sj- congratulations!

I had to take a mental health day today, then realized I had planned on going to the garage tomorrow, and now couldn't because I had to go in to work since I took today off to do something that is due tomorrow.

So I hauled my sad butt out of bed and got a fantastic quote on replacing not only my timing belt and water pump, but the mechanic discovered a leak in the something something (we could see the sludge congealed on the outside of the something something). Even with the extra unexpected work, it was still 500 cheaper than this other place I got a quote at. Great garage recommendation, neighbor!

My family had one pet that claimed us. We were vacationing at the lake and one of the locals had a Manx that we would play with, teasing it with cattail leaves (fucker shredded those up, fuckers claws were no joke). I don't know how it came about, but we started sleeping with it in the cottage, and before we left, my parents asked the owner if we could keep it. They said yes. Max the Manx, man, what an awesome cat with his jackhammer back-legs. We had to wear sweaters and oven mitts to play with him.

I actually had to confirm decades later that my older brother hadn't actually stolen him, like he'd done with Bishop from the trailer park (and awesome long-haired tuxedo). But apparently the former owner was so disgusted by the cats disregard for him (and hey, what's the value of a pure-bred Manx when you can afford a lakeside house? pshaw) that he really did cede ownership.

It still feels fishy to me, but nobodies fessing, even when they've 'fessed to other kitnappings.

I got one cat (Si, who was a total sweetheart) because a co-worker moved into a place where she couldn't have cats and "temporarily" had me take her. 3 years and at least two moves later when (by then former) co-worker made noises about taking her back, I told her she couldn't.

Timelies all!

All the cats my family had were "show up" cats.(Frisky showed up with his mother and littermates, then was abandoned at our door; J.J. was roaming around the neighborhood before we took her in and Pearlie had made her way to my aunt's house- my aunt already had a cat and we didn't so we got her.)

Somebody at Duke had put up a flyer about free kittens, and that's how I got Boots. Luna and Nova were part of a litter shown at an adoption event. The names appealed to us, and both kittens seemed to like us, so we took them.

This time around I didn't even get the stray cat I wanted - I'd intended to adopt the little fuzzy gray kitten from the next litter. But Jackson went exploring up the stairwell on a day I couldn't be late to work to chase him down, and then I lured Molly up to my apartment so he'd stop mewing, and then the guy who was supposed to take them in flaked out on me.

Oh, god, why is it only 4 PM?

It's later now!

I'm off work until Monday! Hooray!

Mum called, asked if I'd received my care package, and I said I hadn't because I'd not been in to work because I'd taken a mental health day. And then I had to admit that it was because of dad. So, that happened less painfully and whiny and begging and shameful than I thought it'd go. Mum says she'll talk to the Grinch (her words, she keeps saying that after she dies he can happily sit on his pile of gold counting out the coins just to say that he has it, and never do anything with it) and get me some additional help.

So now I just need to figure out rides to and from work on Tuesday with my car in the garage. The garage will probably give me a ride to the train station, and I can probably get bossman to pick me up and drop me off from work, and get neighbor lady to pick me up for home. It's just too damned cold to spend walking, especially homeward when the walk is thirty minutes when I'm not dodging iced over puddles.

Matt, I'm still charmed how those two conned you.

At least they flop down and let me pet their bellies now, so they're beginning to earn their upkeep.