Animal Magnet

I always knew I would be a pet owner...But I never thought I would own multiple pets! When I was in my early 20s I got my first dog, Diva. After about a year, I thought it would be a good idea to get another dog as a companion for her. A pet dog for my pet dog if you will.

The next year, following this same logic, I noticed that Diva and Toby were now bored with each other and needed a new pet. This time I adopted a cat -- Mandalay. The novelty lasted a bit longer -- I've heard that the youngest animal in the home has the hardest time adjusting to a new addition, and in Toby's case it was the truth. (Diva was the exception -- she loved Toby the moment I brought her home.)

However, their boredom with each other soon became apparent -- I would have three animals following me around from room to room. Looking at me. Meowing at me. All of them following me, all the time. What do they want????


It took a few more years, but I finally got another cat, Peanut -- I never thought I would own 4 animals at once. Diva passed away a year ago, so I am now back down to three -- but some things never change. They all follow me still. Wherever I go there is at least one animal hot on my heels.

I go downstairs to clean the litter box and Peanut follows, christening the litter as I clean it -- nice. Then trying to jump on my back as I am bent over cleaning. I have to keep standing up whilst waving the pooper scooper at her saying, "NO!"


I go to the bathroom and all three will mess with me:

1. Toby forcefully pushes the door open with her nose and watches me do my business as I say, "Get outta here! Gimme some privacy!" She only goes away after I've pet her bum -- she turns in a circle and looks at me until I do it.

2. Mandalay sees me heading for the bathroom and times her run so that we enter the bathroom at the same time. Often times she is so close underfoot I have *scooped* her accidentally with one of my feet and flung her forwards a bit. (As your foot rises to take a step forward, said cat's belly is caught, lifting and flinging cat ahead. Very disconcerting when this happens.) She sits on the sink and meows at me until I turn the water on for her.


3. Peanut follows me in -- if the door is firmly shut, her paws will inevitably be poking under the door prompting me to play while I am sitting on the throne. There I sit, reaching with my fingertips and tickling her paws while I try to do my business. If the door is open a little bit, she follows me in and meows loudly until I bend over and let her jump on my back. (Both Keith and Susi can bear witness to me emerging from the washroom with The Nut on my back. In fact, Susi has experienced this phenomenon. LOL!)

I'll be making dinner and look down and see three sets of eyes watching me, studying me. Sometimes they meow at me, bark at me.


Even when I do my stretches after a session, they all congregate around the yoga mat. As the mat unrolls, Peanut likes to chase the roll until it is flattened out. Then she claws/attacks the yoga mat, and rubs up against me as I try and stretch. Very gross. Picture orange cat hair plus a sweaty body.


Onto training news...

Yesterday morning, I drove to Pincher only to discover that the pool was closed due to mechanical difficulties. (Gee, maybe it has something to do with the pool temperature.) Wish someone had called me...

So, I turned around and headed west, to the long lost Lima Bean Pool of Sparwood. I had two swims plus weights yesterday, so I planned on swimming first, doing weights, and then doing my second swim.

I thought I had packed enough food....In fact I woke up at 4:30 am to prepare more food than usual.

When I got to Sparwood, my best friend's hubby was swimming and I asked him if Charmaine would be coming to the pool later on. Yes she was!! I haven't seen her for a long time, so I was excited!!

I met her in the gym later on and she had packed a bunch of food for me "just in case." Thank God for Charmaine!!!

I started to feel a deep hunger about halfway through the weights, but hung on to the end at which point I wolfed down my own food.

We went swimming afterward -- Charmaine left and fortunately left the food bag for me. What happened when I got out of the pool was not a pretty sight. The deep hunger was back --- with a vengeance. I barely made it out of the shower when I had to dive in.


First to hit the belly, was a baggie of small, sweet tomatoes. Oh MY GOD!!! These tasted so good after the swim -- I couldn't believe it. YUM!!!! (I am definitely going to have this again as an after swimming treat!)


Next, were the two hard-boiled eggs. I couldn't peel them fast enough -- my hands were shaking and there were a couple of moments where I seriously contemplated eating around the tiny bits if shell that aggravatingly refused to peel off at first try... A couple of shell bits fell to the floor, missing the garbage can.


Now you would think by this time, the edge would have been taken off the hunger. But no way. The worst was yet to come. I attacked a pear with such vigor that one lady drying her hair close to me, gave me an awkward glance. Did I forget to mention that I was wolfing down this food in my sports bra and underwear in the change room? Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!!! It took all my willpower to put on the bare minimum before I started eating food -- hey, even I have standards! Hee-hee!!!!