Digital Life

But first, allow me to link to my old journal, at least until it gets exported into blog form. It served me well over the years so I am a bit sad to see journals go, but I am also happy that it's not actually disappearing. So anyway, here it is: DragonHeart's Old Journal: Sense and Serendipity

Now, onto the story. On Friday night while I was at work, my stepfather's crazy friend Mike was over for dinner or something. When he left, he didn't make sure the door was closed all the way and Connor ninja'd his way outside without anyone noticing. He is a black cat after all; he is impossible to see at night sometimes.

I came home that night, didn't see him around but that's not unusual. A lot of times he'll be next door, hanging out with the parentals or occasionally getting locked outside on the three season porch for the night. I did check the porch, but didn't think anything further of it. When we all got up on Saturday morning to get ready for work, that was when we realized something wasn't right. Connor is a walking pharmacy and a major side effect of one of his medications is appetite. He is a bottomless pit of hunger. So when I didn't see him first thing, begging for breakfast, I started poking around. Then we all started looking, getting that sinking feeling. He was not in the house.

Unfortunately no one could just not go to work, so we had to make it through our respective shifts. Joe, said stepfather, made it home first and walked up and down the street for hours, calling for Connor and talking to neighbors. As my mom and I returned home we joined the search as well. Of course, nothing is ever simple around here, as we were expecting guests in the form of Joe's older brother and his wife, who were stopping in on their way home from Canada, where they have a cabin. So searching was cut short.

There was a storm that night, pouring rain and lightning and it got cold for the time of year. I don't think any of us slept more than a few hours.

Sunday the hunt resumed and expanded. One of my best friends, Kenny (registered here ages ago as cloud strife_11, something like that), drove all the way over here (he lives an hour away in Boston) to help. I alerted the shelter we adopted Connor from and received some advice from them, buying a trap to set up. We heard from a neighbor behind us that he had seen Connor but hadn't known whose cat it was and shooed him away. =/ Someone else did the same thing. Both reported poor Connor was confused and crying. At this point time was becoming an issue due to the medications he has to take for the rest of his life. So Joe knocked on literally every door on this street while we searched along the sides. Nothing.

By late afternoon we were all exhausted, tired and yes, upset. Joe and my mom headed out to a new search area. I stayed at the house with Kenny, as I was going to suggest we eat, wait awhile and try again. Then the phone rang. One of the neighbors behind us, a nice older lady we had talked to for awhile earlier in the day, called to say she thought she had our cat. We rushed right over of course and sure enough, there's Connor, making his way hesitantly onto their porch. The lady and her husband had almost gotten him into their house too. He was a mess, lol, looks like he tramped through a pricker bush, leaves all in his tail, just covered in debris. But he was alert, recognized me immediately and was very happy when I grabbed him. He purred the whole way back to the house.

Got him in, fed him, got him his pills, alerted my mom, etc. We were all extremely relieved. And the little troublemaker? A little scruffier than usual but none the worse for wear. In fact, once he was in the door he acted like nothing happened, the jerk. And thus ended Connor's adventure. It could have ended very differently, as far too many of these stories do. We were so very lucky. And we're changing our guest rules to make sure this never happens again.