Marlies’ Foster named Player of the WeekNovember 23, 2009

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Toronto Marlies center Alex Foster has been named the Reebok/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Nov. 22, 2009. Foster scored five goals and added one assist for six points in three games.

After missing more than a month due to injury, Foster returned to the Marlies lineup on Friday night and scored a pair of goals to help Toronto defeat Lake Erie, 7-1, in Cleveland. He scored two more goals in Saturday’s 6-3 loss to Grand Rapids, and had a goal and an assist in the third period on Sunday as the Marlies rallied for a 3-2 shootout win over Lake Erie at Ricoh Coliseum.

In recognition of his achievement, Foster will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Marlies home game.

A fourth-year pro out of Bowling Green State University, Foster has six goals and two assists for eight points in eight games for Toronto in 2009-10. In 220 career AHL games, all with the Marlies, Foster has registered 45 goals and 62 assists for 107 points, and he is Toronto’s franchise leader in games played. In 2007-08, he set career highs for goals (18), assists (28) and points (46) and helped the Marlies to the Western Conference finals, and also appeared in three NHL games with the parent Toronto Maple Leafs. A native of Canton, Mich., Foster originally signed as a free agent with the Leafs on Mar. 8, 2006.

Other nominees for Reebok/AHL Player of the Week include Adirondack goaltender Johan Backlund, Albany right wing Chris Terry, Binghamton right wing Ryan Keller, Bridgeport left wing Sean Bentivoglio, Chicago right wing Tim Stapleton, Grand Rapids left wing Tomas Tatar, Hamilton center David Desharnais, Hartford center Corey Locke, Hershey left wing Alexandre Giroux, Houston right wing Jean-Michel Daoust, Lake Erie center Marty Sertich, Lowell right wing Nathan Perkovich, Manchester left wing Bud Holloway, Manitoba right wing Sergei Shirokov, Milwaukee goaltender Chet Pickard, Peoria goaltender Ben Bishop, Portland goaltender Jean-Philippe Lamoureux , Providence defenseman Adam McQuaid, Rochester defenseman Keaton Ellerby, Rockford defenseman Brian Connelly, Syracuse goaltender Kevin Lalande, Texas right wing Mathieu Beaudoin, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton center Dustin Jeffrey and Worcester center Steven Zalewski.

Also see: Past winners, AHL Player of the Week

Kaka has no regretsEckford gets Player of the Week nod

18 years young. Born in Detroit, raised in Ypsilanti. Even though I was living in Ypsilanti, I attended Ann Arbor Public Schools always where I met the majority of my peers. I was an athlete all my life doing both basketball and football since 6th grade. Sports was life pretty much to me. In 2007 though I tore my ACL during AAU basketball tryouts and it pretty much knocked my athletic ambitions off course, set me back, and crushed my dreams of playing sports at the collegiate level. I still managed to have a successful senior season in football. I was a pretty good student also; finished school with a 3.7 GPA and I was accepted into the University of Michigan, where I currently attend.

You’re probably wondering where and how music came into play with all of this going on. I always had a passion for music since elementary school. When I wasn’t doing schoolwork, with friends, or doing sports I’d most likely be watching BET and MTV or browsing the web learning about artists of the present day along with the greats of the past. By the time I entered high school I had developed a pretty good ear for music; listening to both R&B and Hip-Hop/Rap and enjoyed listening to the different styles of each region, from West Coast Rap, the South, and the East Coast. Every area had their own distinct sound.

Through out high school I developed a strong interest in the idea of business and wanted to make a career out of it, but never knew what. And music was just a hobby; I didn’t know how to rap, or produce music. As I matured, I learned that none of the “typical” careers in business seemed appealing to me. I knew I didn’t want to work for someone else, and I knew I didn’t want to go to work every day in a shirt and tie. I looked at some of the figures in hip-hop that I looked up to. Sean Combs, Russell Simmons, Sean Carter, Bryan & Ronald Williams, and Percy Miller were figures I looked up to as role models because of what they started.

I’ve known J. Spikes since 6th grade, we met on a local basketball team, and I witnessed him grow as an artist all the way up to the end of high school. I also met Infinity at the same middle school, yet never was aware of his musical talent until towards the end of high school. Kailz transfered to my high school when I was a senior, and I admired the level he was at musically at such a young age.  I was always aware of the careers that Infinity, Spikes, and Kailz had outside of school and what they were doing. It was when I realized I had all the talent I needed right in front of me to launch a label, that I approached J. Spikes about the idea and presented to him my vision. Six months later in Fall 2009, my business partner and long time friend Dion Glenn and I, took the Feel Gudd movement that Infinity, Spikes, and Kailz created and launched Feel Gudd Music as an official imprint label.

Feel Gudd Music has big plans for 2010, and there’s a lot that must be done. We are all passionate about music and have a common hunger to rise to the top in Southeast Michigan. Look out for the mixtapes, the live shows, and the news that’ll take place in 2010.  Feel Gudd Music is just now starting to rise on its feet; see you at the top.

Cada vez me gustan más los teatros de Ópera de Alemania. Allí dado el gran número de representaciones y la variedad de repertorio la Ópera deviene un espectáculo cotidiano. Por nuestros lares hemos de esperar un montón de días para ver algo. Nuestra única conducta a seguir es depositar muchas esperanzas en el futuro que al final un agudo mal dado echa en el traste.

El nivel de la Orquesta y el coro de la Hamburgische Staatsoper sigue sigue siendo espléndido como comprobamos en su visita al Liceu con Gurre-Lieder y Tannhäuser en 1992. A nivel de producciones los resultados son variables pero siempre muy bien ensayados.

Quizás la mayor fluctuación reside a nivel de los cantantes pero se acostumbran a oír voces jóvenes, entusiastas y con futuros prometedores. No olvidemos que es habitual ver en los cartellones a gente como Eva Maria Westbroek, Hans Peter König, Andrej Dunaev, Anja Harteros o Georg Zeppenfeld. Las mismísimas Marilyn Horne o Montserrat Caballé florecieron por aquí.

El primer día asistimos a una representación de Der Freischütz. La puesta en escena de Peter Konwitschny cuenta ya unos cuantos años y es uno de sus grandes logros. A la izquierda del escenario hay un ascensor por donde suben (al mundo puro) o bajan (a los infiernos) los personajes según idiosincrasia. Uno de los mejores logros es la escena de la garganta que el director convierte en una parodia de los filmes de terror y supersticiones.

En el reparto figuraba la soprano de la Isla Mauricio Danielle Halbwachs. Su voz es hermosa y cristalina acompañada de un canto de elegancia mozartiana. En el rol de Max nos reencontramos con el admirado Torsten Kerl que estuvo a gran altura a pesar de algún pequeño traspiés en la emisión.

Un viejo conocido de Barcelona, James Johnson (Amfortas, Jokanaan, etc.), nos presentaba un Kaspar veterano pero de certera intención. El rol de Ännchen fue cantado por la joven Trine W Lund de forma más que notable. El Coro y la Orquesta funcionaron de forma espléndida con una envidiable precisión y musicalidad en los solistas. Nuestro Lawrence Foster realizó una lectura excelente de la partitura. ¡Que maravilla de obra!

El segundo espectáculo visionado fue Un Ballo in Maschera. La producción firmada por Alexander Schulin estaba constituida por unos paneles móviles que se situaban en cada cuadro para reproducir el marco deseado con austero movimiento actoral. A mí personalmente me aburrió un poco pero creo que es de aquellas producciones que el público tradicional etiqueta con el “no molesta”.

Massimiliano Pisapia posee el fraseo adecuado para el rol de Riccardo pero su registro grave es insuficiente y poco atractivo. La brillantez del agudo y la innegable italianidad compensan estas carencias. A su lado la soprano Angela Brown demuestra tener una voz de auténtica spinto verdiana con facilidad en el agudo y unos filados de sonido a lo Price. Para situarnos, mejor que las dos Amelias del amigo Bieito.

El mejor fue sin duda George Petean (1975) al que ya conocíamos en el Liceu de Les Italiens à Paris y un Rodrigue. Se podría argumentar que el color de la voz es algo atenorado pero las notas graves están todas ahí. El fraseo es verdiano, la musicalidad intachable y la dicción inteligible e intencionada. Su Eri tu fue seguido de una gran ovación. Él (vuelve al Liceu en 2012) y Zeliko Lučić son los mejores barítonos verdianos que he oído en los últimos años.

Susan Resmark hizo una Ulrica bien matizada a la que agradeceríamos un ligero aumento en la proyección y Katerina Tretiakova cantó un Oscar correcto con algún pequeño desliz en la afinación.

La dirección orquestal de Karen Kamensek obtuvo un buen rendimiento pero su lectura fue más marcial que emotiva.

El último día asistimos a la nueva producción de Siegfried realizada por Claus Guth en la que podemos encontrar aciertos y despropósitos. Un primer acto cargados de efectos hilarantes sobre todo en lo referido a Mime con un Siegfried que visualmente se parece más a “Papá se va de camping” que a un héroe de leyenda. El segundo acto nos lleva a una sala interior de un zoo donde detrás de un inmenso cristal roto apreciamos el bosque. En el último acto vemos a la sabia Erda como regidora de una inmensa biblioteca, para pasar al despertar de Brünhilde en un lavabo de mala muerte.

Vídeo de StaatsoperHamburg.

Christian Franz, como todo Heldentenor, tiene variedad de rendimiento según su estado de salud. Afortunadamente en esta función la voz estuvo siempre bien colocada y demostró a lo largo de toda la representación una entrega incuestionable que le valió una enorme ovación.

Gran sorpresa con la Brünhilde de Catherine Foster (1975). Voz grande, sabe matizar y agudo espectacular. También obtuvo un gran éxito. Sin duda otro cantante a seguir. Excelente, como siempre, el Wanderer de Falk Struckmann. Muy bien actuado y cantado el Mime de Peter Galliard.

Mención especial para el Alberich (el mejor que he visto) de Wolfgang Koch. Este barítono que cantará el Jokanaan en el Real en Abril 2010 no para de recibir elogios: Intermezzo lo calificó como el mejor Telramund del momento en Múnich junto a Jonas Kaumann.

El rendimiento de la Orquesta fue en esta ocasión fantástico a manos de Simone Young codirectora de las Óperas de Lisboa y Hamburgo.

En resumen un viaje de bajas temperaturas pero agitadas y cálidas emociones operísticas.

Dandini

We had a few phone exchanges today with the social worker of a little girl that might be a match for us. We are meeting her next Monday.

I can’t give many details about her or her situation. But I can tell you that she’s 15 months old and they are thinking she could become legally free at some point in the future (not sure when). She has been in foster care for some time already and they are looking for a permanent placement. Her current foster home is not an adoptive home. If all goes well, we could have her by Christmas. Oh my.

Well good gravee I am beginning to thinks that Mummy has sum sort of brane problem! No sooner does she sware off fostering cause of all her werk then she brings home this sorry lookin thang.

It is a gurl baby dawg that smells awfull jest like Dubby smelld awfull. Thats rite this dawg has The Manje!! Dont wurry it is the kind of manje that me and Star cannot get called demodeks.

Rosie wich iz this baby dawg iz obveeusly not all bawld like Dubby wuz but she iz way more skratchee. She skratches all the time and she haz to take lots and lots of medisin.

Mummy sez this is jest fer a very short wile cause Rosie iz a dawg wut iz called a Bawstun Terryer and unlike us pit bull dawgs they iz not reel commun in reskue howses and there iz a wating list fer reskue Bawstun Terryers. So Rosie will be gawn soon before she kin take away Mummys hart.

In uther nooz I have jest started takin alerjee shots!

I have so menny alerjees that I must take two shots at a time. But dont wurry it duznt hert.

I wuz a little bit nurvus at furst.

Daddy gived me the shot! Mummy wuz too skeered to do it.

Dun alreddy?? Well that wuznt so bad!

OK well Mummy sez she haves to go hurry bak to wurk so I gess that is all frum me fer a wile. But dont wurry I will makes Mummy halp me with my blog soon cause it is my burthday very very soon!!

Pee Ess Happy Turkey Day everybuddy!!

For the past week I’ve been holding myself back from writing. I don’t like to judge or “go in” on people without all the facts but today was the last straw. I’m so sick and tired of these pervs messing with these little kids. First it was the whole Shaniya Davis incident which disgusted me beyond measure. Seriously, I can’t even really write about it. In order to write about something you have to be able to comprehend it and that’s not something I think I’ll ever be able to comprehend. I’ve never been one that supported the death penalty but I would like to see both her mother and the perv that “kidnapped” her put in front of the firing squad. I mean how can the very woman that was supposed to protect you be the one that puts you in harms way…I can’t do anything but shake my head. I’m not a mother, and I don’t know the day to day stress and pressure of motherhood. But I would like to believe that as a human, forget being a mother, I would never consider placing a child in harms way; especially not for personal gain. If you don’t want your child there are so many safe places that you could take them. There are so many families fighting to have a child that can’t and you’re blessed with something as precious as a life and you knowingly place it in harms way. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fathom that.  Oh yeah and another thing that irks me about this case is everyone keeps talking about how pretty she was and why did it have to happen to such a beautiful little girl. Would it suit you better if the little girl wasn’t “pretty”…I’m sorry I just don’t understand how the way she looks has anything to do with ANYTHING. I don’t care what she looked like, that’s something that NO CHILD should have to endure especially not at the hands of their mother. That’s all I’ll say about that.             

Not long after I was reading about little Miss Davis I came across another story about a man killing his son for supposedly molesting his 3 year old half-sister. I proceed to read the comments under the story and a majority of the people were calling the father a monster. From what I understood from the comments, the fact that the young man was his son was what made him a “Monster”. To be quite honest, in my book the 15year old is the monster. Anyone that would inappropriately touch a child is a Monster.  I’m not condoning the fathers’ actions, but at the same time I understand how he could have “snapped”. I’d honestly like to say I wouldn’t have killed my own child. I’d like to say I would have just talked to him and let him know that this can NEVER EVER happen again, but I can’t stand flat footed and say that would have been my response. I mean who’s to say how long that’s been going on? Who’s to say he would have ever stopped? I’m sorry but you can say what you want, I think he was being a father…protecting his daughter. Granted it was an extremely drastic way of protecting her and the fact that he killed the young man “execution style” is rather hard to process, but I honestly can’t call the man a monster. Was he wrong? VERY! Could he have found another way to punish the young man? OF COURSE! But a monster….I can’t agree with that one.

Then I received an email with the subject “Unbelievable.”  I opened up the email thinking I was going to see some amazing pictures or read about how someone was miraculously saved from a car accident. Boy was I wrong. It was a link to a Memphis news station that was reporting about a 9year old little girl performing oral sex on an 8year old boy in the school library. Apparently the young man tried to tell but was asked if he was telling on himself? Basically the librarian was telling him that snitching wasn’t cool, even if you’re in an uncomfortable situation. At first I was upset with the Librarian for ignoring him, but the more I thought about it, the more upset I became with the little girls parents…or lack there of. I understand kids are being exposed to sex a lot earlier on in life than we were, but at the same time, for her to force herself on him is mind boggling. I know most men will read this and think it’s cool or “He’s the man” Quite frankly I think it’s repulsive. She’s in school to learn, not to practice becoming the next Superhead. Maybe I’m just old school but 8 and 9 year olds should not being kissing, fondling, or having sex. Their bodies aren’t even developed. This whole scenario raises so many questions. What has this little girl been exposed to? Has she been forced to do this before? Are her parents encouraging this behavior? Is this the first guy she’s done it too at school? (Maybe the other guys thought it was cool) There are so many thoughts running through my mind. Parents are quick to blame BET for their child’s behavior but there has to come a time when parents take accountability for what they’re teaching (not teaching) their children.

Last year I found out that a high school friend had gotten her tubes tied and she hadn’t had any children. When I asked her about this she stated that she didn’t want to risk bringing a child into this crazy world; so when she reached an age where the doctors would perform the procedure, she went for it. I looked at her and her mother like they were crazy. What woman doesn’t want children…ever? I mean I for one don’t want any right now, but once I’m married I would love to have children. Anyhoo, every time I saw her after the procedure I felt like she cheated herself out of something so precious, so wonderful, so life changing….then I come across stories like these and I understand why she made the decision. Granted I wouldn’t go to that extreme because I think children are a gift from God, but for the first time I understood why. I’m beyond disgusted. I’ve been shaking my head the whole time trying to write this. There is so much I want to say but just reading the words on this page is making me sick. I’m done!

11/24/09 — “Baxter” has been adopted!

We just got this tiny 10 week old puppy in who was found in a box. He is the sweetest puppy and has the cutest face you’ve ever seen. We think he’s part Boxer but we’re not sure. Griz needs a foster home as well as a permanent home. If you’re interested in housing Griz and teaching him all the manners that puppies need to know to go out in the real world, call us at 721-4710.

This weekend I signed up to be a “Big Brother” for the Big Brother Big Sister of America.    As I reflect being an older brother in my family, I am proud to say I have set a positive example for my younger brother.  When I was in high school, I was decent athlete playing football, wrestling, and track.  I remember the words my brother said before entering his Freshman year in high school, “I will do everything you do, but better!  He found his love for sports and receiving All County honors in Football and Wrestling awarding him several scholarships for football.  Aside from sports, he is on his way studying to become a nurse.

I signed up to be a “Big Brother” because if I can impact one child’s life, it will make a major difference in this world.  It’s not for the status, but it for the purpose helping those in need.  I look forward to Community Based Mentoring in the North NJ chapter and the NYC area.  I plan to volunteer at least an hour a week to make a huge difference. I haven’t been assigned a younger brother yet, but I look forward to the next group of future gentlemen’s I will have the opportunity to mentor and share many fun activities with.

Ryan Enriquez

This is an appeal to help find wee Poppy, one of Gracehounds‘ foster dogs. She has been missing in the West Calder area of West Lothian, Scotland since Monday 16th November.

Poppy

Poppy, who I blogged about just one month ago (see this post) lived in her foster home for several months, but remained an extremely anxious dog & was fearful of most people & other dogs. After being assessed by a professional dog behaviourist, she was transported to the Dogs Trust centre at West Calder on Monday evening, where she was to receive expert help with rehabilitation. However, upon arrival at the centre, Poppy managed to escape from her harness & run away.

Both Gracehounds volunteers & Dogs Trust staff have been searching for her since & she was sighted in the area on Tuesday evening. However, being so fearful, Poppy will run from anyone who tries to approach her. Therefore, if she is sighted we are asking that Gracehounds or Dogs Trust are contacted immediately by telephone on the numbers above. It has been appalling weather this past few days (wet, windy & cold) but it is hoped that Poppy has found a safe haven to keep herself warm & dry. She has a high prey drive, so may have been able to sustain herself.

Tomorrow, along with other Gracehounds volunteers & their dogs, I am travelling to West Calder to help search for Poppy & distribute posters & fliers in the local area. If you or anyone you know lives or works nearby, please please keep an eye out for Poppy & pass the word on so that this beautiful but troubled dog can be saved.

Poppy

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson denies reports of out-of-favour goalkeeper Ben Foster leaving Old Trafford in January…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: english footbal. The blog is also related to: premier league soccer.

Not Candyland

by Ken Walters

Two years ago, Christmas was huge. Mrs, Hoyle carted out the seven-foot tree, complaining each time a branch didn’t fit in its color-coded hole. She loaded her fifty CD changer with her twenty Christmas CDs, while the group started loading the bottom half of the tree with ornaments. (She kept her special ornaments in a separate box, so they wouldn’t get broken.) Mr. Hoyle finished the outside lights and came in just in time to help with the garland.

“When I was growing up, we placed the garland on first,” he said.

“Hush and help with the top of the tree, Frank,” Mrs. Hoyle said, as a Toby Keith Christmas started.

“I don’t think I want to help, yet. The tree is looking pretty good without me. Maybe we should put all the ornaments low this year. I think I want,” he paused. “Hot chocolate.”

“Yeah,” everyone added. He went to the kitchen to start it.

“This should be interesting,” Mrs. Hoyle said. “I’d best make sure he doesn’t put ketchup in it.” She followed him, and they talked in the kitchen a few minutes. In a moment, the kids heard popcorn popping, too.

Each of the kids received only three presents, and one was clothes, but no one seemed disappointed.

Mia had to leave the Hoyles in March, a month before her sixth birthday. It was her first foster home and she lived there for six months. All three of the kids left after Mr. Hoyle lost his job. Mia lived in a group home briefly, as her real mom had not satisfied court-ordered drug rehab and parenting classes. Over the next nine months, Mia lived in two different homes, staying with the Pritchards last Christmas.

The Pritchard Christmas was very different. Their decorations consisted mostly of the tree and its ornaments, which the Pritchards put together and trimmed, while their four foster kids were at school. But, the space under the tree was filled. Josh had destroyed his remote-controlled car before the end of the day. Kit and Tara fought over a Gameboy. By New Year’s Day, most of the toys looked like they were ten years old.

Mia did take care of her presents a bit better. By the time she left the Pritchards in February, she still had all of the gifts, even her Gameboy that the girls tried to steal repeatedly. Her favorite, a Candyland board game, had all of its pieces.

In February, after two court extensions, her real mom had finished rehab and her classes, but before Mia moved back, her mom had been arrested for possession. This year had been a string of three more foster homes. At seven, Mia wished she had never been born, and seemed to use the year trying to make others wish that very same thing.

When she felt a need to scream, she screamed for no reason, She hit and kick walls until bruises formed on her hands and knees, then she hit the bruised hands and kicked the bruised knees against the walls. Pain did not matter and wasn’t really even felt. Foster parents tried to contain her, bandaged her, took her to doctors whom she told the foster parents had hit her. Mia peeled wallpaper from walls, tore sheets, put poop in air vents, and screamed for no reason. For some reason, though, she never destroyed the Candyland board game.

Miss Annie was a nurse. Mr. Carl worked on a computer. Mia moved into their home near Halloween and was the only foster kid in the home. The morning she moved in, Miss Annie unpacked her things, including her toys.

“You need to play for a while.”

“I wanna watch TV.”

“You need to play.”

“I wanna watch TV.”

“You need to play.”

Mia threw a doll at Miss Annie. Miss Annie caught the doll, left the room, retrieved a kitchen chair and sat at the door opening.

“I want my doll.”

“No. You threw it. You won’t get it back for a week.”

Mia threw a piece from her lego set. It sailed past Miss Annie into the dining room.

“I want my toys.”

“You keep throwing them, you’ll be playing in your room with no toys.”

Mia fell to the floor and started screaming, kicking her feet and beating her on the floor.

“Come here, hun,” Miss Annie called to Mr. Carl. He came from the office and stood next to his wife. “She calls this a fit, I think.”

“But, she’s barely moving her head. And, there’s no rocking.” He laid on the floor of the dining room. He beat his arms and feet, rocked his whole body and his head in huge arcs, and screamed louder than anything Mia had ever heard before. He looked insane and scary. In an instant, he rose. “That’s a fit.”

“I agree, hun. Thanks.” He returned to the office.

Mia realized she had totally stopped her fit while watching the crazy man. She began throwing toys against the walls, careful to keep them away from Miss Annie, so they wouldn’t leave the room.

“It’s a joy to watch a child play.”

After a while, Mia stopped throwing toys and started to play with them nicer. For a long time, Miss Annie stayed at the door. Mia tried not to look at the crazy woman. She didn’t notice when the door had been closed. Part of her wanted to look outside, but that man might be there. She was playing with the legos when Miss Annie came to escort her to the bathroom. Again, Miss Annie came to tell her to clean her room for supper in fifteen minutes.

Fifteen minutes must have passed, and Miss Annie returned. The room was still a mess. “Clean your room.”

Later, she returned. The room was still not clean. “Carl and I have finished supper. You still have a room to clean.”

Still later, Mr. Carl just opened to the door and shut it when he saw there was still a mess.

It became darker and darker outside. Everyone in a while, one of the crazy people came to the room, shutting the door when they did not see what they wanted.

Mia became hungry and cleaned the room. The chicken and mashed potatoes and peas were all cold.

Mia continued her fight. She wasn’t going to let these crazy people have their way. As the next day passed, Mr. Carl was the one outside the room, taking her to the bathroom, sometimes teaching her the fine art of fit-throwing. He taught her how to hold toys to throw them “more effectively–if that’s the way you want to live.”

“Can I ever leave this room?” Mia asked when Miss Annie returned that evening. “I’d like to watch television, or maybe to draw pictures. Can I have some crayons and paper in here?”

“First,” Miss Annie answered. “Yes, we’d like you to be able to leave the room more, but you can’t while you act badly. As far as crayon and paper, those are accidents waiting to happen in your room. When you act nicely, of course, you can draw at the kitchen table. We really want you to act nicely so you can start school in January.”

The next day, Mia woke early. She heard a beep somewhere in the house when she opened her door. She went to the bathroom. She thought about turning on the television, but knew the crazy people would stop her. She returned to her room and began to play with the Candyland game. In a while, Mr. Carl entered and asked if he could play, and they played for quite some time.

“Miss Annie’s at work. I need to make breakfast. Can you play alone for a while?”

“Yes.”

Before he returned to her room, she cleaned up scattered toys. They ate egg sandwiches. He explained that he needed to work in the office that morning. The more she acted up, they longer it would take him, but when he finished they could watch television together.

“I can watch it by myself until then.”

“Miss Annie and I feel you need to play by yourself and have time to think. Watching television doesn’t give you that time. It just fills in time.”

Mia wanted to watch TV, but didn’t argue. She played for a long time, it seemed. He came once to escort her to the bathroom, but said it was still early. She played and thought, and played and thought, getting madder and madder that he had not let her out of the room. She began throwing toys against the walls. She began peeling wallpaper off the walls. She began screaming.

Mr. Carl had a roll of tape in his hand when he returned to and patched the wall. As he left, he picked up the Candyland game. “You’ll get this back in a week.” He spent the afternoon sitting at the door and watching her fit. He stopped her whenever she became too violent. By the time Miss Annie returned, they were both exhausted.

By the day Mr. Carl returned the Candyland game a week later, Mia had acted nicely for two days. As weeks went by, more and more days became good days, watching television, drawing, playing outside, helping in the kitchen. Some says were awful.

She came to like these crazy people, though as Christmas music became more common on the radio and television, Mia began recalling the Hoyles. They were so much nicer than any family she had ever known. Still, Mr. Carl was a lot like Mr. Hoyle in some ways, and Miss Annie reminded Mia of Mrs. Hoyle.

The next day, while it was “drawing time” and she was at the dining table, Mia asked for Mr. Carl’s help. “I’d like to write a letter to Santa.”

“That sounds like a marvelous idea.”

She knew her alphabet and asked how a letter started.

“This should start ‘Dear Santa,’ I would say,” he said. “That’s D-E-A-R S-A-N-T-A.” He spoke the letters slowly show she could write and helped her with the “N” that always gave her trouble. “Now, you tell me what you want and I’ll help you spell it.”

“I want any toys that he might have around. It doesn’t matter.”

“That’ll be nice for him to know. I’m sure he doesn’t get that wish too often.” Then, he thought for a second. “Why do you want to write a letter if it doesn’t matter?”

“Well. I want Santa to help me see someone.”

“What?”

“Mr. and Mrs. Hoyle. They used to take care of me.”

“I see. Now, let’s get to work on this letter.”

It took quite a while to get it right, but finally she had written:

Dear Santa,

I do like toys, but you can give me anything you want. What I really want is to see my friends Mr. And Mrs. Hoyle. Thank you. And, I will be good.

Mia

Now, Mia did try to be especially good. Not only would acting badly keep her from getting her wish, if she did get it, she didn’t want the Hoyles to know she had ever acted badly. But, now that she might get to see them, something else kept crossing her mind. It made her angry and sad, and a few times even made her throw toys. Mia was thinking about her real mom. In some ways, Mia could hardly remember her, and could not recall what she looked like. Mia tried very hard not to think about such things.

Miss Annie and Mr. Carl were decorating for Christmas. Mia helped with ornaments and garland, which they put on first. She danced to “Frosty, the Snowman,” and sand with “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” They all drank hot chocolate, ate popcorn, made cookies and wrapped presents. She could hardly sleep on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas morning, Mr. Carl was nowhere in sight. Miss Annie made breakfast, and asked that they both wait about the presents. When Mr. Carl finally got home, he brought the best present anyway, the Hoyles.

They all hugged and kissed, unwrapped toys and clothes. The Hoyles went to Mia’s room and she taught them how to play Candyland, while Miss Annie and Mr. Carl put Christmas lunch on the table. Later, they sat around the table to begin the meal.

For some reason, a sadness came over Mia. She had everything she had wanted. Still, she could not stop the tears.

“What’s the matter darling?”

“My mom, why didn’t she want me?”

No one answered. Mia ran to her room.

In a bit, Miss Annie came in. “Dear, sweet, little girl,” she said. She sat close to Mia. “No one really knows why she did what she did, or what she wanted.” Mia hugged her tight. “But, Mia, I’ve been there. I was a foster child, too. So was Carl. That’s why we chose to become foster parents. That’s part of why we love you, because none of us understand.” Miss Annie caressed Mia’s hair. “And, we have to do a great thing. We have to forgive someone who did something we cannot understand that hurt us. Forgiving is so tough even if you do understand. Someday, I hope you will. Someday.”

“She could’ve tried harder, to do what they told her.”

“I imagine she could have. Carl and I tell you things to do things, and you find some of them very hard.”

“But, I try, most of the time.”

“You do that, and we’re proud. When you don’t though, when you do what’s wrong, shouldn’t we forgive you when you start doing right again, or should we blame you for the bad things?”

“My mom hasn’t started doing right.”

“No, she’ll never get the chance to, because of her own foolishness. She lost something precious in you.”

“I’m still supposed to forgive her?”

“You need to.”

Mia stayed quiet several minutes. “Can it be my Christmas present for her? At least, I can forgive her today.”

Nov. 18^th

Two weeks later, Sunny is still hanging out and being bossy.  She’s definitely come a ways though.  At our last adoption event, she didn’t bark at every passing dog.  Most of the day she sat calmly in here crate enjoying those who came to see her.  What a change!

She now automatically sits when coming inside, has learned get off, knows her boundaries, stays for short periods of time and is no longer jumping up on people but sits while being petted.  For us, it’s been difficult to learn how Sunny responds.  None of the old and faithful tactics truly work all of the time for this sweet girl.  She doesn’t care to be praised or petted; she’ll wait until she has an itch.  She doesn’t want treats; she’ll wait until dinner time.  She doesn’t want to be scolded, she run to her nearest safe spot and plant herself for an hour.

Sunny is truly a loving lady.  She wants nothing more than to snuggle or a good belly scratch.  Very content to just listen to you read.  She is still struggling with coming when commanded. I feel it’s partly my fault as I haven’t learned an appropriate teaching method.  Other flaws: stuffed animal destruction (she loves to throw the fluff everywhere), chair dominance (though she’s learning that it’s big enough for another), and the occasional kitty nibble is just too irresistable (all in love).

(My journal entry on November 5^th)

Wow, we just weren’t ready for you Sunny. We’ve never had an alpha female in the house.  Here we were, foster family spoiled with Miss Josie and Sunny comes over.  Oh how she asserted her dominance quickly.  She was here to rule the roost, or at least one dog and two kitties – she wasn’t going to boss me around, she just didn’t know it yet.

At first glance, you’d think Chihuahua, but think twice the size and spunk.  Sunny snooped around those first few hours, jumping up on me, running away just so I knew she didn’t care that I wanted to pet her, growling and snapping at Pebbles. Oh she was in for a treat.

She ignored me. That is until she heard that scoop hit the dog food.  She was mine.  First step to asserting dominance – food control.  You do not jump on me for food, you do not rush at the bowl, you do not scarf it down. She ate in her crate.  Then, to the leash.  She would learn that I’m a patient one – I will wait until she obeys.  Nope, she wouldn’t sit. Not yet.  Sunny’s a stubborn one.

That night, spent in a crate – she let us know just how unhappy she was there.  Determined to be let out of that crate, every hour or so she’d start to whine.  Not just any ole whine, this whine was so shrill and loud that I could hear her in the kitchen beneath us and at the back of the house.  At 3 – we moved her to the garage.  Didn’t do much to help.  Two nights later, she was tied to the dog bed at the foot of the bed – not a peep.  She even sits there quietly in the morning until I’m ready to let her loose.

Sunny has a long way to go.  Pebbles will be a great help there.  Coming from a house full of precious little Chi’s and other fosters, she had tons of love and lots of play time, but as an alpha dog – she needed more one-on-one time obedience training so that she can be the best adopted pup she can be.

Our foster kittens for PAWS have now been neutered and are looking for their forever homes!  Meet Kentucky and Senator – two very social male brothers.  They are UTD on shots and microchipped – now they’re just waiting for an adopter to make their holiday season complete!

Both are social with our two large dogs, and our resident cat, Ned.  They love to be held and the purr like mad!  Contact us for adoption details. $75 adoption fee to PAWS to cover their medical expenses.

If you rent, you must provide proof that your landlord is OK with pets.   If you live in our service area you’ll get two free pet sitting visits from us as a way of saying, “Thanks for saving a life!”

See www.PhillyPAWS.org for ways you can get involved in helping Philadelphia’s most vulnerable pets.

Update on this black lab:

Morgan from Forgotten Paws took the dog away from the street yesterday.

She needs a foster or permanent home for him since her house is literally full. If you can help, please contact Morgan at forgottenpaws@yahoo.com.

Home sweet Home..NOT!

October 1,  2009 made one year since I’ve been without a proper home. It was a bit of a reality check all over again. Not feeling good or enthusiastic about my prospects in spite of telling myself all the reasons I should be glad to be alive, relatively healthy of sound mind and body nevertheless a battle of emotions versus reasoning.

This time of year, the holidays, is one I dread with a passion. With Thanksgiving coming up, all I am able to conjure up are sad memories. It was this time last year I had given up trying to obtain help from the city’s very limited resources or so called “shelter for the homeless” a.k.a. “DHS” the Department of Homeless Services in New York City. It remains indelibly marked in my brain as a brief experience of purposeful indignation.

Recently, while perusing through a stack of printed articles from the DHS websites that a beautiful person concerned about me and my situation personally handed me. Was amazed to see how well put the website is and all the well written malarkey that was put forth to the reader. I almost believed it, if it was not for the fact that I personally know otherwise. Having spent literally only a few days in this hell hole they call a shelter, there was no need to spend months or even years to figure out why so many prefer to opt for the streets.

This unsafe, unclean, indignant, impersonal, disorganized institution disguised as a shelter, is more like a prison that you willingly walk into by your own accord. A take it or leave it attitude that is so detrimental to the psyche its no wonder there are so many persons living in the streets.

The population consists of heroin addicts, drug dealers criminal elements of society as well as mentally disturbed individuals who most definitely do not belong there. A sordid array of thugs and unfortunate individuals partaking in some sort of crazy experiment  for their very survival…This is most certainly not for me or individuals in similar circumstances.

The premise of these services as many people understand it, [especially how its portrayed on their Website] is to get help for a problem small or big. Not foster or create a permanent problem that will affect you for the rest of your life, putting in jeopardy your mental stability, personal liberty and even your own life.

­Way back in March I wrote a post that tried to predict England’s World Cup squad for next summer’s tournament in South Africa. In it around 50 or so players were analysed; everyone from certainties like Wayne Rooney to certainly nots like Curtis Davies. With the friendly against Brazil fresh in the mind and only one more international break before the end of the season, there isn’t much time for players to impress if they haven’t already. As before let’s work our way through who’s on the plane through to who won’t be going at all. .

Key men (if England are to reach their usual quarter final):

First name in the squad is the captain John Terry simply as he’s captain. I personally think he gets found against the very best strikers but there’s no chance of him not going. He’s swiftly followed by Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard. Rio Ferdinand goes as long as he’s fit, though it’s a concern if he doesn’t make it simply as playing style wise he’s harder to replace than Terry – England don’t have a lot of ball playing centre backs but do have a lot of one paced ones.

Gareth Barry is defensive midfielder of choice though may be usurped by a fit again Owen Hargreaves. They’ll both be on the plane however. Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson are the first choice full backs and are far ahead of their immediate competition. 

Thinking...

On the plane (extra leg room provided):

David Beckham has sorted another loan spell at AC Milan and I’m positive he’ll be going to his 4^th World Cup. He’s very much a bench player these days but still offers great set piece ability as well as experience. Emile Heskey has not been in great form and is no longer in Aston Villa’s starting XI but that said he will still be on the plane. He won’t score but he makes Rooney et al play better so for that reason is picked.

David James is first choice keeper, and despite his age should be able to handle that number of games in a month. Theo Walcott has had a succession of injuries but has done enough in the games he’s played to go as a wide man who can play up front. His pace is a big asset, plus he strikes me as someone who does what he’s told hence Capello likes him.

Matthew Upson and Jermaine Defoe should go as first back-up centre back and striker respectively. Neither are going to win you a World Cup final but they’re the best reserves in their position. Defoe just needs to watch his petulance slightly as there’s no point having a player who is going to miss games after needless red cards..

Looking for their passport (they are going out of Europe after all):

Joe Cole should be a little worried, just as he hasn’t found a way into the Chelsea team after injury, but at the same time he offers dribbling ability and creativity that not many can match. I was quite down on James Milner in my last prediction but did say he had a shot of making it. He seems to be impressing Capello right now and can play in a few positions. I do wonder whether he ultimately misses out due to the competition on the right side, though he has been playing down the left for England so you never know.

Aaron Lennon will be there or thereabouts, possibly in a straight battle with Milner for a spot. Rob Green looks like he’s firmly established as England’s number two while Wes Brown’s versatility of being a right back and centre back should mean he finds his way into the squad. 

Still thinking...

On the fringes (which bits are chopped?):

Wayne Bridge is doing his best to play his way out of the squad. You could argue about whether you really need to take a reserve left back, especially when the likes of Gareth Barry could play there if needed. Barring injury, the first choice defence are going to play every game so specialist reserve left back may be an area to gamble on not taking.

Of the other alternatives Capello has picked during his tenure, Leighton Baines and Steven Warnock don’t strike me as being quite good enough. If Joleon Lescott goes he provides left back cover too but he is quite shaky defensively so I don’t think he does. There is dearth of centre backs though. What price Kieran Gibbs continuing his rapid progress and staking a claim? Of all those players, he’ll be the only one playing Champions League football but a lot depends on whether he can keep Gael Clichy out of the Arsenal side once the Frenchman returns from injury. He appears to have just injured himself too.

I reckon Michael Carrick probably only goes if Barry or Hargreaves are injured and even then he’s shown countless times for Man Utd that he’s not a big game player. Gabriel Agbonlahor offers pace and will find himself with Peter Crouch, Carlton Cole and Darren Bent in the queue for the 4^th striker spot.

Capello has only ever picked seven strikers so it would be a surprise to see him take five of them, not least when Walcott can play up front. Of the four I would say that the Sunderland man had his chance against Brazil and didn’t take it. I think Agbonlahor doesn’t give enough variety when compare to the others – with a 4^th striker you want someone who offers something unique.

In that regard I’d say it will be a close run thing between Crouch and Cole.The former has a good international record (against crap teams at least) and is very tall (though not that good in the air) while the latter is a more complete striker who has pace, power and can play the target man role too. It’s a tough choice to be honest and I think Cole may need to break his international duck in the next round of fixtures if he’s to pip Crouch.

Ashley Young may find himself as number 24 on the list of players though personally I would find a space for him. It does seem like Capello isn’t quite sure of him yet. There aren’t too many options down the left but it does seem like either him or Milner would go but not both.

Still not quite sure...

Too late to make it? (need good form and injuries to others):

Stewart Downing has upgraded clubs but has six months to shine at Aston Villa following serious injury. The same probably goes for Phil Jagielka at Everton. Tom Huddlestone got his first call up against Brazil and while he’s decent player, he’s not yet international standard. Jimmy Bullard? Unlikely but you never know. I see him being a good pundit though. Scott Parker has a very outside chance of being one of the back-up central midfielders; he’s certainly no worse than Carrick in my opinion.

Ben Foster? Joe Hart? Chris Kirkland? Take your pick for the third goalkeeping spot. I doubt it will be the latter though.Of other players we mentioned last time Jack Wilshere isn’t yet getting regular games at Arsenal while Jonathan Woodgate is permanently injured. Dean Ashton has essentially retired.

However Gary Cahill has played well enough at Bolton to come on to the radar as 4^th centre back and has a chance of going if Capello takes eight defenders. Everton’s Jack Rodwell could be a dark horse but I think it is one tournament too soon for him. The same goes for some of the West Ham youngsters like Mark Noble and Jack Collison.

Now thinking "Why are they so useless?"

 .

Providing ITV analysis (or BBC if they’re good):

I had Shaun Wright-Phillips as going six months ago but now I think he misses out as you have Lennon, Walcott and Beckham providing all you need down the right (dribbling/goals/crossing). SWP can do all three but not as well and his poor performance against Brazil has sealed a seat next to Papa Wrighty on the studio sofa.

Jermaine Jenas is another who isn’t particularly defensive or attacking. World Cup squad players need be specialists once you get beyond the first team, there’s no room for these jack of all trades types who provide little. Michael Owen has yet to be picked by Capello and barring injuries to four of the seven strikers we mentioned will not be going to South Africa.

Micah Richards needs to get back in the Man City team before he can think about England – it’s all gone a bit pear shaped for him hasn’t it? He hasn’t been picked in a year; Capello just doesn’t like his terrible positional play. Scott Carson had a shot at being third choice keeper but he won’t be going and neither will Paul Robinson, who you could roll the ball to very slowly from 30 yards and he’d still find a way to let it in.

Sadly, Ledley King can barely handle three games in a month, let alone seven. He would 100% go if he could. David Bentley, Kevin Davies, Anton Ferdinand, Gary Neville – no, no, no and no.

The closest Owen has ever and will ever get to being in Capello's plans.

 .

Possible squad:

James, Green, Foster.

Terry, Ferdinand, A. Cole, Johnson, Upson, Brown, Lescott. 

Gerrard, Lampard, Barry, Hargreaves, Milner, Beckham, Lennon, J. Cole.

Rooney, Heskey, Defoe, C. Cole, Walcott.

.

The three keepers speak for themselves as do the first four defenders. Versatility is the name of the game so to complement Upson you have two centre backs in Brown and Lescott that can cover the two full back slots.

In midfield you have the three main men plus a fit again Hargreaves. Beckham goes for his experience while Lennon and Joe Cole provide the skill and trickery on either wing from the bench.Milner offers the most versatility of the remaining midfield options so gets the eighth spot.

Up front Rooney is a given, as is Heskey due to their partnership. Defoe is the main back up and I think Carlton Cole will play his way into the squad, pipping Peter Crouch whose record of scoring against bad teams is of no use when you only have good teams in the World Cup. Theo Walcott rounds off the squad as a foward player who can play right wing or as striker.

At most risk is Lescott I’d say and possibly Milner too. You may want more cover in central midfield and down the left so perhaps Carrick and Bridge or Gibbs (who could also play left wing) end up going instead.

T.

This Sunday morning greeted both Cougar and I with a glint of grey light filtering through our curtains and the loud, obnoxious, incessant cry of our youngest, only six weeks old. I am, of course, referring to our foster kitten, Frejya (pronounce ‘frey-ya), that we brought home from our local animal shelter. Despite being an adorable kitten with bright blue eyes, she displayed a small amount of aggression that indicted she was from a feral mom, and thus herself being feral. In order for her to be truly adoptable, she’d need time in a loving environment to become social.

Two weeks have passed since arriving home and she has already made great strides in becoming the lovable kitten we all know she can be. Her purrs greet both my husband and I whenever she sees us; she lovingly curls up onto your lap, and nestles herself in the crook of your shoulder and neck, purring loud enough to keep you awake.

Unable to ignore the cries any longer, I donned my jeans, shirt, and slippers, and sleepily made my way to the bathroom, which doubles as her personal castle, where she is undoubtedly queen. Her Majesty was displaying a hunger that rivaled that of a lioness with young cubs, so I knew I had to act quick, despite the lack of coffee. With speed as quick as an elderly person with a walker crossing the road, I opened her can of kitten food and proceeded to feed the Goddess Frejya.

What happened next is still a bit of a blur, though the effects will remain lasting for about two weeks, the normal length of time to heal from scratches and bruises.

The seal of the can had been broken for only a split of a second before she launched herself out of her perch, about four feet away and onto my thigh. Still not exactly awake, I shook her off, muttering a half hearted, ‘no.’

The lid was about halfway back now when she returned for more and the fur began to fly. This sweet, heart melting, more sugar than any German dare use kitten that weighs less than two pounds morphed into something rivaling that of tigress with skills of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee combined. Suddenly I became the direct route that led to the quarry which she so desperately desired and it didn’t matter if she destroyed the hand, let alone the body.

She had firmly latched herself onto my leg, clawing her way up. My desperate attempts to shake the naughty little beastie off were feeble at best and my pleas for help went unnoticed as my husband, who does this for a living, was taking enjoyment out of someone else’s misery. Able to finally dislodge her, I resumed the task at hand, vowing to be like Speed Racer; my reward being a cup of coffee I felt I richly deserved. But she wasn’t done with me yet.

Revamping her tactics, she climbed the wall in the manner of Jackie Chan. Halfway up, she arched her back and grinned at me. Embodying Neo from ‘The Matrix,’ and in slow motion, she spun around, striking a pose in mid air before latching herself to my chest. There was a short pause where we each sized the other up. She thought she had me, but she didn’t consider my own Trinity like quickness as I yanked her from now tattered skin.

Her third attack came from out of nowhere. With everything she had, including her teeth, she nailed her sharp little daggers into my flesh, looking at me with a deranged look in her eye that suggested this was just the beginning if I didn’t hurry the hell up. With a snarl, she inched up toward my pelvis, still using her needle like teeth. My pleas turned to terrified screams as she neared an area where teeth should never be used, and I gyrated in a way that would make Elvis proud, hopelessly trying to eject the Little Evil One. My husband was now incapacitated with laughter and of no help.

I reasoned, I pleaded, I begged, but all to no avail. She was on a mission and it wasn’t from God. As she began to deliver her final, lethal blow, I managed to set down her canned kitty food and she released me, turning back into the sweet, innocent, little kitten I had known her to be, not more than two minutes earlier. Able to move freely about, I gathered the necessary supplies to bandage myself up and left the little demon to eat in peace.

With my lesson learned and sufficiently bandaged, I joined my husband and now fully understood why he always prep the food prior to actually feeding the animals.

We now present the second portion of Amrita’s first visit to the UK.

So, where was I? Ah yes, one more museum.

#6: The British Museum. I’m a huge fan of the atrium Foster did at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, so of course I wanted to see the “original,” so to speak.  Foster’s first attempt at the technique was actually at the British Museum, and on our last day in London, the Brit and I decided to check it out.  Well, we made it over to that part of town around lunch time and were both really hungry.  I was determined to eat fish ‘n’ chips before I left England. We walked up and down three streets, apparently the only streets in London that don’t have a fish ‘n’ chips place or a pub, spent over an hour looking for a place and finally gave up.  We grabbed a quick lunch of baked potato and wandered back to the museum.  Guess what we found on the street right beside Foster’s masterpiece? Yes, a handful of pubs and fish ‘n’ chip joints.  Go figure.

The atrium at the British Museum. We checked out the actual exhibits, too. The English stole a lot of really nice ancient artifacts.

#7: Hyde Park. I did mention that it was surprisingly sunny and warm for late September when I visited London, right? The Brit and I went for a leisurely walk through Hyde Park, and as we both have incredibly sweet tooths (sweet teeth?), and it was such a gorgeous day, we nibbled on some ice cream as we made our way around the Serpentine.  Deliciously romantic.  When I told Roomie about it, she proposed a Flight of the Conchords analogy, though I’m not sure who is Bret and who is Jermaine…

Not my photo, but that's the park! Thoughts on Hyde vs. Central?

#8: Friends. I was definitely excited about visiting London, because as a design student visiting a new city is a fun way to add to your visual vocabulary. And, of course, I was excited about seeing the Brit after a five-month separation.  One thing I was slightly nervous about was meeting his friends, as anyone in a budding relationship will know. Especially when he told me I’d be meeting two of his oldest friends! But it all went well, no awkward conversations, a lot of joshing around and, as they say, taking the piss.  I think our two groups would mesh rather nicely, though the opportunity for that is a bit slim, since they’re separated by an ocean (or the Equator, in the case of Queen of the Lab).  There’s more to be said on this subject in the post about the next UK visit, as that was the primary goal of the trip.

#9: Slang. Of course, when you’re friends with or dating someone who speaks another language (yes, American English and UK English are different languages) or is from a different culture, you spend a bit of time discussing the socio-linguistic differences. I spent one incredibly funny evening in London hanging out with the Brit and one of his old friends discussing the actual definition of “douche” and the appropriate time to use the word.  Then I learned all kinds of terrible British slang, some of which should never be repeated (um, “wank tank”?), and some of which might come in handy one day.  For example, who knows what “chuffed” means?  Urban dictionary has it kind of right: to be surprised and happy, as in, “I can’t believe I won the lottery, I’m so chuffed!”

#10: Food. And if you know me well enough, you know I can’t visit a place without talking about their food.  The highlights of cheap London dining are as follows. Sandwich places are delicious, the English have mastered the salad sandwich, i.e. chicken salad, egg salad, tuna salad.  They even have chicken tandoori sandwiches, which just sounds wrong, but tastes sooooo good.  The Brit’s mom made us dinner most nights, and it was nice to have some home-cooking (delicious at that) to break up the daily eating out; she made a variety of things, from this Asian-inspired chicken dish to a casserole-esque dish. I don’t know what they were called, I just know they were yummy.  Oh, and at one point we ate out at this South American restaurant, where for £12 we got the largest meal in the world: a steak with an egg on top, lots of rice, salad, beans.  It was iHop sized. The steak was cooked just right.

Well that’s the round-up of the first London trip.  It was quite whirlwind, we covered a bit of ground (physically and topically) in only 4 days. I was sad to leave, but as soon as I saw the Eiffel tower on my way to the apartment, things started to pick back up.

Next time, on Jumping over the lazy dog: Amrita has her first full week of teaching. Dun dun dun.

Sid, Sterling & Bunjie are still here. They’re such great little kitties, I never expected to have had them this long.

At least Bunjie tried a home visit this week. The owners have a wonderful large older dog. The dog was quite delighted with Bunjie. They played well for about a half hour, then Bunjie wanted to be left alone. He’s very good about travelling. He doesn’t much like being stuffed into a carrier but he’s quiet, he doesn’t poo nor pee nor puke while riding. Just sits quietly.

All three will be at Pittsford Petco this Sunday. I don’t want to take them to any more adoption events. It’s too much stress on them-especially the kittens, Sterling and Sid. It’s too much stress on me, too. It’s a deal of hard work on a day when I ought to be a bit less stressed. I love these cats but no one even looks at them. They’re clean with trimmed nails every Sunday. They’re healthy and playful. They have wonderful personalities. But no one looks. It makes me very sad.

I do have a positive note-Westie, Sid and Sterling’s mum, is set for her spay on 3 December. I just hope she’s not found an intact male. She spends most of her outdoors  time with Thumper, who was neutered in June. As long as she sticks with him, I shouldn’t have to worry about pregnancy. I haven’t seen any intact males lately. I’d much rather that Westie remain indoors but she may never become an indoors cat. I will keep trying, she’s a sweet little cat and well worth the time, cost, and effort. She has a sweet face and purr too. Soon I hope to get some good images. She doesn’t like the camera so I have to shoot fast and hope for the best.

Lollypop’s Cat of the Week is already gone! I am very happy whenever I hear of a cat being adopted. Bless you, whoever you are, who has taken Frenchie into your home and heart!

Kings Arsenal will be without two first team regulars on Sunday for the clash with newly promoted Millenium.

All-action forward Phil Foster and acrobatic stopper Fabrizio Mazzola are unavailable for selection.

Jorge Campos wannabe Luke Tinklin will play in goal, despite nursing a knee injury, while Mark Tinklin returns from illness to play in attack.

Defensive linchpin Chris Trewhitt is back while there is a welcome return for Deep Dasgupta, assuming he’s not called into work on a Sunday again.

Regular trio James Payne, James Britton and Paul PJ Jenkins complete a strong looking line-up.

Both sides opened the new season with a defeat, but whereas Kings Arsenal were unlucky not to beat the undefeated league champions Millennium went down 6-2 to the inconsistent Team Choc Ice.

The clubs are the last two winners of the Championship and share a record of two wins, two losses and a tie from their last five meetings.

Kings Arsenal squad to face Millennium in a 5pm kick-off on Sunday: Tinklin, Tinklin, Payne, Jenkins, Britton, Trewhitt, Dasgupta