Car Quest

So we're casually looking for a larger car to replace Christina's Toyota Corolla. Nothing wrong with the little sedan, it's just, uh, little. Once we get a stroller in the trunk, it's done. There ain't nothing else going in there.

We're not totally sure we'll buy any time soon, just doing some early shopping to weed out the cars that won't fit in our family. We're open to suggestions, anecdotes, experiences, etc.

Here are some of the cars that have fallen by the wayside early in the shopping game...

Dodge Magnum
Christina and I loved this car for its loads of horsepower and plenty of room. I didn't like its very thirsty engine and higher-than-we-like cost. Christina had trouble seeing out of its tiny little back windows.

Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe
Stylish wagonesque hatchbacks with lots of personality. We probably won't even drive them since they look way too small on the inside.

Ford Focus Wagon
Christina drove the Focus sedan when shopping for the Corolla. She just plain didn't like the car. I wasn't a big fan despite most car magazines going nuts over it. Plus, it's a Ford.

Cars still in the running:

Dodge Caliber - I drove it Monday, Christina hasn't yet.

Honda Fit - I've driven it, Christina hasn't but likes the looks of it.






Volvo V70 and V50 - Looked in one, but that's it. Should be able to get a used one affordably.

Volkswagen Passat wagon - ditto the Volvo.

Mazda 6 Sportwagon - A contender, but no test drives yet.

Subaru Outback/Forrester/etc. etc wagons - Still confused about which one's which.

Chrysler PT Cruiser - Sure we already have one. But it fits us great. Why not two?

Honda Odyssey - a longshot, but still a possibility

Introducing: Mr. and Mrs. Chris Allen Baker

Married in Jackson, Miss. May 27, 2006. Congrats, Bakers!

Some of the 240 photos I took here.

Charging, uh, backward

In my profile (over there on the right and badly in need of updating) I say I covet a 1956 Chevy Nomad. Still true, I assure you. But Christina and I are both big fans of 1960s era wagons too.
I still want a 1956 Chevy Nomad. Oh, how I do. But outfitting one with seatbelts and airbags and power windows, etc. costs LOTS of money (we're talking in the $100,000s.).
So imagine my joy when I find these concepts of a 2007 Dodge Charger and Plymouth Fury station wagons. OMG. OMG.
Where do I sign?



Unfortunately, these are not concepts from Dodge. They're from Andre Schaefer in Germany. Apparently he's just some guy who is a real whiz with Photoshop and an eye for hot auto design.

Sean and I used to do this very thing back in the day. Wish I still had that slammed Camaro I did or that 6-wheeled SUV Sean made.
BTW, these concept cars were totally stolen from CCW Automotive Design. That guy rocks! Someone should hire him quickly.

And, uh, please don't sue me.

All Alums

We had two reasons for going to Mississippi last weekend. One was to show off Will, of course. The second was to see my cousin, Blake Cruse, graduate from Ole Miss. Just like his father did. Just like his cousin Mike Campbell did and just like I did.

Blake graduated after only four (yes, we did beg him to at least make it five if not six) years with a degree in insurance risk management.

Will Will do the same thing? I'm torn. While I'd love to see him at least follow my college choice, like every other father before me, I want to see him do better than I. So I'm pulling for MIT. Now accepting donations.

Family Fun

May 12, 2006, we took Will across state lines to visit his extended family in Mississippi. It was his first trip outside the city limits of Birmingham. We put him in his car seat here in Crestwood and he fell asleep. He didn't wake up until we were driving down my parents' driveway in Pontotoc, Miss.

Will met lots of folks he'd never seen before but who already were in love with him.

Click on any photo to see a much larger size.

My grandmother, Mary Frances Jackson, gets to meet Will for the first time. I have to say I've waited all my life for this moment. To present our son to my grandmother was a joyous occasion.

My niece Carson, far left, says hi to Will for the first time. She missed a couple of other opportunities to meet him and almost missed this one. She got back from Disney World the day after we got to Pontotoc. Next to Carson is my youngest sister Rebecca and my sister Beth.


Uncle Joey Rogers meets Will for the first time.


Jody Thompson and her daughter Laura came over for a visit while we were in Pontotoc.



Caroline Miller, my niece and Will's first cousin, holds Will.

Will and his grandfather.

Mother and Child

I came in from work very early Thursday morning to find these two snoozing on the couch. Peaceful.

Will pictures

Grandmother Annette came down from Memphis May 6, 2006, to visit and we went to Aldridge Gardens. A very nice day for a garden stroll.

Will Rocks

We sure think so. And now he proves it. For more than 1 minute and 45 seconds, Will rocks. But don't overdose on the cute. More is sure to come.



Video was shot Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Beaugatty

Gina Redmond on NBC13 in Birmingham today narrated a piece on the Bugatti Veyron, unfortunately and horribly mangling the pronunciation of Bugatti.



Is that a Cajun car company?

And why was the TV station even doing the story? The car was introduced several years ago and first sold to the public last year sometime. Slow news day, I guess.

Will's first picnic

Randy and Betty Moore and Susanna and James Torres visited us from Huntsville Sunday and we went for a picnic. Will slept through most of it, but didn't complain too much...

Dreamin'

In a post here a few months ago, I drooled all over the million-dollar Bugatti Veyron. Still drooling, actually.

Now you too can virtually drool over the stunningly gorgeous supercar at the Bugatti website. There you can choose the colors of your dream car inside and out. And unlike most car manufacturers, there are few limits on color choices.

Go wild and give yourself something to dream about tonight.

Here's the color combo I chose. Yeah, a bit understated, but elegant...



And here is the interior I chose. Sweet.



I'd love to see how you guys choose to paint a $1 million supercar.

Car Psychiatry

I'm in the 3% of poll-takers who are Lotus Elises.

You believe in maximum performance and minimum baggage. You like to travel light and fast, hit the corners hard, and dance like there's no tomorrow.

"Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

So, what kind of car are you?

Bham Beauty

As stated in the previous post, we visited Birmingham's beautiful gardens Easter Sunday. I'm always in awe of their Japanese maples at the entrance to their Japanese gardens.

All new Will pictures!!!

As requested, new Will photography.

Mommy T and Daddy T took Baby T to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens Sunday to enjoy the nice Easter sunshine. Uncle K took our picture...



Tonight (April 20), Mommy T and Baby T curled up with Kitty S...



More to come.

Monitoring Baby

Anyone with parenting skills have suggestions on what baby monitor we should buy/not buy? I'm leaning toward the 27-channel Sony Baby Call.

Suggestions? Comments?

Washing Will

Will is generally a happy baby. Until you take his clothes off. Then he gets, uh, unhappy. Then if you add warm, soapy water to the equation, ooh momma! Things get nasty.

Visitors

Will's first week has been filled with friends and family coming by for visits.

Will's friends Maggie and Chris Baker visited Monday.



Will's first cousin Caroline and his aunt Beth came to Birmingham Thursday from Pontotoc, Miss.


Brooks Brown visited Wednesday.


Will's parents, Chris and Christina, joined his grandparents, Q.T. and Mary Tutor, on the front steps of his home Thursday for a photo.


Thanks for everyone who stopped by and/or called to wish us well. Will's getting settled in now and we welcome more visitors. We just ask you give us a ring first to make sure little Will is dressed, fed and awake before dropping by. Don't worry about the phone waking anyone. All phones are on vibrate.

Free Fifties

Go to www.lincoln.com and sign up to get a brochure about their Lincoln Zephyr. If they ask when you plan to purchase your next car, answer sometime in the next 6 months or so.

Within a few weeks, you should get an invitation to test drive a new Zephyr. If you take Lincoln up on the offer, they'll pay you $50. 

We just got our invitation and will be making $50 in diaper money shortly.

Oh, btw, we've done this several times with about five other dealers and so far the only catch is you have to spend some time with a car salesman. Just tell them the car was crap, you have no intention of buying it and get him to sign the certificate you brought along. cha-ching.

Will's Second Movie

Thursday morning, as we all sat around admiring our beautiful baby, we were visited by one of the hospital administrators.

She wanted our permission to use William in a new commercial for the hospital. We of course demanded a percentage of all revenue generated by the new commercial as well as half of the merchandising rights.

No, actually, we instantly said yes without thinking about such things.

As soon as we get a copy, I'll post it. Until then, here's a photo of the shoot. It's a little blurry, but it was snapped between takes.

WWT Part II

Every parent I know told me parenting was hard work. Well, if the first week is an indicator, they were wrong. It's much more difficult. But, of course, there's no way I'd give it up.

Will (aka Baby T) and Mom are doing ok. Mom has some pain as might be expected, but recovering well.

I promised more photos here, so enjoy!

More updates as soon as I get a break.

I love this photo. Will and I on the couch beneath a baby blanket given to me in 1971.


Kyle Whitmire dropped by for a visit Sunday afternoon and brought us tomato plants. Thanks Kyle.


Will spent some time in the sunshine of our front window Sunday. I just love his little hands.

William Wayne Tutor

William Wayne Tutor was born April, 5, 2006 (04/05/06) weighing 9 lbs, 7 oz.



Christina and William are doing very well and hope to be home from Montclair Hospital in Birmingham by Saturday.

The video is of William just minutes in this world.

Here are some new photos.

More of both to follow soon, I promise.

Oh hail

We awoke at 3:20 Monday morning to this. I haven't had a chance to check out our roof and cars, but I hope we didn't get any damage. It was weird to listen to the hail hitting across the neighborhood and watch the lightning flash through the sky.

The Beauty of Birmingham

My aunt and uncle Randy and Betty Moore came down from Huntsville Saturday. Randy, Mamma T and Daddy T went to see the Birmingham Botanical Gardens for a bit While Betty was at a teacher's conference.

It's gorgeous out there at the gardens. All the tulips are blooming and the Japanese garden is spectacular with budding maples and huge koi in the pond. Anyone in the area should go check it out.

This is only a test... Part II

At this point I'm not sure who wants Baby T out more, Mamma T or Daddy T. Either way, we were sure Baby T was about to make an entrance Sunday about 1 a.m.

But, apparently Baby T was an hour late playing an April Fools joke on us for it was not to be delivery day. We left the hospital about 6:30 Sunday morning with no baby.

The nurses say we're closer than ever, though, so stay tuned! It could be any day now.

Mercedes mystery

I caught this mystery car driving around Birmingham, Ala. the other day. I'm pretty sure it's a Mercedes but not sure which one. Can anyone help me determine this car's name?

QT (no, not QuickTime, Quick Tan)

Think Geek has the ultimate gift for prisoners of their desks and for those of us who rarely see daylight.

It's a USB-powered tanning lamp that hooks to the side of your monitor. Genius!

General Hilarity

So General Motors has teamed up with "The Apprentice" this season. I don't watch the show, so forgive me if I'm not quite clear on the particulars. Apparently, though, the apprentice candidates were asked to come up with a novel advertising scheme for Chevrolet's new Tahoe SUVs.

Here's what they came up with. Make your own Tahoe TV commercial.

What they didn't count on, unfortunately, was the creativity of the Internet community. They also apparently didn't put anyone in charge of screening these home-made commercials.

Some are quite funny. You should go quickly. I'm sure someone at GM will wake up and pull the plug soon. But be warned. Many have crude language.

I encourage everyone to create, submit and share their own here. I made one and it's a very easy, quick process.

I'll see if I can come up with a prize for the best of the bunch. How about the winner gets to change a diaper? No? I'll keep thinking.

Applemotive

Anyone who knows me knows I have four serious passions (not counting family, which of course is always #1).
2. Anything automotive related
3. Anything Apple Computer related
4. Hot Wheels
5. Good beer

And these days, that's about the order they're in. And now I will attempt to meld the first two into one! *cue drumroll*

Rumors are swirling all over the Internet and the mainstream press about the imminent departure of General Motors' President Rick Wagoner. Under his leadership the company has lost 10 points of marketshare, closed dozens of plants and cut thousands of workers. That's not good, btw.

On the other hand, Steve Jobs returned to Apple and revitalized the business and made it into a leader of design and innovation once again.

Obviously I'm suggesting Steve Jobs get his resumé ready and apply for Wagoner's job. And if there's anyone who questions this, here's some supporting info. Wired magazine has some quotes from Mr. Jobs that convinced me he is the man to lead GM back to profitability.

GM has been knocked lately (by me too) for its bland, uninspiring products. Here's Steve's take on that problem...

"It's really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them."
BusinessWeek, May 25 1998


GM is currently udergoing billions of dollars worth of personnel and supply cuts. Steve says...

"The cure for Apple is not cost-cutting. The cure for Apple is to innovate its way out of its current predicament."
Apple Confidential 2.0: The Definitive History of the World's Most Colorful Company, by Owen W. Linzmayer





(BTW, the quotes were all borrowed from a recent Wired magazine feature on Steve Jobs.)

So I'm imagining a General Motors run by Steve Jobs and seeing beautifully designed, environmentally friendly, super-expensive automobiles that are also super-popular and THE thing to have.

Hey, Rick. Step aside. Let a man show you how to do it.

Macintosh Mirth

April 1, Saturday, is Apple's 30th birthday (no fooling). So how will you celebrate the birth of the world's most creative, most respected computer company?

This is only a test...

It was certainly a very interesting Friday, yesterday. I woke up with a 103° fever and Christina awoke with contractions. Yep, it felt like the baby was trying to come out. Of both of us.

So after a brief argument over who was in better shape to drive (I remember such arguments in college, too, but for entirely different reasons.) we decided Christina's vision was less blurry her head spun at slightly fewer RPMs than mine. So she drove.

At the hospital, I'm sure we were a sight. Christina moaning in pain at the contractions every three minutes, and me slumped in a chair seemingly indifferent to the whole thing. Little did the nurses know, my nonchalance had nothing to do with caring. I was just incapable of standing up.

Anyway, we obviously didn't have a baby Friday. Which is just as well because neither of us was wearing green. That just would have been bad luck.

Christina's doctor sent her home and said the contractions would either stop or get worse. Thank goodness they've stopped. I wouldn't want her to go through that for the next two weeks.

So we had a bit of a wakeup call. And we're now making last-minute preparations around the house for the soon-to-arrive little one.

And, thankfully, my fever broke late Friday night and I'll be able to greet my first child with more than an ashen face and a weak moan.

Stay tuned for updates.

Clothing Children

This post is long overdue.

Maggie and Chris Baker along with Vivi Abrams threw us a baby shower a few weeks ago. We had lots of our best Birmingham friends bring us gifts and share mimosas on a Sunday morning.

After gifts were opened, guests were asked to make a personalized onesie for Baby T. I love the fact we have some super-creative friends. James Brown is pictured here with his creation. Go here for more onesies and more pics from the shower.

Thanks everyone who has helped us with gifts and advice during all this. We're going to count on you more and more over the next 21 years.

Imminent Infant

Yes, it's almost time. We have about three weeks until the forecast due date of April 3.

Momma Christina seems to be doing ok, though the extra weight of growing Baby T, the stress of last-minute preparations and some slight diet restrictions seem to be taking a toll on her.

A visit by parents from both sides over the weekend spurred lots of activities, including the erecting of a baby bed and the purchasing of lots of baby related accessories. I'll post pictures of the nursery as soon as Momma says the room is ready for public viewing.

Up until now, I've been stoicly saying I wasn't nervous, that I was prepared. But I must admit some trepidation now that the hour draws near. I'd like to say I'm nervous about college tuition, first car, first date, first grade, etc., I have to admit I fear the day of delivery more.

I don't want to see my wife uncomfortable or in pain. I don't want her to have even one moment of discomfort ever. And, until now, I've had some small amount of control over that. But when that delivery day comes (I'm personally hoping for April Fools), my role as comforter and provider are shoved aside for a few hours. I'll let the doctors and nurses administer their epidurals and analgesics as they see fit and trust their years of experience will suffice.

Then I'll worry about college tuition.

Imperial Impressions

OK. Not exactly glowing comments on the Chrylser Imperial. I think Lain got closest to my thoughts. In my opinion, tt truly is an overdone cartoonish version of a Rolls Royce. Chrysler is rumored to be considering it for production. I hope they decide against it.

Thanks for your comments!

Imperial Cruiser

OK. Informal opinion poll.

Chrysler is rumored to be putting this car into production. Based on looks alone, whatdya think?

Japanese Gems

Consumer Reports has been naming their Top Picks for I think seven years now. And until this year there has always been at least one American company represented.

Until this year.

CR chose 10 Japanese brand vehicles this year, totally snubbing American, German and Korean-branded cars. No big suprise, but kind of a disappointment.

At the top of CR's list (and many many other people's) is the Honda Civic. And I can't disagree. The Civic is racking up honors left and right this year and is a great deal for as little as $14,000. I owned a 1997 model several years ago and can attest to their reliability, frugality and all-around fun.


Honda took three more spots and Acura (made my Honda) took one. Toyota, however, only took one honor and it wasn't for the seemingly bulletproof Camry. It was for the Prius. What a suprise!

I think the second most suprising vehicle on the list is the Honda Ridgeline. Honda's first attempt at making trucks beat out Chevy, Ford, Dodge and even Toyota. Way to go Honda.

So what does this mean? In the short term, it means GM, Daimler-Chrysler and Ford are all gonna lose even more market share. Long term is iffier, but not much different. As a car nut, I still can't recommend any American car over most Japanese-branded cars, and I drive a Chrysler! This latest Consumer Reports list only reaffirms what I've been saying for years. Car buyers are no different than condom buyers. They may try a brand once, but if it doesn't work, they'll never go back.

ADventures

Trying something new this week. Advertising. I don't expect it to earn me much money, but I think it might be fun to see what might happen.

Cheap Choices

Christina (my beautiful and pregnant wife, for those very few readers who don't know her) said the other day, "It's hard to keep up with the cars you do and don't like." And, you know, I have to agree.

So I've decided to embark on a project I've been thinking about for a while. I'm going to actually put on electronic paper the cars I do and don't like.

I'll start at the low end. They very low end. If you wake up one morning to find your 1982 Ford Escort in the driveway on its back with wheels slightly twitching and your checking account balance shows only $10,000, you haven't much of a choice in new cars.

So, what do you do? If you're dead-set on getting a brand new car in which noone's butt has already sat, you're going Korean.

Three choices await the super-budget car shopper. The least expensive new car sold in the United States is the $9,000 Chevrolet Aveo. But don't let that Chevy bowtie on the hood fool you. That four-seater tin can is made in South Korea.

And so are the next cheapest cars sold in the U.S. Kia's Rio is $10,570 and Hyundai's Accent has a list price of $12,455. Yes, I know, it's over the $10k limit. I throw it into this category because despite its generous 10-year warranty, it's not worth sticker. If the savvy car buyer can't get it nearer $10k, call me. I have a 1965 Mustang I'll sell ya for $20,000. Suuuuurrre it runs.

So which is my pick? Uh. That's a tough one.

Chevrolet Aveo


The Aveo is just right out. It's truly a cheap car. With that just-under-$10k price you get a manual transmission, a tiny engine with only 103 hp, no CD player, no air conditioner, no power door locks, and 14-inch wheels. On top of all that, fuel economy ain't that great: 27 city, 35 hwy. Better than a Hummer, but the Hyundai accent gets 32/35 and the Kia Rio gets 29/38.

Hyundai Accent


Kia Rio
So it's between the Kia and the Hyundai. Good lord, what a choice. They both offer 10-year warranties. But you're gonna need every second of it. They both have pretty good fuel mileage, which you'll remind yourself everytime you have to drive them. But the Hyundai at least gives you a choice (for more cash, of course) of air conditioning and includes power steering, tilt steering, and lighted vanity mirrors.

My vote is for the Hyundai if you just gotta have a new car. Add a few options and make it livable.

Were it my money, though, I'd take that $10,000 and buy a well-loved 2002 Honda Civic. What you give up in warranty, you'll make up in civility and driving fun.

Next time I'll delve into the $20,000 slot where things start getting crowded.

Reality Bites

I thought "Survivor" was bad TV. Then "Fear Factor" proved it could get worse. Now I think the lowest TV has ever gotten in the history of electrical entertainment devices is "Skating With the Stars." I've have to admit, no, I have to proudly proclaim, I've never seen an episode of "Skating With the Stars." But I think I can come up with better:

Top Ten Reality Shows That Couldn't Be Worse Than "Skating With the Stars":

10. Making Mashed Potatoes With the Stars
9. Survivor: Homewood, Ala. Wal-Mart
8. Nanny 90210
7. Watching Paint Dry With the Stars
6. Trading Spices
5. American Cars Idle
4. Who Wants To Marry an Ex-DotCom Millionaire
3. The Biggest Remote Control Loser
2. Couch Swap
1. Waiting in Line at the Post Office With the Stars

Faking fakes?

Everything Steve Jobs announces he has an upcoming announcement, those most diehard of Apple fans instantly begin drooling. And many of us begin dreaming about what Steve could possible be delivering us this time.

Well, the next big Apple announcement is Tuesday. What could it be? New laptop? New Mac Mini? The long-rumored Apple cellphone or PDA?

Apple is so secretive about upcoming products, the only people who know 100% are probably Steve and a few close underlings.

Last week a photo emerged supposedly from an Apple product factory of the new iPod. Very sweet and, of course, I want one.

Immediately, fans begin dissecting the photo to determine how real it was. Well now tuaw.com reports someone has posted a video of themselves faking the photo.


And so begins the argument that the video of someone faking a photo is also fake.

Tuesday can't come soon enough.

Happy birthday Steve.

Steve Jobs has stepped in to the second half of his first century of living. 

Now where's my Apple cell phone? Huh?

This is a test of a neat little Dashboard widget from Google. It lets me make posts to Abnormal Aspirations by just pulling up Dashboard on my Mac. Maybe it will be just what I need to spur more profilic postings. Maybe.

Woz is

Anyone who knows me, knows I revere Steve Jobs. He's a genius. I never wanted to grow up to be Jobs, though. He's generally thought of as a total asshole.

But I've never given much thought to his early partner, Steve Woz. I always thought of Woz as that guy who helped start Apple. Who went on to found several other, much less succesful companies and a nice guy. Woz was.

But after reading this column by Leander Kahney, I think I might actually want to be thought of like Woz. He seems like my kinda guy. A little geeky. Somewhat idealistic. Loves kids (his and others). Gives generously to charity. Just a nice guy.

So my opinion has changes somewhat. Woz is.

Weird Web

Through Site Meter (notice the little logo at the very very bottom of this page) you can see who has visited your site and from whence they came.

You can also see how they found your site. My friend, David, often does a roundup of all the referrals to his site.

Now I have a very weird referral. Someone in Strongsville, Ohio used MSN to search for "Abnormal Sex."

My blog was the very first listing.

Quite funny.

Me like cookies

I finally got some time to play with iMovie (comes loaded free on every Mac sold now, for those of you still running Windoze). Just to see what it would do, I worked with some video I shot of Christina using her new mixer.

Enjoy!

Car shopping with George

We all know President Bush and I don't get along. He won't return my calls, I cringe when his name is brought up in social settings. I didn't even get a Christmas card from him this year.

So with all this angst between us, I was quite surprised to see we actually agreed on something.

Mr. Bush says American car companies can save their own asses just by making decent products people actually want to buy!

Genius!

Then, of course, Mr. Bush went and said something totally stupid.

Anybody wanna guess how long it took me to find a link that fit in that last sentence? =)

Ford Falters

I usually enjoy saying I told you so. But today it's a bittersweet moment.

In my third post ever to this blog, I predicted. the Ford 500 and Mercury Montego were not good enough to compete and would not save the company as Ford hoped.

Today, Ford announced it is cutting 30,000 jobs and closing 14 plants. It's good to be right, but not at the cost of people's incomes. I truly hope Ford rights itself and comes back from this amputation stronger than ever.

But I stand by my belief that for Ford (or any other carmaker) to succeed, it must have product the buyers want. And besides the Mustang, Ford ain't got it.

SNL Sidesplitters

About the only SNL skits to ever bring laughter-induced tears to my eyes are the Jeopardy skits featuring Sean Connery. God I think that's funny.

So I was overjoyed to run across a few on Google video. Enjoy...

Pyschotic Kitty

Anyone who has visits our house we greet first with hellos and howareyous. But almost immediately after we hit them with warnings not to touch the calico cat. "She bites," we say. "You have been warned."

Inevitably, almost every visitor attempts to pet Callie, and, almost as inevitably, they're all bitten. "They were warned," we'll probably tell the judge one day.

But, that may be changing.

Callie's on Prozac.

Now, wait. Before any of you condemn us for drugging our high-strung, aphephobic cat, hear me out.

From very on, Callie has been, uh, special. A co-worker in Jackson, Miss. found her alone, cold and hungry near a Dumpster and took her home. This co-worker knew Christina wanted a cat and delivered. We loved Callie. We fed her. We gave her shots. We petted her. We withdrew our hands in bloody, stinging pain. And we peeled the cute, cuddly Callie from our faces one claw at a time. She was, in a word, difficult. Our veterinarian even then proposed pharmaceuticals, but we decided instead to cure Callie with love, attention and patience.

It didn't work.

But that's not why we're drugging her. Callie has recently developed, as diagnosed by our vet, an "obsessive grooming habit." She's going bald in spots. And bald kitties are neither pretty nor happy. The vet theorizes it could be because of some stress like Christina being pregnant or all the rearranging we're doing in the house to get ready for Baby T.

The main side effect of the drug is a calmer, more loving Callie. But we found out quickly that she still bites. So the drug has made her easier to love, but hasn't changed her personality. And we like that.

You have been warned.