It's my friends 21st tomorrow, and I thought as well as giving him his awesomely amazing present which I really hope he loves, I shall also bake him stuff. He's not a birthday cake kinda guy, so instead I've made cookies which shall soon be Game of Throne cookies once I pluck up the courage to pipe sigils on them!
I'm also making PB&J cupcakes for all the cool kids who will also be attending.
So, why am I blogging this? Well, because lately I've been doing a heck load of baking, and have no idea why. Maternal instinct? Womanly instinct? Is my rightful place really in the kitchen?!
Ha! No!
I like to see the satisfaction on other peoples faces once they have tasted my wares. Generally this happens. Last time I made PB&J cupcakes, and I almost rugby tackled for the recipe (bitch be crazy!). I think I'm a pretty decent baker, my scones are apparently to die for (yes, I am tooting my own horn, but I have references to work off.). I no longer measure everything as exactly as I should, more working from eye, and that got me thinking, let's screw this plan of being a big timely producer/director, and just open up a bakery.
Naah! I've wanted to work in the film industry for too long. It's a good back up plan to have if I fail and the art of Tandoor cooking (That's my first back up choice).
I'm typing this up while waiting for cookies to cool. I think it's time to pick up my piping bag and get to work. I'll let you know how it all turns out, and might even have pictures for you!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Monday, June 11, 2012
Depressed Kitty?
My male cats, who are both neutered, have been spraying (marking territory) all over the house for the past 2-3 weeks. They will pee on everything and anything, they don't care. Jeans, favourite t-shirts, the couch, the baby's pram, the stairs, the door mat, the floor and even my laptop. Nothing is sacred anymore.
I, as well as the rest of my household finally had enough when one of them decided to spray the new car seat we got for Baby. Thankfully it was still in it's plastic wrapping, but that's beside the point. We took a trip to the vets (we had to go anyway to buy cat litter and a "cone of shame" for Dexter.). After having a fairly long chat with the vet nurse, who knows us by name now, we have discovered that Dexter (who is the main culprit) is depressed. Who knew a cat could get depressed, and express it by peeing on everything we loved! This is a true story people!
The vet nurse asked us to think back to when it all started, and to see if something out of the ordinary happened. Of course it did. Daisy fell into a river. Daisy is perfectly fine now. Why might this get Dexter depressed? Did he love Daisy dearly? Ha, no! Dexter got annoyed because Daisy took his spot on my bed, and got all the attention for two entire days. This just sparked it all off. It was a downward spiral from here. About a week later, Dixon came down with an urinary tract infection (We have had really bad luck with our cats lately). Our cats are really good when they're sick, and come and tell us in anyway they can. In this case, Dixon would come into a room, mew loudly and then pee on the floor. Charming, eh? But this is how we noticed he had an infection, all the tale-tell signs, which you don't really need to know (gory details). So, another trip to the vets for more antibiotics. This just made Dexter feel even more left out, because not only did we not tell Dixon off for peeing everywhere, we in fact praised him for coming to us while he had this problem.
That was the final straw for Dexter.
The next morning, he peed on my laptop. Yes, it happened. Thankfully my laptop is fine and took no damage. But that's when he finally got our attention. And as you do when a cat, or well anything pees everywhere for no reason, you tell them of. This just made him worse. He went from peeing, to licking off his own fur. We originally thought this was from a cut that he had acquired, because he has done that in the past (that is what the "cone of shame" is for) and we've just coned him, and apply manuka honey, or tea-tree cream to the area and it clears up.
We were wrong in this case.
Once we mentioned what the "cone of shame" was for to the vet nurse, she said this was another very common sign of depression and stress in cats. Dexter was essentially self-harming. I have an emo cat. The nurse was very helpful, and didn't make us feel like horrible pet owners, Dexter is just a sensitive soul, and if it was the other way around, it wouldn't have affected the other cats. It's just him.
How do you cure a depressed cat? There are no shrinks to send him to so he can talk about his feelings, there are no antidepressants he can take. He just needs extra TLC. From the outset we knew this was going to be difficult. First thing we did when we got home was put on the "cone of shame". Next, applied aloe vera to the hairless patch under his leg. This made him mad, very very mad. He tried to hide, and then got stuck.
We were already off to a bad start. To make matters worse, we had to run out and pick up E-face from fiddle class. We got home, and he was sulking on the couch. I actually think we succeeded in making him even more depressed. Great, now the job had become even harder. From that point we've all picked him up and made a complete fuss over him, cuddled him, gave him cat treats. Treated him like a baby basically. Just like the vet nurse said. Her exact words? "Babify him a little, it'll help".
Things seemed to be going well, that is until Dixon got chased by a pitbull from across the street. The attention was off Dexter again. To make matters worse, Dixon was so stressed and angry, he bit Dexter's leg. Back to square one.
I now have an angry cat, who is growling at the house across the street, and another who is sulking on the back of the couch. Maybe I'll just bring them upstairs, put on The Titanic and feed them chocolate; that helps when people are depressed right? Or is that just for break-ups?
I, as well as the rest of my household finally had enough when one of them decided to spray the new car seat we got for Baby. Thankfully it was still in it's plastic wrapping, but that's beside the point. We took a trip to the vets (we had to go anyway to buy cat litter and a "cone of shame" for Dexter.). After having a fairly long chat with the vet nurse, who knows us by name now, we have discovered that Dexter (who is the main culprit) is depressed. Who knew a cat could get depressed, and express it by peeing on everything we loved! This is a true story people!
The vet nurse asked us to think back to when it all started, and to see if something out of the ordinary happened. Of course it did. Daisy fell into a river. Daisy is perfectly fine now. Why might this get Dexter depressed? Did he love Daisy dearly? Ha, no! Dexter got annoyed because Daisy took his spot on my bed, and got all the attention for two entire days. This just sparked it all off. It was a downward spiral from here. About a week later, Dixon came down with an urinary tract infection (We have had really bad luck with our cats lately). Our cats are really good when they're sick, and come and tell us in anyway they can. In this case, Dixon would come into a room, mew loudly and then pee on the floor. Charming, eh? But this is how we noticed he had an infection, all the tale-tell signs, which you don't really need to know (gory details). So, another trip to the vets for more antibiotics. This just made Dexter feel even more left out, because not only did we not tell Dixon off for peeing everywhere, we in fact praised him for coming to us while he had this problem.
That was the final straw for Dexter.
The next morning, he peed on my laptop. Yes, it happened. Thankfully my laptop is fine and took no damage. But that's when he finally got our attention. And as you do when a cat, or well anything pees everywhere for no reason, you tell them of. This just made him worse. He went from peeing, to licking off his own fur. We originally thought this was from a cut that he had acquired, because he has done that in the past (that is what the "cone of shame" is for) and we've just coned him, and apply manuka honey, or tea-tree cream to the area and it clears up.
We were wrong in this case.
Once we mentioned what the "cone of shame" was for to the vet nurse, she said this was another very common sign of depression and stress in cats. Dexter was essentially self-harming. I have an emo cat. The nurse was very helpful, and didn't make us feel like horrible pet owners, Dexter is just a sensitive soul, and if it was the other way around, it wouldn't have affected the other cats. It's just him.
How do you cure a depressed cat? There are no shrinks to send him to so he can talk about his feelings, there are no antidepressants he can take. He just needs extra TLC. From the outset we knew this was going to be difficult. First thing we did when we got home was put on the "cone of shame". Next, applied aloe vera to the hairless patch under his leg. This made him mad, very very mad. He tried to hide, and then got stuck.
We were already off to a bad start. To make matters worse, we had to run out and pick up E-face from fiddle class. We got home, and he was sulking on the couch. I actually think we succeeded in making him even more depressed. Great, now the job had become even harder. From that point we've all picked him up and made a complete fuss over him, cuddled him, gave him cat treats. Treated him like a baby basically. Just like the vet nurse said. Her exact words? "Babify him a little, it'll help".
Things seemed to be going well, that is until Dixon got chased by a pitbull from across the street. The attention was off Dexter again. To make matters worse, Dixon was so stressed and angry, he bit Dexter's leg. Back to square one.
I now have an angry cat, who is growling at the house across the street, and another who is sulking on the back of the couch. Maybe I'll just bring them upstairs, put on The Titanic and feed them chocolate; that helps when people are depressed right? Or is that just for break-ups?
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
... Because I'm Different...?
I've noticed something over the passed few months while out and about in the larger towns and cities in Ireland, if you look in any way "alternative", people expect you to be rebellious, rule-breaking, and interested in donated and saving everything.
I have been continuously approached while in a group of people, and singled out with my appearance mentioned, and then asked to vote no against something, to protest about something else, to give a tenner every month. I don't get why I would seem more likely to agree with the terms, and opinions of these people over the other members of my group.
Does having alternative coloured hair, piercings, and a "Kayla" dress-sense mean I automatically want to stick it to "The Man" at every opportunity I can get, or go against the crowd? I've never been one to break rules, or go against the grain because it's not "mainstream". Being "alternative" seems to label you as one of "them", in with the crowd. The world savers.
Now, don't get me wrong, I do donate to worthy causes, I do care about voting, and protests. However, I have strong personal beliefs, many of them not agreeing with theirs. I found it uncomfortable being chosen as the one they'd think would agree with them,, especially when their conversation would start with "Wow, your hair is pretty amazing" or "Oh, sweet piercing".
I don't dye my hair because I want to make a statement against something. I dye my hair, because I WANT to, and because I get insanely bored with it rather quickly. I don't get piercings to be rebellious, I get them because I WANT to, and because I like them, and they're part of me. I dress how I WANT to dress what I'm comfortable with, again, not to make a statement. These factors shouldn't mean that I'm going to rebel against everything wrong in the world, or enjoy being isolated to discuss whatever charity you're signing people up for. These factors are what makes me, well, me.
Then again, maybe I'm just being paranoid and over-thinking things (it has been a long day, and it is quite late) and they're not selecting me over the others. Has anybody else has experience with this at all? It'd be interesting to find out who gets approached over others.
I have been continuously approached while in a group of people, and singled out with my appearance mentioned, and then asked to vote no against something, to protest about something else, to give a tenner every month. I don't get why I would seem more likely to agree with the terms, and opinions of these people over the other members of my group.
Does having alternative coloured hair, piercings, and a "Kayla" dress-sense mean I automatically want to stick it to "The Man" at every opportunity I can get, or go against the crowd? I've never been one to break rules, or go against the grain because it's not "mainstream". Being "alternative" seems to label you as one of "them", in with the crowd. The world savers.
Now, don't get me wrong, I do donate to worthy causes, I do care about voting, and protests. However, I have strong personal beliefs, many of them not agreeing with theirs. I found it uncomfortable being chosen as the one they'd think would agree with them,, especially when their conversation would start with "Wow, your hair is pretty amazing" or "Oh, sweet piercing".
I don't dye my hair because I want to make a statement against something. I dye my hair, because I WANT to, and because I get insanely bored with it rather quickly. I don't get piercings to be rebellious, I get them because I WANT to, and because I like them, and they're part of me. I dress how I WANT to dress what I'm comfortable with, again, not to make a statement. These factors shouldn't mean that I'm going to rebel against everything wrong in the world, or enjoy being isolated to discuss whatever charity you're signing people up for. These factors are what makes me, well, me.
Then again, maybe I'm just being paranoid and over-thinking things (it has been a long day, and it is quite late) and they're not selecting me over the others. Has anybody else has experience with this at all? It'd be interesting to find out who gets approached over others.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Sunny Side Up.
Things are starting to come up Milhouse!
I've been offered a part time, possibility of full time, job in an Indian restaurant. Not my ideal career move, but I like to cook, and who knows, maybe this is meant to be. I also have an interview on Monday for another job, just working in a petrol station (hardly seems as glamorous!) but the perks would be better. If I get offered that job, I'm just gonna have to weigh up both and see which would be better. And who knows, maybe I could do both! Fun times!
It's hard not to be super excited right now. Not just about finally getting back to work, but about everything in general. The weather is amazing, I just spent a few days in sunny sunny Galway (the people there are always so much happier and nicer than down here) and I'm starting to feel a bit more positive about my life as a whole. I'm just finally in a happy place.
I have some plans for the next few weeks if I get around to doing them. The Ocean Races are on in Galway during the last week of June, so I'm hoping to go up and snap a few shots of that (I really need to bulk out my portfolio) I'm hoping to get some more filming done, and finalise my showreel. And with both, apply for anything and everything in the industry and hopefully, something amazing will come up. (And if not, I'll just become a chef!)
Roll on summer, and see what other adventures you bring! =D.
I've been offered a part time, possibility of full time, job in an Indian restaurant. Not my ideal career move, but I like to cook, and who knows, maybe this is meant to be. I also have an interview on Monday for another job, just working in a petrol station (hardly seems as glamorous!) but the perks would be better. If I get offered that job, I'm just gonna have to weigh up both and see which would be better. And who knows, maybe I could do both! Fun times!
It's hard not to be super excited right now. Not just about finally getting back to work, but about everything in general. The weather is amazing, I just spent a few days in sunny sunny Galway (the people there are always so much happier and nicer than down here) and I'm starting to feel a bit more positive about my life as a whole. I'm just finally in a happy place.
I have some plans for the next few weeks if I get around to doing them. The Ocean Races are on in Galway during the last week of June, so I'm hoping to go up and snap a few shots of that (I really need to bulk out my portfolio) I'm hoping to get some more filming done, and finalise my showreel. And with both, apply for anything and everything in the industry and hopefully, something amazing will come up. (And if not, I'll just become a chef!)
Roll on summer, and see what other adventures you bring! =D.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Sun! Sun! Glorious Sun!
It's May, and supposedly summer (according to this Irish way of thinking, Spring starts February 1st, Summer starts May 1st, Autumn starts August 1st and Winter starts November 1st. Which is a pile of balogne!). Sorry, that just irritates me, seasons cannot be denoted by the 1st of a month, things don't just change!
Anyhoo! It's May, and there is sun, a fair bit, but then it rains, and rains and rains and then hails! And rains a bit more. And all of this sharp changes in the weather has been making me think about the summer I was 16. I had no responcibilty, I could get up when I wanted, go to bed when I wanted, do whatever I wanted to do. I'm now turning 21, I have just completed my college course and now have no idea what I'm going to do, or meant to do with the rest of my life, and I'm honestly very truely terrified!
I'm back into the whole finding a job path again, and it's not going well. And to be honest, I don't want to work in a super market, or in a fast food joint (again). I pretty much have my degree now and want to do something with it. Finding that something is proving difficult.
It's getting harder to stay positive about it all. I'm passionate about the industry I want to go into, maybe it's just not passionate about me?
Sunday, May 6, 2012
If you don't laugh, you cry.
Over the past few weeks I've had a lot of bad crappy things happen to me, for example, I'm down a car, a few friends, stressed to the nines with college and planning the rest of my life (Doesn't seem bad and crappy, the health side to it is.) and it's getting really difficult to stay positive about life in general.
There's one thing my aunt has always said, and it's something I'll probably carry with me for the rest of my life; "If you don't laugh about it, you'll just cry".
I've found myself repeating this over and over again in my head when things begin to feel to tough. Like after the car accident, being stuck in A&E for a few hours wasn't the way I had hoped to spend that evening, and the thought that we wouldn't be going home, or anywhere again, in our car was heartbreaking (I know, I know, it's only a car). But that one little saying, said at intervals by both of us (my aunt and I) somehow helped us get through it. Along with "Everything happens for a reason" and another one of her favourites "God has a plan for everyone/everything".
I guess what I'm trying to say here is, even when the going seems insanely tough, and you feel like giving up and going no further, try and stay positive. Think about something good that will come out of all of this (For me, it's a new car (still sad about losing the old one mind!), a college degree (something that was unthinkable over 4 years ago) and the chance to start my own life) and it will help pull you through. And if that fails, just laugh about it. In my books, laughing outweighs crying any day.
There's one thing my aunt has always said, and it's something I'll probably carry with me for the rest of my life; "If you don't laugh about it, you'll just cry".
I've found myself repeating this over and over again in my head when things begin to feel to tough. Like after the car accident, being stuck in A&E for a few hours wasn't the way I had hoped to spend that evening, and the thought that we wouldn't be going home, or anywhere again, in our car was heartbreaking (I know, I know, it's only a car). But that one little saying, said at intervals by both of us (my aunt and I) somehow helped us get through it. Along with "Everything happens for a reason" and another one of her favourites "God has a plan for everyone/everything".
I guess what I'm trying to say here is, even when the going seems insanely tough, and you feel like giving up and going no further, try and stay positive. Think about something good that will come out of all of this (For me, it's a new car (still sad about losing the old one mind!), a college degree (something that was unthinkable over 4 years ago) and the chance to start my own life) and it will help pull you through. And if that fails, just laugh about it. In my books, laughing outweighs crying any day.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Stuck in a Rut*
I'm at a point where I don't seem happy with anything, and it's awful. College is going crappily, well to me it is. I'm just not enjoying it anymore. The stress of only having less than four months left until I finish is starting to really get to me. There are loads of things going on at the same time, and I just feel caught up in the middle of it, not moving at all.
I have no idea what I'm going to do for the summer, let alone the rest of my life, and that really scares me. I thought I had this amazing perfect plan on how my life was going to be, and now, it's all a pile of crap! Nothing I wanted to do over the last 6 months has actually happened, and now that my job is still non-existent, I don't know what to do.
I want a career, I want a good job, a nice house, the lifely perks and all that. I just don't know how it's all going to happen. I'm just at the point where I feel that I've had enough shite thrown at me over the past few years that maybe I could get a bit of slack, have something amazingly good happen to me that would benefit not just me, but a whole bunch of people; like a random film crew setting up a studio in Carlow who want to take on a heap of interns. Man, that would be perfect!
I feel bad about complaining too, because there are tons of other people out there who are entirely worse off than me.
Ugh, I just wish I knew what I was supposed to be doing with the rest of my life.
*Disclaimer: This post may contain a slight rant*
I have no idea what I'm going to do for the summer, let alone the rest of my life, and that really scares me. I thought I had this amazing perfect plan on how my life was going to be, and now, it's all a pile of crap! Nothing I wanted to do over the last 6 months has actually happened, and now that my job is still non-existent, I don't know what to do.
I want a career, I want a good job, a nice house, the lifely perks and all that. I just don't know how it's all going to happen. I'm just at the point where I feel that I've had enough shite thrown at me over the past few years that maybe I could get a bit of slack, have something amazingly good happen to me that would benefit not just me, but a whole bunch of people; like a random film crew setting up a studio in Carlow who want to take on a heap of interns. Man, that would be perfect!
I feel bad about complaining too, because there are tons of other people out there who are entirely worse off than me.
Ugh, I just wish I knew what I was supposed to be doing with the rest of my life.
*Disclaimer: This post may contain a slight rant*
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