Pet Psychic Experience

Pet Psychic Experience

I took my cat Kanga to Chuck and Don’s Pet Food Store on Saturday, December 10, 2011 to see pet psychic Teri Ann. I had two primary questions to ask Kanga.

On the way to the Highland location, Kanga cried and howled in fear. I tried to calm her down, but she wasn’t happy riding in the car. When we arrived, I carried Kanga into the store (in a cat carrier) and waited for Teri Ann. I found two rabbit fur “fuzzes” that I bought for Kanga because they are her favorite store-bought toy. I put them in the carrier with her.

When Teri Ann arrived, I brought Kanga to the back where she was doing the readings. I neglected to bring Kanga’s leash, so when I took her out of the carrier, she tried to escape. I held her and told her she was okay. Then Teri Ann petted her and told her that she was okay, and that Kanga was at a pet food store and no one would hurt her. Kanga seemed to calm down.

Teri Ann fed Kanga a treat, which Kanga took from her hand! Kanga NEVER takes treats/food from people's hands -- not even from me! But she took it out of her hand as if it was the most natural thing to do, ever!

Then we started on the questions I had for Kanga.

I wanted to know if, when Kanga brought me a toy and I started playing with her, it bothered her when Sydney Jo came and took over playing. Teri Ann asked Kanga if she liked Sydney Jo. Kanga responded that she liked Sydney Jo; that she was a good cat. Teri Ann then asked if it bothered Kanga when Sydney Jo took over playing. She said, "no... she's little." Teri Ann asked again, "are you sure it doesn't bother you..." stressing that "Mom" was concerned that I was disappointed that Kanga couldn't play. Kanga looked into Teri Ann's eyes, turned away slightly, and said, "sometimes."

Kanga added that it bothered her when Sydney Jo took over her spot sleeping with Mom. She wanted special time sleeping with Mom.

I brought along a small Tupperware container of some food I didn't think Kanga liked and asked Teri Ann to ask Kanga if she liked the food in the container. Kanga sniffed it, quickly turned her head away from the container and said firmly, "no." Teri Ann then said that cats like food with "edges" that can be picked up more easily. Teri Ann also suggested that all pets stay away from chicken because the chickens are fed grain that's been sprayed and it's not good for the chickens or the animals that eat the chicken products. Teri Ann pointed to the dander, now visible on Kanga, and said that that was a result of a slight allergy to chicken.

I've always wondered what happened to Roo. I asked Teri Ann to ask Kanga if she knew how Roo died. Teri Ann asked ME why would I want to bring up a painful memory. I wanted to know if Roo suffered. Teri Ann asked Kanga if she remembered Roo. Kanga didn't respond. Teri Ann asked again. Kanga said that she did remember Roo. Teri Ann asked if Kanga remembered the day that Roo died. Kanga said that Roo said he was tired, they both slept. When Kanga woke up, she saw that Roo was still sleeping, so she went about the day; she thought Roo must still be tired. She said she didn't know anything was wrong until Mom came home that night.

Throughout the reading Teri Ann hand-fed Kanga treats. Kanga even took a treat out of my hand! We hung around after our reading to hear what Callie (Patrice's cat) and Monster (Shoua's cat) had to say. Patrice had an "ah-ha!" moment when Callie said she wanted water on the porch AND that she really liked the blanket that was out there (Patrice was going to throw it away!). Callie also wished her Mom brushed her again. That was moment two of "ah-ha!" because she hadn't been brushing her much. Shoua was relieved that Monster appreciated her continued attempts to keep him alive with the feeding tubes. Monster did not like Teri Ann and hissed at her upon leaving the cat carrier.

To learn more about Teri Ann, you can visit her website: http://www.yourpettalker.com

Book review: Crossed

Crossed by Ally Condie is the second book in a trilogy, and follows where Matched left off. I finished Matched late one evening and read the first chapter of Crossed (a tease in the last pages of Matched) which lead me to purchase Crossed the following day after work. I was so excited to read what would happen next!

With the assistance of her parents and Match Xander, Cassia manages to leave the Society and is sent to the Outer Provinces (to work) in the hopes of finding Ky, who was sent there by the Society to fight against the the Enemy.

For the majority of the book I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see if Cassia and Ky finally find one another. The book bounces from Cassia's journey and moves to Ky's journey. The journey toward each other, and their personal journey as they literally move forward in the Outer Provinces. You got a little more insight on Ky in this book. His thoughts, fears, struggles... his fight. You learn about his parents and how they died. You got to see Cassia in an element she wasn't certain of at first, but grew to like and adapt in. I can't say more without giving a lot away. You do get to meet a couple of new characters and Xander does make an appearance as well.

I couldn't put down the book! The book ends on somewhat of an ambiguous note. Although I'm not as excited to read the final book in the trilogy, I do want to see how the series will wrap up. I'll have to wait a year... it's not published yet!

Book review: Matched

I was browsing books online and came across Matched by Ally Condie. I was intrigued with the futuristic view of the world. The main character Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to eat, read, watch, what to believe, where she's going to work, what to do in her "free" time, and who to marry. Therefore, when her best friend Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching Ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society NEVER makes mistakes. What does this mean?

The Society tells her it's a glitch and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. Unfortunately, Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they get to know each other better they slowly fall in love.

She began to doubt the dependability of the Society. A series of events also shakes her dedication to Xander and puts her future in jeopardy. All of this leads to a tough decision for her; will she choose Xander or Ky; will she choose the life she's always known in the safe world of the Society, or will she choose a path that no one else has dared to follow?

In addition to following Cassia and her decisions, the idea of the Society and how it was formed is very interesting. The control the Society has over every aspect of every person's life is...crazy, but at the same time, it's explained in such a way that one might believe the world could become this way. Personal choice no longer exists. Or does it...?

I couldn't put this book down! Can you...?

Review of the Soap Factory's "haunted basement"

Review of the Soap Factory's "haunted basement"

I was VERY excited to go to the Soap Factory's infamous haunted basement. I had heard it's the scariest "haunted house" in the state of Minnesota. Tickets needed to be ordered in advanced and the tickets were timed, meaning you had to show up at your assigned time or else...

After an annoying drive through Minneapolis and the U of M's incredibly busy campus, I finally arrived at the Soap Factory (literally on time), my stomach in knots from the drive and with anticipation about how afraid I would truly get. I was excited.

In order to go through the haunted basement you have to be 18 years old or older, and need to sign a waiver. Ooooooo, my anticipation increases. I can't wait!

Of course there was a short line of groups ahead of us. Before each group descended the stairs, a greeter rang a loud cow bell. Once we got to the front of the line, the greeter informed us of "the rules" which included not touching the actors; not bringing anything downstairs that could potentially fall out of our pockets or purses; when we reached the bottom of the stairs, hang on to the rope "until it's evident there is no more rope;" and if we were too afraid or wanted something to stop, that we should say "uncle" very loudly so the actors can hear, and they would then escort us out of the basement, no exceptions. Wow. Cool!! As she was telling us this, a skinny guy came running up the steps saying he couldn't go any further, that he was scared. Hmmmmmmm. He just went down with the group in front of us, so he couldn't have gotten very far...

After a few more minutes, the greeter rang the loud bell (which must tell the actors that another group is on their way down) and we descended the stairs. Roxie went first, followed by Lyle, and then me, bringing up the rear of our group. By the time you get almost to the bottom of the stairs, you have to move a heavy black curtain to the side to continue. Four or more steps down in complete darkness brings you to the basement. Still hanging on to the rope, I literally cannot see a thing. I hold the thick ship-like rope with my right hand and walk slowly, extending my left hand forward in case a wall suddenly appears in my face. In my head I'm thinking "someone is going to yell or grab me or whisper or something" to scare me. I also imagine the actors wearing night vision goggles, secretly laughing at those of us who walk slowly through the darkness. There's loud "music" playing around the darkness, but it sounded more like death metal with a deep voice speaking slowly and unintelligibly. I follow the rope around corners, up high, down low, and around more corners. I anticipate someone jumping out. No one did. Nothing. I felt the rope raise in front of me as if actors were passing in front of me to get ahead of me... still nothing. Nada. I saw a lit doorway ahead of me, continued blindly following the rope, and walked through another curtained doorway where Roxie and Lyle were waiting. As I stepped through the doorway, someone brushed my ankle. Lame. I wasn't even startled.

Unfortunately since I didn't write the review immediately afterwards, the following events won't be in the order they actually happened, but it will give you an idea of the Soap Factory experience nonetheless.

We encountered two costumed people on stilts. One followed me and then made me go under his leg to get to the next room.

Next we walk into a room filled with "regular people," although they were dressed for a time decades ago. They welcomed us into their living room and separated us from one another. Roxie sat on a couch next to a man and then a young woman draped herself across the man and Roxie, and rested her head on Roxie's legs. Lyle was talking to another man. And I was stopped by the "older brother" of the "family" who asked who I brought to his party. We chatted for a while, about nothing and then I saw that the next group was on their way into his "home" so I gracefully exited the situation. It wasn't scary. It was...weird.

We left that room and passed by a large globe-like thing that had electricity coming out of it and it shocked each person as he/she passed it. Then we passed a literal stream of water that was going from one side of the "hallway" to the other. Each "hallway" we went through were costumed people, but because you saw them and knew they would try to scare you, it wasn't at all scary. Some followed us for a while. Still not scary.

We entered another room and the people tickled us and tried not to let us pass onto the next portion of the basement. I again had to walk under someone's leg to get through into the next space. This space had three females, dressed in dresses with white faces. One cornered me and wouldn't let me pass. She kept asking if I thought she was pretty. "Do you think I'm pretty?" then she grinded herself against me in simulated sex. She repeatedly asked me, "Do you think I'm pretty" while she touched herself and rubbed up against me. At this point, Roxie just escapes the tickling people and the girl focuses her attention on Roxie. I move forward to discover Lyle with a woman (man dressed as a woman) asking him to touch her nipples & pull her nipples.

We eventually left the three women and entered another part of the basement where spoiled food was laid out on a table and a "crazy woman" was there asking us to stay for dinner. Again, not scary. She did shove food into my mouth though (it was trail mix) while Roxie ran past her. The room smelled of feces.

We then rounded the corner and heard sexual screaming and moaning and discovered a woman and man, fully clothed, simulating sex. The woman was yelling "Daddy" (as in her father) and telling him how much she liked his "insert name here" inside of her. We awkwardly passed them and when we were on the other side of the bed, they both jumped up to see us... The "daddy" asked if I liked what I saw and asked if I wanted some, too. He asked if I liked my men shaven and if I'd like to shave his ass. I pointed to Roxie and said that she was into shaving people, then I tried to go into the next room. I was greeted by the woman this time, and she was caressing her body in a sexual manner and asked if I thought she was pretty. She put her one leg up against the door frame and motioned for me to bend under her leg to pass through her. As I passed under her, she moaned and screamed in feigned sexual delight.She asked me to spank her/slap her ass. (Seriously... you can't make this stuff up!)

We were then each escorted either to a wall or a large pole (the structural kind that holds up ceilings/floors) and told to either put our hands against the wall or around the pole. Blacked goggled were placed over our eyes so we couldn't see anything. People would come up behind you and just stand there or make weird noises into your ear. Still not scary. I learned that Roxie was taken away, and then soon I was escorted by a man into another space and handed off to a female. She instructed me to step up a step and turn around. When I stepped up a step, the floor felt like a grassy area. I turned around and she removed the goggled in time for me to see her shut the large wooden door. After my eyes adjusted I realized I was in a standing coffin-like box. No one was grabbing at me through the tiny slats as I anticipated. She opened the door and asked, "do you want to come out?" I said, "sure." She slammed the door and said, "no!," laughed and walked away. She returned a few minutes later, let me out and escorted me to a curtain which led up brightly lit steps. That was the end. I walked into another room where you could watch people live as they walked through the haunted basement.

LAME. Most definitely not worth the $21 entry fee.

Lyle was also locked in standing up coffin. Roxie was brought to a typical coffin, except the head portion opened to reveal jail-type bars where the actors put things through toward her face. She was in the coffin for more than ten minutes (possibly 15 minutes). Lyle and I were about to go back downstairs and get her because she was down there for so long when she rounded the corner to come upstairs.

Bottom line: it was NOT the scariest "haunted house" in the state of Minnesota.

Book review: Before I go to Sleep

I read the description for S.J. Watson's "Before I go to Sleep" on the New York Times Bestseller List one evening and knew I had to recommend it to book club members.

I bought the book on Tuesday, started reading before I went to bed on Wednesday night, and finished this evening, Friday. I could not put the book down!

Imagine waking up and not knowing where you are. It's happened to all of us at one time or another. Perhaps in college when you thought you were still living at home; or perhaps when you moved into your first apartment or bought your first house... Thankfully for us, we soon realize where we are and continue on with our day, forgetting the awkwardness and disorientation we had upon waking.

Unfortunately this doesn't happen with Christine, the main character in "Before I go to Sleep." Christine wakes up every day not knowing where she is, who the man is next to her in bed, or who she is. She has no memory of the past; not even the prior day.

"... At first I can't work out what it is, but then I see it. The hand gripping the soap does not look like mine. Its skin is wrinkled, the nails unpolished and bitten to the quick and, like that of the man in the bed I have just left, the third finger wears a plain gold wedding finger. / I stare for a moment, then wriggle my fingers. The fingers of the hand holding the soap move also. I gasp, and the soap thuds into the sink. I look up at the mirror. / The face I see looking back at me is not my own. The hair has no volume and is cut much shorter than I wear it; the skin on the cheeks and under the chin sags; the lips are thin; the mouth turned down. I cry out, a wordless gasp that would turn into a shriek were I to let it, and then notice the eyes. The skin around them is lined, yes, but despite everything else, I can see that they are mine. The person in the mirror is me, but I am twenty years too old. Twenty-five. More." (pgs 4-5)

Every day Christine wakes up not knowing who or where she is. Her memories disappear every time she falls asleep. Her husband, Ben, is a stranger to her, and he explains their life together on a daily basis. As a result of a mysterious accident Christine is an amnesiac; a special case where not even new memories are stored in her mind. With the encouragement of her doctor, Christine starts a journal to help jog her memory every day. Of course, without a daily morning call from her doctor, she wouldn't know she had a journal.

One morning Christine opens the journal and sees that she's written three words: "Don't trust Ben."

As she writes in and reads her journal every day, she slowly pieces together her past, starts remembering more details, and begins to see inconsistencies in her memories and the things Ben tells her that happened. She doesn't know who she can trust. She doesn't even know if she can trust herself! The story will keep many readers guessing until the very end.

There aren't many books where time simply disappears for me, but this was definitely one of them! I highly recommend this book.

Book review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs caught my eye when I was browsing through the top 110 books on the NY Times list.

As a child, Jacob formed a close bond with his grandfather over his bizarre tales and photos of levitating girls and invisible boys. His grandfather grew up on a small Welsh island in an "orphanage" that his parents sent him to in order to save him from Hitler's plans during WWII.

Under suspicious circumstances, Jacob, age 16, found his grandfather lying and dying in the woods behind his (grandfather's) ransacked home. Before his grandfather took his last breath, he told Jacob that he was sorry he didn't tell him a long time ago, but added, "There's no time [now]." He breathed into Jacob's ear: "Find the bird. In the loop. On the other side of the old man's grave. September third, 1940." With his last bit of strength, he added, "Emerson--the letter. Tell them what happened..." (pg 33). Jacob then saw a face in the woods--a face that was in his childhood nightmares. It was the last thing he saw before he blacked out.

His parents sent him to therapy because he wasn't sleeping due to nightmares and trying to decode his grandfather's last words. Upon cleaning our his grandfather's house, Jacob is given a mysterious letter, found inside a book of poems by Ralph Waldo Emerson, that brings him to the island where his grandfather grew up.

He soon finds the children from the photographs, alive and well, despite the islanders’ insistence that all were killed when the German's bombed the island in 1940.

I could not put the book down! Once Jacob gets to the island, things his grandfather said to him start to make sense. As he pieces the puzzle together, he realizes that he's in danger. It's definitely an exciting page-turner, and the photographs make the book that much better. A must read.

Book review: Buried Prey

Buried Prey by John Sandford

I have been a big John Sandford fan since I read his first “Prey” book long ago. He’s an author of which I repeatedly purchase without hesitation, ESPECIALLY if it’s a “Prey” book. And finding Buried Prey at Half Priced Books was a deal I most definitely could not pass up! A bonus for those who don’t know, the Prey series all take place in the Twin Cities!

In Buried Prey, Sandford reintroduces the young and ambitious Lucas Davenport when he started on the police force. It was cool to see Davenport as a “rookie” and see how he worked his way up through the ranks to his current role as an investigator in the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

This book featured one of his first cases—the abduction and assumed murder of two young girls. He wasn’t comfortable with the “resolution” of the case when it happened, but he was just breaking out of patrol work and accepted his supervisor’s decision on the case. Now, twenty-five years later, the bodies of the Jones sisters are discovered in a plastic bag beneath the concrete-floor basement of a house being torn down in Minneapolis, and Davenport is re-examining the case. He reviews his case notes from 1985 and realizes that because of his lack of experience, the notes weren’t incredibly helpful, however, from them he was able to reinterview a couple of witnesses who still remembered the missing girls.

You’ll be missing out if you don’t read Sandford’s latest Prey book.
Check out The Prey Series:

Rules of Prey

Shadow Prey

Eyes of Prey

Silent Prey

Winter Prey

Night Prey

Mind Prey

Sudden Prey

Secret Prey

Certain Prey

Easy Prey

Chosen Prey

Mortal Prey

Naked Prey

Hidden Prey

Broken Prey

Invisible Prey

Phantom Prey

Wicked Prey

Storm Prey

Buried Prey