dear shark week: i hate you ▲

[taken by the meggles. i don't even like looking at this picture.]
[except for the boots and the jacket. those parts make me happy.]

fact: once a year, the Discovery Channel scars me for life. it's important to get this out there: i, katie elizabeth hawkes, am terrified of sharks, and whales, and overly large fish.

oh. oh.

i'm losing feeling in my arms just thinking about it. who knows where this fear stems from? i've met exactly two other people who truly understand

but surriously. being around aquariums makes me feel like i can't breathe. even thinking about shamu gives me the willies. [did you catch my pun? free willy? yes? bahaha.]

so once a year, when shark week happens [arms...losing feeling...], people start talking about it on facebook, posting pictures of sharks, blogging about it [google reader, you are a dangerous friend these days] ...and every time i wander into someone's living room, and they are watching a certain offensive channel... sheer. terror. on. the. screen.

...any other weird phobias out there?

[i.e. validate me now, please]

back up off me, shark week,
katilda

i am a cat-sitter ▲

what would YOU say if you got offered a paying job that involved visiting a nice apartment ... with a comfortable couch ... and lots of quiet ... and a large collection of DVDs you mostly haven't seen?

i said yes. my name is katie and i am a cat-sitter. not full-time (why, are you offering?), just a weekend every now and again. and with the holidays, there have been a lot of now and agains recently.

meet mowgli:

okay okay, that's not really mowgli. i don't have a pic of my little feline friend, but i found this one online that's pretty similar. (thanks, Google images.)

following a recent investigation, i think mowgli has six toes on each forepaw (is that normal?), but that's a tale for another day.

i've been cat-sitting sweet syrupy little mowgli on and off for about 8 or 9 months now. she's one of those cats that MUST have your attention. she must be petted. she must be noticed. and she will yell at you if you don't meet her demands. (i know, sounds like one of those girls that you secretly wonder why your guy friend is still dating. it happens.) anyway, i put up with it. because truthfully, i like dear ol' mowgs. and i like being paid to visit her. and we like watching Oprah together, among other things.

we might venture into scrabble soon, now that i know she's got that secret, extra opposable thumb.

i'll let the following facebook excerpt tell the rest of the story of mowgli & i:

(sorry if it's hard to read ... i did what i could to invent proper dimensions without spilling off the side of my blog template.)

jungle book,

katilda