anthropometaphors

Juniper "Joon" Pearl

Nearly 4 years ago my cat Joon disappeared.  He was an innie-outie and didn’t show up for dinner one night.  Or brekkie the next morning.  Or any other meal, ever again.

Time passed; I moved into SF, around SF, and back into the house Joon and I once shared.  All the while, I frequented animal shelters looking for Joon among the dozens of cats waiting for a new chance.

Joon would be a hard cat to mistake.  When he was a sturdy young cat at the age of 2y, he weighed in around 16 pounds.  He stood at least 6-8″ taller than the other cat he grew up with.  Joon was also incredibly long, and was covered with long buff-colored fluff.  In colder months he had a thick mane surrounding his head and running down his chest.

His personality was just as unique as his build.  He was born of a partially feral cat mama, so he was on the shy side.  One of his favorite places to hang out was under a circular table that suffered from a skirt.  While the table may have languished beneath the skirt, Joon thrived; the skirt served as a one-way veil between him and the world.  He could be detected at night, slinking around the house and chirping his curious song.

The hubs and I were at the animal shelter this afternoon, meeting pups, of all things.  As we were on our way out, we stopped into the cat adoption room.  Cute kittens stuck wee paws out through crate doors.  Adult cats snoozed.  I did a quick scan of the room, without knowing what I was looking for until I saw this mass of fluffy buff-colored cat crammed into the far corner of a crate.  The stats on his door matched those of a would-be Joon.  A volunteer removed the guy from his crate and put us into an introduction room together.  I sat in awe, struggling to reconcile this new cat with my memories of Joon.  We left the shelter with the intention of digging up old photographs of Joon and getting copies of his vet records for more information.

At the end of the day, I ask myself if it matters whether that cat is the same Joon I raised from kitten-hood.  He is a 6yo cat at an animal shelter that will euthanize him if he stays there long enough, isn’t that reason enough to rescue him?  But how can I communicate that gem to the critters I live with?

The front yard renovation and landscaping is complete!  To jog the memory, here is a picture of the front yard before:

Before

And here are two images of the yard, after:

After (1 of 2)

After (2 of 2)

The front yard renovation and landscaping was done between June and July 2009; designed and performed by Julie Gordon and her crew.  In short, the following was done to the yard:

• Removal of existing front gate, concrete pathway and brush on sidewalk strip
• Design and installation of redwood fence and porch (with porch expansion)
• Landscaping using colorful plants with low water requirements (i.e. drought-tolerant)
• Installation of drip irrigation with automatic control system and timer

It’s taken some time for me to find the correct circumstances for decent pictures.  The weather has been overcast and gray, which translates into dreary pictures.  When the sun happens to be out, I’ve been at work during the day and can only catch long shadows in the yard when I return home.  So at last, a few pictures of the yard, with decent lighting and “feel”.

The space is still rather open, as the plantlets are babies and need about 1 year to fill out.  In the few weeks since the work has been completed, all of the plants have noticeably grown, with many producing stalks with flowers and all of them sprouting new foliage.  Of the entire garden, there have only been two casualties.  One (of many) great things about working with Julie is that she has followed up with us and checks in about the plants.  She guarantees the plants for 1 year after installation, and is getting replacement plants for the two that didn’t make it.

Our pup Winslow loves the yard…a little too much!  When left unsupervised, she will dig little holes in the gravel path.  Instead, I let her into the yard in the evening when I check the mailbox.  She zips around the yard, zigging and zagging between the bushes.  It’s a sight to behold.

While I’d love to live a manic life of endless pleasure, screaming bliss and treasures that materialize from the air…I don’t.

For every yes there is a no.  While it can get more complicated than this, let’s keep it simple for the sake of this post.  Here are a few of the decisions I’ve made recently:

Yes: Granta renewal

No: Tin House renewal

. . .

Yes: Garden rescaping extravaganza

No: Holiday a la roadtrip between southern Spain and the north of France

. . .

Yes: Saving for a rainy day

No: Another pair of shoes

. . .

Yes: Physical therapy, rest and limited range of physical activity

No: Rupturing another intervertebral disk

. . .

Yes: Tomatoes, bananas, carrots, grapes, oranges and beans

No: Love handles

. . .

Yes: Tofu!

No: Animal face on my plate

. . .

Yes: Bubbly water

No: Booze

. . .

Yes: Mi familia

Gwendel

Arlis

Winslow

the.gray.shoes

Cleaning out my documents folder on my laptop and found this:

|| a few questions ||

in a hospital ICU in alaska

i must be quiet

people lie dying

people sit

fearing for the lives of those in metal beds

attached to monitoring electrodes

and numerous facilitative tubes

is human expiration such a secret

that anger must be compressed

into strained whispers

behind wooden doors

wide enough to admit the standard issue rolling bed

and tension erupting with the silent yell

of a right hook

ever missing an elusive opponent

how then am i to express

stifled screams of hatred

and 12 measures of rage

in a body meant to contain only 11?

into a cold waxen face

already yellowing

turning slightly green

Before

My front yard could be described as a feature that “needs some TLC” (see above). It just so happens that I have a lot of care to give!

I’ve been saving my pennies, and feel I’m ready to turn the copper into some TLC. After all is said and done, the aim is to create a thriving, low-maintenance garden that welcomes us when we come home, encourages visitors when they drop by and allows for puppy romping.

While not completely visible in the “before” picture above, there is a side entrance to my house on the right in the form of a semi-concealed gate (aka the front gate). Behind the front gate is a side yard, also suffering from a TLC-deficit. There is a second gate on the left leading to the backyard. The presence of a high wooden fence on either side of the house and the absence of a clear front entrance has been good for deterring solicitors and burglers, but bad for visiting friends. I’ve often heard people say they didn’t know how to get to the front door!

Had a meeting with Julie Gordon this morning to talk about a front yard garden re-do. I’m pretty flexible about plant specifics; Julie’s knowledge about suitable plants for the location in terms of light, water and soil requirements trump any need I have for a particular plant.

Detail from a Julie Gordon-scape

Talking visuals and arrangement ideas with her affirmed my comfort with entrusting her to design details. After spending some time up in the clouds of wishful thinking, we returned to the real world by concluding the appointment with a discussion of measurements, budgets and timing. Julie is going to draft a budget for the project we discussed: plantlets, fencing, high-tech/timed drip system, and perhaps a porch enbiggening. I’m curious to see how much my dreams cost.

Today was my first day back at work after a 12 day stay-cation. Between the generous company holiday schedule and a few days of personal leave, I was able to take a relatively lengthy hiatus from work.

The start of the new year also marked the first anniversary of The Shoe and I’s marriage. We counted down the seconds with friends in between karaoke renditions of Cyndi Lauper and GNR.

A more traditional celebration of our anniversary took place at Greens for brunch; Shoe had Yukon Gold Potato and Scallion Cakes (with St. George cheddar and Italian parsley; served with eggs over easy, pesto, roasted tomato and garlic sauce and arugula) and I had Pain de Mei French Toast (with poached huckleberries, cinnamon apples, spiced butter and warm maple syrup). If I recall correctly, we also shared a slice of coffee cake and toasted a couple rounds of Kir royale.

While I don’t participate in most holidays, I enjoyed exchanging the traditional, anniversary-specific gift to mark the occasion. The traditional gift for the first anniversary is paper:

The first year of marriage is often considered the year of adjustment. As you celebrate this special 1st wedding anniversary, reflect on the both the delicate and hardy aspects of your marriage and of your love for one another.

1st Anniversary Traditional Gift: Paper. It symbolizes the strength in paper that comes from the interlaced connection of the paper’s individual threads.

Book sculpture, by Lisa Occhipinti

The piece is comprised of materials from two Japanese books — pages from one book are folded into a fan shape and are mounted on a hardcover from another. It’s quite an appropriate first anniversary present for us! From two disparate sources, a new and unexpected union is created.

Winslow (and puppy kongs)

I’m happy to have such a delightful companion tugging me outside each morning for a brisk jaunt through our hood.  Part of the fun is our regular walk to the neighborhood coffeehouse/dog rendezvous.  Winslow is quickly becoming dog- and people-socialized.  Children find her just as exciting as she finds them.  Adults smile at her goofy charm.  Dogs sniff her timid frame intensely; she’s just learned she is allowed to sniff back, which has changed the dynamic considerably.  Still cautious, Winslow is always on the lookout for a friend to chase and run with.

After I’ve coffee’d up, we walk a bit further to a nearby park.  While on the small side, the park has just enough grass to keep up with her eager legs as she runs wide circles and speeds ecstatically along the straightaway.  For now her exercise consists of on-leash walking and brief amounts off-leash running at the park.  When she’s older — and her joints fully formed — we’ll start running together.  I’m really looking forward to it!

The fam went out on the town today to take advantage of Boxing Day sales in Hayes Valley.  Pup and I stayed in the green meeting dogs and neighbors; Winslow was fantastically polite thanks to the extra run she had this morning.

A tired dog is indeed a happy dog.

A girl and her kongs