6710 Grand

I’ve never been a cat person. Growing up we had dogs—once three at a time. I didn’t get my first cat until I moved into my brother’s house with him for my last year of college. I wanted a dog. But he already had 2 and was strongly opposed to me having my own. So, I said I’d get a cat. No way! He was convinced it would find itself in the ventilation.  Um…  But I got one anyway. He was a blackish-brownish boy that a friend of mine gave me as a kitten. Her cat had babies and these ones needed homes. I named him Jean-Claude. He was a great cat—full of personality. We got along great. Until I moved to Kansas City. I was sure it would be a bad idea for him not to have a roommate. I found another friend who’s cat had kittens and Oberon was brought home. Let me just say these two gents never really got along. We had occasion to rescue other cats in Phoenix. Someone had left 4 of them outside our daycare center—in July—in Arizona—with no food or water. Luckily one of ...

I love books. No big secret there. I've been an avid reader for as long as I can remember. I would always pick the big books--the ones with 4-500 pages so I could dive in and stay a while. I've never been one to read a single book at a time. Even now, there are 8 or 9 on my "currently reading" shelf. I love real books--I love the smell and the feel. But I'm not one to pass up an audio version either. I have the Kindle, the iPod, the personal library, the library fines--all the signs of a book lover. I do not appologize for this. One of my most memorable birthdays was when I was nine or ten and my dad took me to B. Dalton and gave me free reign. Pick 10, he'd said. Ten! Ten new books! There were a few series I'd picked out--Sweet Valley Twins, The Babysitters Club, stuff like that. But the one I felt most excited about was the Tell Tale Heart and Other Writings by Edgar Allen Poe. I still have that book. It's a bit worse for wear, and mi...