Lions + a GoPro

If you couldn't tell by the name of this page, I'm a big cat fan. So my jaw was pretty much open in envy for 15 minutes as I watched this video of a South African man who has developed an incredible relationship with lions. The video focuses on his concern with the habitat loss and shrinking numbers of the lion population. I think it's great that GoPro, a company with a huge advertising budget, chooses to promote their product while shedding light on important moral issues. Way to go, GoPro. 

A Beary Fun Weekend in Athens

I can't lie, I was nervous. Four the last four years, Athens had been a place of happiness, excitement and energy for me. It was home. One my favorite quotes says, "There's nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways which you yourself have altered." I don't want Athens to alter but how selfish is that?

This weekend put all my nerves to rest and Athens didn't dissapoint. It started with dinner at Trappeze with my dear friend Chelsey. Thier Indian Summer cocktail is heavenly! On Saturday, Renato and I went to one of our favorite brunch spots, The Grit. Vegetarian or not, The Grit has some of the best food in Athens.

Tofu Scramble... and those biscuits!

Banana Pancakes

Four years and I'd never been to the Athens Zoo. It wasn't huge or spectacular but it was definitely worth the trip! Even better, it was free.

A Gator in Athens, GA...

Bobcat!

I couldn't help myself. 

They look so peaceful when they're sleeping, but look at those paws!

Later that day, we saw The Spectacular Now at Cine. The film deserves it's own post. So Athens, thanks for a great weekend! Go Dawgs.

College & Pets: Great Idea

It's been proven that pets are good for your health. Depressed? Get a dog. They won't let you stay in bed all day. Because we're big travelers, my family never adopted a pup because it would be a big burden. Instead, we stuck with cats. One cat in particular. Oreo was quite a kitty. His domain extended for about a half mile around our house. He would "bark" at bugs and brought us "presents" weekly, including a lizard on Mother's Day and two bunnies in the week before Easter. He was a great cat. When we were sad or sick, he would stay nearby. They just know. Our new guy, Ollie (cute pictures!!), does the same thing. He's fiesty. He loves biting feet but when I'm bummed, he's a good buddy.

 
But I'm not fighting the facts here: dogs are better choice in the pet category if you can devote the time. They have more personality. They'll let you dress them in cute little outfits (not that I agree with it) and there's a reason cat parks don't exist. They would be so boring.

College is hard. As students, we go from being taken care of by family, to taking care of ourselves for the first couple of years, then getting to the point where we kinda want something to take care of. Crazy cycle, huh? Ollie's still a kitten and I personally believe he was devestated when my sister & I left for college. So, when my parents headed to the beach for two weeks, I offered to bring him to Athens for his own little 'vacation'.

Ollie loves Athens, or more specifically, my house in Athens. Yes, he's still biting but I've come home every day this week to a sleepy-eyed kitty and it's made me so happy. Not that things haven't been going well. I'm happier than ever. But, there are so many animals that need a great homes and shelters are overwhelmed. It's devastating to know those animals could make people as happy as Ollie makes me, but only if it's something agreed upon by roommates. Living together can be difficult enough. Throwing another life into the mix can be downright tricky. But, when it works, it's great. I don't want him to leave!

Our New Kitty! Part 1 of Many...

It's been a really exciting week around my house!!! On Monday, my friend Sarah's sister found a little kitten near the dumpsters at her apartment complex. Heartbreaking. My sister & I have been trying to convince my parents to get another pet for a while, but with all the traveling and us not living at home anymore, they would say no. Understandable. But when I showed Dad a picture of this little orange fuzzball, he smiled and said something like "Aw, he's cute! Bring him over." I was shocked.

Cute, but so sick. He needed some TLC.

Natalie and I went over to see it at Sarah's and he was even smaller than the picture made him look. We gave him a bath and the flea problem became more apparent. He needed a vet ASAP. Also, giving a cat a bath is terrible. Kudos to Sarah for that. So, Natalie and I took him to the vet afraid that he had every disease in the book. And we thought he was a she. Obviously, a little red haired rescue should be called Annie but Annie became Oliver. I wanted to name him Conan.

At this point, we still didn't know if we were going to keep him but he weighed 15 ounces. Not even a pound and estimated he was about 5 weeks old. The people at Town & Country Veterinary Clinic were so wonderful. They cleaned the mites out of his ears and gave him a pill to get rid of the fleas. As of now, Oliver has a clean bill of health. He looked like a new kitty but still had the voice of a lion. His meow is LOUD.

The little guy fell asleep at the vet... and I melted into a puddle on the floor.

We walked in the front door and the parents loved him. He sat in a basket next to the table when we ate dinner. Renato & I went and picked up food, kitty litter and all the accessories. The little guy was HUNGRY. We let him walk around the house for a while, then got scared he could get lost and decided to make him a home in the bathroom for the night.

Look how precious!

Since I've been working so much this week (8-5) I haven't gotten to spend a lot of time with him. That's what I'll be doing tonight and I couldn't be more excited.