Once again, I find myself up and awake at some godawful hour. That makes it sound like I woke up this early. But alas, no. I am going to bed soon. I just thought I'd jot down some of the thoughts lolling around in my head so that I could sleep a little easier.

Last night I barely slept at all. And the only sleep I got was light, restless, and unfulfilling. There's a very good reason, though. I was worrying about my new client's cats. Who knew pet sitting could be this stressful? The woman had left a message for me and casually mentioned my coming in at a very different time than we'd discussed. I tried to get ahold of her, to no avail. So I called and left a message on her cell that I was going to her house in the morning. When I walked in, I was worried someone might be home. But it was just the kitties. (The woman later called me to tell me she felt like an idiot and thanked me for visiting the cats in the morning!)

Everything went according to plan, including the visit in the evening, in which I called the kitties back inside. Can I even begin to tell you the stress I feel at letting elderly cats outside during the day? The idea of letting any cat outside freaks me out, because I've kept my own inside for their entire (nearly) four years of life thus far. I realize not everyone wants their cats to be indoors 24/7. And I accept that. But I'd feel much better if these were active, spunky youngsters going out into the world. They're all older (approx 15 years each), and I worry about them.

But so far, so good.

The reason I have new pet-sitting clients is that my friend, Bobbi, the professional pet-sitter is going away to Dog Trainer school, where she'll earn a certificate in dog training after her 6 weeks of intensive schooling, starting tomorrow. I am taking care of her cats for those 6 weeks, as well as all the clients who she referred to me. And this week is a busy, animal filled week, let me tell ya!

Tomorrow I am going to see the older kitties and the Jack Russell Terriers in the morning. I'll see Bobbi's cats in the afternoon. And then I'm going to visit the kitties and JRTs in the evening as well.

Don't tell the others, but I'm looking forward to taking care of Mac, the eleven year old Golden Retriever most of all this week. He is too darling for words!

It's really nice being around peoples' pets, I think. It's good for me to see animals with homes. I am feeling more and more impatient and burned out at the shelter. Every time I go, I get weird/bad news, and I can't stand it anymore. I think I'm feeling especially restless there because I only have two more days left of work this week. I'm ready to be done. I'm sure I'll go back and visit the people and animals there. But it'll be good not to be an employee anymore.

In related news, my favorite dog at the shelter, the Chihuahua/Schipperke mix, was adopted. Good for him. I can't tell you it didn't break my heart just a little though. He is a great dog, and as is only fitting, he will be greatly missed.

In an effort to make it seem like my life entails more than caring for animals (which really, it doesn't), I will mention a couple of other cool things.

One is a new chat program called There. Oh my god, it kicks so much ass! I am very excited!! It is actually only in its Beta phase right now, and Joe and I were both selected to be Beta testers after submitting our applications. It's really fun. You can have pet dogs in the game, too, and visit dog parks. (Oh my god. I really can't stop myself, can I?)

Joe and I actually met online, way back when. It's always fun and interesting to find fun new chat programs, especially ones that are so visually pleasing, and interactive. In "There," you can explore the worlds and travel via buggy (which is like a Jeep), hoverboard or hovercraft. You can buy new clothes, change your body type and look, and rent a home. You can also just chat with people, which is a lot of fun. I am so bummed, though. The beta version is only available during certain days and hours, so now I have to wait until Wednesday so that I can play again!! Waiting sucks.

I have even geekier news, though... In "Animal Crossing," on Gamecube, the mayor asked me to turn on the light in the lighthouse every night for an entire week. And I did it! So tomorrow, he's going to give me a gift. I'm actually excited and I find myself wondering what it will be. It's kind of sad that I am more excited about doing virtual "jobs" than my actual one. But who wouldn't be, really?

Moving on...

I spent a good portion of my evening tonight reading online journals, looking at burbs, and moreso, reading about the idea of online journals. I must say, I really enjoy reading about peoples' reasons for starting, maintaining and/or quitting their journals. It all fascinates me. And it makes me feel motivated to keep going, to find out more about myself through my own writing, to continue to express myself, to experiment with words. To put myself out there. Because interestingly enough, whenever I write and I like it, I feel more confident in my day to day life, too.

My other fascination as of late is with peoples' tattoos. I really love the stories behind them, the designs themselves, and hearing about the whole process. I may want one someday. Until then, I'll just live vicariously through others and daydream about cool designs I may or may not ever truly want permanently etched onto my body. Body art is simply intriguing to me.

And now I'll leave you with a piece of random, yet practical, advice. If you are prone to bizarre accidents while doing mundane things such as turning a steering wheel, be careful not to bang your fingernail awkwardly into it as you back out of parking spaces (or at any other time), or else you may end up pulling the nail away from the skin, resulting in pain and minor blood loss. Not that I'd know. I'm trimming my nails before I go anywhere tomorrow, though. That much, I do know.

~Meg