On the Recent Snow, et al.

Photo by myself last week of the snow in Union Square. About five inches came down.

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Some updates:
1. We had a bunch of snow last week. So much that when the subway pulled up to the platform Friday morning, there was snow on the roof, and water was cascading down the stainless steel walls. The train looked like it just landed from outer space.

I would have taken a photo but I was already late for work.

2. Louie, the orange cat rescued from an abandoned futon on a Brooklyn street, has made tremendous progress. His foster mom wrote to tell me he's sleeping in bed with her and her other two cats. I hope to get pictures of him soon.

3. There seems to be a sudden spurt of crime in the news here. We had the crazy murder of the psychologist last week, then the shooting of a man in Murray Hill this morning. Murray Hill is known for being a sleepy neighborhood of tall co-op buildings, where nothing much happens. Hm.

Just now, the trial for the Nixzmary Brown case is underway, in which a 7-year old Brooklyn girl apparently died from abuse suffered from her mother and stepfather. Also beginning is the trial for the Sean Bell case, where New York cops used 50 bullets to kill an unarmed man in Queens the night before his wedding.

On the other hand, New York seems safer than ever. New Yorkers park their fancy cars out on the streets without worry. We walk about late at night without overwhelming fear or pepper spray.

So what does this recent barrage with bad news mean?

I don't know. I hope to come up with a theory, or a way of processing it neatly in my head. So far, it's just a jumble of scary things.

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On Louie and What's New on TV

Photo by myself from the window of Patsy's Pizza.

My theory is that Patsy's is the Poppy's in those Seinfeld episodes. Their pizza and family style pastas are delicious.

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The other day, Mark and I visited Louie at his foster mom's apartment.

Louie, a stray orange cat, lived for months outside on a futon and then a cardboard box in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Since being rescued a couple months ago, he's gone to the vet, where he was dewormed and de-ear mited. He's still relatively shy. It may take another month before he's comfortable around people.

When I saw Louie, he was under a bed, scrunched up against the wall. He looked very happy, but denied photo ops and intervews. He just gazed blankly at me and closed his eyes, the way cats do when they feel safe from the paparazzi. I will have to get a picture of him when he's less skittish.

The other night I stayed up way too late, watching yet another Bravo reality show, Millionaire Matchmaker. (Then of course, I woke at 6 am, which makes for a very tired and grumpy person). If you haven't seen it, stay away. It is addictive. Bravo often runs three episodes in a row, so once you're hooked, you'll find yourself staying up past midnight.

A matchmaker in LA sets up these 20 and 30-something year old attractive women with guys that happen to be millionaires. Often the guys are dorky, or they were dorky and are now trying to be cool. They have really nice cars.

One dude had spiky hair and a 'landing strip' under his lower lip. (Um, gross). Another looked attractive but had the personality of esoteric wallpaper.


Matchmaker: What are you looking for in a woman?

Millionaire dude: What am I looking for in a woman?

MM: Yes, what qualities are you looking for?

MD: What qualities does one look for?

Holy crap.


Here's a photo, meanwhile, from my hotel window this afternoon. It is mighty cold out, but brightly sunny.


Lower photo by myself in Aspen, Colorado, this morning.

For more on Louie, click 'here',
'here' or 'here'.

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More on Louie - Part Two

UPDATE: The post below is from this morning. Just this afternoon, I heard that Louie is safe in Jill's apartment, hiding under the kitchen table. That's one less cat on the streets tonight.

Hooray Louie!!!

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This morning, Mark and I woke to the first official snowfall of winter. There were a couple inches on the ground. The city was quiet and cold.

My first thoughts were about Louie. Jill, the foster mom of the newly adopted kitten, and I are slowly planning Louie's capture. So far, we're undecided on how to go about it.

The black and white cat has been moved into his new home, at a nearby grocery store (pictures forthcoming). Previously owned, Black and White followed Jill into her building. The grey cat followed another fellow-rescuer inside. Grey and her other kitten are now fattening up nicely.

Louie may not go so quietly. He bats my hand sometimes out of reflex, (claws retracted). He's a little shy. I'd love to just grab him while he's eating, but you only have one chance at grabbing a cat. It's all over if you miss.




A couple months ago, I bought a huge cage on ebay to trap these guys. I rode home during rush hour, my arms wrapped around a four foot long box labelled 'Raccoon Trap'. A picture showed a poor creature posed near a metal cage. Every lurch of the train sent me wobbling about on my high heels. I can only imagine what the others passengers thought.

This morning, I checked in with Louie. He was quite content inside his home. Someone had draped another box on top of the one Mark and I had Saran-wrapped, and there was a plastic tarp on top of that. The whole street is taking care of this cat.

Louie slithered out when I cracked open a can of food (Friskies Beef Entree). He ate in the open air, shivering. I took the time to add shredded paper to his nest.

Rescuing him is just a matter of time.




Photos by myself in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

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Brrrr

TGIF, everyone. Tonight, it feels much more like the dead of winter than fall.

I am here, still shivering, on Mark's couch. It's 38 degrees outside but feels much colder. All I can think about is poor Louie. I didn't check on him tonight because I didn't want to lure him out of his box.

With limited brain cells, I'm whipping out this meme sent by dear Carrie of Rantings of a Woman.

Using the first letter of your name, you must answer these questions. They have to be real answers though, nothing made up and you can't use your own name as an answer. I'll have to struggle on with the letter 'K' (whimper):


1. Famous Singer: Kris Kristoferson
2. Four Letter Word: Kiss
3. Street: K Street, in DC
4. Color: uh....Kangaroo?
5. Gifts/Presents: uh...Kangaroo? haha.
6. Vehicles: K Car (sounded good, Googled it, it exists!)
7. Things In A Souvenir Shop: Kites
8. Boy Name: Kip
9. Girl Name: Kathy
10. Movie Title: Knocked Up
11. Drink: Kahlua
12. Occupation: Kangaroo keeper
13. Celebrity: Kevin Bacon
14. Magazine: Kansas City Magazine (ok, I cheated once again, here)
15. U.S. City: Kalamazoo
16. Pro Sports: uh...sKiing? basKetball?
17. Fruit: Kiwi
18. Reason For Being Late For Work: I forgot my Keys at home
19. Something You Throw Away: uh...Kangaroo?
20. Something You Shout: Kowabunga!!


WHEW!!!

Jinny, Mama, Jenn and Frances, since I haven't preyed on you yet, you are my victims. Take on the challenge, if you can!


Photo by myself in Soho.

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More on Louie - Part One

After reading Just Jinny's comment, I felt compelled to give a Louie update.

Tonight I stayed late at work, late enough to cab it to Mark's place in Greenpoint. As usual, I had the cabbie stop a few houses away so I could check on Louie, the orange cat. Louie recognized my voice and crawled out of his cardboard box, meowing loudly.

I've mistaken the excited meowing for just saying 'hi'. I've dumped cans of food on the sidewalk, only to have Louie walk around in circles, continuing to meow. Hm. Tonight, he was truly hungry. He crouched in the cold and lapped up the juices first, before digging in.

Several of us on the street have been caring for Louie. He's the last cat remaining outside, after two cats and two kittens were rescued this fall. Before it grew cold, Louie lived in a dreadful wood pile. It was hideous - a huge pile of rough wood chucked on the sidewalk, with a dead pigeon and empty cat food cans at the bottom.

This weekend, Mark and I renovated the cardboard box house we'd made for Louie a month ago. We found a slightly bigger cardboard box, taped up the edges, and wrapped it with layers of Saran Wrap.

While Louie chowed down (Friskies, Whitefish Dinner), we tossed the old house, which was soggy and lopsided. I shook out the blankets, one a fashionable Burberry plaid, while Mark set the new box up on thin strips of wood. We wanted to lift the box off the ground, so it wouldn't get soaked in the rain.

Later that afternoon, I came back to check on the house. Someone had draped an additional plastic tarp on top, and left a container of kibble. As I got closer, I could see Louie through the opening. Two, orange, furry hind legs were stretched out, relaxing in the bit of sunshine streaming through the door.

I didn't wake him, of course.


For earlier posts on Louie and the cat posse, click here and here

Photo of one of the rescued kittens, who has already been adopted, taken by his foster mom. Grey cat and Louie are most likely his parents.

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Louie

As you might know, a few of us on Mark's street have been involved with saving some stray cats.

It started in the summertime, with a very skinny grey cat. I would encounter Grey, and I'd give her a can of food, responding to her loud and unwavering meow. Soon, I noticed many cans of food, which was good until it got very hot out.

Over the last several months, I've met four or five women on the block who've helped feed Grey. All of us were bent on rescuing her, before she had kittens and before the cold weather set in. Eventually, grey cat hung out with orange cat, and grey cat looked suspiciously bigger. Then Grey had a couple kittens under an open stairway. On a cold night last month, she led rescuers to them. She and her kittens are now happily being fostered by one of the rescuers.

Meanwhile, a very sweet black and white cat showed up, and was quickly rescued. The other women and I set up a website to communicate and report on progress and vet trips. Black and white cat must have had a home before, because he is very affectionate. He may get a job as a local store cat, and is due to get fixed this weekend or next.




This brings me to Louie, the orange cat, who is still living outside. I've been worrying about Louie, since the temperature's been dropping. He's a very sweet orange cat, who is still a bit afraid of people. Early on, he had a deep gash on one of his ears, but it's since healed nicely.

At first, Louie hung out in an abandoned wood pile. After a while, he moved to an abandoned futon outside a building, without any shelter. A couple weeks ago, Mark and I created a cat house for him with a cardboard box, writing 'Cat House, Please Do Not Throw Away' on top in magic marker. We stuffed the box with shredded newspaper, and set it near the abandoned futon.

Louie seemed to use the box (there were telltale cat hairs along the opening). Then it rained last week. I emailed the other women, since I was at my place in Park Slope. They reported that it was holding up all right.




Last weekend, I visited Louie and he looked wonderful. Someone had placed a bathmat at the bottom of the box, and a couple blankets. Someone else had wrapped the box with bubble wrap and placed a plastic mat on top, to protect it from rain. I reached into the box today and found it toasty warm.

Louie has a bunch of people looking over him, and looks very happy for the moment. We're planning on getting him off the street soon, after the black and white cat is adopted. Sadly, I can't foster him because of my insane schedule. But I'll be checking in on him when I can.


For an earlier post on strays, click here.

Photos by myself of Louie and his home in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

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