So this morning I was zipping through the normal bike route, pleased as punch that my back�s finally let me get back into the habit. All was well. As I neared the � mark in the ride, I glanced off to the cornfield to my right, to the spot where I sometimes see a coyote in the morning. There was indeed a creature watching me, but it was a tiny wee kitten. I slammed on the brakes, and he came toddling out of the field, wailing at me. Of course there was no waffling�I would take him home. We were a good mile from the nearest house, and he was tiny. Oh, but he had friends. 3 of them, all lurching toward me through the ditch, trying to climb my legs. Four wailing, wet, smelly kittens. One bike. No phone. So I rolled �em up in my beloved tie-died dinosaur t-shirt and rode on. Two more miles with a squirmy mass of dismay. One�s been named Road Rash, but I assure you they all made it home okay. I�ve never been so relieved at the lack of traffic on our roads.

Luckily I rode early, and Meg was up when I rolled in. We spent a good hour and a half trying to get them to eat our homemade kitten formula, giving them baths, and drying them with a hairdryer. I�m told they�re making attempts at eating, and the syringe is most helpful. We suspect they�re about 4 weeks old. Two black and whites, one tabby and one gray and white.

And now I head home to attempt another feeding. If they�re eating, they�ll live in the barn.

Yes, my landlords are thrilled that I�ll be moving soon, after this latest gift.

Assuming the application process goes okay and the lease is acceptable. I made it to town just in time for the appointment, and the apartment looked great today. And while I�d like the downstairs one with pocket doors, built in cabinets in the living room and kitchen, and the giant kitchen, the upstairs will be fabulous. I am happy. I�ll be a few blocks from Reb and Miss P. I could walk to the mother ship. I can sip dirty martinis with blue cheese olives whilst sitting on my portion of the huge front porch, since I won�t have the money to do much else.

This good news and the exhaustion of mothering are helping dull my sense of outrage and frustration at a work problem that keeps rearing its ugly head. I hate to fall back on the excuse that I was new and had no training, but this is all a byproduct of such ignorance. Enough. It will blow over. It will not be the end of the world. The Affirmation Ball Tams sent me tells me I�m brilliant. I shall endeavor to believe it. Or I�ll just eat the Pop Rocks and be happy.