Dream Kara

Two nights ago I had a great dream.
A little background info for those who haven't been listening to me whine, I mean who haven't followed my medical drama lately. After several surgeries that all seemed to run into complications, I am now recovering well but severely restricted in what I can do. I'm not supposed to bend or twist much and am limited to lifting no more than 5 pounds. This has been going on for nearly a year, with the more extreme restriction in the last 4 1/2 ish months.

So in my dream I was just running all over the city picking up heavy things. Something fell from a crane, and I caught it. Some big thing fell off a truck and was rolling toward some kids, and I ran in and scooped it up. I picked up this huge fish in my arms for some reason. And so on.

Every time I picked something up, expecting praise or thanks, people said to me, "You aren't supposed to do that."

Now, Real Me would have heard this and wilted, probably apologised and slunk away, but not Dream Me. Oh no. Dream Me stood up taller, hands on her hips and said, "But I did it anyway, and I'm awesome!" and jogged away to go find something else to pick up.

I wish I was like Dream Me.

Cute Kitten Pictures

Because the world always needs more cute kitten pictures, especially lately, I feel.

My husband and I go for an evening walk most nights. A couple weeks ago he heard a kitten crying in distress. He has great ears. After spotting the kitten and pointing her out, I could hear her at last too. She was across a four lane road, sitting on the sidewalk, just screaming. We crossed to her, and she tried to dart away in fear, but came up to the side of a building after a couple feet. The wall confused her and she just sat and stared at it instead of turning and continuing to run. Or perhaps she didn't have any more energy to run, because when I picked her up she was fluff and bone. She fit curled up in one hand and I held her against my chest that way for the walk home, after we looked around for any people or other cats (mama cat specifically) she might belong with.

Kitten. photo by Kara Hartz

One eye was crusted shut, she was covered with dirt, foxtails and fleas. She relaxed within moments of my holding her, closed her eyes and sighed a tiny kitten sigh, snuggling into me. We posted on all the found pet places, online and in out community, and no one stepped forward to claim her. This didn't surprise me considering her condition. We cleaned her up, fed her, and she has been coming to work with me for weight checks, and at last, yesterday, she was deemed old enough for viral testing, and starting her kitten vaccine series.

While we aren't keeping her long term she has been cleared to meet our cats, which she is enjoying a lot, and they are enjoying her somewhat less so. Here she is delighting in playing with Meeko's tail, and he in his infinite patience, is tolerating it. Until he didn't. He did at last give her a hiss and a smack after she bit too hard. I wouldn't have lasted as long as he did. He's a great big kitty brother.

Soon, once they are done with some things that are keeping them busy and out of the house a lot, my parents will be adopting her. So, happy ending.

Kitten Mystic biting Meeko's tail. Photo by Kara Hartz

Meeting Authors at SF Comic Con 2018

Books from SF ComicCon. Photo by Kara Hartz

I was a little disappointed that they didn't have any novel writing focused writing talks on the schedule this year. There were a few on screenwriting and comic writing though. The last couple years they had several, but I noticed the author who did those talks was not there this year.
There was also only 1 novel table in the vendor hall that I found, that had books from several authors. I bought a book from each (1 was an ebook because her paper copies didn't show up apparently) and got them signed.

I had hoped for more, obviously, since I am a book lover more than anything, and am considering writing to the con to say how much I missed the writing talks and hope to see more of them in future years.

Still, I have fun new things to read, and that's always a win.

SF ComicCon 2018

Our family first attended SF ComicCon in 2016. The kids immediately declared it a family tradition, so we have gone back each year since. This was our third year. They have dressed up every year. In 2016, my husband and I just did jeans and neardy t-shirts, last year, he did so again, and I wore my Star Trek (Next Gen) uniform. This year we all dressed up.

Pipe Cleaner Bowtruckle and Newt Scamander wand. Photo by Kara Hartz

I wanted to go as Newt Scamander from Fantastic Beasts, and talked my husband into being Jacob Kowalski. The kids went as Sans and Chara from the Undertales game. I didn't finish my costume in time. So I had to go without the blue overcoat (that it would have been too warm to wear anyway) and without the scarf I spent weeks of lunch breaks knitting. *sigh* Ahh well. All I had was the grey slacks, white button shirt, mustard vest, and this wand and bowtruckle sticking out of my vest. It was enough that a fair number of folks still identified me as Newt. That was fun. My husband just wore a grey suit and carried a briefcase with a niffler sticking out. He was hot and uncomfortable though and changed half way through the day.

Because I was running so far behind trying to make my costume, my daughters helped me out a lot. My youngest cut pattern pieces and fabric out for me, and my oldest, made this bowtruckle out of pipe cleaners, and the Newt wand out of a chop stick, clay and paint. All those years of encouraging craftyness are paying off.

Sans mask. Photo by Kara Hartz

My oldest also made her Sans mask completely on her own. Isn't it great? She was stopped and asked for photos a bunch, which made her very happy after all her work. We saw several other Charas, and she got photos with several of them. 

I suppose, as new family traditions go, there could be worse ones. It was a long, tiring, fun day.