A day off

I don't believe I've ever had MLK Day off.  Not once in the 30 years since the bill was passed to make it a holiday.  What started as a remembrance for the man on his birthday has become more of a day of service.  A day when you can honor Dr. King's desire for peace, understanding and solidarity to do your part to make an impact in your community and help to bridge barriers together.  Today was also President Obama's inauguration to his second term, the second time that they've happened to coincide on the same day.  The first time was Bill Clinton's second term.  A very fitting coincidence, I think.

Finally, I have this day off.  :)  Another perk to being a government employee.  So, I'm watching CNN's coverage of the inauguration and washing clothes.  

In other news, I have a door darter.  Two nights last week, Tabbie Hoffman darted out the front door as I came in after work.  The first night, it was POURING down rain and he goes lickety-split straight through the bushes and right under the next door neighbor's RV!  Like he'd done it a hundred times.  I had to crawl under there in the mud to get him.  The second time, I was in my pajamas and I went out to take the trash out to the curb.  I opened the door to come back in and there he goes.  This time, he doesn't stay under the RV but ventures out to the guy's pickup truck.  And the closer I got to him, the further he got away from me.  I tried to lure him with treats because they usually work but not that time.  It's 36 degrees and I'm out there in pajama pants, a cami top, barefooted, holding a flashlight in one hand and a bag of treats in the other.  Looking like a straight fool calling this cat who believes with all of his little angsty teenaged heart that "outside" is the same as crack.  

GOTTAHAVEITGOTTAHAVEITGOTTAHAVEIT 

AHHHHHHDIRTANDGRASSANDWHATSANACORN????!!  

He's still super scared of cars, trucks and loud noises and just as soon as I'd had enough, was almost in tears and praying, "Lord, help me get this cat", here comes a car that scares the crap out of him and he runs back home.  I'd left the front door propped open just in case.  Good thing.  GODDDDDDD.

Larry and I both racked our brains to come up with a solution and I went to Lowe's and got two baby gates to stack one on top of the other.  I made an enormous amount of unnecessary noise setting them up while Tabbie Hoffman watched and bolted and came back and bolted again.  I tried to make it as scary as possible for him.  They seem to be working.  I only have one of them up but he won't go near that door.  I'm sure once he gets used to it, we'll be back to square one.  But maybe not.  I'm collar and leash training him now.  We go outside every day.  I just feel that it's cruel to keep him pinned up in the house all the time.  It's his natural instinct to be outside and smell dirt and bite acorns.  He's just doing what God told him to do.  I just have to do my part to keep him safe while he's doing it.  We use a natural, herbal spray and I have not seen the first flea.

And as of this morning, I've lost 12 1/2 pounds!  I'm eating lots of chicken, vegetables and snacking on almonds and protein bars.  It's working!