I can hardly believe that five years have past since I lost my Athena...

Even with all my other pets, I still miss Athena. She and I shared a special bond that existed as soon as we met,,,

My former wife and I had signed up as a foster family with a cat rescue operation, and it wasn't long before we got a call from them letting us know that a small family of three kittens had been rescued from a barn in Oxnard, and were in need of a foster family.

We drove over to pick up the three kittens, and when we got there the rescue people told us a little about each kitten from what they had observed so far. "The black and white one is a fighter!" We ended up naming him Rocky. "The gray one is very shy." We named her Misty. The tortie is the clear leader. The other two act as if she is their mother."

A few months later, when the three kittens were old enough for adoption, we took them to a local pet store where they held the adoptions on every Saturday. By then I had become very attached to Athena, and apparently my wife knew this because she surprised me by adopting her before I got to the store that morning.

But, the other two kittens were adopted within a couple of weeks, and that left Athena without her brother and sister to care for, but not for long...

Soon Ebby came along. A stray being chased by a big white dog, we took her in with the intent to take her for adoption. It didn't work out that way. Athena had adopted her first.

Right up until Athena died, she and Ebby were inseparable. It was very clear Athena loved Ebby by the way she treated her. She obviously cared for Ebby as she did for her own siblings. I remember one afternoon I came home from work to find Athena quite distressed. She kept crying, and she would pace back and forth right in front of me. If I tried to walk anywhere, Athena would get right in front of me as if she were intentionally trying to block me.

It didn't take me long to realize something was wrong, (I am quick like that,) and at once it dawned on me that Ebby wasn't anywhere nearby. I quickly understood Athena was upset because her beloved Ebby was missing. Thinking she might be trapped in a room in the house, I started walking through the house while calling for Ebby, but then I realized that Athena could only be this upset if she couldn't find Ebby herself, so I went outside to look for Ebby.

Once outside I heard Athena cry again. I looked back, and there she was sitting in the window watching me look for her daughter. I called Ebby's name,and before long Ebby came running. (She has always been real good about coming when you call her. Even when she doesn't want to get caught, she will come when called.) Finding Ebby was the only cure for Athena's distress.

After Athena died, Ebby became very grumpy. She was already a grump, but she got worse without her adoptive mother, and to this day has not bonded with any of the other animals in the house. Thalia tried when she was a kitten, and for a while it looked as if she might succeed, but now all she gets for her trouble is a swipe and a hiss.

I have only a hand full of pictures of Athena because I had only just bought a digital camera several months before she died. I was certain we would have a long life together.

Mama always wanted to go exploring outside, but I would never let her because I knew it was too dangerous. She was a great escape artist, (just like Thalia is now,) and found her way out a few times, but Mariah would either corner her in the backyard so she couldn't go any further, or alert us that one of the cats had gotten out, initiating a search.

Athena had become proficient at opening the back sliding door with her paw, and then used her body to open it enough so she could get out. I saw her do it once, and warned everyone in our household to be SURE they closed that sliding glass door whenever they used it so she wouldn't get out. (We used it a lot because it was the only passage to our laundry room.)

When I went into the hospital for surgery, someone left the door open just enough to where Athena could get her paw in and push it open. My wife searched for her, but couldn't find her. The next day she found her dead, lying peacefully under a bush as if she had gone to sleep right there. I guess if she had to die, I am glad it was outdoors where she longed to be. But even now, it's hard to think about because I loved her very much.

Don't forget the Friday Ark at The Modulator for all sorts of critters, and the Carnival of the Cats this Sunday

Hopefully I will be able to afford a place with a small yard. I will still have my step-son's dog, Mariah, and she is too large to let indoors so that is one reason for a yard. The other reason, albeit not as necessary, is that Ebby enjoys exploring the great outdoors. Ebby spent her first year or so on the streets before she came to live with us back in 2002, and since she knows how to handle herself, and because she never ventures further than my front yard, I let her outside for a little while whenever I am at home.

Unfortunately for the local wildlife, at least that wildlife that wanders into my yard, Ebby is a natural huntress, and she specializes in lizards. I have seen more than one roughed up lizard scampering about without his tail out on the front porch, and I am certain a few have even lost their lives to my precious Ebby. However, I have learned that Ebby starts to yowl when she is closing in on her prey, so I have been able to save a few lives every now and again.

This morning I was presented with just such an opportunity. Ebby was making noises on the front porch, and that alerted Jackie and Angel, who of course started barking. I realized at once that they were barking at Ebby, and I had a good idea why, so I went to the front door and looked out on the porch, and sure enough there was Ebby with some small creature cornered between the wall and a potted plant.

I grabbed Ebby and brought her inside, and then went back out onto the porch to see if the little critter was in need of any medical assistance. This is what I found....

...a baby lizard cowering behind a potted plant. He tried to get away from me, too, but ran right into the remnants of an old spiderweb. You can see how small he is in comparison to my hand, so you can imagine how tangled up a little guy like this could get in a sticky spiderweb!

I gently pulled him free, but immediately saw that his tail was already snapped off. As a young boy I caught enough lizards of my own to know that one of their few defenses against predators is their break-away tail. If you try to catch a lizard by grabbing onto his tail it will just break off in your fingers, and will give the lizard a chance to get away while you stare at the writhing tail in your hand.

After I cleaned off all of the web and debris from my new little friend, I let him know that the price for saving his life and cleaning him up was that he would have to let me take a few pictures of him. He gladly posed for them, and when we finished I returned him to a prime piece of the garden out front. He also got a stern lecture on why he needs to keep himself hidden until he gets a little bigger, but we'll see if he took that admonishment to heart or not.

Want more great pictures of pets or animals? Then head on over to the Friday Ark at The Modulator.

Electrical storms are right up there among my absolute favorite things in this world, and a little later when my bedroom briefly lit up with a great bluish-white light, and then moments after that a sharp "CRACK-BOOM" echoed across the sky, I knew I wouldn't sleep again until either the storm passed, or morning broke. Such storms are a rarity around here, so I have to take them as they come.

Papa, however, doesn't share my enthusiasm for nature's light and sound show, and when he saw the flash through the window I guess he decided whomever was out there shining their light in at us needed to be reminded of what time of the morning it was, and so he started sounding off with his usual warning. When the thunder from that first strike finally caught up with us, the noise hardly made a difference to Papa. He wasn't about to take any lip from that silly light, and so he barked even more urgently, determined I imagine to show this prankster just who is the boss.

As the lightning and thunder continued in the distance, I was able to calm Angel down rather quickly, and while Jacqueline had done some barking herself, hers was more of a supportive voice for her brother more than anything else, so once Papa stopped barking at every little noise, so did sister Jackie.

As I became more lucid I realized this was an unusually powerful electrical storm. The lightning was approaching, as proven by the tried and true counting of seconds between the flash and boom. As that count decreased, the intensity of the lightning and thunder dramatically increased. The flash of some of the closer strikes was incredibly bright, and the blast from the shock wave as the air was literally ripped apart was strong enough to send vibrations I could feel even though I was in bed.

I knew I was fully awake when I thought of what might happen to my precious electronics should just one well placed strike hit the power lines out back. The storm had arrived, and the strikes were coming a lot more frequently. Quick as a flash I sprung from my bed and made my way through the hall towards the living room as the lightning struck again and again, and the thunder violently cracked and reverberated against the mountains. I turned off my computer, and pulled the plug of the surge protector. I also unplugged the surge protectors for the television and the Official Angel and Jacqueline Webcam. However, I guess without the security of me being in the room with him set Papa off again, and he began barking after each strike, so I hurried back down the hall so I could calm him down all over again.

As I made my way back it dawned on me that Angel's barks weren't all that loud, and in fact sounded somewhat muffled. When I got back to the room I immediately discovered why...

Of course I didn't take this picture of Angel last night, but it illustrates quite well what I found when I got back to my room... Papa under the covers, barking at that mean old prankster with the light and the noise.

And what of Jackie, my sweet little eight pounds of little girl doggie? The baby of the family who is nearly two and a half years younger than her big brother Angel?

As with the previous picture, this one wasn't taken during the storm, but it is quite representative of Jackie's state of mind during the whole affair. She primarily primped and preened while her brother occasionally lost his mind, and her daddy went on and on about how "cool" the storm was. She probably wondered if Angel and I had ever even seen an electrical storm before.

Want more great pictures of pets or animals? Then head on over to the Friday Ark at The Modulator.

For instance, Athena knew when to expect me home after work, and would invariably be right at the door when I opened it after a long day's work. Each day I came home and opened the front door to her little furry face down at the bottom of the doorway, looking up at me and crying her welcome home. As I made my way through the house to my bedroom so I could change into something more comfortable, Athena was right there trailing me and crying loudly trying with all her might to get my attention.

Thalia does the same exact thing. Everyday I come home I am greeted by Thali's little face in the doorway, looking up at me and giving me a little welcoming cry. As I walk down the hall to my room, she is hot on my heels alternately crying and purring. When I reach my room and toss my belongings on the bed, Thalia is already in the way trying to force me to pay her some attention, and let her jump up on my shoulders.

There are many similarities between Athena and Thalia, from their almost identical cries, to their need for my attention, and even in their long bodies and long tails which give them both great speed and fantastic balance.

For instance, check out this picture of Athena as she navigates my turtle Charlotte's tank...

I understand that cats generally are possessed of the same natural ability to paw their way across the narrowest branches, and climb the trickiest obstacles, but as in all parts of the animal world some are better at it than others. Athena and Thalia, if I can set aside all humility for a moment, was and are respectively among the very best.

But, even the best mess up once in a while...

Want more great pictures of pets or animals? Then head on over to the Friday Ark at The Modulator.

Here's the house...

My grandparent's lived there until 1972, and that was the last time I had seen the place until my former wife and I drove out to Azusa on a Saturday afternoon in 2004 for a visit with my memories. Like I said last year, it was an amazing experience for me. Even this small depression in the cement caused a cascade of memories to come flooding back to me. Here on this very patch of cement my cousins and I rode our skateboards, and my brother, sister and I got to light fireworks on the Forth of July under the supervision of my dad, and granddad.

I spent many a lazy summer day on the front porch sipping iced-tea, and watching the world go by

Recently I was able to take an even more vivid trip down memory lane. Back in the late 1950's, and throughout the 1960's, my grandparents on both sides made use of the best video technology of their day; Super-8 film.

My parents are now the custodians of these films, and they finally decided to have the films transfered to DVDs. So far there are three DVDs with an approximate running time of 90 minutes each. Each original reel ran somewhere between three to four minutes, and a few had been spliced together years ago to make a longer reel that comes in somewhere between ten and fifteen minutes. If you do a little math you can figure out that it takes about twenty-five reels to fill one DVD. The films might be just a few moments stolen out of Thanksgiving 1967, or my cousin's first Christmas, or my own sixth birthday, but I can't tell you how many memories they call forward from the deepest vaults of my mind.

Back when I was a kid, whenever I visited with my grandma and grandpa Meeder, I would beg my granddad Ted to break out the projector and run a few reels for me. Most often he would do just that, and I became quite familiar with the subject matter of each reel. I can even recall the short synopsis my grandmother had written on the outside of each box that held the reels. That is how important these old films are to me.

Now I am becoming not only reacquainted with these old films that haven't passed through a projector in years, but I have been asked to do some editing, so I am able to study the films in a little more detail. As I run parts of these films frame by frame looking for the perfect splicing point, I find myself searching the content of the background, and discovering, or rediscovering pieces of my own history. It might be something as common as a lamp that once lit my grandparent's home, or as significant as the 1964 Renault Caravelle my uncle owned, and that I had completely forgotten about, but every time I go through these films I find something precious.

These home movies are our family's treasures, and we have been having loads of fun watching them together, and filling in the blanks of each others memories as we discuss them. I am just thankful that we have so MANY films to go through, and that we did it before they were lost to us altogether.

First up is the great little reel-to-reel I found pushed all the way back on the bottom shelf in the electronics section of the thrift store. The poor little thing stared up at me forlornly with it's two big reels just begging me to take him home. I picked him up, plugged him in, and discovered he was DOA.

Even though I didn't get so much as a spark out of the little guy, I could sense he had some life left in him, so I bundled him up, paid the $15.00 asking price, and took him home. The first thing I usually do when I find an off-beat item like this is to see what Google has to say about it, so I plugged in "Wollensak 3M 5750", and found next to nothing. The most hits were returned from a site built by a guy who rescued a 5750 off of eBay. Also DOA, he restored his machine to it's former glory, and like me was surprised to discover the fantastic sound quality this baby packs!

It also folds up nice and compact for a groovy beach party, or sleepover.

By the way, I lucked out on my Wollensak. All that was wrong with mine was a stuck reset button. I un-stuck the button and have been in reel-to-reel aural heaven ever since.

I also dug up in a different thrift store a Hewlett Packard 4L laserjet printer for my office at work. I work for a small, family owned company, and often the budget is just as small. We have a nice fax/scanner/printer/copier up in the telephone/network closet, but I am lazy, and hated walking all the way up there from my office each time I needed to print a document, so I had been on the look out for a good printer for quite some time. The HP 4L is a great little printer, especially for the $12.00 I paid for it. It came with the toner cartridge in it, and all I needed to make it compatible with my desktop at work was a parallel-USB converter cable. Just like a modern plug-and-play printer, Windows XP found my printer, and had it printing a test page in mere moments.

When the former wife moved out she of course took her computer with her. We had bought a printer some time ago that she ended up using more often than I had, but when she moved out she left the printer behind. I called her up and asked her why she left it, and she said she thought it was mine, and never really gave it much more thought. I told her to pick it up the next time she came by because she always had used it more than I did, and besides, if I decided to get one for myself I would just pick one up at the thrift store.

Well, this past weekend that's exactly what I did...

When I saw this cutie stashed between a beat up old Cannon BJC-4400, and an Okidata Microline 300, it was love at first sight. The Hewlett Packard 1320 is a fantastic Laserjet printer that retailed around $400.00 before it was discontinued. I rescued this beauty from the thrift store for $5.99! It came with the toner cartridge and a few sheets of paper. My desktop at home includes an ASUS P5GDC Deluxe which of course has a parallel port, so all I had to do was plug in and print!

When I picked up my new 1320 treasure in the back of the thrift store, and turned to head on up to the cashier's, I saw out of the corner of my eye a JVC HR-S3500U Super-VHS tape recorder/player in like-new condition! I couldn't believe my luck..

I have a ton of old family home movies, as well as TV shows etcetera that I copied on VHS that I have been dying to put on DVD for quite a few years. I trashed my own tape machine a several years ago after it ate a tape, and I discovered it would cost more to repair the damn thing than to buy another one. The trouble was, it's very difficult to find a decent VHS player/recorder any more, and whenever I have found one I would like to buy it turns out to be too expensive. I have sorted through hundreds of VHS machines at the thrift store looking for just the right one, but more often than not the pickin's were pretty slim, and I come up empty handed.

This puppy, however, is a great find as far as VHS goes. It's playback capabilities are more than adequate for my needs, and I will be putting in a lot of hours transferring my old tapes in the days to come.

And wouldn't it be nice to add a few creative touches to those videos, for instance, say, some nice titles and maybe even the addition of some background music or narrations? Well, with this little guy, I can....

The Video Studio 500, ladies and gentlemen. This may be the one time I paid too much for something I found at the thrift store. At $24.99, I thought it was probably a good find, and later when I looked for it on-line I discovered it had sold new for around $200.00 or so. However, a quick eBay search turned up a one for 99 cents, but I am still happy with it. Besides, I sure made up for it with all the rest of the cool stuff I bought.

Like I said earlier, the Hewlett Packard 4L printer ended up in my office at work, and most of the rest of the stuff I use at home. The Wollensak reel-to-reel, however, ended up in my office. It's a great conversational piece, and I have several nice tapes to play on it as well. It all helps the day go by a little faster.

I know that overall it's not a great picture, but my heart recognizes him in this picture, and that's what makes it great.

Want more great pictures of pets like Papa Then head on over to the Friday Ark at The Modulator.

Before...

After...

Papa and Jackie got in trouble the other afternoon and had a time out on their pillow. The time out turned into a nap after about five minutes.

A little later Jackie wanted to play with her toy bone. But of course daddy just wanted to take some boring old pictures.

Angel sometimes thinks his pillow is a blanket...

Other times he thinks his pillow is, well, a pillow.

Through it all, though, Thalia just sits and watches the show.

I like getting down to pet level. I feel comfortable there, and even loved. After a day at the salt mines, where everyone seems more interested in pushing each others buttons, and finding new and exotic ways of getting out of work rather than doing the job they were hired for, coming home to the zoo is quite relaxing.

Of course don't forget the Friday Ark over at The Modulator. Talk about critters!

Yup... that's Papa. He's all shaggy again, and is need of a trip to the groomer, but I am lazy, and he hates going, so we just laze about all day on the weekends and watch movies. And who do you think loves to watch those movies with us?

Yup... Jackie. She likes movies, but she LOVES chew toys. Kinda like doggie popcorn at the theater I imagine.

Angel likes his chew toys as well, and here he is attacking one with great vigor.

It is Thalia, however, that grabs the front row seat. We call her "Front Row Thali", and she either sits smack-dap in front of the screen, or on daddy's lap. Usually she doesn't stay long on my lap because not one of my pets has learned how to grab dady a snack from the fridge, and get it back to me unharmed. Such an unruley bunch.

It has been quite a while since we have boarded the Friday Ark over at The Modulator. Let's all hope Steve has saved us our old spot!

The truth is, I just haven't felt like doing much of anything lately, including regular updates here at Athenamama. It's not that I am depressed or repressed or anything like that, at least I don't think I am, it's more because I have just been overwhelmed by life over the past several months. The things I have touched on here concerning my former marriage, the house I can no longer afford, and the operation I should probably have, all these loose ends that need unloosening, those sorts of things can wear a person out. After working all day I find myself wanting to do little more than feed the zoo, and then distracting myself with television or some light reading before I go to bed so I can rest up and do it all again the next day.

Anyway, the former wife dropped by not long ago to pick up a few more of her things for her new apartment. She moved out a while ago, but because we both expected the sale of our house to be a rather long, protracted affair, she didn't bother taking everything the day she left.

We talked for a little while; we get along very well these days, but then again we always have. We talked about the house, and at one point she mentioned how she didn't like coming here because it makes her a little sad. I said it has the same affect on me, and she looked a little surprised by that statement. She said, "But, this is your house!" I told her it really isn't, that it's more the bank's house than mine. What I didn't tell her is that when we bought it, it was our house, and since she left it has just become an empty, constant reminder of our failed marriage. It really should be no surprise I feel the same sadness she does, but she doesn't see things in the same light that I do. She doesn't understand that because I have to live in the house there really isn't any escape from that sadness for me.

If you were to ask her, my former wife would tell you she got off comparatively easy in the grand scheme of things. Last year, on the first Monday of October, she came to me said she no longer wanted to be married. She ultimately found an apartment, and then left. For me it's a bit more complicated. I need to endure the process of selling this house, which has included some rather unpleasant phone calls with the bank, and once that's all completed, I need to find a place to rent that will allow me to bring three cats and three dogs.

Not long after I put the house on the market we had what seemed to be a serious buyer. They made a bonafide offer, and my former wife and I signed the deal and accepted the offer. Then we all sat back and waited for the banks holding our first and second mortgages to give the all clear. Because this was to be a "short-sale", the buyers understood it could take time to finalize the deal, and they even planned for it a little by requesting a 45 day escrow. That escrow opened on Monday, April 14th. I had until May 28th to move, so I set about the arduous task of finding a place for me and my six cohorts.

Let me take a break from this little story to show you some pictures of the principle players in my life's drama. (After all, what sort of entry would it be without pet pictures?)

That's Mariah with Angel when he was a wee lad. Mariah is my stepson's dog, but he is going off to college this summer and can't take her with him. My wife and stepson have tried to find a home for Mariah, but haven't had much luck. When I got the news that I would have to move soon, I told them if I could find a place with a large enough yard, I would take Mariah with me. All I am asking is that they kick in for her care and feeding. Both have agreed to help me out with her financially, so it looks like Mariah will remain in the family.

Most of you know on first sight who this little trouble maker is; my little man Angel. There is no way I would part with Papa. No way. I have told the story of how Papa came into our life before, and in that tale I mentioned that I was against getting small dog when my former wife first showed signs of wanting one. I did what I could to discourage her. Look at me now.

There is no bigger daddy's girl in the world than Jacqueline. Like Athena, when I first met Jackie she walked right up to me and made me her new daddy. And like Angel, I cannot imagine life without her.

Before we were married, (of course,) the first time I met my former wife's kids, all three of them were out in the front yard of her house. When I got out of the car they all lined up behind the small block wall separating the yard from the sidewalk, and my wife introduced them to me one at a time. When I met Jazmine, my future step daughter, she was holding a black and white kitten. Jazmine's first words to me were, "You want to hold my kitten?" She held Salem out over the block wall so I could take her. Like Mariah, Salem will go with me when I move if no other arraignments can be made.

Ebby, grouchy as she is, holds a very special place in my heart. She was Athena's adopted kitten, and came to us one dark, frightful night after she had been chased around our neighborhood by a large white dog. Athena immediately took to her, and they were inseparable right up until Athena's death. I would no sooner give her up than any of the others.

Athletic, smart, very fast, and as beautiful as they come, Thali is the most conflicted of all my pets. She has a lot of energy, and wants to play, or chase down the occasional flying insect, but the other two cats want little to do with her. So, she plays with Angel and Jackie, stalking them and bringing them down at top speed like a cheetah taking a gazelle on the plains of the Serengeti, Thalia will chase behind her victim and take a swipe at their hind legs, tripping them up so she can pounce on them. It truly is an impressive sight, although the dogs seemed to be quite annoyed by the tactic.

Anyway, that's my group, and by all appearances I had a little under a month and a half to find some new digs for them and myself. I was very worried about how I would go about convincing someone that my pets wouldn't totally destroy their property. I searched through the local paper, and on Craig's List for prospective rentals, but most places won't accept pets, and those that do specify only one or two, and those need to be under twenty-five pounds.

Our location doesn't help much, either. Housing costs in this area are high and rent for a condominium over where we used to live would cost me around $1700.00 to $1800.00 or more a month. However, on my very first day of looking I found another condo in a different part of town that was going for $1695.00 a month. I called the owner, and left him a message telling him I was interested in the property. He called back, and while we chatted about the condo etc., I asked him how he felt about pets. He said he would consider pets depending on the number, and the size. I screwed up my courage, and told him about my situation. I played up my sad story; the wife left me with all of these animals, two of which were hers before we even met, and belonged to her children, the rest are all attached to one another as well as to me, and I just can't bear to part with any of them.

I am also quick to mention that as a soon-to-be former home owner myself I fully appreciate the value of property in this town, and the need for trustworthy and responsible tenants. I let my prospective landlords know I am aware of their concerns regarding possible damage to their property that could come at the paws of my pets, and reassure them that I have taken steps to prevent such behavior because I did once own my own home, and didn't want it destroyed by my pets, and that I am willing to pay a little more toward a security deposit, or sign a lease with a stipulation that I am liable should certain, well defined damages take place because of my pets.

The guy was pretty receptive, and told me to go ahead and drive by the condo and see if it was something I might be interested in renting. I was thrilled because before I had talked with this man I was seriously worried about not being able to find a place for me and the rest of my crew. But here on my very first try I had gained enough trust that the landlord was willing to at least entertain the idea of six pets on his property.

I drove out to the condo as soon as was able to, and it was better than I had anticipated. The backyard was larger than what we had at our condo, and it was also better shielded from other units and walkways in the complex. I was so excited about the place that I called the owner from my truck parked out on the street.

The owner told me he was glad I liked the place, but unfortunately he had already rented the condo to someone else. I was devastated. Perhaps I am naive, or maybe I read more into certain situations than I should, but I thought he and I had a gentelmen's agreement, and that was the only contingency preventing me from signing a lease was the formality of my inspecting the property first. When we spoke he had said, "Why don't you drive by the place and have a look. If you like it, give me a call and we will set up a time when we can meet and you can then see the inside of the place. If you still want to rent it after that, then we will work something out".

Yeah, maybe I do read more into what was said.

In any case, like I said, I was devastated. I went home and later that evening I received a call from my real estate agent. He called to let me know that the people who wanted to buy my house had changed their minds. My agent said he didn't have the full story, but they decided the house wasn't for them, and so they wanted out of the contract.

Out of the contract. Damn. Now I am back at square one. I am a little relieved that I no longer have to find a place for me and the animals, but that is only a temporary reprieve. Not to mention that now the banks know I no longer have a buyer on the hook, they will start calling again asking for payment. I owe them around $15,000.00 by this point, and every time they call I tell them there is no way in hell I am going to be able to come up with that kind of scratch. They threaten foreclosure, but that doesn't scare me at all anymore. I accepted my fate long ago, and there is no other weapon at the bank's disposal with which they can do me any more harm. I have their number in my phone's address book, and simply don't answer when they call. When I do mistakenly take their call, or if they call me at work, I politely tell them that trying to get money out of me is like squeezing a turnip and expecting blood. It ain't gonna happen. More often than not the person on the other end sympathizes, and some have even apologized for calling, saying it's their job to do so, and unfortunately the calls will continue.

So, for now my small menagerie and I are squatters. And until the banks say otherwise, or until someone comes along and buys this place, we will remain right here.

So, that brings you up to my current situation. I have received a few pieces of mail from the bank holding my first mortgage that seem to indicate they are ready to foreclose. I am going to speak with my real estate agent and ask him for advice. I just need to know how much time I have before I need to be out of here so that I can find a place for me and my pets.

I gathered up Angel and Jackie, and headed off to the barranca where we used to walk when we lived in our old condo.

While down in the barranca the dogs and I ran into two of my stepsons old friends from school. They both had been to the old house a few times, and the dogs haven't seen them since, but it was like old times as Angel and Jackie remembered both kids, and greeted them like old friends of their own.

I told the buyer's real estate agent to give me a call when they were through looking at the house so I could bring Angel and Jackie home. It's been hot out lately, and I didn't think my little dogs would want to take too long of a walk in the heat. The agent called, and said the people buying the house were very happy with the backyard etc., and they also wanted to know if Thalia came with the house!

Of course they were kidding, and of course I said no way; she's a precious possession, after all.

I think the buyer's honestly would take her if I allowed them to. Who wouldn't? They said she was not only beautiful, but very affectionate. She allowed them to pet her, and she showed them her appreciation by purring for them.

I have warned everyone who has visited the house that Thalia has a tendency to jump up on the shoulders of people, even complete strangers. She's very sociable, and loves most anyone who will let her sit on their lap. Out of all my pets, she is the most loving and playful, and I would be an idiot to let her out of my life.

On the home front; I have an offer on my house, but that isn't exactly good news.

It is good from the standpoint that I need to get out of here since I haven't made any payments since January, and "the wolves are at the door", and it is good because once I am out, Jackie, Angel, Thali, Ebby, and I can all start living our new lives alone in a new place.

The bad part of all of this is the amount of work and stress I have to endure to get to the other side. The banks want a ton of paperwork out of me because I am selling my house short of what I paid. (Thanks, mortgage industry.) I need to find a place I can rent that will take me, my two dogs, and my two cats. I need to save the money to afford the down payment etc., for such a place, and once I do find it, will have to move again. I hate moving.

I also need to get to work on all that goes along with the break-up of my marriage. I am not looking forward to any of that, either. I do have a great relationship with my former wife, and she is cooperative and pleasant to work with, but that doesn't negate the sadness and stress of our situation.

It's tough around here, but nothing lasts forever, and better days are ahead. I don't know when I will get to working on the site; hopefully I will get to it this weekend, but I am aware that my already fitful approach to posting updates has gotten even more sporadic, and my pitiful readership is turning more dismal each week. But, hang in there with me, and I will try to get here more often, and maybe even have something interesting to say from time to time.

After all, life is full of changes, dontcha know?

It sort of started yesterday when Jackie let me know she wasn't feeling very well. Unlike Papa, Jackie will actually tell me in her own little doggy way when she is sickie, or hurt. She accomplishes this by following me around, and pawing at me when I am in my chair so I will pick her up. What she was trying to tell me yesterday was that her little foot hurt, or more specifically, her toe.

I took a look at it for her, and I immediately saw she did indeed have a problem. Her toe nail was about 45 degrees from where it should be, and right away I suspected she had a broken toe. I felt her foot gently with my fingers, and when I got to the toe in question she yelped and pulled her paw back. Still, while it looked broken, other than when I but a small amount of pressure on her toe directly, she didn't seem to be in much pain, nor was she limping, but I thought it would be a good idea to have a professional look at it so I called a vet.

Our regular vet doesn't work weekends, so I called one that does, our secondary vet that we use when our regular vet isn't available. Unfortunately they couldn't see us yesterday, but gave us an appointment for first thing in the morning. Because Jackie wasn't showing any signs of discomfort or pain, I decided we could wait until the morning and forgo a trip to the pet emergency hospital.

As it turned out, Jackie's toe wasn't broken at all. Jackie's biggest problem with her foot this morning was a broken toenail. I am not sure how that caused her to yelp when I felt it before, but all that the vet did was to give her a pedicure. A $65.00 pedicure. But, at least my precious baby was OK.

After we got home, I got a call from not one, but two different Realtors who each wanted to show my house to some prospective buyers. One said they wanted to come by at around 1:30, and the other by 2:30. While we were at the vet we discovered that Jackie has gained one pound over the past year, and I figured that was partially due to my no longer taking her and Angel on walks like I had before we moved. The Realtors needing to show my house provided me with the proper motivation to take my two little dogs on a walk, so guess where I took them?

Yep... that's the park just across the street from where we used to live. It's a short drive from my new house, and I thought the dogs would enjoy a walk they are familiar with.

Jackie remembered the place well. Right away she started looking for her favorite flowers. Dandelions. She just forgot what sort of plant dandelions come from is all.

Papa found his favorite flowers as well, only he doesn't eat the flowers her likes, he uses them for other things.

The other plant my little man enjoys is grass. He loves a roll in the grass.

After the walk we had to wait for the last Realtor to leave the house, so we kicked back in the back of the truck.

All in all, we had a very good day, as you can tell by that big goofy smile on my Papa's face.

Now that my wife has left, Jackie, Angel and I feel more and more like our own little pack. Today really brought that home for me. We went out for the first time without her, and I honestly felt like I was going forward and living my new life as a single man. A single man, with two little doggies. (Doesn't that sound like it would make a great name for a blog?)

Before I close this post, I would like to thank all the regulars that drop by for your continuing words of encouragement during these rough times. I appreciate it, and so does Jackie and Angel. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

When she has decided to come back inside, Jackie typically scratches at the back door.

But what this?

Jackie spies a new friend who accompanies her by the door...

Why, it's Mothra! Jackie spotted this rather large moth sitting my the door, but she didn't know what to make of it. She just stared at it for a while, and then carefully stepped around it when I let her in.

A tender heart has she. Should the poor, hapless creature had been unfortunate enough to cross paths with Thalia, you can bet your bottom dollar that it would have never lived to see that night's moon.