things that make you go "hmm"...

I am browsing the Washoe County information on kindergarten (because everyone else here is asleep and the interweb is fantastic for diverting my attention away from sleep).

Anyhow, here is part of the information for the Kinder Fair:

Welcome to Kindergarten!

If you are a new IN-COMING Kindergartner, you and your parents are invited to Washoe County School District's 14th Annual Kinder Fair.

Wow, Washoe County really expects Pic (and other IN-COMING kindergartners) to be able to read really well before she enters kindergarten. I have a lot of work to do this summer.

Oh, also, the name of the school she would be zoned for if we were staying here is spelled wrong. Very nice.

ads of shame

The Furie Queene just sent me this link and I have to share it.

15 Sexiest Vintage Ads [NOT my title]

Seriously, go look at the ads. I won't respond to them all, but I would like to make a few remarks.

Mr. Leggs -- Oh, of course, because you're wearing snazzy 'Dacron' pants, you can definitely (or defiantly) walk all over me. 'Doll to doll carpet'? Really?

Beauty in the Morning -- Wow. I must be really lucky that Cardo ever comes home.

PEP -- Oh, that's what I've been missing.

And, my favorite...Lysol -- Oh. my. god. Really? Are wive's bodies really that disgusting that they need to douche with LYSOL lest their husbands refuse to grant them entrance to the bedroom. Or, were they? LYSOL. (I just can't get over that. Lysol making feminine hygiene products.)

Well, you'll have to excuse me because I need to go gently weep until Cardo buys me something pretty.

things that make you go "hmm"...

I can only really put off delving into the wreckage that is our office/library for another couple of days. For now, I'm basically glancing at the mess and I have my work cut out for me (really, it's all nicely cut).

So, my question for you all is, Do you think I really need notes from Algebra II/Trig listing the formulas for such things as parabolas? Notes dated from 1997?

Thanks in advance for your input,
Ms Pack-Rat

blog sprint: update

One Minute Writer from ieri:

Someone you haven't seen in ten years has contacted you. Spend just a minute updating that person on your life and its changes over the last ten years.

I think I'll actually limit myself to one minute this time. Here goes...

Since graduating high school, I moved up to this biggest of little cities for college. During my BA work, I met and married Cardo. We adopted Snuggles. I got pregnant three seconds after we decided to start trying. Pic was born on a Valentine's Day. I graduated from college. I started college again. I started teaching. Pic started school. We adopted Lucky. I graduated yet again.

Um, yeah, time's up. Good enough, I think. Except to say that, for the first time in a decade, I'm no longer a part of the Pack. It's still strange to me.

bleak times ahead

I find this...disheartening. Not that this is news to me. Yet, I still want to go on. Why?

goodbye lucky

When we took Lucky to the doctor, we had hope that he'd be there a couple of days, get better and come back home where he belongs. He spent the last week of his life in a kennel in the doctor's office. We visited him there and Pic colored a picture that they taped up in his little 'room.' He had jaundice, his liver was seriously screwed up, his pee was really thick and dark, he was eating about a quarter of what he should be to survive. He was quiet.

At the doctor's, Luckster had an IV in his front right leg. He wouldn't (couldn't, really) eat any of the solid food they provided. He was alternately keeping his medicine down and throwing it up. He wasn't making the progress they wanted.

A couple of the times I went to see him, he tried to climb up onto my shoulders to get out.

After we finally realized that he couldn't fight this fight, it was over so quickly. We had taken Pic to school and then we went to visit Lucky. We decided to 'put him to sleep' right then. When Dr T adminstered the anesthesia, Lucky finally became vocal again and tried to pull his leg back. Cardo was sitting in the rocking chair in the little room, Lucky on a towel in his lap. My hand was resting on Lucky's poor too-thin body. He stopped breathing in seconds. Dr T left us with him, but I could only stay for a couple of minutes.

Lucky was only with us for a year-and-a-half. I have no idea what his life was like before he was with us. He was found in a field, along with many, many much younger cats. We loved him and I hope that he was happy here, as a part of our family.

Snuggles has been much more attached to us since his brother left. I don't know if he knows what's going on.

I've been emotionally wrung-out. I thought I'd cried all my tears, but writing this is hard. This followed so closely after Cardo's mom (I won't be writing anything more about that here, but thanks for the emotional support). Everything feels in a state of upheaval right now.

When we got home today, I automatically looked for Lucky sleeping on my pillow. He wasn't there.

get her...aaah

Okay, so I may be the last person to know this, but there's talk of a Ghostbusters III. I just thought I'd share that when I was little, I was in love with Dr Spengler. Yes, Spengler. I have a thing for geeky guys. I guess I always have.