Help to save the cuddly kitties and puppies!

Normally, I'm not a fan of donating to charities... I know that sounds horrible right!  Mostly because I know the administrative costs are astronomical with the larger charities, but this particular one is close to my heart because I LOVE KITTIES!!  It's no surprise, all of my fellow RH bloggers have probably met my lovely snuggle buddy Mr. Tickles.  Well, Mr. Tickles has feline asthma... and it scared me that my little cuddle kitty could die from this!  Then I thought, what about all the other kitties out there suffering from asthma that don't have loving moms or dads to take care of them and get them the medicine they need to live!

So, I'm running the Pittsburgh Marathon Relay with a group of friends who are passionate about animals and our goal is to raise $500 as a team to help support our local Animal Rescue League through Paws Over Pittsburgh.  Even $1 will help!  Click on my widget on the side of my blog to donate! Below is the story...

THE STORY:

Animal Rescue League Shelter & Wildlife Center wrote -

Welcome to Paws Over Pittsburgh, the Animal Rescue League Shelter & Wildlife Center's page for the Dick's Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon.  We're thrilled that you have decided to step beyond yourself and include the well-being of domestic and wild animals as part of your overall training plan.  By choosing to partner with the Animal Rescue League, you will be an advocate of our mission to educate people, as well as care for and restore animals to good homes.  In return, we will partner with your training through opportunities to meet and exercise with like-minded friends, receive fun prizes for your advocacy milestones, and encourage your desire to Run for their Rescue!  

Here are some of the ways we'll use the funds you raise:

• $30 will cover the cost of micro-chipping a cat or dog.
• $50 will provide low-cost spay/neuter services to a family who couldn’t otherwise afford it.
• $100 will provide behavioral training for an animal to help her find a new home more quickly.
• $1,000 will cover the total care for an animal that stays in our shelter for one month.

- See more at: http://www.crowdrise.com/pawsoverpgh2014/fundraiser/rachaelromanus#sthash.ML8DhH2E.dpuf

Hardwood Flooring, shower tile, and the great poop caper....

Ok, so, this is going to be a weird post, and slightly.. well.. disgusting.  Trust me though, it was much worse for me seeing it and cleaning it than for you guys to read about it but I will let your imaginations wander...

So, let me begin my tale of whoa... yesterday was round #2 of Rusmur Floors returning to fix the issues in our master shower and hardwood floors.  Our master shower seat lifted and was coming apart, the grout chipped out and left about 1/2" gap between the seat and the vertical tile in from of the seat, so needless to say, we haven't been able to use our shower for over 2 months now.  So, the first time they came, they didn't have the tile to fix it, so it was ordered.  The first time thought hey were SUPPOSE to fix the grout on the floor that was patched with the WRONG kind of grout.  The repair man argued with me that the grout was the same and that it was just off in color because it was mixed at a different time... um... NO IT WAS THE WRONG GROUT PERIOD!  I swear sometimes they think we are IDIOTS!!  Well, I'm no idiot, so jokes on them... anyways... the guy never repaired the grout the first time because he said he didn't have time, he only re-calked around the tub (which also needed done) so my husband worked from home all day for that?  Also, they said they would rpair the hardwoods so I taped them up with blue tape... didn't have time for that either.  So we re-scheduled for a month later to fix everything... so no showers for us in our nice new shinny bathroom!

So, round #2 yesterday... STILL argued that the grout wasn't wrong... um... yes it is and you WILL fix it.  One nasty VM later to Rusmur and it was fixed, finally.  But then I get a disturbing message from my husband... the repair man was using our bathroom for his business all day while he was repairing.  OK I'm not some kind of elitist where I think these repair men are peasants and I rule over them but it's common courtesy to ask the home owner if it would be OK to use their facilities.  Also, that is generally what the powder room and guest bathroom are reserved for... not my master bathroom!  That is our sanctuary!  My very own "poop palace" you can't do your dirty business where I do mine!

Anyways... I come home to a toilet that is filthy... I mean, there are remains of the great poop caper in there!  I almost threw up... not because it was poop, but because it was not my poop, it was the poop of someone who came to my house to repair my bathroom and didn't have the courtesy to ask my husband who was in the next room to use our restroom... it was a man who was smoking cigarettes in our yard and flicking the butts in our grass... who went and helped himself to our refrigerator for some water (ok that isn't a big deal but you should still ASK!)

There are portajohns outside, it's a construction site, he's been here before he should know that!  UGH!  Am I being crazy here?  Please let me know... oh, and I did take... photographic evidence just in case I ever have to pull and ace out of my sleeve to get something resolved with Rusmur...