I’m free!  I’m out of Rainn’s trunk!  I faked my own death and escaped from a shallow grave.  When Rainn saw me walking around set, I pretended to be a zombie so he wouldn’t try to bury me again.  And, it worked!  I’m free!

What a crazy experience.  On August 11th, I told Rainn he could post something on my MySpace page and the next thing I know I’m locked in a car for 15 days.  The days were brutally hot and the nights were cold.

I was touched by the number of people who came by to visit.  Oscar played cards with me through the window.  He even let me win once or twice.  Amy Ryan sneaked food from the catering department.  She knows how much I love their beef tacos.  Creed played guitar for me at sunset.  I saw Angela talking with Rainn but then she went away and I never saw her again.  The same thing happened with B.J. and Mindy. 

My 15 days in captivity provided me with a lot of time to think.  I feel enlightened.  And, while my captivity did not bring The Rocker box office to the numbers we had hoped I still saw the value of giving myself over to a cause higher than self.  I've decided to use this experience to give back.  And it starts now!

If you live in Los Angeles.., please join me on Sunday September 14th for The Furball at the Skirball the 10 year anniversary celebration and fundraiser for Kitten Rescue – the largest animal rescue organization in Southern California.  (They saved over 1,000 cats last year.)

The Furball at the Skirball is an awesome event.  There will be live entertainment, an awesome multi-course dinner, and a silent auction – featuring MANY, MANY signed items from the Office cast including a signed mug, signed script, signed DVD, a limited edition “Dunder-Muffin” suitcase (it was a joke inscription made exclusively for the cast and crew of The Office) and more.  My friend Jennifer Gunn donated a Cupcake Courier!  They also have trips, jewelry, and you might even be able to bid on the designer cocktail dress I’ll be wearing that evening.  So, please come out and mingle for a good cause.    

As many of you know, I’m passionate about animals.  Before The Office I worked for 3 years doing hands-on rescue work with Kitten Rescue.  In my time with the organization I personally fostered and placed 9 cats.  That means that I would take a cat into my home, care for it, give it medical attention if it was sick and eventually find it permenant home.  Kitten Rescue covers the cost of medical procedures, spay/neuter, and microchipping and they organize adoption fairs to help their foster volunteers place the cats into loving homes.  It is a truly amazing network of animal lovers and the work is very rewarding. 

Here is a photo of one of my foster kitties – Katie Kitten.  She was found by the side of the road at only 3-weeks of age.  She had severe medical issues and required around the clock care.  Katie Kitten was a lot like a newborn baby.  She had to be fed every 3 hours, she needed help pooping and cleaning herself and she needed medicine every hour.  There were a lot of sleepless nights and worrying but she eventually had a full recovery.

.. ..

When she was 9 weeks old she became so spunky and socially unruly that I took in another kitten to teach her how to behave.

The two became best friends and they were eventually adopted together.

Here is my fastest adoptee Roscoe.  He was found outside somebody’s apartment complex.  He was healthy and happy.  I had him for less than 48 hours.

Here he is all grown up in his new home!

And, here is Honeybear.  This guy was my hardest to place.  Honeybear weighed 28 pounds!  He was a semi-feral cat and had several behavioral issues.  He was scared of most people and that made it hard for him to bond with potential adoptees.  I had him for over 7 months.

Eventually, a lovely woman saw him and fell in love.  She didn’t care that he hid under her couch for two months.  I hear he is now very happy in her home and even has another cat buddy to keep him company.    

Nine foster cats later, my allergies got the best of me.  The doctor told me I could foster if I limited my contact with the cats.  I said, 'How do you foster a kitten and not give it kisses on it's belly?  That's what kitten bellies are for!' 

I continued to volunteer by answering the Kitten Rescue help line one week a month.  I listened to the most heartbreaking phone calls.  It was my job to listen to the caller and find a foster parent for the cats in need.  One caller said they found kittens left in a box by a dumpster – sure enough I drove out there and found a box of 5 black kittens.  Another caller said there were three 2 week old kittens by some train tracks.  The mother had been killed.  I went to get those too.  Kitten Rescue is made up entirely of volunteers and the organization depends on donations to function.  

I hope you will come out and join me if you can.  I’ll be there all night hosting and mingling.  It should be a fun evening full of animal lovers and good cheer.  Oh, and the cost of your ticket is tax-deductible!

For information on how to get tickets:

http://www.kittenrescue.org/pages.php?pageid=22..

If you are unable to attend but would like to make a tax-deductible donation:

http://www.kittenrescue.org/pages.php?pageid=11

P.S.  Here is a photo of my cat Andy.  He's 16 years old!  I rescued him too!