"Actor Killed Cat In Jealous Rage"

This is TERRIBLE!!!! My manager showed me the headliner today, because she knew I loved cats. Here's the scoop on this horrible "mistake" (the stupid excuse the actor gave to the courts)

NEW YORK - A trial has begun in the case of a baseball player-turned-actor accused of brutally killing a cat in a jealous rage after complaining that his ex-girlfriend cared more for the feline than she did for him. Assistant District Attorney Leila Kermani said the cat named Norman died with broken teeth, broken ribs, a broken leg, a torn tongue, massive internal injuries including bruised lungs and a bruised liver and a chest cavity filled with blood. "The defendant, in a fit of anger and rage, beat a defenseless animal to death," Kermani told the jury in her opening remarks Wednesday. "The defendant killed Norman simply because he was an angry, jealous and drunken bully."

Former New York Mets baseball minor leaguer Joseph Petcka, 37, is on trial on charges of aggravated cruelty to animals for killing Norman on March 27, 2007, after a night of heavy drinking. He faces up to two years in prison if convicted. 'Tragic accident' Petcka's lawyer, Charles Hochbaum, admitted his client kicked the 8-year-old tabby and "swatted him really hard" after the cat bit him, but he said his client did not mean to kill him. "This was a tragic accident," Hochbaum said. "It was not intentional." Hochbaum complained the district attorney's office never offered his client a plea deal. He said outside court he believes that was because of the publicity the case attracted and the urgings of cat fanciers.

Norman's owner, Lisa Altobelli, testified she had dated Petcka about six weeks before he killed her cat. She said one night they quarreled and he began drinking heavily. She said she went to bed to avoid him but he woke her around 3 a.m. by putting his knee in her ribs and complaining that Norman had attacked him. Altobelli, a Sports Illustrated reporter, said she left the apartment after Petcka refused to calm down. She said Petcka had complained, "You love that cat more than you love me," but she had no idea Norman would be in danger. When she returned home Norman did not meet her at the door as usual. She found his body under her bedside table.

Petcka, a pitcher briefly in the Mets' minor league system in 1992, later appeared in a paper towel commercial and had small roles in "Sex and the City" and other television shows. Hochbaum said his client had more recently worked as a bartender and waiter.

San Francisco Has It All Backwards...

Wow. What an adventorous weekend... Ryan and I celebrated our 2year anniversary. We drove down to San Jose and spent the night at the San Jose Hilton. We had a really nice room up on the 12 floor. Ryan and I both said to each other that we don't think we've ever stayed that high up in a hotel before. We had a beautiful view of down town San Jose. When we checked in the agent was really sweet and gave us 2 free coupons to the bar/restaraunt (up to $11.95 per coupon). Ryan and I ordered some porkchops from room service and enjoyed our night.

The next morning we were up and ready to get to San Francisco. The drive was easy, no traffic and we didn't get lost. We drove through the city and stopped for some lunch and over the Golden Gate bridge we went to get to our second hotel in San Rafael. We checked in at the Embassy Suites San Rafael and hung out in the hotel room, and ordered more room service for dinner. The next morning we ate our breakfast, checked out and started driving to the bay. We were heading back over the Golden Gate bridge, when we hit a toll booth.

First of all I would like to point out -- they didn't have any prior notification of how much the toll would be. I had $2 in cash, so I figured that should be enough. And sure enough we get through all the lines, and the toll is $3!! I only had my debit card and we had used all of the change in the car for the parking meters. The gentleman was nice enough to say that he would find a dollar and that we were free to go. And off for a wonderful day in the bay.

Ryan had never done any of the touristy things like Fisherman's Wharf or the wax museum. So we started out at Ghiradelli's square. Went through the shop to get our free chocolate and bought something so our parking could be validated. We walked down the street to the pier, passing all of the nifty stores and street vendors. We ended up at Pompei's Grotto for lunch. It was a nice little seafood restaraunt right on the shore. Ryan had a lobster and shrimp pasta, and I ate some of the best cod fish and chips, I have ever eaten. And their tartar sauce was to die for. After we were done, we rolled ourselves out of the restaraunt in search for Fisherman's Wharf. When we found it we walked all the way down and back, peeked in all of the shops -- including the cutest purse shop! We decided it was getting late, so we headed home.

We got into the car and headed over the Bay Bridge. And got stopped at another toll. Once again, no notification of how much the toll was, and there was no sign saying "if you do not have cash get off NOW". So once again Ryan and I pull up to the toll with $2 and some change in my hand. The toll was $4! I explained to the man what the situation was and tried to hand him the $2 and some change and he wouldn't take it. He told me that I would recieve a fine in the mail, and it was up to 100 fine! I was appauled. That put the biggest damper on our wonderful weekend.

Between one way streets, toll bridges and hippies everywhere... San Francisco has it all backwards.

Update: I recieved the fine. And it was $25 for evasion of a toll, and then the original $4 fee. Hmmmm... have I mentioned that San Francisco is REALLY backwards?

To Be Replaced.

Hopefully what I am assuming is true (that good 'ole Francy-Pants is in kitty heaven), really is true or Francis wont be very happy when he comes home to find a replacement cat. We're getting a new one!!! That's the only thing that is going to cheer me up. Ryan and I are going to wait until maybe November to get a new kitten, but we already have one type of kitty in mind. We both want to get a orange tabby or maybe a calico, it has to be a boy... and we kind of want a kitty with blue eyes. I know, I'm crazy for thinking I'm going to find a blue eyed, male, orange kitty... but I guess it's just some wishful thinking.

Missing Frances Francis

He is gone. My little kitty Frances Francis is has dissapeared. There is as long story about the spelling of his name, but I will shorten it. I always wanted to spell it with an "es" since that's the way my mom had it spelt (if we're getting technical it's the female way to spell it), but since he is a boy Ryan pointed out it has to be spelt Francis, but I guess it doesn't really matter no one ever called him a boy anyways.

Anyways, we noticed that the house was too quiet mid-Monday morning. We had friends from SoCal visiting us for the weekend so it was possible that the door was left ajar and he had gotten out. He has escaped a few times before but has always come back the next morning for food.

Well now here we are after 2 days and 2 nights, still no sign of him. I am really upset... he was my child and now I don't know where he is. I don't know if someone else took him in, if a bear or coyote ate him for a snack or if he is hurt, scared and alone. It's all just too much for me.

Since I am missing him so much I figured I would post some pictures of how silly of a kitty he was.

Here he is sleeping on Ryan.

Staring out into oblivion.

Resting on my chest

Sitting in the bathtub. His favorite spot in the house.

The house feels so empty without him here. I wish he would just come home or I would find him dead. I don't rest easy not knowing where his furry butt is.

So now all that Ryan and I can do is wait... Hopefully he will come home.