I was in Edmonton this weekend to attend a wedding reception for Stuart. He and his family lived next door to my family in Kingston. My sister and I used to babysit them all the time. Their family (Jean, John, Stuart, and Willie) and ours have remained great friends, despite them moving to Alberta in the late eighties and us moving to Victoria in the early nineties. This morning, we drove over to their house to visit one last time. As I was walking into the house I noticed a nest on the ground. I walked over to it and saw the nest was overturned and a baby bird lying next to it. The chick was still alive and opened its mouth for food when I came near. I flipped over the nest and saw that there were two more babies beneath. They weren’t so lucky. I picked up the live bird and put it in the nest and walked into the house.
After all the planning, cooking, and baking she did for the reception, Jean, not surprisingly, was a little overwhelmed by my companion. So, she said “John, you deal with it”. John and my Mom promptly started to feed it muffin crumbs. Before taking on the task of finding a place to take the bird to, I suggested they skip the muffin and give it milk. The bird appeared to enjoy the milk, and we collected a few numbers to call. Being in Edmonton meant I had no idea what was where and being a Sunday meant that most places were closed. I called one place who said leaving it in the nest where the mother could get to it would be best for the bird. They even suggested placing the nest and bird on the lawn as mother birds are known to tend to fallen nests. With cats in the house, I didn’t think that was a good idea so we proceeded to plan how we would get the nest back up into the tall tree. One of the other places called back at that point and suggested we put the nest in a margarine container and then secure the container to a tree branch. We found a container, poked a bunch of holes in it, connected some wire, and then put the nest in the container. It was then time to haul out the ladder and attach the nest to the branch. The men did just that, with the help of their cat, and then we waited. John and I went back out a while later and saw that a robin was hanging around in the tree. We wondered if the baby was a robin after all. We went back inside and continued with our visit. As we left, we looked up at the nest and my Mom noticed a beak sticking out over the edge. Sure enough, momma bird came home, recognized her baby and hopped right in to care for it. What a wonderful sight; one I am so glad we got to see before heading off to the airport.
The last time we rescued a bird, my Mom hand fed it for weeks and eventually taught it to fly. We drove out to a wild bird sanctuary so it could live out its days there. On that trip, Willie was a wee baby who cried the entire trip out there. It seems fitting that when the MacLeod’s finally went to visit that we rescued a bird in their front yard.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Countdown to life without the crapbox
Well, Cleo and Evin weren’t having any of my toilet training but I am absolutely determined to go litter free. So, instead of giving into them, I chose to break down those first few steps a bit more.
So, “Step One: Place the kitty (smaller) litter pan next to the toilet” became:
Step One: Move bigass litterbox + roof into bathroom
Step Two: Take roof off bigass litterbox
Step Three: Introduce small litterbox next to toilet (Trick: stop scooping bigass litterbox)
Step Four: Take away bigass litterbox
It has only taken a week and a half to get to the point where they are starting to use the small litterbox. I suspect I will be able to remove the old litterbox by early next week!
It was quite ingenious of me to have two litterboxes going at the same time but to stop scooping the old one to increase the incentive to use the new, albeit smaller, litterbox.
Some interesting observations now that there is no roof on the litterbox:
- Cleo was the first to embrace the new smaller litterbox. Evin may be easygoing, but mess with his litterbox or take him to the vet and he is a different cat.
- Evin is absolutely useless at burying his deposits. He climbs out of the box, reaches over the box and paws at the wall. What a tard.
- Cleo, on the other hand, has digging down pat. Maybe she is a little too good -- she practically empties the pan when doing her business. In addition to no roof, the smaller pan has lower, so this results in a huge mess on the floor.
Well, time to go watch Survivahhhhhh!
So, “Step One: Place the kitty (smaller) litter pan next to the toilet” became:
Step One: Move bigass litterbox + roof into bathroom
Step Two: Take roof off bigass litterbox
Step Three: Introduce small litterbox next to toilet (Trick: stop scooping bigass litterbox)
Step Four: Take away bigass litterbox
It has only taken a week and a half to get to the point where they are starting to use the small litterbox. I suspect I will be able to remove the old litterbox by early next week!
It was quite ingenious of me to have two litterboxes going at the same time but to stop scooping the old one to increase the incentive to use the new, albeit smaller, litterbox.
Some interesting observations now that there is no roof on the litterbox:
- Cleo was the first to embrace the new smaller litterbox. Evin may be easygoing, but mess with his litterbox or take him to the vet and he is a different cat.
- Evin is absolutely useless at burying his deposits. He climbs out of the box, reaches over the box and paws at the wall. What a tard.
- Cleo, on the other hand, has digging down pat. Maybe she is a little too good -- she practically empties the pan when doing her business. In addition to no roof, the smaller pan has lower, so this results in a huge mess on the floor.
Well, time to go watch Survivahhhhhh!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Step One: Place the kitty litter pan next to the toilet.
I’m baaaack with another project to share with you. This project is in the name of saving money and my health -- I am going to teach my cats to use the toilet. No, I won’t teach Evin to flush.
I tried to teach Cleo to use the toilet before Evin joined the show. She was very close but then developed a urinary tract infection which became a common occurrence for the next few years.
What I learned about that attempt was to take it slow. Cleo does not like rushing into things. I skipped too many steps last time and she begged to go outside on the balcony and peed in a potted plant. My behavioural Psych prof would have been so ashamed at me for trying to rush her.
So, follow along if you too want to learn how to potty train a cat with my “10 Simple Steps to Ridding Your Home of Crap-in-a-Box”. I’m expecting it to take 8-10 weeks. But my cats crap a lot, so maybe they’ll get lots of practice and learn fast.
Step One: Place the kitty litter pan next to the toilet.
Step Two: Raise the kitty litter pan so it is almost as high as the toilet.
Step Three: Raise the kitty litter pan so it is as high as the toilet.
Step Four: Take the kitty litter pan away and replace it with a large stainless steel bowl that fits inside the toilet (and rests on the rim). Put the seat down and fill with kitty litter.
Step Five: Decrease the kitty litter by half.
Step Six: Decrease the kitty litter by half again.
Step Seven: Decrease the kitty litter by half yet again.
Step Eight: Replace the kitty litter with a small amount of water.
Step Nine: Fill the bowl with more water.
Step Ten: Remove the bowl.
We are on step one -- Put the kitty litter pan next to the toilet.
(This is much better when you have a spare bathroom to devote to this project, but alas, I only have one bathroom.)
I may have rushed things with step one though. I also switched to a much smaller pan (with no roof) because I don’t have much room beside my toilet. That may prove to be too many changes for Cleo to handle all at once.
I’ll try this for several days and update you on our progress.
Stay tuned for the next step: Raise the kitty litter pan so it is almost as high as the toilet.
Excuse me while I make sure Cleo isn’t peeing in the closet.
I tried to teach Cleo to use the toilet before Evin joined the show. She was very close but then developed a urinary tract infection which became a common occurrence for the next few years.
What I learned about that attempt was to take it slow. Cleo does not like rushing into things. I skipped too many steps last time and she begged to go outside on the balcony and peed in a potted plant. My behavioural Psych prof would have been so ashamed at me for trying to rush her.
So, follow along if you too want to learn how to potty train a cat with my “10 Simple Steps to Ridding Your Home of Crap-in-a-Box”. I’m expecting it to take 8-10 weeks. But my cats crap a lot, so maybe they’ll get lots of practice and learn fast.
Step One: Place the kitty litter pan next to the toilet.
Step Two: Raise the kitty litter pan so it is almost as high as the toilet.
Step Three: Raise the kitty litter pan so it is as high as the toilet.
Step Four: Take the kitty litter pan away and replace it with a large stainless steel bowl that fits inside the toilet (and rests on the rim). Put the seat down and fill with kitty litter.
Step Five: Decrease the kitty litter by half.
Step Six: Decrease the kitty litter by half again.
Step Seven: Decrease the kitty litter by half yet again.
Step Eight: Replace the kitty litter with a small amount of water.
Step Nine: Fill the bowl with more water.
Step Ten: Remove the bowl.
We are on step one -- Put the kitty litter pan next to the toilet.
(This is much better when you have a spare bathroom to devote to this project, but alas, I only have one bathroom.)
I may have rushed things with step one though. I also switched to a much smaller pan (with no roof) because I don’t have much room beside my toilet. That may prove to be too many changes for Cleo to handle all at once.
I’ll try this for several days and update you on our progress.
Stay tuned for the next step: Raise the kitty litter pan so it is almost as high as the toilet.
Excuse me while I make sure Cleo isn’t peeing in the closet.
Friday, July 4, 2008
You know you have spent too much time playing in Excel when...
You know you have spent too much time playing in Excel when...
...you are driving home with the music playing and you start imagining how you would sort the song lyrics. Like to see if there are duplicates.
Because I am not enough of an excel nut, I went to start writing this and instead of opening IE to load the Blogger site, I opened Excel.
It reminds me of the time I was studying for a French 11 exam. I was so Frenchified that I went to bed and dreamt in French. Then I start to wonder how babies dream if they don't have language yet. But, not everyone thinks linguistically. There are artists who hear colour, and musicians who see music. And once I remember that, I find something shiny to distract me.
So, what is it I am doing in Excel that my brain is going to complete data mush? To prepare for everyone in Gov to get new worksations, we need to track down all the existing hardware. My job is to combine a series of reports which contain all sorts of cool data that has been gathered for all workstations in our branch. That amounts to 700+ machines. I massage the data, run filters, use cool formulae in Excel to make the data more manageable for the folks that have to document the actual users and locations. It sounded like a gross task, but I'm a bit of a data fiend, so playing with Excel has been so much fun.
...you are driving home with the music playing and you start imagining how you would sort the song lyrics. Like to see if there are duplicates.
Because I am not enough of an excel nut, I went to start writing this and instead of opening IE to load the Blogger site, I opened Excel.
It reminds me of the time I was studying for a French 11 exam. I was so Frenchified that I went to bed and dreamt in French. Then I start to wonder how babies dream if they don't have language yet. But, not everyone thinks linguistically. There are artists who hear colour, and musicians who see music. And once I remember that, I find something shiny to distract me.
So, what is it I am doing in Excel that my brain is going to complete data mush? To prepare for everyone in Gov to get new worksations, we need to track down all the existing hardware. My job is to combine a series of reports which contain all sorts of cool data that has been gathered for all workstations in our branch. That amounts to 700+ machines. I massage the data, run filters, use cool formulae in Excel to make the data more manageable for the folks that have to document the actual users and locations. It sounded like a gross task, but I'm a bit of a data fiend, so playing with Excel has been so much fun.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Oh how I love The Onion
In an unusual turn of events, I had an entire hour to devote to eating lunch today. As many of you know, it takes me about 30 seconds to scarf down a sandwhich, so that leaves plenty of time for surfing.
I started with the Times Columnist, where I got a few giggles after reading an article about a dumb burglar.
I then put my attention towards my neglected "Favourites" list. I came across the link to The Onion, a site with satirical accounts of events around the globe. An article about a paper bag immediately caught my attention. Yes, it was about cats.
So, the article was so funny I actually had tears streaming down my face.
The other great thing about the article, and I say this with the most cheeky of intentions -- it puts the whole war in Iraq thing in perspective! Not that I agree with the war, or interfering with those countries, I can honestly* say the reason they are fighting makes sense!
* Remember, I am being cheeky.
I started with the Times Columnist, where I got a few giggles after reading an article about a dumb burglar.
I then put my attention towards my neglected "Favourites" list. I came across the link to The Onion, a site with satirical accounts of events around the globe. An article about a paper bag immediately caught my attention. Yes, it was about cats.
So, the article was so funny I actually had tears streaming down my face.
The other great thing about the article, and I say this with the most cheeky of intentions -- it puts the whole war in Iraq thing in perspective! Not that I agree with the war, or interfering with those countries, I can honestly* say the reason they are fighting makes sense!
* Remember, I am being cheeky.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Day 120: The Cabinets Are In...
...and Christmas has come and gone.
Sorry for taking so long to post an update on the kitchen. I have no good excuse.
Well, enough of the blubbering, lets get to the good stuff. The cabinets are in! And so are all the appliances. Well, except for the dishwasher. But it is in place while I wait for the missing pieces to be delivered.
The cabinet installer, Theo, showed up on the morning of the 14th and got straight to work. He was working solo but figured he could get them in in a day. I knew all along, but didn't let myself get too used to the idea that they would go in that quickly.I lucked out when they sent Theo to install my cupboards. He normally works on high end kitchens, so he knew his way around cabinetry. He did a great job and only forgot one thing -- to drill a hole for my microwave cord. I had the right drill bits, and my handy dandy new drill, so I cut the hole myself.
After Theo left, I was faced with the daunting task of putting everything away. I was completely overwhelmed. Not only did I have to put stuff away, I had to clean most of it first and without a sink nearby. It all went in relatively smoothly, but I needed more shelves which I got to the following day. I even managed to put the stove and washer/dryer back all by myself. I was really craving some soup after I stumbled upon a can while unpacking. So, I fired up the stove and made me some soup!
By shear luck, my super awsome plumber Darrell was able to come on Monday to install my sink and dishwasher. He actually sent a different guy, but stopped by between jobs. I insisted they use braided lines all the way to the dishwasher, even though it would cost about $60 extra. I don't need it to burst which has been known to happen with plastic supply lines. Apparently the braided lines you buy at the hardware store are NOT the right kind. Only those from an actual plumbing supply place are the right kind. You can tell because they have a 'ring' type thing on the inside of the nut which goes on the inside of the pipe thingy. When the nut is tightened I am guessing it acts as a bit of a compression fitting on that inner ring thingy.
While there, Darrell helped me yell at the guy at the Brick when they told me the pieces I was missing for the dishwasher had to be purchased separately. He is now waiting on those parts, which the Brick will pay for thanks to my "conversation" with them. So, he will come back in the new year to install. Turns out I won't be flexing again until Feb 1, so I have a full month to wait for that last piece of the kitchen reno. But, I am so used to washing dishes by hand that I hardly notice. Besides, the dishwasher is sitting in its place and not my living room or dining room, so I am quite happy to carry on this way for as long as it takes.
I will be sure to get the kickplate tiles (base of the cabinets, same as the floor tile) and backsplash tiles in before the dishwasher goes in so that the kitchen will finally be done. I purchased the plain white tiles for the backsplash and decided to go with a glass tile for the insert. Glass tiles will go better with white grout and the taupy-purple colour will really go well with the floor. They should arrive some time next week.In the meantime, I am trying not to make a mess of my carpets which were just cleaned by my friends Tom and Lorraine. Thanks guys, they have a new lease on life while I save up my money to do the floors!
And here are some pics...
The cupboards AND the sink is in! w00t!
My microwave doesn't look half bad thanks to the black knobs.
The new cupboard over the washer and dryer. I need a stool to reach it.
My slick new range hood. It has a very bright light setting that I use when I want to interrogate what I am cooking.
My super deep sink and goose neck faucet. I can fill a bucket in the sink now.
Sorry for taking so long to post an update on the kitchen. I have no good excuse.
Well, enough of the blubbering, lets get to the good stuff. The cabinets are in! And so are all the appliances. Well, except for the dishwasher. But it is in place while I wait for the missing pieces to be delivered.
The cabinet installer, Theo, showed up on the morning of the 14th and got straight to work. He was working solo but figured he could get them in in a day. I knew all along, but didn't let myself get too used to the idea that they would go in that quickly.I lucked out when they sent Theo to install my cupboards. He normally works on high end kitchens, so he knew his way around cabinetry. He did a great job and only forgot one thing -- to drill a hole for my microwave cord. I had the right drill bits, and my handy dandy new drill, so I cut the hole myself.
After Theo left, I was faced with the daunting task of putting everything away. I was completely overwhelmed. Not only did I have to put stuff away, I had to clean most of it first and without a sink nearby. It all went in relatively smoothly, but I needed more shelves which I got to the following day. I even managed to put the stove and washer/dryer back all by myself. I was really craving some soup after I stumbled upon a can while unpacking. So, I fired up the stove and made me some soup!
By shear luck, my super awsome plumber Darrell was able to come on Monday to install my sink and dishwasher. He actually sent a different guy, but stopped by between jobs. I insisted they use braided lines all the way to the dishwasher, even though it would cost about $60 extra. I don't need it to burst which has been known to happen with plastic supply lines. Apparently the braided lines you buy at the hardware store are NOT the right kind. Only those from an actual plumbing supply place are the right kind. You can tell because they have a 'ring' type thing on the inside of the nut which goes on the inside of the pipe thingy. When the nut is tightened I am guessing it acts as a bit of a compression fitting on that inner ring thingy.
While there, Darrell helped me yell at the guy at the Brick when they told me the pieces I was missing for the dishwasher had to be purchased separately. He is now waiting on those parts, which the Brick will pay for thanks to my "conversation" with them. So, he will come back in the new year to install. Turns out I won't be flexing again until Feb 1, so I have a full month to wait for that last piece of the kitchen reno. But, I am so used to washing dishes by hand that I hardly notice. Besides, the dishwasher is sitting in its place and not my living room or dining room, so I am quite happy to carry on this way for as long as it takes.
I will be sure to get the kickplate tiles (base of the cabinets, same as the floor tile) and backsplash tiles in before the dishwasher goes in so that the kitchen will finally be done. I purchased the plain white tiles for the backsplash and decided to go with a glass tile for the insert. Glass tiles will go better with white grout and the taupy-purple colour will really go well with the floor. They should arrive some time next week.In the meantime, I am trying not to make a mess of my carpets which were just cleaned by my friends Tom and Lorraine. Thanks guys, they have a new lease on life while I save up my money to do the floors!
And here are some pics...
The cupboards AND the sink is in! w00t!
My microwave doesn't look half bad thanks to the black knobs.
The new cupboard over the washer and dryer. I need a stool to reach it.
My slick new range hood. It has a very bright light setting that I use when I want to interrogate what I am cooking.
My super deep sink and goose neck faucet. I can fill a bucket in the sink now.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Day 119: Giddy
I was giddy all day today and I'm pretty sure it has to do with the fact that the cupboards are going in tomorrow...at long last! (insert happy humming)
I know I promised to post a pic of my closet doors...but I hit a bit of a snag. The replacement pieces I had to buy weren't quite the same as the ones that came with the door. Remember, I needed two sets of the mounting hardware since I wanted to install each door separately?
I can honestly say that Home Depot is a much better place than Rona to get bifold door hardware. I ended up buying all new mounting hardware (the pieces the pins go into) because HD had a style that had a screw to keep the pin in place. They also had a pin for the bottom which was threaded so the door height can be adjusted slightly. The trick is getting the current pins out. The plastic bushing has burrs on it so it goes in and stays in. I have a trick that works, but it is too tough to explain. I picked up the last of the bifold door hardware tonight so will install tomorrow while I am at home...in the event that I can't help install the cupboards!
When it comes to hinges, the Cook St Do-it Centre is a better place than Rona (sorry Rona). I just wanted brushed steel hinges and Rona wanted $9.00 for a single hinge. Cook St had them for $4.00...for a pair! They aren't as good quality, but it is for a door that no one will ever see.
While at HD, I bought a drill. I had to replace the one that was covered in mortar from using it to mix the mortar. It actually still worked and I needed a drill this past week, so the excitement to work on my bifold doors helped me overcome the fact that it was covered in mortar. But, I had taken off the chuck key to keep it after tossing the drill but I've misplaced it and obviously never did get around to tossing the drill. I've even purchased two keys but neither work. Enter the new drill...the new keyless chuck drill! It is corded and has variable speed too! That is a feature I didn't want to be without and I can't stand cordless tools because I would never drain the battery properly and would wreck the battery...but not before they discontinued that style of battery. I also think you need a lot of torque on a drill and you can't get that with a battery pack that is nearly drained.
Well, I go sleep now...if I am able to sleep that is!
I know I promised to post a pic of my closet doors...but I hit a bit of a snag. The replacement pieces I had to buy weren't quite the same as the ones that came with the door. Remember, I needed two sets of the mounting hardware since I wanted to install each door separately?
I can honestly say that Home Depot is a much better place than Rona to get bifold door hardware. I ended up buying all new mounting hardware (the pieces the pins go into) because HD had a style that had a screw to keep the pin in place. They also had a pin for the bottom which was threaded so the door height can be adjusted slightly. The trick is getting the current pins out. The plastic bushing has burrs on it so it goes in and stays in. I have a trick that works, but it is too tough to explain. I picked up the last of the bifold door hardware tonight so will install tomorrow while I am at home...in the event that I can't help install the cupboards!
When it comes to hinges, the Cook St Do-it Centre is a better place than Rona (sorry Rona). I just wanted brushed steel hinges and Rona wanted $9.00 for a single hinge. Cook St had them for $4.00...for a pair! They aren't as good quality, but it is for a door that no one will ever see.
While at HD, I bought a drill. I had to replace the one that was covered in mortar from using it to mix the mortar. It actually still worked and I needed a drill this past week, so the excitement to work on my bifold doors helped me overcome the fact that it was covered in mortar. But, I had taken off the chuck key to keep it after tossing the drill but I've misplaced it and obviously never did get around to tossing the drill. I've even purchased two keys but neither work. Enter the new drill...the new keyless chuck drill! It is corded and has variable speed too! That is a feature I didn't want to be without and I can't stand cordless tools because I would never drain the battery properly and would wreck the battery...but not before they discontinued that style of battery. I also think you need a lot of torque on a drill and you can't get that with a battery pack that is nearly drained.
Well, I go sleep now...if I am able to sleep that is!
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