Waiting for a new camera battery by snail mail… hopefully that will fix the problem. A blog without pictures is a little boring.

Had an adventure with PJ today. We went out to the car to go to Aldi grocery store and heard really loud mewing. Sounded like a cat was stuck up a tree. A couple of neighbors came out and we discussed where the cat could be. One of the neighbors said that a cat was in her engine the other day. I’m sure you can see where this is going – however, I dumbly loaded PJ into the car, started the engine, and drove off. I thought about where that cat might be. I looked in the bushes and trees as I drove by.

About a half mile from the house, I notice a piece of notebook paper under my windshield wiper. And then I hear a faint mew. Then I hear some louder mews. Finally, I put it together. The cat was under the hood of my car! Aaaack! I hurriedly turned onto a street – that turned out not to be a street but an onramp. Dang! I pulled over and put on my hazards and quit the engine. I ran to the hood and opened it and sure enough, a tiny little kitten was mewing away under there. He vanished. I got on my hands and knees and saw him under the car. I went back into the car and got a canvas bag (you have to bring your own grocery bags to Aldi or you can pay for them) with the intent of bagging this little kitty. But I looked again and he was gone! Where did he go? Finally, an older man stopped to help me. Older men seem to be the only ones with chivalry anymore. If I stop on the side of the road with trouble, I can almost guarantee you that it will be a male senior citizen that stops to help me.

Anyway, he asked if I was having some trouble. So I explained my kitty situation. He thought the cat might be back up in the engine and recommended I start it up again to see if we can scare it out. I got back in the car. By this time PJ had had it. He was whimpering. I think the sun was on him. I pulled down his shade and gave him his plug. Started the car and nothing. Cut if off and we looked again.

This time he was up under the wheel well in the back. I could see his little tail hanging down. So I went around that side and he went up front again. Up and down. Finally, we somehow coaxed him out from the car and then he started to bolt. I chased him up the hill a little. He got stuck at one point and I probably could have grabbed him. But I have never really handled cats and was afraid to get bit or scratched, so I hesitated. The note had said he was a stray. He got free and scurried up the hill and through a fence. No way we could get at him now! I was in a skirt, had a baby in the car, the car was pulled over on an on-ramp with very little room for cars to pass. Had to let it go.

So I called Scarlett, the woman who left the note, and told her where I last saw him. When I got home I ran into her. She said she had found them (2 kittens) and took them to the vet this morning. It sounds like maybe she works for an animal shelter. She said she keeps foster cats. She has the other kitten and might go up there with a trap later today or tomorrow. Apparently, there are ferril cat feeding stations and there is one on Bolten near where I let him get away. I didn’t know we fed strays… How strange.

Josh is taking his first test of the second year today. He was a bit stressed this week, but I think he will do well.

I made dinner the past couple of nights. Starting to feel like a normal person. Seems to be important to get out of the house, even if it seems impossible.

PJ is cute as ever. Lots of smiles. Lots of gas. Got really bad the other day – the poor child seemed like he was in labor with constant farting! I traced it down to some dark chocolate that Josh gave me when I got home. No more dark chocolate! I think I’ll try to eliminate caffiene, too, and see if that helps him out.

He’s probably 12 lbs by now. We’ll take him for his 2 month check up next week if possible. Wanted to wait for this test to be over.