Tigger

She was a good cat, she was a cat of many names...Tigger, Squid Squat, Meow Face, Fur Face. She was also a bit of a recluse...Shy, didn't like people much, except the ones that she knew. My dad nicknamed her "Osama" because whenever they would come over she would run and hide in the basement.

I "inherited" her about seven years ago from my sister. They had rescued her from a shelter when they lived in Pennsylvania. After, they moved back to Minnesota for a few years and then my brother-in-law was transferred to Tokyo. They couldn't bring the cat, so they asked, and I agreed to take her.

At the time I was living in a small one bedroom, it was a converted attic apartment in an old house in downtown Excelsior. When she moved in, she hid in my closet for a week. Only coming out when I was asleep.

Gradually, I must of grew on her because when I would come home she would join me in the living room and sleep with me at night.

She used to love to sleep in the window right behind my bed. One day when I was walking up the outside stairs to enter my apartment I found her sitting at the door...I wondered how she got out! I went over to my bed and the screen had fallen out of the window. She fell THREE STORIES! Not only that, but she knew enough to climb the stairs to the front door...I was impressed, and decided that she must have used at least four of her nine lives on that one.

When we moved to our house in Minneapolis she wasn't much interested in going outside, and when we brought Lola home, she immediately packed her bags and moved to the basement where she had the whole place to herself and was content to hide and play on her own terms...much like any other cat!

And talk about stubborn! She was definately a cat of her own will, and a cat after my own heart! It took her about three years to finally accept the dog, and decide that Lola was worth her presence...They would hang out in the kitchen and beg for treats together...a real life "Mutt and Jeff!"

The last few months were the worse for Tigger, about two months ago, she started to go blind, and had an issue with her thyroid. I didn't want any sort of weird exploratory surgery, I just wanted her to live out her last days in peace. Which she did.

Yesterday we found her stuck in a corner of the basement, she had gotten twisted in some old computer equipment of Josh's. He picked her up and she wasn't able to stand anymore. We immediately brought her to the emergency vet. She fell asleep on Josh in the car...It was so peaceful.

We decided that it was best to let her go...She shouldn't have to live this way anymore. No more pain. If only eveyone could be so lucky.

We were there when the Doctor gave Tigger the shots to put her down. She was quiet and it was so wonderful to see that there was no pain. I petted her and and told her what a good kitty she was and she just "fell asleep." We both cried, a member of our family was gone, and that's not easy.

Next week I can pick up her ashes, and we plan on burying them in the spring when the ground has thawed under a day lily at my sister's cabin, where she can be near us as we gather for fun times at the lake.

I will miss her.

Three Day Cleanse "Day Three"

I have almost made it...If in the next 6 hours I don't rush the refrigerator in a fit of rage and start pigging out, I will have made it through my three day cleanse.

And to tell you the truth I really don't feel THAT different.

Maybe if I would have eaten like shit before I started I would be able to tell the difference, but since I'm already a vegan, I really don't notice any change.

I bet that for the average Joe it would be much like when I made the decision to stop eating animal products. After about two weeks you just feel more at peace...Your head feels clearer and your demeanor is much more calm, yet you have more energy and just feel...More happy.

I'm not even hungry anymore. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to go all Nichole Richie on your ass...I LOVE food. I have a food blog ferchirssakes...But you would think that after not eating food for three days one would be famished.

I just miss the taste of food, that's all. I enjoy cooking so much that I think that was the hardest part of all of this...Yes...Even more difficult that downing a 16 oz glass of prune juice every morning.

So, all in all, not a bad experience...and I will do it again, only maybe next time I'll find one that doesn't require the P.J. [GAG]

Oh, and for those of you who were concerned with the consistency and velocity of my poo ((Dr. K. N.), I would have to say that your description was quite accurate, and although I did not find out whether or not I could "thread a needle from 50 yards," I find that quite challenging...Maybe next time.

Three Day Cleanse "Day Two."

My second day with the cleanse is going along quite swimmingly. After, of course, I get over the wrath of the 16oz glass of prune juice I have to consume in the morning. I am home bound for at least two hours after drinking it.

Thankfully, I office out of my home to I can take my time going to where I need to be.

But I have to say, I'm sick of prune juice and I am sick of apple juice. I actually look forward to the tablespoon of olive oil just so I can have something different tasting, besides...well...juice.

This afternoon my sister suggested that I warm the prune juice in the microwave before drinking it. She said something like it makes it taste like cinnamon...I couldn't really hear her because all I could focus on was the fact that I thought I was going to barf. Gross. I want that shit as cold as she comes or I'm not drinking it.

Warm prune juice.

*Gag*

Other than that, it's not that big of a deal. I'm really not that hungry...Except when I brought in lunch for a client today. I drove the whole half mile to their dealership with my head in the bag sniffing the food. Bad idea, because that made me hungry.

I can't watch TV either, the commercials make me hungry...So if I just isolate myself in a room with no TV, no magazines,and not anything that remotely resembles food I'll be fine.

Shit, I'm just going to go to bed.

Three Day Cleanse "Day One"

I just finished my 16oz glass of prune juice...Just one of three that I will have to consume over the next three days. That, and three gallons of organic apple juice and just as much distilled water...in three days. Add three tablespoons of olive oil a day and 8 "Herbal Laxative" supplements and you have the making for one fun and craptastic cleanse!

Whoot Whoot!

Why am I doing this to myself? I mean, I'm a vegan so I already eat healthy enough as it is...

Do I like to torture myself in the form of raging diahrea?

Not really.

I just think that every once in a while we should clean out our systems. Get rid of everything that has collected in our gut so that we can feel even better.

So in order to keep myself on track I'm going to post an update every day to let those of you who care about my bowel health in on my progress.

Wish me luck.

P.S. It takes less than 45 minutes for a 16 oz glass of prune juice to kick into gear. Trust me...I know...

Frozen, but still alive.

Despite rumors of an extended game of "One Handed Croquet", I am still here, and fortunately not lost somewhere in the woods of northern Wisconsin with my croquet mallet and a cocktail.

I've been frozen, snowed in, and just plain busy. Which is no excuse.

I have, however, been spending a bit more time here. Which means I have been spending more time in the kitchen which means I have been spending more time at the gym.

It's viscous circle.