I'm only 26 years old (at least, I think that's right. I tend to forget my own birthday sometimes), and I'm already the crazy cat lady of the neighborhood. It's really kind of sad.

A couple years ago, I went to a movie with a friend of mine. During the previews, they had one of those TLC "life lessons" commercials. There was a woman walking around her apartment, seemingly asking a partner what they'd like to watch that night. As she rounded the corner, you saw that she was actually talking to a group of cats lying on her bed. The narrator came on and said, "Dating is awkward. But, so is being the crazy cat lady." At least, it was something to that effect.

My friend and I immediately started cracking up. I said, "I know, I know, that's gonna be me." She replied, "What are you talking about? That already IS you!" The guy sitting in front of us tried desperately to stifle his laughter. I leaned forward and told him it was okay to openly find it funny, it was true.

I'm 26, a mommy of two, an ex army wife, not shy by any stretch of the imagination, lots of friends, no problems with obtaining a date if I want one... I'm likely not what you envision when someone brings up the crazy cat lady. Yet, here I am with 20 some odd neighborhood cats flocking to my door, more then my fair share of actually owned indoor fuzzy ones, living in a home that my friends have come to affectionately refer to as "The Temple of Bast." I find that kinda funny!