A break has finally come!

So you might be wondering why the posts have been lacking as of late. Then again, maybe you have drifted off to some new and more exciting blog. I wouldn't blame you. Regardless, it has been absolute mayhem for the past three weeks as the pet has been entirely devoted to the (Prepare yourself for a mouthful!) Rice Education Entrepreneurship Program Summer Institute.

Those caps mean it's serious.

She woke up at 5:30 every day, drove for one hour to Rice University, sat in classes from 8:30-5:30, drove for one hour more back home, and then proceeded to do her homework until midnight. Wash, rinse, repeat for three weeks.

Needless to say, in taking care of her, I haven't had much time to do anything else.

ZEUS

Don't Stop Believin': An exploration into what it takes for a cat to type

To answer dear Sarah's curious statement, the road to typing was a long and arduous one for me. I already had the distinct disadvantage of losing one of my digits thanks to evolution. I had to modify the way I interacted with the keyboard which meant I needed to know what I was up against. Therefore, I practiced first on my Playstation 2.


Playing with the various games gave me a better sense of control and helped me gain flexibility in my four remaining digits. The entertaining visual display provided me with constant feedback in how I was performing. Hence, I learned how to manage the buttons quickly.

After that, it was merely a matter of generalizing my skills to the keyboard. Occasionally, I do have a bit of trouble, especially when it comes to capitalization. It took me lots of practice to go from this:

FR#JKFF$^**&^&KL

To this:

For the love of all that's holy!

It takes effort to hold the shift key and then press a letter. Hell, it takes a lot of effort to even hold myself upright to type this post. I sure hope my readers appreciate everything I go through. This shit doesn't come easy!

ZEUS

The pet hits the air waves

On Monday, the human pet was interviewed by a local NPR radio station here in Houston concerning her thoughts and opinions on the Rice Education Entrepreneurship Program. She didn't think her comments would make the air, but guess what? They did!

You can hear the pet speak by visiting Bringing Business Leadership to the Classroom.

WOW! Women On Writing Blog Interviews Human Pet

The Muffin, the daily blog for WOW! Women on Writing, featured the pet in an interview for being runner up in the Winter 2010 Flash Fiction Contest. Check it out!

WOW! Women On Writing Blog: Marina Sabatini--Runner Up Winter 2010 Flash Fiction Contest

All Aboard The Ares Anal Express!

The pet came home to find Ares had an open wound on his butt. She freaked out (shocking, I know...) and rushed to the emergency clinic. Turns out Ares can't "express" himself properly. He has an infected anal gland. The best part, however, is...

He has to wear this beautiful collar! BWHAHAHAHAHAH!


Hmm... Maybe he likes it? Dammit!

ZEUS

We're making progress...

The guest bathroom is now 97% finished. The only thing left for the pet is replacing the electrical outlets and plates.

Here's a closer look at the new vanity and counter top.

Behold! I bring you color!

Color is now up on the walls. Let me know what you think!

Seagull Beach in the guest bedroom.
It's a sandy color, though at dusk, it appears as a light mauve.

Nautical in the guest bathroom. It's got quite the "pop"!

ZEUS

Watch out!

With all of the renovations happening around here, it's not a pleasant place for kitties or puppies. Watch your step, or you could find yourself covered in wallpaper scraps!

Happy Fourth of July

The Last M. Night Shyamalan Movie I Will Ever Pay Money To See

[Image from claudia|gina|jung]

Dear readers,

If at any point in your lives you thought M. Night Shyamalan was a good writer, director, or producer, I am here to inform you that you must let that delusion go. His latest work, The Last Airbender, couldn't have been more disastrous unless some Earth Bender had taken a great poo in a litter box, 'bent' the poo, and sent it flying at some Fire Bender for an attack.

Hell, I might have been more interested had that happened.

With characters stating what they're doing as they're doing it or reminding us of information we already know, Shyamalan has effectively held up his "You're an idiot" sign to the audience for all to see. I actually counted how many times Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation told the audience, "I cannot go home without [The Avatar]." Literally, I lost count at 12.

As if that wasn't bad enough, the casting is horrific. Explain to me how a Caucasian family came to live in the Southern Water Tribe with Inuit people. Better yet, explain to me how they get to be the heroes in this melodrama while all of the Asian-Americans in this film are cast as villains. When asked to explain his casting, Shyamalan stated he wanted something "multicultural". Well, there's wanting diversity and actually STICKING TO THE ORIGINAL STORYLINE WHICH WORKED WITH ASIAN AND NATIVE-AMERICAN CHARACTERS AS HEROES!

I'm begging, homo sapiens. Don't see this film. You will never get those two hours back. Instead, use them this weekend to take a nap. It's a much better investment of your time.

ZEUS

Incoming fireworks

[Image from Life123]

While others may be enjoying the holiday festivities, this house is not. The roots have been banished from the main line running underneath the house as of last Saturday. As a result, it's time to remodel both rooms. The pet had a contractor come by on Wednesday, and they agreed to cut costs by having the pet do the prep work.

My 4th of July is looking promising in regards to fireworks. I am getting ready to observe the pet in action as she attempts to remove wallpaper from the guest bathroom and bedroom. This ought to be interesting.

I give her fifteen minutes until she breaks down and cries.

ZEUS