’d consider it a success thus far.

We’ll see about tomorrow…

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Traveling Home

I can claim to be a cross-country, out of state (for 1 semester), out of city, out of town, and across the parking lot mover. And despite the fact that I’ve only moved a handful or so times, I have learned a few things about moving. #1. Home feels funny for a while. #2. Some friends trickle off. #3. Eventually “normal” catches back up. And #4. Moving is always done best with someone else as opposed to all alone.

I mention this now because normal is beginning to reform again in my life. Or in other words, Matt’s words, “It’s funny how quickly we adapt. Our apartment living seems so far away now even though we have only lived in the house for a month and a half.” When the word “home” is said, where do you think of? I think of the walk down our hallway (the direct center of our house). The feeling of the carpet on dirty bare feet. The sound of the AC and the water heater’s random outbursts. And I think of the kitty running beside you, reminding you of his level of starvation. The husband, waiting at the end of the hallway or in the office.

It’s that home that you look for after moving. It’s that home that you yearn for at the completion of vacation. It’s that home that you want at the end of the workday. It’s that home that I find myself randomly missing as the work day drags on. That space of “away.” That space of warmth and complete love for the weak and strong in you. It’s that home that we hope to bring this baby to. And soon, that this puppy will completely rearrange for a few weeks or so. It’s that home that Matt and I had a long conversation on the drive home about sharing with others. It’s that home. It could be anywhere.

But it’s home.

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A Feast Attender

After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life. But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, Jesus’ brothers said to him, “You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” For even his own brothers did not believe in him. Therefore Jesus told them, “The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come.” Having said this, he stayed in Galilee. – John 7 : 1-9

I’ve been reading John lately in my quiet times. I enjoy a good bowl of cereal and John. John’s theme regards the Deity of Christ. The all-knowing, fully God and fully man Christ. Prior to this passage Jesus had just fed the multitude the fish and loaves and explained his Deity and salvation to a Jewish leadership population who did not understand. These same Jewish leaders were seeking to kill Jesus due to his claiming of Deity.

As I read this passage, I wondered what Jesus was saying through the statement, “The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil.” All I could think was the following: Jesus’ brothers spoke in words of disbelief. Therefore, disbelief is not a threat to disbelief. But Jesus was such a threat because he made the defined line. Right and wrong. And those who stood on the wrong side stood with arrogance and frustration that they were “of Moses” despite the fact that “of Moses” failed to exist. Christ stated earlier in John that Moses condemned, but He came to save. See, the Law defines that all can’t live up to it;s standard. Who has never hated another? Who has never kept from disrespecting their parents? Who has ever chosen their own good over another’s? Yet Christ came preaching the Truth of that Law. And since it was not seen that the Law was a division, the division was attributed to Christ as well. Jesus came with a sword. But He didn’t just leave with a sword, He left with availability, a torn veil, an open communication line.

Beyond those Truths, I wondered if the world would see me more as a threat because I live my life with clear definition of right and wrong… or if I could merely “go to the Feast” and blend in. Am I threat to the world? Or am I merely a product of a culture? Because no matter if you’re “of Christ” or outside of Christ, it can be seen that Christ came not as a peacekeeper, but instead created a line of division that the world has been struggling with since his first coming. After all, aren’t we supposed to be Christ-like in our behaviors? For what is Christianity without Christ?

– what do you think? –

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