Boo Boo: The Best Little Old Man Cat

"If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans." --James Herriot

Alright ladies and gentlemen, get the tissues out now. It’s going to be hard for me to write this so I can imagine it’s going to be an emotional, bitter sweet read. From day 1 Boo Boo was the most annoying cat in the world and by that I mean the sweetest, loudest, most snuggly, bony pawed, skinny, sleepy, happy, and caring cat I’ve ever met. 

Let’s back it up a minute. Boo Boo has a sob story beginning, which leads up to his adoption into the house of happy fluffs (our house/family) by us. Boo Boo obtained his unfortunate and extreme non-manly name from his previous owners, you guessed it,  an elderly couple. He was apparently the husband’s cat and up until his passing he was taken care of extremely well. His death lead to his wife’s slow decline and dementia. After a week of forgetting about the pets she owned her daughter came to visit, realized the situation and went to work. She contacted Will’s Mom to see if we could foster the cat, which of course we did. Sadly, he came to us with a whole list of problems:

1. SERIOUS gum disease and rotten teeth
2. Malnutrition
3. Nails growing into his paw pads
4. Neglect  
5. Aloof and doesn’t like people….supposedly

He immediately went to the vet before we even got him and went on meds and got his nails trimmed and paw pads cauterized. After pain meds and a tooth surgery he was deemed super fit or as fit as a 14 year old cat could be after all that. Now this cat was skinny… and I mean skinny. His favorite thing to do was walk on our faces in the middle of the night and scream with his extremely stinky breath in our faces. Needless to say I was not a fan and didn’t see us adopting him. Meanwhile, Will had fallen in love with him. The surgery also helped clear up that gross breath so it was slightly better. He had blood work done as well and the vet told us he had the blood work of a cat half his age. Good for that old man :). Such a trooper.

The second this cat walked in to our house we knew whoever said he was aloof must have be delusional. He ran up to everyone, yelled until he was pet and snuggled for hours on end. He was hands down the sweetest thing in the world and he won both of our hearts. It didn’t even take 2 days and he was officially adopted into our family. There he received an insane amount of love and food and finally became a healthy weight and pretty dang handsome. 

His favorite thing to do? Sleep. He could sleep anywhere…especially on hard surfaces in awkward positions. For example: upside down with one leg on the table bar and his face rammed in between the floor and the bar, halfway on the cat scratcher and halfway upside down, fully upside down, etc.  He also liked jumping on the bedside table, skidding across it and shoving everything on top on the floor in the process. He was a mess, but he was our mess. It just made him more endearing. Other than sleeping his favorite thing to do was purr. If you looked at this car he would start to purr. I don’t mean normal cat purrs. I mean purring so loudly you could hear him across the room. He was permanently happy the second we brought him home and demanded pets so he could start purring even harder. If purring were an olympic sport Boo Boo would hold the world record for the most gold medals won. He’s pretty incredible. 

Boo Boo always loved men more and Will became his favorite person on Earth. You could also find him curled up next to him on the couch, sitting on his chest while Will tried to play video games or smacking and yelling Will demanding attention. I eventually became his second favorite and he always visited me while I was sitting on the floor after dinner working on something or reading. 

Around Thanksgiving things started to go downhill. He had 3 seizures in 2 days and after 5 hours at the emergency vet, tears, and extreme anxiety we got to take him home with some medication that would hopefully help. The seizures are super rare in cats, especially so many and we ruled out everything but brain issues as the cause. During his seizures Atlas, our dog, brought Boo Boo every toy he could find and was deeply concerned the whole time. Boo Boo even won over all the pets in the house. He was the coolest little guy ever. 

His meds helped, but he started to lose weight. By the week before Christmas he had lost 2 pounds, and his muscles started to deteriorate in his hind legs, plus he slept more and just wasn’t quite the same. What made us call it was when he started not using the litter box. We would put him in and he would jump right out and pee or poop on the floor. He just wasn’t living the quality of life he deserved and we knew it was time. We had one last day with him and cried pretty much the entire time while non-stop loving on Boo Boo. 

The day of we took Boo Boo to Petsmart and brought Atlas along for support. We were wrecks. The Petsmart crew was super sweet and understanding. We spent a few more minutes with him and they gave him an injection and made sure he didn’t feel any pain. We were there until the end and a little after. I’ve never had to put a pet down before and it pretty much ripped my heart out. I can only imagine what it would be like for a pet that I’ve had longer than 1.5 years. 

After 1.5 years this cat left a huge imprint on both of our lives. Everyone who came over always told us how cool of a cat he was. We tried to give him the best life possible and loved every second we had with him. We just wish we could’ve had more. Boo Boo was really something special and a cat who I will never forget. Rest In Peace buddy. I hope you are up there drinking from all the water bowls and toilets you can find and are sleeping on all the weird, hard surfaces. Make sure you yell at everyone to pet you. You deserve it. 

A week after we put Boo Boo to sleep we baked cookies and brought it to the staff for being so sweet. They looked at us like we had grown 2 heads, but were super happy about it. I doubt anyone else baked them cookies for something like that. A few days later I got a letter in the mail from them. I opened it assuming that it was a thank you note. I was not prepared at all for what it really was. It was a “sorry for your loss note” and everyone in the clinic had signed it. I immediately burst into tears on my front porch, walked inside, showed Will and we ended up hugging it out and crying together. 

Pets made the world a better place. Boo Boo absolutely changed my life for the better and I hope he felt the same about us. We love you Boo Boo. 

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."--Anatole France

Spencer's Wedding

"I have great hopes that we shall love each other all our lives as much as if we had never married at all."--Lord Byron

We’re coming to the end of a very slow wedding season for us. Last year we attended 4 weddings in various states and cities, but only two this year! This past weekend on October 4^th we had the honor to be included in Spencer and Jordan Stevens’ wedding. Spencer is a great friend of mine who I met my sophomore year of college in an English class. We quickly became fast friends and hung out quite a bit my both of our friend groups.

Hanging out with Spencer means you’re going to hear a lot about this seemingly amazing girl named Jordan. I only ever hung out with both of them twice, but it was so clear how much they cared for each other. They had met in high school and had dated ever since with a few bumps in the road that every couple faces regardless. Jordan’s laid back, studious and witty personality suited Spencer’s rambunctious, loud, and all around hilarious/happy go lucky one. In short, they balance each other out perfectly and you can tell just by looking at them just how much they care about each other.

When I first got the invite, being much closer to Spencer, I pictured a VERY different wedding than the one we attended. Spencer was a fratboy at college and I pictured a more laid back affair with lots of booze, and a rowdier crowd. Complete opposite. This wedding was the epitome of classy and it shows just how much they both have matured and grown. Will, Ellie (my college roommate) and I got dolled up and made the 2.5 hour drive from Greenville, NC to Greensboro, NC. The drive was muggy and rainy and the highways have absolutely nothing interesting to look at. Despite that, it went by pretty quickly. We arrived at the address 30 minutes before the ceremony was set to start and were pretty confused as to why we had driven to what looked like an abandoned factory. After we had found the right part of the factory we were blown away.

The factory was abandoned in places, but it was in the process of bing refurbished and renovated in to office buildings, event space, and this particular space was made just for fancier receptions and weddings. The outside was a rustic brick backdrop with small well-tended gardens and a few sculptures and fountains. Unfortunately, the wedding was rained out and the ceremony had to be moved inside. Thankfully we arrived early and got some of the best seats in the house with a great view of both levels. The ceremony was in the lower level entrance to the reception hall and was adorned with simple potted plants and chairs for the guests. Lining this area were wooden staircases that the bridal party descended for each side and joined in the middle to walk up the isle. Symbolism at its finest.

For some weird reason people think showing up at the time the wedding starts is somehow okay. Too bad for them since they had to watch from above. It was a great view regardless, but we were happier with our seats. We also noticed that apart from family there weren’t too many friends present. It’s a great feeling to be included in an event like that and know how much people think of you by inviting you to something that is majority family. The ceremony was beautiful and Jordan fought back tears the entire time. By the time they got to the “I take thee…” part Jordan was a happy wreck and had to stop because she was crying so hard. If your eyes were dry during that part…well…you’re a monster.

Short and sweet was definitely the best way to describe the ceremony, which I know everyone appreciates. We’ve been to wedding ceremonies that lasted longer than most movies and let me tell you…it is painful. This wasn’t.

Obligatory pictures followed while all the guests helped themselves to beer, cider, and wine. The hors d’oeuvres were phenomenal. Tiny meatballs, bruschetta, and mini sliders held us over until dinner, which was by far my favorite wedding meal yet. It was a buffet style that sported roasted veggies, green beans, mashed potatoes, bacon/cheese/sour cream topping for the potatoes, chicken, roast beef, and fresh rolls. We chowed down. Dessert quickly followed and somehow there were extra slices so Will and I shared a champagne cake slice and I had a red velvet slice and Will had a pound cake slice. Delicious!!

My absolute favorite part of their reception was the photo booth. They had rented a fully stocked and staffed photo boof complete with hats and props. We went back at least 6 times and the pictures from everyone using all the props was being made in to a scrapbook for the bride and groom. We had the times of our lives goofing around with everything and we even managed a few nice ones. I was even offered a job working the photo booth since they were looking for outgoing people and I had convinced quite a few people that they needed these photos in their lives. What made it even better? We got to keep a copy of the photos to take home. How cool a wedding favor is that? It’s not something everyone will throw away or just eat and never think about again. It was something we could and will frame and look back on and think about how much fun we had.

By this time we were given champagne and listened to one VERY awkward best man speech from someone who obviously had no idea what to say and was at the same time petrified of speaking in front of everyone. What resulted was some weird phrases that seemed insulting, but I’m sure once he said them he cringed, just like the rest of us, and immediately wanted to rephrase it to sound like what he had meant to say. Oh well. Once that was over and the “fun captain/master of ceremonies/DJ was done being corny, weird, and overly enthusiastic we got to toast to the happy couple and drink the best champagne I’ve ever had in my life. I usually hate champagne, but oh my goodness this was delicious.

The dance floor was hit or miss. I missed a lot. I got Will to dance twice and obviously I enjoyed the hell out of that as always. Thanks babe!  I am a dancing animal at weddings. I’ll jump in with a group of people I don’t know and bust a move. Every.Single. Time I heard one of my “jams” I kicked off my shoes, ran to the dance floor only to find it deserted. I can only conclude that everyone else has horrible taste in music or they were having the best conversations of their lives or they were just boring. I vote option 1 or 3, but hoping for 2. What did I do to remedy this? I danced my way around the tables and had my own mini dance party and then we all proceeded to have way too much fun at the photobooth until we decided it was time to make our way back to Greenville.

We said goodbye to the groom and bride and set off in to the night! The 2.5 hour drive back felt like 12. We got home to a very happy to see us dog and a welcoming bed. After sleeping for a mere 6.5 hours I got up to teach Body Step at my gym and now I’m typing this on my break at work where I’m fighting the sleepiness with all my might!


(more pictures to come once my scanner works!)

"There's a big difference between falling in love with someone and falling in love with someone and getting married. Usually, after you get married, you fall in love with the person even more."--Dave Growl

Loreta's Halloween Doggy Costume Contest!

"You don't need a silver fork to eat good food."--Paul Prudhomme

OM NOM NOM! Those are just a few words that come to mind when someone mentions Loreta’s frozen yogurt in my presence. I consider myself an ice cream aficionado and Loreta’s is grade A 100% delicious. 

A quick trip to their website took me down their memory lane and made me like them even more for reasons I’ll get to in a minute and in a few paragraphs as I randomly remember them. That’s just how my brain works. Okay back to the story.  Loreta’s was named after the owner’s mother who had no idea her daughter was even opening a store much less naming it in her honor. The daughter had always loved mom and pop locally owned businesses and decided to open her own. She values her high quality food products and great service which are absolutely great descriptors of this unique and fun loving frozen yogurt establishment. They even visit stores every where they go in order to get new ideas they can incorporate to their business. I love it when overachievers go in to great businesses!

Toppings abound in Loreta’s. If you can think of it, it is most likely there. There are lots of ice cream flavors that change frequently as well so it never, ever, ever gets boring. They even make their own cookies and stick a giant scoop of fro-yo in the middle and sell them as deliciously decadent sandwiches. They also have really unique trashcans you can fill with ice cream! They usually end up looking like tiny monsters and it’s really cute. 

Guess what they also have? Doggy ice cream, outside seating for dogs and their owners, and Halloween dog/owner costume contests. They even have the “Dog Days of Summer” where if your dog brings its human they (the dog) gets free ice cream. Clearly our dog has his priorities in order and brought us frequently. It didn’t take much persuasion on his part. 

This was the first year we participated in the Halloween Costume Contest. Guess what? We won most creative. BOOYAH! We dressed up as a family and I was beyond excited. I spent over 8 hours making the entire costume from scratch. My dog went as the house from Disney’s “Up!”; I was Russel (the little boy) and my boyfriend went as Carl (the old man). I made Atlas’s costume from lots of cardboard and tape. I hand painted everything and got balloons for it! It turned out way better than I thought it would. I made the Russel costume as well and did old age makeup on my boyfriend. In short, we went all out. 

One thing I LOVE is that Loreta’s gives back to the local animal shelter in the area. Every event they have, including the Halloween costume contest, they bring out the adoptable dogs for the festivities so they can get more social time as well as parade their cuteness around for more potential adopters! It really shows how much they care by the effort they put in to giving back to animal shelters. At the costume contest, they adoptable dogs were dressed up as well. We got to parade around the pavilion and show off the costumes as they called off our names. Some of my favorites were Wiggle Weight Champion with trainers, doggy avengers, bride to be chocolate lab, and a super cute piñata. 

All in all we had an insane amount of fun and LOVED winning our first ever Halloween Costume Contest. Loreta’s does a really cool thing that I’ve never seen before. They have an iPad that is connected to their website that shows a live stream of everyone enjoying the festivities and ice cream! 

Loreta’s is the place to be if you love great service, DELICIOUS frozen yogurt and sharing good times with family including your four legged family members. It’s out favorite yogurt place in town. We can’t get enough!

"The only thing I like better than talking about food is eating."--John Walters