A nice long weekend

The house was so quiet without the kitties! I really missed them although the cleaning up was a pain. I am still thinking about getting Snickers back, but having three cats plus taking in fosters would be awfully hard!
I took a jog this morning and the birds were marvelous!!!! That's probably my favorite thing to listen to in the morning...the birds, then my kids laughing! They chirp so much in the early mornings during the spring, but they don't during the summer and fall...I wonder why.
I will be seeing some beautiful sunrises and will be taking a few pictures and sharing with you.

I will be taking this Easter off from blogging. I'm on vacation in Kansas City and I have a house sitter taking care of my kitties at home and holding down the fort. I hope she doesn't get bored...maybe I should have left the kittens there so she could play with them and keep her company!

Have a very Happy Easter...remember the reason for the season! I will talk at you next week!

I miss the kitties!

Picture top left: Little is looking at me with Tigger (grey) and siblings wondering what is going on.

Picture above: A new method of feeding.

Picture at left: Kittens being kittens!

Here's some pictures of the kitties. They had to go to Beth's (from Paw Prints) to get prepared for adoption. I miss them meowing at me and running up to me when I came downstairs to either see them or do whatever. They are such a special bunch and who knows, I may end up keeping one of them :)

They boys already miss them and I was really pleasantly surprised at how much they wanted to interact with the kittens. It's always nice to see rough and tumble boys show a very soft and loving side...not that they never do, but it just helps after seeing them roughhouse with each other!

I'm not sure what the plan is for the next batch. I'm sure there's more to come and soon, which is unfortunate since there's just so many cats out there!

I would like to make a note that after seeing Beth's beautiful house, she has sacrificed so much for these babies! She has cats in almost every room and in those rooms, she has covered her beautiful furniture so the claws can't ruin it. She spends a few hours a day feeding, cleaning, and caring for them, whether it's giving medication or brushing or just loving on. It is a neat operation, but it's all consuming. And that doesn't include the very important paperwork. As I've mentioned before, if anyone can volunteer, it is much needed, just as donations are!

As for the running, I'm taking it relatively easy this week, with a 6 mile, 5 mile, cardio, and tomorrow will be a 5-6 mile run. I will get back to doing long runs after the Easter holiday. My next race is on May 10th...it's a short one, but need to get some speed work in to see if I can beat my time from last year!

Well, my youngest has come over about ten times to get me to race with him (race those big truck things back and forth across the basement). I'd better go!

Donations and...the...kittens...last...night...here. Kleenex please!!!!

The mom cat Goldie is currently meowing at me, probably saying "What did I do to make you take me away?". Oh, it stinks, but I can't have them here when no one is going to be here and no one that I want to bother enough to ask to check up on them a few times a day. So they're going to Beth's (co-founder of Paw Prints Rescue) and will hopefully be pre-adopted this weekend so I don't bring a few back home and then "accidentally" forget to take them to Petsmart for the big adoption week at the end of April. I think my husband and Beth know better! I have totally fallen head over paws for Snickers, so if she's not pre-adopted this weekend, I might have a household of three cats instead of "just" two. There's just something about that cat!
The kittens meow at me and climb all over me when I come into their room. I won't miss the specific kitty odor, but I will miss their meows and loving looks and tiny scratches on my hands from playing. I just stopped a minute to go talk baby talk to a few yellow kittens and one gently patted me on the nose, then attacked her brother. They prance out to see me and many times, I have six of them on my legs and/or back, just crawling and playing.
My one wish is that they find loving homes. And selfishly, I hope they don't remember me and think that I left them.....
By the way, the one thing I am allergic to is cats. I found out when I was pregnant with my 2nd son. Something was driving me crazy and since I couldn't take my "good" meds, I was stuck with basically kleenex and zyrtec, which didn't do anything for me. It's gotten better at my son has gotten older so maybe, just maybe I will grow out of being allergic to them? After playing so much with them today and my currently itchy face, I doubt that dream will come true.

Anyway, to a HUGE development, I received donations of $162 just today. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for all you donors. This makes my total funds raised to be $942 NOT including the pledges. Awesome!!!! Thanks to Dawn B., Rachel and Ryan S., my husband's brother and wife-Stuart and Allison, and my blog follower Linda M. You rock!!!!

Well, I'm sure I'll have more to post about the babies leaving (yes, the mom cat too-she's way cool and will make someone a wonderful house cat) tomorrow. I will have my kleenex in hand.

By the way, I ran 6 miles this morning while watching Nights in Rodanthe (sp). I enjoyed the movie and actually ran an extra mile so I could get past the hurricane scene. Do they end up together????? I shall see in the morning!

**Note: Movie was ok. That's all.

10 mile race today

The first race of the season was this morning. It could have been sooo bad, but I do thank God for listening to our prayers to have the rain hold off! It was about 40 with 20 mph winds from the east, which is not the best running conditions, but it could have been soooo much worse!

I finished in 1 hr, 21 min, 46 sec, which is 2nd of 12 in my age group, 9 of 58 in for women, and 37 of 120 total. Considering the circumstances, I was very happy with the outcome!

I had an upset stomach and the wind was fierce, but all in all, a very good day! I do have to wonder why the parking lot of the casino was so busy that early??

Because of the people who have pledged, I raised $70 today for Siouxland Paw Prints Rescue by running 10 miles.

For those not familiar with me or what "Running for a Paws" is, here's the story. I love to run and love animals. I've raised money by running before so decided to make it a local thing. I heard about Siouxland Paw Prints Rescue last fall and am so thrilled to be a part in helping them save the cats and dogs in the Sioux City area. They take dogs and cats from people who cannot take care of them any longer, homeless dogs and cats that are found, and from Animal Control of Sioux City. It is a priority to have all these dogs and cats spayed/neutered and vetted and then find them forever homes. They are "home raised" which means that we depend on foster parents to keep them until they are adoptable. They are not kept in kennels.

I am taking donations of money and/or supplies for Siouxland Paw Prints Rescue (all donations are 100% tax deductible) and also taking pledges for the running that I do in races this year. I hope to run a minimum of 50 miles this year and top it off at the Sioux City Marathon in October, hopefully completing the full marathon but most likely doing the 1/2. Still, 13.2 miles is quite a lot!

Paw Prints was started in June of 2008 to make the life of Siouxland's dogs and cats a better one. Beth Storm and Kris Kava are the co-founders and they pour their lives into this rescue. They amaze me and I hope that I can help.
To date, I have raised $790 cash donations, received cat and dog food from Bomgaars (THANK YOU!) and have about $300 in pledges...so far. I hope to continue the momentum and raise at least $5000. It's a huge goal, but I know it can be done!

I have been keeping a momma cat and her 7 babies since the mom cat was dumped just before she had her babies-it's so amazing how often this happens. They are all thriving (see pictures on prior post) and they will come up for adoption in just a few weeks.

Please let me know if you are interested in donating anything, fostering (much needed) , and transporting them to other cities that are short of adoptable dogs and cats. My email is provided.

I met a nice woman today at the beginning of the race...sorry I didn't ask her name, but she was very interested in what in what I was doing. I hope your race went well for you!!!!!!! Let me know if you have any questions about this Running for a Paws! It makes running in bad conditions so worth it!!!

Thanks to my newest donors Betsy C., Molly, and Bob L.!!!! You rock!!!

Kudos to Missouri River Runners and Bev's for today's event. Wow!

Pictures of Kittens, need I say more?

The kittens learned how to climb the stairs today! They are so wonderfully curious about everything. I'm falling in love with Snickers, so not sure if she'll end up back at my house after Easter or if I should let her go to another loving home so I can continue to foster. We are going to be gone next weekend to visit my husband's parents in Kansas City so we have to take the babies and mama to Beth's house so they can be taken care of properly. I will miss them!!!!

Pledges and Donations

Wow! We got some great donations in! Thanks to my mom and dad-in-law Wayne and Nancy, Carol and Jared M., Tony G., who works with my husband, and Mary Beth and Tony G.!
I really appreciate it!
Thanks to my neighbors, Larry and Malola for their pledge of $1 per mile. You inspire me to keep on running!!!!! I really appreciate it!!!!
Another shout out to Bomgaars for their dog and cat food donations!!!!

You are all helping to make a difference!

Race on Saturday, Pledges and Donations, Sean and Rita in the AM

The 10 mile race is on Saturday. Watch for me in my "Running for a Paws" shirt, or at least I plan to unless I will be running in my snow suit! It starts around Bev's on the River at 10am. The forecast looks bad but I'm trying to stay positive. I will be running in the rain/snow/wind, whatever it throws at me. Some of the reasons are listed a little later. As I have said before, I am not good enough to be a competitive runner for these races. I do like to place in my age group, so watch out all you 35-39 year olds. :) Not really. I run based on how I feel and my own times and there are plenty of people, younger and older, that are faster then me. That's ok since I just love to run. I think I will blog soon about how I got into running at a very young age thanks to my Grandma Nolan.......
My playlist on my MP3 is quite diverse and many times when I'm running, I quietly mouth along with the words to good songs and sometimes I dance a little bit, of course, depending on my mood. I have a feeling that if I'm running in the rain on Saturday I won't be mouthing anything from a song and absolutely nothing that is kid friendly. I have 103 songs currently and hope to add two more before then.
Here's a small selection:
*Battle without Honor or Humanity by Tomoyasu Hotei (song when Bumblebee transforms into New Bumblebee on Transformers)
*River of Love : George Strait- I just love this song
*Eat the Rich : Aerosmith- my son loves it when he burps at the end although he can't listen to it anymore due to profanity near the end
*Fat Bottomed Girls : Queen
*Gunpowder and Lead : Miranda Lambert
*Ignition : TobyMac- love it due to the motivation
*On the Road Again : Willie Nelson (obvious)
*Starry Eyed Surprise : Paul Oakenfold- this song was featured in a Diet Coke ad when they were roller skating around
*There's another one from Ocean's 12 that I'm trying to figure out how to download-it's the one during the time the French guy is going through the security in the museum (thanks Randee!)
That's a tiny bit of the variety of music I listen to when I'm cleaning or running.
*OMG, I forgot Dave Matthews. Oh hope lightning doesn't strike. I didn't mean to forget my all time favorite....we've only been to 20 concerts!!!!!!

I mailed a letter to Sean from KG95's Sean and Rita in the morning. He was talking about his slutty cat that kept getting out and getting herself knocked up. Well, I offered to get her spayed BUT SHE IS PREGNANT AGAIN. Now Sean, we all know better and now you know that there is a huge overpopulation of cats so PLEASE, follow through on what you said, get that cat spayed when she is done nursing her babies. Yes, I will be sending you another letter to see if you will give the kittens to Paw Prints so we can ensure they will be spayed and neutered so the cycle stops. We will take care of them. To anyone, we will take any unwanted kittens and take care of them, vet them, and find them homes. Just let us know.

Now I saved the best for last. I have received a total of $565 in donations. That is absolutely great and wonderful!!!! Thank you thank you thank you for all of you people who have donated to this cause. We always need more, so keep the donations and/or pledges coming in.
Pledges explanation: I will take pledges from people or businesses who want to donate a flat amount (due Nov. 1st) or a dollar amount per mile that I run in races this year. I will put your business logo on my shirt......so donate today!
I have gotten TWO pledges so far for $5 per mile and $1 per mile! Based on my minimum of $52 by the end of the year, I will be running for an additional $300, at least. Now that I have that, I am so much more inclined to run in bad weather, additional races that I may not normally, or races out of town.
CHALLENGE ME, PEOPLE!!! Keep 'em coming in! Make me run and run and run so much that I will even complete a FULL marathon in October! At this time, I am planning to run the Sioux City 1/2 Marathon, but if I get more pledges, I will increase it just so I can bring in more funds for Paw Prints.

We got a very generous donation of just-expired dog food from Bomgaars to be given to needy pet owners who, under dire financial circumstances, cannot afford to feed their pets.
I can't thank you enough for your help. These dogs and cats would probably have to be euthanized otherwise and that's just not good enough! Thank you!
Please contact me if anyone wants to donate any dog or cat food or supplies!

Thank you and wish me luck on Saturday. I'll be posting pictures of me, probably looking like a drowned rat!!!! But I'll have a smile on my face because I know I'm Running for a Paws :)