the science factory » pets

stormy May

carissa — Thu, 13 May 2010 05:13:26 +0000

I hurt my knee falling down while running in February. The healing has been slow and and the skin there is still new and sometimes sore.

The last few days we’ve rearranged the living room a little bit and the bedroom completely — it’s like a fresh start to the space. Things flow more and feel more inviting. Improving my environment is a big priority for me right now, it makes me feel much better to have a space that resonates with me. It’s hard to explain, but when things aren’t arranged well or in a way that feels natural it can make the whole room feel subtly off/uncomfortable.

More house pictures will be forthcoming this month once we get the office improved the way we want (on the hunt for a loveseat right now).

weekend of wine

carissa — Mon, 03 May 2010 05:29:51 +0000

A weekend of lots of talking and wine. We finished a bottle of Boxhead White between us on Saturday, and had more still (red) after that. Then a walk today and some Indian food. Another weekend day would be great.

more mizmo

carissa — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 04:39:05 +0000

Mizmo shares our interests

carissa — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 05:53:27 +0000

Mizmo is developing great taste in furniture; lately his main hangout in the living room is underneath our LCM. Good kitty.

simon, my first best cat

carissa — Sat, 23 May 2009 04:16:00 +0000

Simon was born 4/25/03 to a stray under a bush in Champaign, IL. His entire litter was male. I chose him out of the group after his foster caregiver said “that’s the cuddly one.” He’d been adopted once already by a little British girl that named him “Johnson,” but had to be given back as she was very allergic. I bonded with him and played with him all the time; I played with his paws constantly so he got used to letting me touch and trim his nails. He was a champ about this, and never scratched up anything he wasn’t supposed to, so I never declawed him and I was always proud of that.

Simon/Simmy/Sim/Squirmy-worm followed me everywhere and slept with me every night. He was incredibly smart and curious, and got into trouble sometimes as a result. He burned his foot on my stove once, jumping up to be near me. He would always steal food. He took a bite out of a sour cream and onion pringle in my hand once. He was always a little bit chubby.

Simon died on 5/19/09. As of now I am still in a bit of denial about it. It was so sudden and very unexpected. A genetic heart condition caused him to crash that morning; his lungs filled with fluid as his heart was too weak to keep them clear. I rushed him to the vet where he was anesthetized and stabilized, but opted to euthanize him as his prognosis was weak even with extensive recovery and treatment. I had no idea how hard I would take this, and it turns out quite hard. I loved that cat so much. I hope he knew it.