No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

I've written before about the JVS WoMentoring program and that I'm in the middle of a six month mentoring stint with my mentee.  She has been through quite a bit in the last 10 years and I think we've made incredible progress in getting her where she needs to be to employable.

Just over a month ago she lost her 14 month old cat due to illness/old age or something like that.  Last Sunday I took her to a kitty adoption event and this gorgeous tiger stripes little kitten picked her.   They say the animal picks you, not visa versa.  She fell in love with the kitty and an hour and $ 50 later they were family.  The organization that we adopted from is called the Kitty Bungalow and they called her Val, a snowshoed tabby. We/I was promised that even though Val was too young to be spayed, she would be taken back in a couple weeks to have the procedure done, no cost.

Since then it's been all down hill.  The kitten has a cold and is violently sneezing with green stuff coming out of her eyes.  The Kitty Bungalow first admitted she had a cold prior to adoption and said they would drop off her meds but now are stating she never had a cold and there are no refunds/no returns.

My mentee is not in a financial position to take the kitten to the vet and apparently I'm just a big soft marshmallow and told her to take her today and I'd meet her there.  I mean, seriously, what I am supposed to do?  Let the kitten go back to a trailer full of other kittens and maybe not get better?  If they had medication and didn't drop it off, what kind of people are they?

So, just remember - No good deed goes unpunished.

Priceless?

• Craigs list price from ad - $ 75
• Crate, 2 beds, food, flea stuff, toys, bowls, etc - $ 300
• Grooming @ the doggie Spa - $ 55
• Prescriptions for allergies, scratch testing - $ 0 - but very painful
• First vet visit for full check up and de-worming - $300
• Coming home to a dog completely excited to see me - Priceless

The Pecking Order

The hierarchical order in our house as we each see it:

How Dawn sees things:

1. Dawn & Dena
2. Dog & Bird

How Dena sees things:

1. Dena 
2. Dawn 
3. Dog
4. the bird - but only because I have to feed it

How the bird sees things:

1. Dawn is the love of my life
2. Who is this damn four legged thing?
3. And last - the bitch that feeds me.

How the dog sees things:

1. Dena is a god
2. Dawn is almost a god but takes me for lots of walkies
3. What is this damn green thing that makes too much noise?

Another Day, Another Break In

Woke up Sunday morning, another beautiful day in Los Angeles.  Went and walked the dog and when I came back to the house the Auto Club had called saying the police had my AAA card and could I call them.  Immediately I went out the my truck and found the drivers side front and rear doors unlocked and softly closed and the thing ransacked.  How frustrating.

Fortunately, I had learned my lesson from the February break in and no longer keep anything of any real value in there.  I do however have building access cards, building keys, a stack of frequent shopper cards, about 30 actually, but nothing too exciting.  I called the police and Officer Rivera informed me that they had the suspect in custody and could I come down at 11am and meet with the detectives.

Wow, a suspect in custody?  Amazing.....Officer Rivera proceeded to tell me that he had caught three BEMV (Breaking, Entering Moving vehicle) last week himself.  He says they are not too bright.....that's obvious.  The last guy he got was syphoning gas from a vehicle because he ran out of gas 2 blocks from his last break in.

After filing the police report and learning that detectives don't work on holidays we went home.  A little while later an Officer Armstrong (yes, strange but true, same last name, no relation) called and stated that he had my property and could I describe it.  After describing the stolen items he stated that him and his partner would have to go back down to the central jail and get the rest of the items.  Slow day?  What service this was.  Around 3 that afternoon Office Armstrong and his partner showed up at the house with all my stuff.

Simply amazing.  And what service.  Damn shame this didn't happen in February but I am grateful nonetheless to the LAPD for their service.