Surrogate

Once upon a time, about 3 years ago, Turrello came to live with us.  The magical bringer-of-cats-fairy dropped him, tiny and abandoned, into a hole in our yard.  Alerted by the ever vigilant doggs, Mr. Owens braved the unknown to reach down into the ground and rescue the little one.  Originally named 'squirt', the foundling grew into a handsome cat deserving of a grown up name- and became Turrello, in honor of one of the coolest, toughest, TV detectives ever.  Since then, his life has been a golden time, filled with sleeping on the bed, tuna sprinkles, flowers, cat-nip and nestling-in-the-beard.  The only rain on the Turrello parade is when we go on vacation, or- as his beloved dad has become a movie star- long, long, l-o-n-g nights without the beard.

Because I love this cat- even though I am still not a cat person- and he likes me well enough (as long as I don't try to squeeze him, or pet him like a doggy, or mess with Mr. Owens when he is napping in the beard... or sit in his chair, put my stuff in his sunlight, squirt him with the water bottle....) I made him a surrogate 'dad' to ease the pain of separation.  I used my considerable embroidery skills on felt to make a dad-face, complete with long hair and a beard.  When complete, in order to offer the fullest dad-experience possible, I filled it with beard trimmings (from awhile back- the beard is protected from trimming now) and catnip, then sewed it up tight.  Success!  Turrello approved greatly of his new dad, played hard with it, then curled up and went sound to sleep.  All that first day he carried it to different places- on the bed, under the bed, in his chair, by his food.... and now it has been living in the bedroom, safe from the doggs (who could care less, but it is important to Turrello).   The birthday present was well-received!

On other notes, summer is over, officially- I started back Thursday and Friday, working and typing all day which felt wonderful as I could focus and accomplish much.  Friday Mr. Owens took me out for date night at our favorite restaurant in celebration of his first 'Hollywood' check (may there be many more!)   Saturday we went to the city- he for proper headshots at the photographers and me for 'spa day', which means hair-and-eyebrows at the cosmetology school.  His photos turned out great, my hair- it's a bit dark (had it dyed) but that will lighten up, and the eyebrows are tamed again... the school is nice, in the mall, very clean and my person was graduating later that day (and quite nice, but fit the sterotype of hairchick- blonde, tanned within an inch of her life, very made up- pretty in that way- all excited about her boyfriend, and her little doggs, and her new station at a salon in leland, which is decorated all in gold cheetah print... I wish her well).  Anyway, it was cheap and fun (hooray for coupons for photographers and beauty-school rates- both hair + eyebrows for just a little over what the eyebrows cost at walmart).  Then we went to lunch, then AC Moore for a new sketchbook- then I came home, and being me, took a four hour nap.  Busy fun day- today though I intend to write and focus and get things ready for school...for tomorrow it is back on, full force at all three levels.  (Still waiting to see if the magic-new-job-fairy zaps me into the land of grey cubicles and quiet) but that's ok.  I can keep doing what I do, well and happily enough. And so starts year 16!