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12 Hours in the Wild April 16, 2008

Posted by tkneller in Family, Friends, and Cat!.
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Mwow. Mweeh. Mweeih. Meh. Mwow…

These are the words Eddie greeted me with as I got home from work today…. I was just getting out of my car, and there he was, much to my surprise, trotting down the sidewalk to me! You see, he is not supposed to be outside without supervision – I let him roam the cat-proof back yard when I am home, and if he doesn’t come in the house to check on me, I check on him. (It’s very cute how he comes into the house, makes sure he knows where I am, then heads straight back outside for more sunshine and fresh air.) I make sure he hasn’t escaped the yard – I heard you laugh when I said “cat proof” – or gotten into any other sort of trouble (but primarily I don’t want him to escape). He got out of the yard one evening, and it was not good! It happened a couple of hours before I had to go work a midnight shift, and I walked around the back alleys and streets near my house, calling his name and searching under cars, hedges, wherever I thought he might be! But I didn’t find him – either he didn’t hear me calling or he didn’t want to come out of hiding. Whatever the case, I had to go to work, while my beloved furry one spent the night in the back alleys of High Level (scary places even for a cat with all his claws). We occasionally have coyotes in town! I was a little worried, to say the least! Today, though, I hadn’t worried one bit, since I believed him to be in the house when I left for work. I had let him roam the yard while I ate breakfast and whatnot, as is his early-morning pleasure these days, but I was quite sure he had gone back in. Since I hadn’t seen him for certain in the house as I left, I did a quick check of the yard, but I didn’t see him anywhere, and I needed to get going, so I left. So, my kitty had an exciting day outside today!

And I know nothing about it! Except that he was waiting in the yard when I got home, anxious and very happy to see me. Did he hide all day from barking dogs and noisy trucks? Did he stalk the many birds that visit my bird feeder? Did he lounge lazily on the deck, ruling the yard and enjoying the sun? Did he get his required 10 hours of sleep today? Was he hungry, thirsty, or missing his litter box? Okay, by now you may be laughing at me, but it’s interesting to think of what might have happened. I’ll never know what he went through today.

And the coolest part of all: he isn’t mad at me! He was so relieved to see me (maybe he thought I would be gone for days) and he obviously missed me. All he wanted to do was get some attention and retreat to the safety of the house. Even though he loves his freedom, he loves me more. He had to live with the situation when I locked him outside, and he isn’t even mad at me about it! What a guy! For a cat, he has a very small ego! I’ve been reading a lot about ego lately – more on that another day!

Beware the Halloween Sugar! November 1, 2007

Posted by tkneller in Health Related.
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I’ll say it straight up – I am not a big fan of Halloween. There are many reasons, but the latest and most compelling is due to a theory that I have -that Halloween is the direct cause of the dreaded cold and flu season that is just getting into full swing! You see, sugar, especially refined sugar, shuts down the immune system, and so when our society as a whole starts consuming huge amounts of it, it’s no wonder that illnesses pass between us quickly and linger longer than if we stayed away from the powdery white stuff. Problem is, it also can be quite addictive, not unlike other white powers out there.
I am writing this as the trick-or-treating is taking place… I’ve had a few kids ring the doorbell, and poor Eddie runs for cover because he’s terrified of it! But I’m not giving out candy this year. I just can’t contribute to the mass-poisoning of our young people! (Myself, yes, in moderation.) :)
If I was a real conspiracy theorist, I’d say that the chocolate companies must be in cohoots with the pharmaceutical companies, especially those that make the flu vaccine…and Hallmark is probably in on it too! But I’m not that hard core!
There’s good news, though, and you needn’t consider yourself doomed to suffer every cold and flu if you’ve been consuming a bit too much sugar (probably in the form of chocolate). From what I’ve read, the answer is to increase your intake of Vitamin C to give your immune system a fighting chance. You see, sugar and vitamin C compete for the same receptor sites on a cell that’s essential to your immune system, and if there’s more sugar than Vitamin C, the sugar wins by majority. So, simply taking Vitamin C (I recommend the timed-release kind) is a huge help! From Earl Mindell’s Vitamin Bible, a good dose is taking 1,000 mg twice a day, with breakfast and dinner, but avoid taking it if you are getting any lab work done (it can change test results). It’s best taken with bioflavonoids (this is included in many versions of the pill) and calcium and magnesium (present in multivitamins). Bioflavonoids are just like the white part of the orange skin. Aspirin apparently increases the excretion rate of Vitamin C, so you need more if you take aspirin. Who knew?!? I am learning a lot reading this section of the Vitamin Bible. Anyways, read up on it more if you plan on taking more than 2,000 mg a day (which is quite safe and a good idea if you keep on with the sugar)!! 4,000 mg is probably not too much. The all-knowing Wikipedia has more info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_C
On another note, I think I’m going to make Halloween Eddie’s birthday! After all, he’s a black cat and was born some time in the fall… and this way I can keep track of how old he’s getting! He’s seven now! :) And he’s quite hard to take pictures of, since he seems to absorb all light… :)
That’s all from me… so try keep away from the white stuff, or at least keep it in balance, and take the C! Take care everybody!