I'm a failure. Although I am really good at some things, like Wheel of Fortune, cross word puzzles, and sarcasm, I have to admit there are probably more things that I am not good at. A few things are running, singing, math, foreign languages, and now...being a vegetarian.
I'm a huge animal lover. I have to turn the channel whenever that damn Sarah McLachlan song comes on because I know there will be sad picture of puppies and kitties coming on the screen. I don't have a ton of extra cash, but every month I donate to the ASPCA and the Nashville Humane Society. I also have a slightly annoying habit of wanting to rescue every pet I see. There have been numerous times I have seen a dog or cat running around lost and have chased them until I caught up with them. One particular instance happened last summer when I was at home. I went to get the mail and I saw this sweet puppy running around, clearly lost. I spent 45 minutes chasing the poor, scared animal around the neighborhood until I caught it. It did have on a collar, but no tag. People, PLEASE put collars on your pets with your contact information! It did have a tag proving it had had its vaccinations, so I spent the next half hour on the phone with local vets, trying to track the serial number on the tag. My parents are so used to this by now, they weren't even phased. Thankfully, I had success finding out where the dog lived, and it wasn't far from my house. I loaded the dog into my car and went to its owner's house. When I knocked on the door with the pup, a girl came to see who it was and burst into tears. Apparently she was house-sitting and the puppy had gotten out when she opened the door to leave and she couldn't catch it. I felt really good that I had reunited the sweet puppy with its home.
Another memorable time is when I was visiting my then-boyfriend D's house and saw a dog running around his neighborhood. D was not as amused at my antics as my parents are. We caught the dog, and it was a BIG dog, and I made him put it in his backyard while I went to buy dog food and posterboard to make FOUND signs for the pet. I tacked them up all over his neighborhood and three hours later the owner called. D was stuck with a huge bag of dog food because I bought the biggest bag they had (it was on sale). Hey, I didn't know how long the dog was going to be there! The owner was very grateful to have his faithful companion back. D was just glad the dog was gone so he could relax and watch 'Gene Simmons' Family Jewels'.
I also can NOT go into pet stores of any kind. For my college graduation present I wanted a cat. I was moving to Lexington for grad school and the apartment complex I lived in only allowed cats. D said he would let me pick out a cat. And I said, no, D, YOU can pick out the cat for me because I cannot see cats in cages. There is no way I'm going to the pound, I trust you. D was true to his word and didn't take me to the pound. But he did take me to a Pet Smart open adoption day and I was livid. I acted like a huge brat, refusing to get out of the car. He finally got me to exit the vehicle by (probably) lying to me and saying that all of the pets always get adopted at these things. I bought it, and came inside. We later left with Bon Jovi, the most high maintenance and ornery cat ever of life...but I love the furball. So, D was right. I needed to pick out my own cat. At first I thought I wanted a kitten, but after playing with two year old Bon Jovi (who my mother unfortunately calls BJ or Beej sometimes and I don't have the heart to tell her why that is inappropriate) I had found my forever friend.
Okay, so enough background. It started to bother me that I eat animals, when I love them so much. So I tried to be a vegetarian. But I am not a good vegetarian. Main reason why? Because I don't like enough vegetables. I hate eggplant, tomato, squash, cauliflower, legumes, and probably a lot more. I was living off of pasta, pasta, some broccoli, and more pasta and that is not good. I tried to make myself like more vegetables so I could be successful at this, but I just couldn't. I made eggplant parmesan and probably put in four times the amount of sauce and cheese, which took away all the health benefits.
I'm going to try to choose vegetarian options most of the time, but I don't think I can completely make the transition. Maybe at some point I will be able to, but for right now I'll just do what I can.
I don't feel as if this post has been as witty as my other ones, but I can't be "ON" all the time. If you are lonely, please consider adopting a pet! They bring so much to your lives and it's great having someone to come home to, since I live alone. I've heard all of the "cat lady" jokes and they don't really bother me. A few jokes at my expense are definitely a small price to pay for having a little creature that will greet me at the door when I get home, sit with me when I'm crying, and lay next to me when I can't sleep and I'm up at 4 a.m. reading. And he fetches, like a dog. I mean, it doesn't get more awesome than that.
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