To my Sidekick and Shadow

Home was a little more quiet this weekend, but that wasn't a good thing. As soon as I stepped in the door Mommy told me the bad news. My youngest cat Libby died. The news was extremely hard to take. She was only 11. If you know me at all you know my cats are very important to me. Libby was a little different from my other two cats. Ray clings to my Mom, Jamie is very social and likes to mingle with everyone, but Libby really only liked me. I called her my sidekick and shadow because she never left my side.

Libby had a lot of little quirks besides being my shadow. She was very skittish. We called her a squirrel cat. She was also very talkative. When I would call Mom at home I could always hear her in the background. Mom put her on the phone so we could talk many a times. It's kinda weird I know, but I think she knew it was me, and I missed hearing her meow. She also loved to just sprawl out on a chair arm or back... she looked like a flying squirrel when she did that. One of her favorite things to do was tip over glasses and then run away...no glass was safe around her. Also, if you weren't giving her enough attention it didn't matter. As long as your hand was around she would rub her head on it and pet herself. Libby had her own little way of "blessing" me when I sneezed. She would make this cute little noise, something in between a purr and a meow, every time I sneezed, and she only did it for me, no one else. Throughout the years I tried to trick her out many times with a fake sneeze, but she never fell for it.

Libby loved to impress me. She did this weird thing that Mom calls a "hunting mode." She would bring me articles of clothing and drop them off in front of me or in my room. I wrote an entry about that back in 2005, you can read it here. She made this awful meowing noise and she looked so darn proud when she brought the things for me. Last time I was home I got a black sock in my room.

I think she was a very smart cat. Every time I came home it would take at least an hour for her to come around to me. With her being my sidekick you'd think she'd be all over me as soon as I stepped in the door, right? Wrong. She was mad at me for leaving her for so long. Once she did come out of hiding, I heard nothing but complaining from her, I would even have to chase her around for a bit before she would warm up to me again. After that, it was like I never left. Then Sunday afternoons she would disappear again. I say it's because she knew I was leaving and was mad at me again. For that reason I didn't get to say goodbye to her last time I was home. However, when I came home that time she did greet me at the door, which was really strange.

Home this weekend was just not the same without her there. I know some of you probably are thinking I'm crazy for being so upset about this, but she was more than just a pet to me, as are my other two cats. Growing up it was just Mom and I at home. I've had Ray since I was 5, Jamie since I was 6, and Libby since I was 10. Needless to say, the cats were (and still are) a part of the family. Libby went to bed with me every night, and woke me up every morning. She did annoy me a lot, but she only wanted to be petted and loved. In the back of my mind I always told myself not to get annoyed by her because one day, like today, I would regret it. This is my first experience with someone or something close to me dying, so I'm taking it pretty hard. She didn't show any big signs of pain before she passed. Mom said she was coming around more than she usually does and maybe even meowing a little more, but she didn't sound like she was in pain. I had been thinking she was getting thinner and even thought I felt a bump on her hind leg, but I never thought anything of it and just figured I was imagining things.

Libby truly was a special cat. I've never heard of or seen a cat that loved her owner as much as Libby loved me.

Mommy misses you, Libby Lou.

Jeopardy vs. Dangerous Tornadoes, hmm...

People just blow my mind sometimes. I just got two calls from viewers pissed we interrupted JEOPARDY! (all caps with an exclamation point) to cover very severe weather coming into our area. Now, I can understand why they would be upset if we interrupted with just a severe thunderstorm warning...I would be pissed, too, that's "culture of fear-ish." However, we're not talking thunderstorms, we're talking tornadoes, hail, and very strong winds. For the viewers in the affected counties this is very crucial information, for all the others, just something preventing them from seeing Final JEOPARDY!. The first lady, a crotchety old one, wouldn't even let me get a word in edge wise. I politely asked her where she lives, and she continued to yell at me for interrupting her beloved quiz show. I just don't understand people. If the way they wanna go is sitting on their couch watching JEOPARDY! not knowing a tornado is about to take out their house, that's their thing.

He was just looking for a place to sleep

Volusia County, FL
Tuesday

Jeremy Hinson/Man Slept on Sofa
Brandi Bell/Man Slept on Sofa

--INTRO--
A FLORIDA COUPLE COULDN'T BELIEVE THEIR EYES.
THEY WOKE UP SUNDAY MORNING TO FIND A HALF-NAKED MAN SLEEPING ON THEIR COUCH.
HE APPARENTLY BROKE INTO THEIR HOME AFTER LEAVING A BAR.

--PACKAGE--
IT WAS AS EASY AS POPPING OFF A SCREEN, FORCING OPEN A WINDOW, AND HUGO ACOSTA HAD A PLACE TO SLEEP FOR THE NIGHT.
"Still a little weirded out about it, but it's something I'll probably laugh about in about a week."
6:30 SUNDAY MORNING JEREMY HINSON WALKED PAST HIS COUCH AND SAW SOMEONE SLEEPING THERE... HE THOUGHT IT WAS HIS GIRLFRIEND, BUT THEN REALIZED SHE WAS STILL IN BED.
"I came back in here and looked, saw it was a stranger, by that time it was when the fear set in."
THE COUPLE CAME BACK OUT TOGETHER... WITH A GUN... AND FOUND ACOSTA, MOSTLY NAKED, COMPLETELY PASSED OUT.
"There was a guy on my sofa. He left his shoes and pants and everything else along the way."
THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE SAYS THAT AFTER A LONG NIGHT AT A NEARBY BAR, ACOSTA CRAWLED IN, SCATTERED HIS CLOTHES ON THE FLOOR, GRABBED FOOD AND SOMETHING TO DRINK FROM THE FRIDGE, HE EVEN FOUND A SHEET FROM THE CLOSET TO COVER UP WITH... AND HE WAS QUIET ENOUGH THAT ONLY BRANDI WOKE UP AFTER HEARING A NOISE, BUT NEVER BOTHERED TO CHECK IT OUT.
"Didn't think anything of it. Went right back to sleep and woke up to find a half-naked man, on my sofa!"

--TAG--
THE MAN THEY FOUND IS IN JAIL TONIGHT.

Gettin' with the times

I finally have a DVD player in my apartment! Let the Seinfeld marathon begin...

The Sports Gods are Smiling Upon Me

...and it feels so good. Wow this past weekend was great. Let's start with the Mizzou game. I had been eagerly anticipating the MU vs. Nebraska game for quite some time, especially after I found out it was going to be broadcast on ESPN. It brought back very fond memories of Freshman year. What a magical year for the Tigers...6-0 at home, with the highlight of the year, for me at least, being that game against the Huskers. It was very similar to this year's game. It was at night, broadcast on national television (TBS) and there was a lot on the line...like ending a 25 year streak of losing to them. We ended up winning that freezing, wet, pneumonia-bound game, and of course, those goal posts came down (see picture). Okay, back to this year. You could just feel the excitement in the air. I got this warm, fuzzy feeling while I was at Wal-Mart buying cups for jell-o shots. There are few things greater than Columbia on a Saturday when there's a football game in town. I would guesstimate that at least 80% of people in that Wal-Mart were wearing gold or Mizzou related apparel. It's just amazing how much the community backs up the team. Seeing us win on national television was just amazing...and not only win, but kick some major ass.

Now on to baseball. It was the cubs year. At least that's what cubs fans said...and have been saying ever year since I can remember. They were pretty hot going into the playoffs and their chances were looking good. I'll admit it, I was getting a little scared, but not nearly as scared as others. I knew deep down in my heart they would some way, some how, screw up like they always do. I was hoping for one of two things: they make it to the NLCS, get all the fans hopes up, then crap out '03 style, or, get swept in the first round. It turns out they didn't need Steve Bartman. We were at Hooters when I found out they lost the series. I screamed pretty loud (I might have been a little drunk) and an alleged cubs fan behind me made a comment and of course, I put him in his place. I couldn't stop smiling for probably about 10 minutes. The cubs losing in the playoffs is almost as good as the Cardinals winning in the playoffs. 99 years and counting. I can't wait for next year.

There's growth!

Before I left for Mizzou Friday, I made sure to give my future Christmas tree plenty of water, and it helped! When I checked it out today to give it the daily squirt of water, I noticed the first sprout! I honestly didn't think this thing would grow at all; that's about half the reason why I'm so excited. I'm also pretty excited that I can actually grow something. You don't even wanna see what my Chia head is looking like right now.

We Want the Funk

This commercial kills me. I absolutely LOVE it! There's just something about those dorky little kids, their awful dance moves, and how small their huge backpacks make them look. Just wanted to share.