Currently...
1. Zeb, king of the Econo Lodge // 2. Zeb, despite traveling in style with his own personal shoebox, travel litter, and throw rug, remains grumpy
Well, we're back in Pittsburgh after a whirlwind four days in Maine and New Hampshire. Really, two of those days were spent driving. I think we've learned our lesson: two days home is not enough time to see everyone while maintaining our sanity. I am SO HAPPY to be out of the car, after over thirty total hours of driving, my leg muscles feel as if they've atrophied. Whining aside, it was so nice to see our families and old stomping grounds! Here's what I've been up to:
Missing:
Zebby. As you know we've had some issues with our cats fighting for the past four months or so, namely Zeb has been attacking our other cat, Zephyr, because there's been a stray cat around who we can't seem to get rid of. So, My mom was kind enough to offer to foster Zeb until we can either move to a new apartment in the spring, or catch the stray and bring it to the Humane Society. Zeb traveled home with us on Sunday, and did fantastically well on the excruciatingly long car ride. We had originally planned to drive straight through- leaving Pittsburgh at 6pm and arriving in Maine at 7:30am- but after about nine hours in the car, we realized that our plan was insane and we were all exhausted (including Zeb who, after a relatively quiet journey, was making his boredom known). So, putting my experience as an admissions counselor to use, we stopped in Fishkill, NY (a formerly well-traveled territory for me) and got a cheap hotel room, which Zeb loved. He left no inch of the room unexplored (even finding his way into the boxspring) and when morning came, the second leg of the trip home was a little easier for him. I know that he will be well cared for while he's recuperating with my mom in Maine, but it was still heart-wrenching to leave him, and sad to come home to just one cat. I think Zephyr is a little lonely, but also relieved to not have to constantly watch his back in fear of being attacked. Parting with Zeb made leaving New England that much more difficult, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we can catch the little devil who is making their lives so miserable (and get him in a no-kill shelter).
Enjoying:
The snow! Sure, it made our return trip more than a little dicey and quite a few hours longer than it needed to be, but the huge storm that hit the Northeast this week also provided the perfect excuse to finally see Crompton Collective and spend some time with our friends, Amy and Adam, who kindly let us crash at their place.
Thankful for:
The opportunity to spend time with our families and friends in such a short window of time. We managed to see all factions of our segmented families between Sunday afternoon and Tuesday night, and I'm kind of amazed at how smoothly it went. I got to see my dad, step-mom, and sister, who I haven't seen since last Christmas. Really, I'm just thankful for the fact that we even had the opportunity to get ourselves home.
Missing:
Zebby. As you know we've had some issues with our cats fighting for the past four months or so, namely Zeb has been attacking our other cat, Zephyr, because there's been a stray cat around who we can't seem to get rid of. So, My mom was kind enough to offer to foster Zeb until we can either move to a new apartment in the spring, or catch the stray and bring it to the Humane Society. Zeb traveled home with us on Sunday, and did fantastically well on the excruciatingly long car ride. We had originally planned to drive straight through- leaving Pittsburgh at 6pm and arriving in Maine at 7:30am- but after about nine hours in the car, we realized that our plan was insane and we were all exhausted (including Zeb who, after a relatively quiet journey, was making his boredom known). So, putting my experience as an admissions counselor to use, we stopped in Fishkill, NY (a formerly well-traveled territory for me) and got a cheap hotel room, which Zeb loved. He left no inch of the room unexplored (even finding his way into the boxspring) and when morning came, the second leg of the trip home was a little easier for him. I know that he will be well cared for while he's recuperating with my mom in Maine, but it was still heart-wrenching to leave him, and sad to come home to just one cat. I think Zephyr is a little lonely, but also relieved to not have to constantly watch his back in fear of being attacked. Parting with Zeb made leaving New England that much more difficult, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we can catch the little devil who is making their lives so miserable (and get him in a no-kill shelter).
Enjoying:
The snow! Sure, it made our return trip more than a little dicey and quite a few hours longer than it needed to be, but the huge storm that hit the Northeast this week also provided the perfect excuse to finally see Crompton Collective and spend some time with our friends, Amy and Adam, who kindly let us crash at their place.
Thankful for:
The opportunity to spend time with our families and friends in such a short window of time. We managed to see all factions of our segmented families between Sunday afternoon and Tuesday night, and I'm kind of amazed at how smoothly it went. I got to see my dad, step-mom, and sister, who I haven't seen since last Christmas. Really, I'm just thankful for the fact that we even had the opportunity to get ourselves home.
1. Driving my sister, Care, to our dad's - don't mind my teeth // 2. Pulling records from our collection to give to my brother
Reading:
I received HP Lovecraft's Necronomicon in our annual Yankee swap and I can't wait to dive into it. The thing is about three inches thick, so I'll be reading this all winter.
Listening to:
I discovered the radio program Wits while driving this week, and I'm a little bit obsessed.
Listening to:
I discovered the radio program Wits while driving this week, and I'm a little bit obsessed.
1. Reunited with Punky! // 2. I'm missing this goofball
Watching:
Pitch Perfect. I recommend.
Pitch Perfect. I recommend.