OMG! My cat wrote an article about prepping raw meat - or at least he would have if he spoke/wrote English and had access to the internet

OMG! My cat wrote an article about prepping raw meat for his meals - or at least he would have if he spoke/wrote English and had access to the internet.

http://www.catinfo.org/#Home-Prepared_Diets

I will never, ever, ever, be this crazy! 

Could you imagine grinding raw rabbit meat (after removing the pelt, of course) for your cat to eat? Or purchasing organic turkey/chicken thighs for your cats?

People are crazy. I love my pets, but their dry/wet food combo works just fine.

distance learning and distance "working" -- reducing our carbon footprint

I was just thinking today that I live in Southern California and haven’t driven my car in 3 days. "Preposterous!," you think. 


Not at all! I work from home most of the week (usually only going into the LA office once/week). Not only do I love my job more than I would if I worked in a traditional office environment, but I work harder and perform better. Since working from home, I’ve reduced the expense of gas/transportation/parking; I’ve reduced my ‘carbon footprint’; I’ve reduced my personal meal expenses; I’ve reduced any inner-office drama because I interact with most of my colleagues via chat/email or the occasional phone call; most of all, I’ve reduced my general stress.

I work 8-9 hours per day, sometimes more. I am committed to my job and my overall performance. I wonder if I would be just as committed if I had to face gridlock traffic or inner-office drama? Would I be excited about my company if I had to miss dinner with my family because my train was late?

What’s ‘green’ about telecommuting:


1. No need to commute – that’s less cars on the roads.


2. Preserves the environment – not just the emissions…


3. Improves health – less stress commuting, less time away from family.


4. Increased performance/productivity – I can work in my bathrobe and not “waste” time looking presentable for the general public.

It is awesome! I love it! This is month 10 of working from home and I have no complaints.... I wonder if my brother's business school talks about the benefits of telecommuting as a cost-saving measure. The downside of telecommuting: it isn't for everyone ~ you have to hold yourself accountable for meeting your goals. The plus-side: there are very few places in the world that I can't work.

I wonder if other telecommuters are equally in love with working from home.

health care reform?

A friend of mine sent a link about health care reform. It's about 9 minutes and is really informative. Check it out. :)

It's official ... I am Kimberly Kanter McBroom - the case of the missing cell phone

After an hour and a half of waiting (standing) in line at the social security office, number '70' was selected and I became a McBroom.  I got so excited that I wanted to call my hubby and tell him the good news; but alas, I lost my cell phone last weekend and was unable to call/text/email/etc....

The cell phone missing thing: is not a big deal! Surprised you, didn't I? Many of you dug through your purse/pocket and "felt" that your cell was near just thinking about the loss of my cell. I thought I was going to freak out, but the list of the most inconvenient parts about not having my cell phone is as follows:

1.  The time - I don't own one watch, at least not one that I can locate. Thank God for the microwave.
2.  My alarm clock -- the phone did it all. Now I need to find my college alarm clock and see if it still works.
3.  Email - Thank goodness there are at least two computers within 15 feet of me at all times.
4.  Text messaging - it's a bummer!  I IM/Skype chat all day at work, so I feel 'connected,' but my friends don't IM with me, so that makes me sad. :(
5.  My address book! Now I have to walk all the way to a computer and "lookup" phone numbers.

That's it. That's all I miss. I called AT&T to report the missing phone and found out that I am no longer under contract with them, and haven't been for a year. I thought that I was "stuck" for another year. I canceled. I don't have a cell phone bill -- I definitely don't miss that. What do you do when you need to call Kim? You have a few options, some more obvious than others:

IM me! (I'm using Skype and Messenger)
Email me! (i have more email accounts than I should admit)
Call my landline, duh! (obviously not listed in this blog, although all 3 of my readers would probably think it was convenient, but not 'safe')

KAZURI necklace from Kenya -- a new treasure (video blogging, oy vey!)

When I play it back on my computer, there isn't a lag. But when I upload it to Blogger, there is a big lag. Let me know what you think!

Planning a Housewarming Party - for a home I don't own

I'm so excited to have all my friends and family come see our new home, that I forgot a few important factors:
1.  We don't own the house until September 20th (when escrow is estimated to close)
2.  We don't own furniture (not enough to fill 4 bedroooms at least) - lots of empty rooms filled with big dreams for the future.
3.  I don't think I have enough seating to have a good party. People want to relax, not stand around.


Before I even move into the house, I start talking myself out of the housewarming party. I hate when I get all negative like that. Never to fear, the internet is here! I found some new inspiration while looking at Evite choices for housewarming parties....

 It's a drunken watermelon on tap!

 A little rum, some basic clean plumbing supplies, a knife, limes, and you've got a party! This is the best thing since sliced bread.  If you want to keep the party PG-13 or have it for a baby shower or something, substitute juice for the alcohol ~ serve on ice in a pretty glass with potential fruit accessories... YUM!

hairballs

Cat owners unite in a common hatred: hairballs. Cats periodically regurgitate hair on the carpet, never on a linoleum or "easy cleanup" surface. Stepping barefoot in a larger-than-life pile of hairy cat vomit was not my idea for a writing topic, but the sensation has permeated my day like a socked-foot haphazardly placed in a warm, wet pile of cat barf.  I discovered National Hairball Awareness Day (04/30) during some very angry Googling this afternoon.