Bailey on Nick Kirsch

Married life

Sat, 06 Aug 2005 02:57:42 +0000

If I’m not dilligent about this, then I forget; for now, just the highlights.

Monday - we spent 2 hours at the social security office where we found out that we would have to wait 4 weeks for Eriko's SSN. Then we went to uwajimaya on the (round-about) way home and in the eveing I brought Bailey to Aaron's house.
Tuesday - we went to uwajimaya and the japanese bookstore and then we waited around the house for our new mattress. After that, we walked around QA and ate some ice cream.
Wednesday - a very hectic day; we went to Bainbridge Island via bus/ferry and then found out the trip was more exciting than the island. We went to my favorite Indian restaraunt in the evening to celebrate my birthday.
Thursday - we went to the Woodland Zoo but Eriko wasn't feeling well and so we came home early and she took a nap until some things arrived from her mother. In the evening we jogged around QA and then walked our route, it was quite pleasant and nice exercise.
Friday - the exercise must have tired us out, as we had a late morning. I went to work for about 3 hours (leadership training program) and then we checked out the library in the internation district (Eriko rented two books) and bought some things at uwajimaya.

In the evenings, Eriko usually reads her book on the couch. I either read a book with her, play on the computer, or watch TV. The nightly shower starts about 9; Eriko spends about an hour in the bathroom before it is my turn.

In Aaron's hands.

Tue, 02 Aug 2005 03:48:09 +0000

Be gentle with Bailey.

Bailey

Fri, 29 Jul 2005 18:10:21 +0000

I have known her for five years. It was love at first sight and so I brought her a hostile home (two allergic roommates). After a year and a half apart, we were finally reunited. She let me know immediately that she was mine – the first time I was absent (for three days) she bared her throat to me (upon my return). It took her a long time to trust me on a day to day basis, and she would often correct me with both teeth and claws. As our time together went on, she began to trust me more and more: remaining in the same room as I made loud noises, sleeping with her head on my arm, and allowing me to hold her for longer and longer durations. I knew she loved me for me, not just for my food; I would leave the window open and the food bowl full and she would still come around just to see me. She would follow me from room to room when I was home, always wanting to curl up in my vicinity. She helped me through a lot of really tough times: overcoming my substance abuse, finding myself, moving to a new city, and many, many lonely, solitary nights. Now, we must part. Whether our separation is permanent or just prolonged, she will again be a different cat when I see her next. I hope that she remembers my love and I remember hers.

what have i done?

Sat, 18 Dec 2004 16:32:10 +0000

i elected to keep Bailey confined in the condo for two weeks instead of risking her security and the security of the building.

two creatures

Wed, 15 Dec 2004 17:34:43 +0000

I was awakened last night by some strange moaning noise. I left my bed and as I exited the bedroom and rounded the corner, I saw at least two animal shapes on the floor. They immediately scrambled to exit it as quickly as possible, claws scratching at the floor. It was quite awakening. To the best of my knowledge, it was Bailey and an orange cat – at least I observed the two of them sitting on the lawn after the incident. They didn’t appear to be at odds with each other but I wasn’t close enough to hear their conversation. I spent the next hour up making a makeshift curtain out of cloth to cover the open window. I’m not sure whether that will prevent any further intrusions, however. My biggest concern is that Bailey will get assaulted in her home while I am gone (like in Tacoma).

another day, gone in the blink of an eye

Wed, 08 Dec 2004 07:22:42 +0000

0700 alarm goes off
0702 crawl out of bed, relieved because i’m not going to exercise now
0705 feed and pet bailey
0710 check my email
0730 weigh myself, get dressed, bailey and i eat some ham
0745 leave for work
0755 arrive at work
0800 less productive morning
0945 team meeting; group seems a bit tired
0955 more work, less than productive
1130 leave for home
1135 surprise bailey
1145 hit the stairmaster, level 10 of 20, no hands
1215 hit the shower
1230 hit the road (for work)
1300 bi-weekly triage meeting + lunch. i enjoy this meeting
1400 back to work, or something like that
1730 on the bus headed for downtown
1800 at japanese class
2050 class is over, i’m standing in the cold
2100 back on the bus
2130 at home, bailey seeks attention
2145 eating peanuts and drinking some wine
2200 working on my ai final
2300 relaxing with some tv while writing this entry

the value of trust

Fri, 26 Nov 2004 22:18:21 +0000

having a cat like Bailey, who is quite skittish, has really helped me to see the value of trust. here she lies in front of me, soft belly exposed. i could touch her belly but she wouldn’t appreciate it and would be less likely to lie so vulnerable. instead i can just admire as her body twitches from dreaming. now her uper lip is twitching, which is a very humorous thing to see. in short, it has taken a long time to earn her trust and i’m so grateful to be trusted that my actions become more conservative.

just me and bailey

Tue, 23 Nov 2004 06:48:35 +0000

it was nice to have a flock of visitors, but it is also nice to have a quiet home. both bailey and i need to relax from our busy weekend.

well-rounded?

Sat, 13 Nov 2004 17:51:45 +0000

ignoring the shape of my tummy, i am touched to note that this morning i am baking pumpkin bread while working on an NP reduction, listening to country music, drinking coffee, and watching Bailey clean herself on my text book. this afternoon i’ll go to the Hindu Dawali festival followed by a round of poker & beer with the guys. my center is distributed, and i’m stronger for it.

desk space

Sun, 31 Oct 2004 21:55:46 +0000

Bailey has recently decided that the best place to sleep when i’m home is on my desk. not only that, but she really enjoys it when my homework assignment is underneath her and her feet rest upon my textbook. i do enjoy her company, so i’m not chasing her away.

tired again

Thu, 14 Oct 2004 15:26:50 +0000

plagued by another night of restless sleep. i don’t recall it taking long to get to sleep, but for some reason i woke up around 3. i let Bailey in and couldn’t go back to sleep for quite a while. eventually, the sandman came but his potion was weak; i had a strange restless dream until my alarm clock brought me out of it. right now, i can’t think of anything worse than being woken up by an alarm clock. how unnatural!

that didn't last long...

Fri, 03 Sep 2004 04:53:07 +0000

a racoon has found Bailey’s entrance. so i cannot leave the window open all the time. she’s going to have to learn to wait until i’m around to let her in and out.

much better

Wed, 07 Jul 2004 16:08:08 +0000

having slept about 9 hours, i feel much better. Bailey is now on an open-window policy, allowed to come and go as she pleases. i also removed the litter box, hopefully this won’t be a premature move. typically she stops using it for a few days before i take it away but this time it was just too stinky and i want a fresh-smelling snugglenest.

watch out!

Wed, 30 Jun 2004 15:38:52 +0000

I let Bailey out of the house last night and although I worry each time she leaves my site, I was quickly relieved to see her come back (if only for a brief moment). Later, however, I was awakened from my slumber by the sounds of growling and other unpleasant Bailey noises. It turns out she has attracted the attention of a neighbor cat. Is this a male caller, looking for love? A misunderstood creatin, hopefully for a friend? Or a trouble-maker, trying to run Bailey out of town? In any case, the cat was squirted with some water by my trusty bottle. Now I have to actively manage the window, instead of just leaving it open all the time. So Bailey will likely be stuck in the house during the day (provided she comes home before I wake) and free to roam at night.

first night

Tue, 29 Jun 2004 16:55:41 +0000

Bailey and I slept in our first home last night. as usual, she was not very cooperative in moving and i have several scratches to prove this. i moved more items this morning and besides some computers, a glass table, a lamp, and some cleaning stuff i am completely moved in – or at least, all my stuff is in the condo. it is a disaster, to use Eriko’s term, and will probably be quite a while before everything is setup. on another note, i’m going to have to ride my bike to the top of Queen Anne from now on.

a soccer star

Fri, 16 Apr 2004 06:09:14 +0000

Bailey is just amazing when she plays with her mice. the way she darts and dashes and rolls and flips, you’d think it was a real mouse.

precious

Mon, 29 Mar 2004 03:43:26 +0000

The Vet told me that Bailey has a heart murmur. In some ways, that knowledge doesn’t change anything, for I am constantly aware that every time she leaves the apartment I may never see her again. Life is so fragile, so precious and so taken for granted.

a lucky boy

Tue, 23 Mar 2004 05:38:10 +0000

i have a such a sweet, patient kitty. she will sit right by the door and never utter a peep, waiting for me to notice her and let her out.

a big mouse!

Thu, 26 Feb 2004 10:54:40 +0000

Bailey went out for a short prowl tonight and brought me back her biggest catch that i’ve seen yet. i find it amazing that she carried it all this way, up the stairs, up and over the window sill, to deliver it next to her food dish – for me. it definitely surprised the heck out of me. ;) less favorable news is that i may be coming down with something.

a break from the loving

Sat, 31 Jan 2004 23:49:16 +0000

Bailey hasn’t given me any loving before I go to sleep for the last two weeks! Her schedule seems a little strange; she seems to be spending a little more time inside than usual (she even used the litter box twice). Now that I have some time, I need to take her to the vet and get a webcam so I can spy on her. ;P

a lap cat

Sun, 11 Jan 2004 15:34:11 +0000

Bailey has really impressed me lately. She’ll come home on a pretty regular schedule, sometimes even when I whistle. She wants attention immediately; it is the feeding ritual where I pet her while she eats or offer her food out of my hand. Then she goes onto her bed (Katrina’s mat) and cleans herself or naps. At some point, however, she’ll make little noises to let me know she’s hungry again – or a new thing: she wants some lap attention. The latter is pretty exciting and the only way I can tell the difference between the former is because she will hesitate a little near the couch. When she does that, I sit on the couch with my legs on the coffee table. She will immediately join me and curl up on my lap or stretch out on my legs. It is awesome.

super affectionate Bailey

Tue, 30 Dec 2003 23:25:40 +0000

i don’t know what i’ve done but Bailey has spent the last two nights sleeping with me – the whole night! last night was a bit painful as she kept stabbing me in the throat with her claws (when i say ‘sleeping’ with me, that also includes time she sits on my chest and cleans herself). ;P

Bailey is missing.

Sun, 19 Oct 2003 18:26:59 +0000

She wasn’t in the apartment when I woke up this morning, which is strange. I called for her and walked around and called for her, but I heard and saw no response. It is probably premature to be worried, but I’m worried sick regardless. She wasn’t wearing her collar and her AVID information is out-of-date. I realize those reasons are just methods by which I can blame myself for her disappearance and that is unnecessary. I’ve always told myself I’d rather she have one night of freedom than 10 years of none – for her sake. I obviously wasn’t selfishness enough! I hope she comes back soon.

absolutely amazing

Mon, 29 Sep 2003 18:05:11 +0000

about 4:45 this morning, I awoke to Bailey muttering to herself (and to me, imagine). finally assuming she wanted to go outside, i opened the door. i saw her go to the right and come back in a little later. i shut the door but she wasn’t satisfied and this probably repeated several times. so, i put on a shirt so as not to freeze completely and decided to show her the way. i would walk about 5 feet and whistle and she would come towards me, reluctantly. showing her the stairs was fun, she kept trying to squeeze her way into the little gaps. i can’t imagine the revelation she felt when she started to explore. she only explored for 10 or 15 minutes before i started whistling for her to come back (i was cold) and wanted to make sure she would get the experience of coming back to the apartment. she made a couple of wrong motions towards other people’s apartments but since i was moving behind her she didn’t stop until we got to the door. all and all it was an amazing moment.

Beautiful Bailey

Tue, 20 May 2003 04:42:12 +0000

I continue to make comparisons between Baily and Eriko in my head. I never really knew why I picked up Bailey. Part of me says it was because she was so cute; another part says that I felt a need to provide and protect her, since nobody else offered; another part says that I was lonely and jealous of other’s companions. Bailey and I didn’t spend much time together during the beginning of our relationship. I didn’t make time for her and circumstances prevented her from casually interacting with my daily routine. As it was, we grew differently. I’m not sure if it just clicked one day or if it happened more gradually than I can remember, but we began to take note of each other. I can recall the first time I really noticed that she missed me. I had left for Alaska to visit the family and when I came home she laid on my bed and let me rub her tummy. I don’t think she has ever done that again. Now she has become an integral part of my life; it is difficult to imagine life without ! her.

maybe just a hiatus

Mon, 18 Nov 2002 02:13:04 +0000

After some clarification from my beautiful better half, I may be able to keep Bailey around. At least, when I have a yard, I can continue to feed her. If it wasn’t obvious already, I was unable to refrain from feeding her. I’m a pushover for the cries of someone dear to me. I’m still looking for temporary lodging, however, because I can guarantee that Bailey won’t enjoy being cooped up in an apartment. ;P 11 more days until I leave to see Eriko… X)

bye-bye beautiful bailey

Sat, 16 Nov 2002 05:56:31 +0000

It happened like a flash. Today, David (Tae’s cousin) and I applied for an apartment in Queen Anne. Close to my work, close to his work, excellently priced, with a beautiful view of downtown Seattle. We were able to talk the gentleman into letting us have a cat, but David is allergic. He brushed this off as inconsequential, telling his mother that the allergy medicine worked wonders. However, our apartment will be on the 5th floor and Bailey would have to be confined to the indoors, which she hates. Additionally, I recieved an email from Eriko telling me that she couldn’t handle living with a cat every day. Any animal, actually. It was a difficult decision, although in all honesty I suppose the decision wasn’t that difficult at all. I feel guilty that I have partially domesticated Bailey, so tonight I took her food bowl away. I’m sure she will complain loudly, but my hope is that hunger will revive her talents for finding mice. I contacted a friend, hoping that they will be ! willing to share their backyard with her. Bailey has truely been a gift, keeping me company and protecting my sanity for the last three years.

forgotten

Tue, 13 Aug 2002 20:06:49 +0000

My poor diary – lying dormant. Some sad news here at the Kirsch home – Bailey has lost substantial territory. In fact, she is pretty much a house cat now! Quite shocking. That darn neighbor cat! I can’t help but give it a scowl everytime I see it. I had to get a litter box for my poor girl. Poor dad, I got spoiled not having to scoop up the poop. ;P

Unruly Neighbor!

Sun, 11 Aug 2002 00:36:04 +0000

I was relaxing in my computer chair with Bailey sleeping on my bed - when suddenly we heard a loud thunk. The neighborhood cat had banged its head on my bedroom window. Typically the window remains open but Tae reported that Bailey was being bullied. Now we see the full extent of the harrassment - right into her bedroom! I, of course, promptly went outside and gently scolded our neighbor. We’ll see if it makes a difference.