Silly Photo to Fill Space- Laundry Time

We dedicate this entry to our good friends at The Wishy Wash Laundromat in Silver Spring, Md., (actually we don't know a single person who works there at all!). They are open from Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. And, on weekends, they are operating from 6:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m.

I got this idea while doing a ton of laundry at my mom's over Thanksgiving. Of course, Gizmo the cat made sure to sit on top of my clothes after they were all folded up!

Top 10 Lists- To-do List During My Day Off

Amazingly enough even though I have time off from my teaching gig and I haven't taken an exotic trip to Thailand or anything, I have fallen well behind on my blogs! But, I have finally read J.D. Salinger's classic novel "The Catcher and the Rye" and I watched Akira Kurosawa's vintage samurai flick "Ran" on The Sundance Channel (which should perhaps be seen on the big screen) last night.

Nevertheless, there are things to do......and here is my list for today!

1. Call the vet for Gizmo's shots

2. Decide on whether or not to see the play "Dead Man's Cell Phone"

3. Plan 'Writing the Novel' this fall

4. Catch up on blog posts!

5. Possibly watch 1980s Charles Bronson-Lee Marvin movie "Death Hunt" on FMC tonight at midnight.....?!

6. Check Greyhound's web page to see how much bus tickets to DC would be even though you don't have any expletive time to go to DC right now

7. Be sure to send email to that guy in Istanbul

8. Read Scott Pilgrim comic book at Starbucks or some place like that

9. Start those exercises!!! (Most procrastinated item on list)

10. Learn a phrase in Farsi....

Silly Photo to Fill Space- Maine Coon Cat

This past weekend, I had an opportunity to go to a cat show in Roanoke, Va. Part of the attraction was admittedly the cat people themselves. One person from Richmond, Va., who regularly participates in such affairs told me that she had 14 cats?! Among them was a gorgeous seven-month old Maine Coon kitten who looked huge. Her cat didn't quite win Best in Show, but the kitten made the top ten.

As it turns out, the Maine Coon cat (pictured here) can weigh up to 25 pounds, and they have a HUGE tail.

It would be hard for me to gage what it takes to win a cat show since my tuxedo cat Gizmo is a regular house cat who would never go for such things even if his breed was among those featured (Other cat show breeds include Siamese, angora, and Burmese) in such shows. But, one cat show contestant from Christiansburg, Va., told "The Roanoke Times" that it doesn't help 'if the cat bites the judge!'

Participants came from as far away as Huntington, WVa., and Charlotte, NC, for the show.

The Pulaski County Animal Shelter in Dublin, Va., had a special section for cats who are available for adoption. On the organization's web site, I saw a listing for a Siamese cat named Chunky Munky, a a tabby cat named Junebug and a tuxedo cat named Hazel. The Pulaski County Animal Shelter can be reached at 540-674-8359.

Other animal shelters in the Roanoke area include The Franklin County Animal Shelter in Rocky Mount, Va. Phone: 540-483-7440, and the Salem Animal Shelter in Salem, Va. Phone: 540-375-3038.

Merry Christmas from Gizmo the Family Cat!

The photo here is actually of Bob, a tuxedo cat in South Carolina, but Gizmo looks almost exactly like him! Apparently, Bob is a cat who needs a home, so......

We are using our entries today to focus people's attention on animal adoption. We found Gizmo at a gas station in Ironto, Va., as we were coming back from Virginia Tech in October of 2004. But, many cats and dogs aren't so lucky (Uh oh! I am getting on a soap box!).

We named Gizmo after the title character in "Gremlins," which surprisingly has a very long wait on NetFlix!

We have company from Johnson City, Tenn., so I need to get off the computer and be polite. It's not something I'm always good at unless I'm at Chamber of Commerce mixers.

But, before I do that, I want to mention that the city I live in, Reidsville, NC, near Greensboro, has one of the highest kill rates for its local animal shelter so if you live in the area and you need a pet please don't go to the pet store at Friendly Center in Greensboro (unless you want hamsters! They do have a great selection of hamsters,actually! But, Gizmo would probably eat them).

In all seriousness, the animal shelter in Reidsville can be reached at (336) 342-4022. My friends at the Backstreet Buzz Coffee House in Reidsville have also been helping to get the word out about the animal shelter, and I really appreciate that. I just wish my apartments allowed pets!

Similarly, the animal shelter in my hometown of Salem, Va., (www.salempets.org) can be reached at (540) 375-3038. I also really wish we could get another cat for Gizmo who lives with mom in Roanoke, Va., but she hates taking out the cat litter as it is and I'm not to sure Gizmo, who is perhaps the wildest domestic cat in town, would care for another Garfield!