RIP Precious

My cat Precious died last night. I buried him in the backyard after work tonight and sang Amazing Grace for him. I got him from a friend who insisted I take kitten her cat had (1 of 9). Precious had a twin who looked just like him. Her son picked Precious for me cause he was so sweet and I had a sweet disposition. I got him at 9 weeks old and 2.2 pounds. Tiny shrimp of a cat I called him. He grew bigger and his heaviest weight was 22 pounds. Had someone take his picture because he was the biggest cat he ever saw as we were outside. Vet techs said he looked like a Maine Coon. Actually had someone say their friend wanted a Maine Coon cat and asked me how much I wanted for Precious. I replied he was not for sale and continued our walk. Yes, I got Precious to walk on a leash. Actually he walked around sniffing everything and I just followed him. He loved to chase feathers and his buddy Frodo I adopted from a shelter. Later on I got a ferret that the cats didn't like and it was comical watching Faramir the ferret chasing Precious around the apartment. He loved drinking out of the kitchen faucet and getting in the fridge. He has been with me in 2 apartments and now a house. He loved my house backyard where he didn't have to wear a harness. He relaxed on the concrete bench and I brought him bowls of ice on hot days and he wouldn't come inside. At age 12, he lived a full life. He will be missed.

I am the Master of Weird Dreams

Kept having a recurring dream this week while I was working.

It is 1981, I'm 5 years old, and I'm sitting alone at an airport, I think Kansas City but not sure. I am on my way to Los Angeles to be in the Annie movie as an orphan extra (if you spot a girl in pigtails cause Mom kept my hair short wearing a lavender dress with white shirt that was me). My Mom went to the rest room and I sit on a bench singing to myself. A man walks by and sits on the bench a couple feet way. I do a double take at the man cause I recognize him as Freddie Mercury. I shake with excitement and shock. You're Freddie Mercury, I gasp and sing a bit of Another One Bites the Dust. Yep, that's my song, the man says. The rest of the band arrive and Mr. Mercury offers a band autograph for me. I have no paper and pen. They grab pen and paper to sign it. I ask what it says cause I haven't started school yet to read it myself. Mr. Mercury points to the 4 names and To the Songbird (cause I was singing when he walked by). They wave good-bye and I sit with my autographed paper. My Mom arrives and I explain who she just missed. We go to the gate and I chat to myself looking at books, sing to my Mom, and we board the plane.

Then after while on the plane, I have to go the rest room. There is a man in front of me. Seeing I am holding my crotch and jumping around, he lets me go ahead of him. It's Brian May. I come out and Oh, it's you again. He recognizes the songbird from the airport bench. I return to my seat next to Mom. The stewardess comes over and asks if I would like to sit up front in 1st Class behind the curtain for the remainder of the trip. I sit with the band Queen drinking from champagne glasses. I am offered a Sprite. I comment how a ghost of an old lady was behind them and one of their grandmothers had died recently. We have conversation until we land and I return to my seat next to Mom. We run into each other getting off the plane at the gate. We waved good-bye a second time. My Mom orders me "Come on" and comments how strange the band looks. Mr. Mercury replied, "I may look weird, but I'm not the one having an affair." Mom is shocked I said that to them and yanks on my arm to leave. We arrive at the movie studio and movie orphans were excited I met the band Queen.

But I know it is just a weird dream cause Queen was touring in South America in 1981 so they never would have met me in North America that year. It was a nice dream though.

Midsummer Happenings

Survived the flooding in Des Moines. Walnut Creek that flooded was north of my journey to work so got to work okay. Got rid of 2 shrubs along my house. Had to use an axe to whack the wood trunk apart. Don't have to worry about it anymore. Day before the 4th of July, got off work early so stopped at the grocery store. Got a nail in my tire and rushed to mechanic before they closed to get it fixed. Spent 4th of July with Mom and sister's family. Got a stash of parade candy from niece and nephew so shared it at work. It took about a week but it did disappear. When I came into work the next day, the computers were down from a power surge frying the server so ended up with the day off.

Lost my male Beta Helios I got as a baby and got another baby Atlas. 2 fish buried in the backyard now. Claims adjuster informed me that my roof leakage is not from storm damage, but normal wear and tear so insurance won't cover it. Got 2 interviews for new jobs. One employer called my home phone while I was at work so no interview cause they refuse to call my cell phone while I'm on my lunch break. Dryer broke down on me so happy I had clothes line poles in backyard. Tied a string and grabbed clothes pins prior owners left behind and hung up the clothes the old fashioned way. Hung my heavy towels and jeans on chairs to take to Mom's place to dry them. Had to take the next week a whole laundry basket full to Mom's to clean since the dryer fixer had to order a new cord (old cord was fried in a power surge).

Had a ferret and cat catch the sniffles and after a couple weeks got better. Came home from work and after lifting up the garage door, the car won't start. Had it towed and I need a new ignition system cause it's been fried. Have to use separate keys for door and ignition now. I drove a car in the 90's so I can handle the 2 key concept. When got the car back, they bumped the antenna so had to return the next day for them to reconnect the antenna to play the radio. Between car, roof, and dryer, I'm asking God what is the next issue I have to deal with. I feel so cursed. Had panic attack when getting cats back inside from the backyard when noticed an owl in a tree (it hooted) in my walnut tree. Owl was the size of my cats.

Got estimates for the roof repair, the 1st one was way too high. Several roofers were booked up for months and went with the one who could come the following week after their lower estimate. Came to work to find the water shut off for repairs. My coworkers were happy when it came back so they could have coffee. My Staycation began with a job interview in person and was told the District Manager would contact me within a week. Manager never contacted me so I guess I was not desired. What they wanted was a CPA who would sell their brand and work for next to nothing. Yeah, I can tell you how to sell your brand: Good product people can't live without and good customer service. My sister says I don't get jobs cause I'm not pretty. Yeah sure, I interview with women so I'm sure they are not looking at my bosom size nor pretty/ugly face when determine my qualifications for the job.

Celebrated my Mom's 79th birthday. My great-niece was ready to jump out the window to swim at the water park next door. Went to the local amusement park with sister's family. Bought a funnel cake with ice cream I shared. Niece and nephew seem to enjoy it as much as me. Flea issues returned though ferrets get them worse than the cats. Gave ferrets a Dawn bath rubbing the dishwashing soap on them. Black clouds flew over my city without a drop of rain, but then 12 tornadoes appeared in towns east of my city. One town had 2 tornadoes. Amazing there were no fatalities. Went to zoo and pool swimming with sister's family. Experienced my Mom's pool that is heated. I had to do that more often.

Work gained 2 new clients so coworkers were shifted around. I hope I get a new job soon. If I made one friend somewhere, I might deal with my stress better. But, people always run away from me, then avoid me (my next door neighbor I was getting to know has done this) to leave me wondering what I said wrong. Was it the cats, the ferrets, the Beta fish, my dead end job, or my overbearing family? Started exercising again to lessen my flab exploding out of my clothes. I can't afford a new wardrobe. My managers manager gave us Marcos' pizza for a job well done last month. We joked this was our bonus since we didn't get our 2nd quarter bonus from lack of revenue. Dryer fixer had to order new parts and will come next week to complete the dryer repair. He got it to run so I could dry my clothes, but other parts needed ordering to complete repair.

Hope August is better. All I ever wanted was a career and a family and so far been denied both. I guess I'm asking too much from life.