I'm in California

Hi Everyone,
Wow. Lots to write, and not a lot of time.
My friend Nina, in Concord, California, was diagnosed with a brain tumor two weeks ago. I flew out here from Orlando last Tuesday to support her on her road toward surgery, and I'll return to Orlando this coming Tuesday.

Her tumor is benign-- though it's hard to think of something as "harmless" when neurosurgeons have to saw a hole through the skull to get it out. But in the end, I think she's actually VERY fortunate: she has great insurance, her children are being amazingly supportive (two are flying in for the surgery), she has tons of friends who love her calling, stopping by, bringing meals, etc. And the risk of fatality with the craniotomy/tumor removal is less than 1%. And (this is my favorite part) her surgeon is the chief of neurosurgery in a very large neurosurgery facility. (Kaiser, in Redwood City.)

So here I am. Cleaning her house to deal with my stress, trying to be helpful, and basically just hanging out. Her current boyfriend and I despise each other. I can't wait till she gets rid of him-- she deserves so much better.

Two nights ago, her boyfriend lost his temper and barked at me to shut up. And get out. And I wasn't even being argumentative! I think he is really threatened by my being here. He seems to like the thought that he's the main person who cares about her, and it seems to threaten the security of his world for her to have a supportive friend around.

Apart from his obnoxious presence and verbal abuse, I'm doing okay. I'm revisiting my glorious relationship with See's candy, we're having fun taking BART into San Francisco and having very cool shopping days, and enjoying Nina and her children, who I haven't seen in 5 years. So many things have changed here since I moved away; it's a little disorienting at times.

BTW, Chag Sameach! Nina and I went to Chabad in Walnut Creek yesterday for Shabbos, visited with her old friends, and talked about Evan from Planet Israel!
They are (of course) so proud of him there! Unfortunately, Nina didn't feel well enough today to go to the Purim festival there.

Apparently, having a brain tumor excuses you from just about anything! When we're in restaurants, Nina will casually say "Oh yeah... I have a brain tumor, and will be having surgery on Tuesday..." You should see how fast the service improves!!! We've now extended this little ploy to mentioning it to attendants, shopkeepers, deli servers, store employees, and anyone else from whom we want good service. It works like nothing I've ever seen! We're tempted to keep milking it even after her surgery, but that would just be wrong. :)

Hope you're all well. And just say no to brain tumors: they're not worth the perks.

Spoiled

When I was a kindergarten teacher, from time to time I'd have to deal with spoiled children. I always judged their parents for this, and just knew that I would do things differently.

Yeah, right. I've had Shayna for a month today, and I assure you that I have done a terrible job of molding her character. She is the most spoiled and sassy cat that I've ever known. She bites, scratches, pounces, steals, usurps, runs away, and grabs. Tonight, this now 5 pound little hellion actually took away my soup spoon in her teeth and paws --while it was still in my hand! She knows no boundaries. She attacks me daily. My nose, cheeks and wrists look like battlegrounds. I have got to get some control.

The problem is, I think, that I was mourning so much when I took her in, and I was so refreshed by her vivacity, that I just couldn't bear to rein her in. I'm trying not to judge myself too harshly. She is still so adorable, so it's really hard to discipline her.

Today, I finally reached my limit. During a particularly painful biting and scratching session, I finally swatted her. Talk about shock and awe! She ran away so fast, and sat and looked offended and scared. I really don't believe in hitting animals (or anyone) unless it's absolutely necessary, and I must admit, it really wasn't necessary this morning.

So now I'm brainstorming about better ways. One is that I shouldn't hold her when she wants to get away. There are reasons I've been doing this (namely, so that she will stop harassing Monaco-- and when I shut her in my room, she wails), and another is that I must stop using my hand as a toy. Even if it's in a sock. She needs to learn that no part of my body is acceptable "attack material." The thing is, I definitely want her to view me as her nurturer, not someone who will hurt her. So I'm going to really try my best to set some limits and boundaries, and change the way we do things around here.

In other news, Monaco is doing MUCH better now, thank goodness. And Angel is fine too, though today she was an extremely bad girl and rolled around in dog poop. Oh, the joys...

I've lost 10 pounds since the new year, and still have 15 more to lose by March 16. Yikes.

I finally put the deposit down for the Israel trip, so Mom and I will be going on May 3rd. Yay! But in a sad note, my great-uncle has decided that he probably will not be coming with us. Such is life...
Here are the trip details, if anyone is curious. I think it looks like a good tour.

When we're in Eilat, I really want to go for a camel ride, and for a Bedouin tent dinner. If anyone has recommendations for either of those, let me know!

It's time for me to get back to work. Have a great tomorrow!

Hi All,
Not a lot to write about... Work is s..l..o..w... I'm broke and getting broker, and still have to pay for the Israel trip. Actually, I have money set aside for that, but somehow will have to be creative when it's time to pay my mortgage!

Shayna is perfect and adorable. I think that the Energizer company should trade in the bunny for Shayna! I tell you, she could beat that Energizer bunny up! Which is a good segue for this: she likes to beat up her toys. She has a little stuffed Elmo (the Sesame Street character) and a little stuffed lion, and she beats them both up on a regular basis. It's really funny to watch. Tonight a friend came over, and she could not stop laughing at Shayna playing and racing around nonstop. Pretty hard to be sad around her!

Unfortunately, Monaco doesn't feel the same way. Ever since that awful vet appointment, Monaco has been unhappy. She's a delicate, "special needs" cat to begin with, and then add to that grieving for Indy, my absence during Christmas, getting Shayna shortly after my return, and then that debilitating vet visit, at which she was found to have ear mites. So I had to use a mild antibiotic in her ears, as well as use an earwash. She despised them both; could barely walk without falling down. After about 12 days of this, she's a wreck. Won't eat or drink, is skin and bones, won't move, groom herself, or even use the litterbox. It's disastrous. So I've had to take very careful care of her to get her out of this depression. If I talk with her softly and pet her for about 35 minutes, several times a day, I've found that she will eat and drink a bit. If she hasn't dramatically improved by Monday, I'm taking her to the (ie. Angel's expensive and private) vet on Monday. It just isn't worth risking kidney failure, or worse.

All these vet problems have me asking myself if I am a candidate for Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome!!! (sorry, blogger's hyperlink system is choosing not to cooperate-- below is the full link, if you're curious!)
Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome

Could I be that messed up?? But fortunately or unfortunately as the case may be, all of the veterinary problems in my household are real, and none of them were caused by me. Let's see... Truffle really did have 2 major surgeries, Indy had advanced heart disease, Angel had a cough that went away after a course of antibiotics, Shayna had the biggest abscess that I've ever seen, and now Monaco has ear mites... and depression. I didn't imagine any of these ailments! Though I almost wish I had, so that the animals didn't have to suffer through them, and I wouldn't have to pay the vet bills or provide 'round-the-clock care.

I've said it before, but it bears repeating: I'm just sick of feeling like I live in a veterinary office!! (Though I did just finish FOUR books by James Herriot, so I'm not sure about the truthfulness of that last statement...)

A final sad note: it turns out that the kitten I found in the Virgin Islands died. I'm glad he was in good hands, literally and figuratively, but they could never get him to eat. :(


I wish I had more uplifting things to post. I'm looking forward to brighter days-- when I don't have a cold, and my pets (and I) are all healthy at the same time.

Oh, there is a little good news: tomorrow night I'm hosting a dinner party in my home, so I got the house looking all spiffy. Our neighborhood supper club is focusing on "Authentic Italian" cuisine this month (my choice :)), so I'll make an Insalata Caprese as an appetizer, and chicken Marsala as the entree. The "guests" (participants?) provide the rest. Promises to be a good time...

A Trip to the Vet

Shayna's new-found pleasures:

*Attacking the cursor on my laptop
*Pouncing
*Following Monaco everywhere
*Attempting to eat Angel's kibble (which Angel allows)
*Playing some serious soccer
*Jumping around the bathtub while meowing (?)
*Climbing curtains and tapestries

It's been an adventure!
She's just so adorable, and her little spirit soars.

Yesterday was a very not fun time at the vet. This is in large part because for some reason I insist on taking my cats to the vet at an SPCA facility, in contrast to the very cushy vet who sees Angel. I'll try to explain this apparent discrepancy some other time. In any case, taking pets to the SPCA facility is comparable to a human going for an appointment at a public health clinic. Ever been to one of those? I didn't think so. Trust me, they're good places to steer clear of if at all possible.

So there we were, in "Pet Welfare Central." It was horrific, with all the barking, yelling and whatnot. I was mortified for Monaco, as she has quite the delicate and shy disposition. She responded to it all by becoming comatose. The kitten is a lot more gregarious, so she fared okay emotionally (I think).

I had to wait outside the office, because the racket inside after 15 minutes was bordering on outright cruelty--ironic, since it's the Society for the PREVENTION of Cruelty to Animals, but whatever...

We got in to see the vet, a Korean woman named Dr. Kim. She was thorough and expressive, but understanding her through her thick accent was something else altogether. She had something of an extreme hands-on approach with my kitties; I've never met such a direct vet in my life. I had given Monaco a very small amount of sedative prior to leaving the house, and Dr. Kim said "This cat: Not Okay! Too calm! Do not care when I handle! How much Ace [Acepromazine] you give?!"

What I wanted to respond was: Well Dr. Kim, 2 mg. of a sedative was the least I could do for her, considering you are prodding every part of her body, removing the tartar on her teeth with your fingernails (seriously!), giving her 2 kinds of ear wash and 2 shots, all in one visit! You're just lucky she didn't go into cardiac arrest!

What I DID respond was: "I think she's pretty grateful for those 2 mg. of Acepromazine about now..."

Shayna received a clean bill of health, though she has to go back twice more to complete her kitten shots.

As we were leaving, a Husky entered the reception area. And promptly had a grand mal epileptic seizure, right in front of me. I was yelling "Help! Get a vet!" It was awful; at first I thought he was dying. Foaming at the mouth, urine everywhere, jerking around uncontrollably on the floor. Beyond scary, and sad. I made sure the vet techs would mention it to the vet(because the family kept saying "Oh, he just gets nervous when he goes to new places.") Anyway, it was a jarring ending to a difficult appointment. We're all glad it's over. I was so shook up that I had a glass of wine to calm my nerves.

Shayna had a fever last night --from the massive amount of vaccinations, no doubt-- But she recovered to regale us all with her antics at around 3 a.m.

Monaco on the other hand is faring poorly. The eardrops have caused her to be unsteady on her feet and she keeps losing her balance. She can barely even jump up onto the sofa without tipping over. Actually, she does fall over, as soon as she gets on the couch or anywhere else. Pitiful. I left a message for the pleasant Dr. Kim..

Assorted tidbits

In case you're wondering, the kitten still doesn't have a name. I can't decide between Shayna, Cali and Cami. Tomorrow is her vet appointment, so maybe I'll have some breakthrough by then.

She is growing so fast! Her latest hobby is jumping on Angel-- from chairs, sofa, bed, whatever. Angel doesn't mind at all.

I'm excited to finally have my website and advertisement up! These two things have taken a lot of time (not to mention money), and they had better be fruitful, since I need to be saving, not spending!! The ad will run in a local magazine, and my web address is www.jshomesforsale.com, if you're curious. :) Feel free to leave me a comment on it!

Speaking of spending, I'm going to Israel on May 3rd for 2-3 weeks. Mom and I will come with one of those (hopefully not too obnoxious) tour groups, and go everywhere, even including Eilat and Petra. Hopefully my great-uncle will also join us. Then I plan to stay a week, whether with or without my family, to scope out some communities.

I'd like to visit Zichron Yaakov, Netanya, Ra'anana, Herzliya, and suburbs of Haifa. I found a nice Realtor named Jeffrey in the Netanya area, and I'd like to meet the Realtor named Liuara, with whom I collaborated last summer during the war-- but I think she mainly covers the Jerusalem area. (If you know of anyone who needs an agent in Jerusalem, I highly recommend her!)

I think that about covers it for now.

Cute Kitten Photos :)

Yesterday I drove around the neighborhood, trying in vain to find the kitten's family. Finally some other neighbors told me to stop looking for her family, and go home and make her part of mine instead. Okay.

Monaco is doing a bit better with her. And the kitten is no longer afraid of Angel.
Here are some pictures:


Here is no-name kitten looking fetching atop my vanity.

Here is Angel, intently watching the kitten play.

Here she is, sitting on my dresser.

Here she's playing her favorite game, hiding under the ottoman.

And playing "footsie" with me from under the ottoman.

She might need a name. Any ideas?

Meme: Six Weird Things About the Kitten

I couldn' resist. These are all the things I know about her:

1. Her fur can't decide if it's orange tiger-striped or gray tabby, and her tail is a mixture of both. Some have said this is called calico, since she also has white paws, but it's not like any calico I've ever seen!

2. Her ears looked like they had been dirty for years, yet she's only about 9 weeks old.

3. She had a camel hump, even though she's not a dromedary.

4. She chases the balls I throw for Angel. (Doesn't she know she's not a dog?)

5. She seems to eat her weight in food every day.

6. She scares the *%$# out of Monaco, and constantly steals her food.

I could go on, but the meme said "6 Things."

BTW: She will be going to the vet on Wednesday for an exam and shots. And she still doesn't have a name. when the vet's office asked for her name, I said "orphan," but they didn't like that, so I said they could call her kitty. And when asked for her color, I said "strange."

Shabbat Shalom!

Big News in Yaakova's World

Hi All,
Well, here's the thing. As I was in Ft. Lauderdale on a layover last week, I got a phone call. My neighbors had found an 8 week old kitten, and would I be interested in having it? So when I returned to Orlando, I went to visit the kitten. He/She, I didn't know which at the time, was a little, unattractive, flea-infested, dirty-eared, sharp-clawed mess with a camel hump on it's back. I declined., Partly because of the kitten, and partly because I don't feel ready yet, and because I plan to adopt an older cat in Israel in May, and on and on.

Fast forward a few days, and my friend called again. The kitten is tired of living in her bathroom. Sure, she can stay with me until we can find a home.

Big mistake. I've gotten rid of the fleas, cleaned the ears, discovered "it" is a "she," gotten rid of the camel hump (which turned out to be the most disgusting abscess EVER, and erupted, and I'll spare you the truly gruesome details! Suffice to say, she's now on antibiotics...), clipped her dagger-sharp claws (much to her chagrin), and fallen in love.

I told my friend that I'd try to find a home for the kitten (who still has no name), but truth be told, I haven't tried very hard. She's a cute and very lively kitten, but she's got the most unattractive markings and coloring that I've ever seen! But is that a reason to send her to a shelter? I don't think so. A bigger concern is that Monaco despises her so far, though the kitten seems to view Monaco (my cat) as a motherly figure. On the other hand, the kitten is afraid of Angel (my dog), but Angel clearly thinks the kitten is her own baby! Actually, kitten and Angel seem to be getting closer all the time.

Here are pictures of the little rascal: