New month, new logo! This was created by reader Christine and it includes allllll the cats who are currently permanent residents of Crooked Acres.
DAMN I’ve got too many cats.
Thanks, Christine!!!!
(Note: You might need to clear your cache (in Firefox it’s Tools – Clear Private Data – make sure “cache” is checked – hit “clear private data” button) to see the logo at the top.)
Happy April 1st, fools!
No April Fool’s Day jokes from me. I still don’t think I can top the year I claimed to be pregnant with twins and pissed off a bunch of people.
Good times.
I went to the pet store yesterday for my usual Monday morning stint, and after I was done there, I had about an hour to kill before the pet store was opening – I needed to buy a refill for my Feliway diffuser – so I went over to Target to poke around. It was about 8:10, so I knew Target was open, but as I went to go inside, the automatic door didn’t open, so I just stood there like, Duh. What now?
Tip for my fellow dumbasses: The automatic doors can be PUSHED OPEN.
A woman walking out with her husband saw my long hesitation before I pushed the door open laughed at my dumb ass, as well she should have.
As if in payment for making me feel like a dumbass, Target left me a penny in the parking lot. I must be super lucky these days, because it seems like every where I’ve gone over the past three or four days, there’s been a penny waiting for me to pick it up. Hell, Fred found two pennies in the chicken yard yesterday. I don’t know what the deal is with the people who used to own our house and land, but we’ve probably found $2 worth of pennies laying around in the dirt in various places since we moved in here.
Fred never used to stop and pick up change on the street until I gave him a hard time about it. I don’t believe one can refer to oneself as “frugal” (as he likes to do) and then ignore found money.
Not that I think we’re going to get rich from the pennies we find on the street, but it kind of seems like a dare, assuming there’s a god, to say “Oh, I’m not going to pick that up. It’s just a PENNY.” Like god will say, “Oh, not interested in that penny? Howsabout I take ALL your pennies away, interested NOW?”
However, I don’t subscribe to the “only pick it up if it’s heads up!” theory of thought. If it’s a penny (or nickel, dime, quarter) I’ll pick it up, whether it’s heads up or tails up, luck be damned.
How about you – do you pick up coins you find on the street? And what’s the largest amount of money you ever found on the ground? I found a ten dollar bill once when I was a kid. As you can imagine, I was pretty damn excited.
The other day, Fred and I were going for a walk around the back forty. As we walked by the pig yard, the pigs tracked us from the other side. They clearly know that when a human approaches the pig yard there’s food to be had, so they were hoping we’d stop and give them something good to eat.
I had a Jolly Rancher in my mouth* and I said to Fred, “I wonder what they’d do if I spit my Jolly Rancher over there?”
Fred shrugged. “Try it.”
I leaned close to the fence and spit the candy into the pig yard. In less than three seconds the little pig had located it, scooped it up in his mouth, chomped it to bits, and swallowed it.
Answers THAT question.
*I like Jolly Ranchers, but only the Wild Strawberry flavor. This means that I buy bags of the Jolly Rancher “Wild Berry” mix, pick out the Wild Strawberry ones, and rehome the other ones. Fred’s not as much a Jolly Rancher fan as I am, so the Jolly Ranchers tend to build up. I wish I could buy single flavors in bulk, but apparently you can’t. Hmph.
********************
I think today’s the day I’m going to split the foster kittens up. She’s gotten a lot friendlier – I plugged in the Feliway diffuser and went away for a couple of hours, and the next time I went into the room, she stood up and chirruped at me and ran over to get some love. He, on the other hand, will come over and lick and bite my fingers, but he’s not crazy about being touched. Maybe splitting them up will encourage them to be friendlier; I’m going to put him in the guest bedroom (after I get the bookcase back in its place and the books on the bookcase) for several days and see how it goes. I’ll spend some extra time with him, too, and maybe he’ll decide I’m not all that bad.
I love the way her tail is all corkscrewed.
Such an intent little face.
******************
Number of Foxfire tabs (is that better than saying “windows”?) open: 11.
Gmail
Google Reader
Sugarbutt picture
Flickr, Taming Feral Kittens
How to make a non-toxic cleaning kit
Round Butte Seed Growers
Doctor Sweet Tooth on eBay
Zorb Smoky Mountains
World Vets
Bitchypoo wordpress page
Fred’s got some really good pictures up over at his site. The “Jazz Hooves” picture, especially, makes me laugh my ass off. I think we very well might have to frame that one.
It’s such a tragedy when a cat overheats and melts right out of the bed. Poor Sugarbutt. He was so young!
Previously
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: There’s a saying that men make plans and god laughs.
2004: No entry.
2003: Won’t be happening in my lifetime, thanks.
2002: No entry.
2001: I get the weirdest freakin’ referrals to my site.
2000: No entry.
Re: Picking Up Money. I don’t bend over for anything less than a quarter. Heh.
Re: Jolly Ranchers. They hurt my mouth. What is that all about? I don’t know if it’s the corners or they’re too big or what. Owie.
Re: Tuxedo Foster Kitten (HG?). I had a tuxedo cat for 21 years and the f*cker was never friendly. I think he thought he was too handsome to have to be nice. But he was my boy and I adored him.
I always pick up any change I see on the ground, because “See a penny, pick it up, and all the day you’ll have good luck. See a penny, let it lie, and then good luck will pass you by.” Heh. I actually found five bucks on the ground once – now that was lucky – but even better was the time my pop was walking down the street in downtown DC on a windy day and a $20 bill blew right into his chest!
When you talk about this cat or that cat and show a photo of one here or one there… I don’t think you have too many cats. Seeing them all lined up on the logo there… hmm. He he. But you know what!? If people can have nine children (like my parents) why shouldn’t a nice loving couple be able to have nine cats!?
I pick up heads-up pennies. Leave behind tails-up pennies … silly, I know.
Twice as I have walked in our local redwood park I have found money just lying there, smack in the middle of the trail. Once it was a ten dollar bill, the other time it was a ten and a five folded together. I’m pretty sure my good fortune has been at the expense of tourists who are walking along craning their necks to see the tops of the huge trees, while they dig their cameras or cell phones out from their pockets.
I found $40 in the middle of the footpath a couple of years back. I looked around for anyone walking in front of me, or around the corner, but nope. I spent it on yarn, I tend to knit things and give to people, so I figured that would be good karma. (Plus, yarn!)
See a penny pick it up, the fact that it’s free money *is* the good luck. That’s my mantra. I don’t believe I’ve ever walked into a shop and my money’s been knocked back because it’s facing the wrong way.
you think you feel bad for having so many darn cats? I feel bad that I could name each and every one of them without even hesitating. 🙂 I always pick up money, because, as I say, “any time you find money, it’s lucky!” Maybe they are pennies from heaven (signs that someone is thinking of you) The most I’ve ever found I think was $20 but that was like one time and i felt very guilty. Now, I find most of my “found” money left in a jacket or a pair of pants. 😀
I well recall that April Foods stunt…. you had us all fooled. G-Mail almost got me this morning, until I recognized that it was April 1st. For a short moment, I actually swallowed their new “Custom Email” idea, of being able to send email that showed a time stamp of a day, week, or month earlier. Ha!!
I pick up all change and put it in a jar. At the end of the year, I donate it to charity. I usually end up with $20 or so. Last year, I found $100 bill! (I did give it to charity) 🙂
I worked with a woman one time who spent weeks working on April Fool’s pranks. It was the only fairly mean thing she did. She was a very faithful Catholic, thinking of becoming a nun, and in her late 20s was still a virgin. So one year she left a long note for her roommate announcing that she was pregnant and the father was not going to be involved. Roommate got up first and worried herself sick about how to handle it. She called several times during the day to say that she wanted to help raise the child and so on. When some of us coworkers finally figured out what was going on, we made the woman call Roommate and tell her the truth. She kept saying, “You live with me! When would I even have had a chance to get pregnant!” It was just a good thing it wasn’t done to me — I think I’d have killed her outright! It was truly outrageous. Done well and well acted and all, but pretty unforgivable.
Last week I promised pictures of my Terminally Cute Kittens, but we’ve had to back burner that. The little boy, Jaspurr, is sick with coccidia, not eating well, and having to be separated from his sisters. And the most beautiful of the girls has an eye that is running and may have gotten a claw caught in it. I’ll get some as soon as it’s feasible!
My husband has been finding marbles in our front and back yards for the last twenty years, whenever he turns over the earth to plant something.
I can’t be sure of the most money found but I did find 7$ at WDW-Holleywood Studios in Feb. I tried to turn it in, but they whispered to keep it and they knew nothing about it. 🙂 No one is really gonna come looking for 7$. lol I felt like I was on hidden camera though.
My brother and I found a fifty dollar bill one time in the Safeway parking lot. We were about 10 (me) and 8 (him). Best week of my life. We lived across the street from an honest to goodness old fashioned drugstore and you could eat like a sultan (if sultans have a particular fondness for burgers and cherry Dr. Peppers) for about two bucks per. Also, they had all the Archie comics and I was a big fan (still hate Veronica with a burning passion).
This is the first time I’ve seen your April Fool’s joke with the twins. Yeah, that was awesome.
I always pick up money on the ground and put it in a jar. I have a huge old Planter’s Peanuts jar (circa 1930’s) on my dresser that is almost full of pennies. Can’t wait to cash that in and see how much is actually there!
The most I have ever found on the ground is a $20 bill. The last bill I found, a $10, was just sitting patiently in a bush next to the road. I saw it as we drove by, made DH go around the block, and I hopped out and picked it up. He still regales friends with the story and this was at least 7 years ago! 🙂
I used to pick up change, until an “incident” at college. Up here in Canada we have $1 coins (loonies) and on my way into school saw 2 of them on the ground. I looked around, saw no one looking for money they dropped, and bent over to pick them up. They didn’t budge. They were GLUED to the ground! I heard a bunch of people laughing, and when I turned around there were 6 or 7 guys all standing there hardy-har-harr-ing at my expense. Could have been worse-could have been the whole wallet with the fishing line trick where they pull it away just as you reach for it.
Now I have to kick the money to make sure its just laying there.
I never used to pick up pennies, or have much regard for them. Then my daughters school started having penny drives once a year for a worthy cause. Now I obsessively collect them, like a challenge to see how full I can get the penny jar! I have a new respect for them 🙂
On pennies: I always heard, heads up – say a wish for good luck for yourself, tails up – say a wish for good luck for others. Everyone wins!
Apparently the Felway Diffuser works or you wouldn’t be getting a refill. Is that the reason why you never write anything about any of your cats spraying? I have six cats and have had to isolate a couple of them for a while to calm them down because of spraying. I have hear of Felway before but hesitate to buy it because it’s expensive and if it doesn’t work. But I want us to be one big happy family so I’m willing to buy it on your good recomendation!
Speaking of found money. My husband had a rolled up $100 bill actually roll up to him in a parking lot a few years ago! It was the craziest thing1.
I don’t think you’ll ever top the pregnant with twins April Fool’s joke. The funny thing is that I thought about it this morning!
I always pick up change, heads up or down. Money is money. 🙂
I always pick up pennies and any other change I see. One time I found a $20 on the ground.
I like all the Jolly Rancher flavors except for Strawberry and Grape, but if I could I would buy just the Cherry kind in bulk.
i will pick up any denomination silver. i pick up only “heads up” pennies, but i turn over the other ones so the next person will be able to pick it up.
i once stuck my hand in a clean toilet bowl for 8 quarters.
i dug out a chunk of ice to get the 2 bucks frozen in it.
i found $73 in an empty marlboro lights pack at opryland. i tried to turn it in but was told it would be easier to keep it. my son and i spent it on snow cones and hot wings.
i found $383 in a paper bag in a public park, small bills all folded a bunch of ways and in little bundles with a rubber band. it looked like drug money i had seen on “cops”. i kept it, and spent half on diapers for the pantry at church- it was on the needs list for that month.
OMG JAZZ HOOVES! Hilarious!
Hubby and I always pick up change on the ground. My husband though is the king of finding money. One night about 3am a truck stops in front of our driveway and a couple proceeds to have a fight, screaming, yelling, slamming car doors. After a few minutes they drive away. Hubby goes out the next morning and finds $2,000 laying where the truck was parked. Clearly it fell out in all the commotion the night before and the fighting couple never noticed. We held on to it a few days to see if they would come back and they never did so it was ours. Then, 3 days later, Hubby is swimming in the ocean and finds a cigarette pack floating in the water. He picks it up to throw it away and there’s $200 tucked in the cellophane! He is the champ at finding money 🙂
I really hope I am not the only perverted mind here today that thought of no less than 3 jokes about having a Jolly Rancher in your mouth.
🙂
This will reveal one of my quite ill-concealed neuroses, but I never pick up change on the ground because I’m always afraid John Quinones or some other asshole is hiding in the bushes filming me for one of those stupid hidden camera specials on 20/20.
Oh dear, I could name all the cats without hesitation also.
That HG is a handsome guy, I hope he gets used to people.
The Don King clone on Fred’s site just cracks me up!
My dad found $900 dollars as kid {back in the 50’s}. No one ever claimed it, so his parents ending up buying a new car with it. 🙂
The most I’ve ever found was a dollar, and of course lots of change through the years. 😛
I found almost $700 once (around 1 am, in large bills, in an envelope on the floor of the restaurant I worked at). We waited for a couple of days to see if anyone claimed it but we think it was someone who didn’t realize where they’d lost it. I split it with the other two waitresses on duty that night but did NOT tell the managers; that money would have disappeared into their pockets asap.
Robyn, I always pick up change I see on the street. The most I’ve ever found was $1.50. 🙂
Coins; I pick up any and all coins lying around. I put them in the music box that my late father had given to my late mother for Xmas in the 50s. When it gets full, I put it in the collection plate at Chruch. The most I money I ever found at one time was three one dollar bills.Sylvia Browne says that departed loved ones frequently leave coins around for their family and friends to find as a way of letting them know they are aware of the loss the survivoures might feel; and that they are “Okay.” I just feel it is ‘found’ money.
Sammi
I always pick up pennies when I see them…and put them in my shoe! My British mother always did this for good luck so the tradition carries on! My husband just cashed in our penny jar. All the pennies were rolled but the bank didnt really want to take them! The teller acted exasperated and called the bank manager over. They reluctantly accepted them but told him next time take it to a cash exchange machine. Pretty rediculous IMO… total cash in value 67$!
Hey, didn’t you know that (tadah!)
EVERY LIFE NEEDS NINE CATS?
(badum-ching!)
I pick up change, too, heads, tails, whatever. The most I’ve found was $300 in the grocery store parking lot, right in the spot I parked in. I thought it was one of those fake 100s, but nope. I struggled with what to do with it. Turn it in to the store? Yeah right. “Sure, I lost some money. Gimme.” Tell them, but not turn it in? I worried I’d taken someone’s hard-earned grocery money, and we’re not exactly hard up, though we have been. I figured the gods were smiling on me that day. I’ll have to pay it forward somehow. Or something.
I only pick up a penny if it’s head up, but I will pick up any other denomination whenever I see it. I once found a $20 bill in the parking lot at Kmart. I was very happy.
I never pick up change because I’m horribly lazy. What worse is I’ve actually been known to throw pennies away, because I hate them. Fuck pennies!
I always pick up money that I find on the ground, then I say ” The Lord doeth provide”. I have always heard that if you come upon a bright shiny penny that it means that a loved one who has passed on is throwing you pennies from Heaven. I love the new logo. I would call it Crooked Acres Lineup. I named every cat straight across. (I really do need to get a life ) AT the last place I worked I found a cigarette holder containing a ten dollar bill and a pack of cigarettes . It was just lying there in the parking lot just as I stepped out of my car. As much as I was tempted to keep it, I turned it in at the office. The next day the woman who lost it came and thanked me for it. It made me feel good about my honesty.
I’m glad Pacer said it first, but I used to throw away pennies (one or two at a time, never a handful or anything). But then one time the Hubs went through the trash because he heard coins jingling, held them up and looked at me like I had thrown away one of the cats. Actually, no he’s not an animal person so he was probably more upset that I had thrown away 2 pennies.
The most I’ve ever found on the ground was a $20. My younger brother spotted a $100 bill on the ground in a casino when we were kids. We weren’t supposed to be in there (we were walking through to get to the elevators) so my Dad was rushing us through while steering my brother by his shoulders. My brother physically had to wrench himself free and flung himself onto the (dirty) casino floor to grab the $100 bill.
I still think you guys should get a channel at justin.tv
It would be the most watched, with the cats and now the piggies!!
I always pick up coins. Having been raised by a grandmother who survived the Great Depression by
being very frugal indeed, I don’t think I could just leave a coin (even a penny) just lying there —
Grandma would rise right up from the grave and scold me. Or something.
Many schools have penny drives. Many charities will accept rolls of coins of any denomination.
I saw something a few weeks ago that made me feel humbled: in a discount shoe store, a poorly dressed
mother with a small child had a pair of children’s shoes and was trying to pay for them with change.
She had quarters, dimes, nickels, and was counting them out, one by one, to get to the amount she needed for the shoes. This was just before Easter and I knew she wanted her little boy to look nice
for the holiday. It was agonizing to see, hoping that she would have enough coins to pay for those
shoes. I thought about just paying for those shoes myself, then realized that this was a matter of personal pride for her and that it would be shaming her if anyone else tried to help.
Please, don’t dismiss coins as valueless. Enough put together will buy a pair of shoes. Or food.
I found a wad of bills on the floor in the mall – a few ones on the outside, a $5 and a $20 on the inside. I stood next to it for about three minutes, wondering if it was a trick or a trap, then picked it up and made a big show of looking around to see if anyone seemed to be looking for money (patting pockets, etc). After another ~2 minutes, I shrugged elaborately, stuck it in my pocket, and walked off. I still stayed in that area for a few more minutes, looking to see if any panicky looking person came through looking at the ground.
My son found a wallet in the men’s room of a fast food joint with more than $1000 in cash, two blank signed checks, a half-dozen or so credit cards, a driver’s license and social security card, and all kinds of other goodies. I had to dig through the wallet to find a phone number (it was printed on the check, but I didn’t see it at first, probably because I was so freaked out and afraid of being accused of theft if any of the money was missing), and when I finally called the guy, he hadn’t even realized it was missing. I had asked the guy behind the counter if I could use their phone book to try to get a number for the guy, and he said no. When I tried to explain that we’d found a lost wallet and were trying to contact the owner, you could honestly SEE the dollar signs spring up in his eyes and he said, “I can hold it in case they come back for it.” I laughed and said, “No thanks, I intend to make SURE it gets returned to its RIGHTFUL owner.” He gave me an ugly look, but whatever.
When I find any “large” amount of money (and for me, “large” = more than $5, because see Marian’s post about the mother buying shoes with change. It might be “only” $5 but that might be the *only* $5 that the person has) in a store or similar place, I will go tell the manager or whoever I can find that I found some cash, and if anyone comes looking for it to please page me, or if I’ll be leaving soon, to call me on the phone. I never tell the amount I found, because that will be the “identifier” in the event someone does come looking. I never “turn it in” because I don’t know what the manager will do with it, and I always try to hang around for at least a little while near where I found it. BION, I’ve had about as many success stories as not. People never think that anyone will have reported the money found but sometimes they’ll check anyway; I’m always so happy to be able to give them a pleasant surprise. It’s one of the best “rushes” I’ve ever experienced.
I’ll pick up silver, but not pennies, and whoever told the tale of the coins being super-glued to the ground just gave me a wonderful, terrible idea. My mother’s one of those people who makes a detour to pass by the bubble-gum machines and pay phones so she can check all the coin-return slots. I wonder how long she’ll spend chiseling the nickel off of her driveway…