Eulogy for a Poodle

It is kind of weird, having Amber put down is effecting me much more than having Madeline put down. There are several reasons I think this is. One is that dogs are much more part of the "pack" than are cats. Amber would run to the door when you would come in. Claudia actually runs away when the door opens.

I see things of Amber's, her bowls, her leashes, even the container that kept her food. When I see them, I begin to get teary eyed. She was my hiking buddy. She would go bounding through the tall grass. Even when she couldn't see over the grass she would just go, she was always ready to go.

Even thought she was Nick's dog, Amber was an equal-opportunity lover. She was willing cuddle up to anyone.

But she is gone now.

It is just getting to be too much. Between job stress, money problems, idiot coworkers, and now two pets gone. I am feeling like I am losing it and afraid I may never find it again.

It Seems To Be Pouring

I keep wondering how to make some lemonade out of this whole thing. There must be some way to frame this so that it makes sense.

While I am typing this, one kitty is sitting near me, the other is off somewhere. It is the other that is part of my angst. The other has fecal impaction and has had this problem for four years. The problem is that right now, I cannot afford to take her to the vet to have it treated. Also, this has been going on for over four years and one has to wonder how long to let it go. She requires medication twice a day and this almost always involves a "game" of hide-and-seek. It also makes it difficult to go anywhere because we need to be around to give her the "butt drugs." So I have decided that nine years has been a good long life for my kitty.

Banks are just too much fun to deal with. They remind me of a bully. They look for the first sign of weakness and then exploit it to its fullest potential. Case in point: Because an unexpected payment hit my account before a check cleared, my account went south. The first I heard about this was almost 6 days after it occurred when I got the letter. (I know, I should more closely monitor my account.) The letter said that to cover $77 in NSF, would cost nearly $300! I would have been better off going to a "Predatory Lender!" Since this time, the amount has topped $650.

This, in part, was precipitated by the practice of the church treasurer. She will not give me a check, she must mail it. And she arranges it so that the check will arrive (assuming the US Mail works the way it should) on either the 1st or the 16th of the month. If that date should fall on a weekend, well, "it sucks to be you!" (I will have to say, she did not use those words, but that was the perceived intent.) If the day should fall on Friday, I would not get the check until after work so the money would not become available in my account until almost 5 days after payday. Her comment was that in a business, when it is payday, it is payday. I told her that this is not a business, it is a church. What I can tell is she feels she is doing us a favor and how dare we ask her to do any more. I don't see how giving me the check early would be a problem. She said that I would be cashing the checks early and that is not the way business works. She also said that when you have to write six checks you write them all on the same date. (I am the only check that is needed at the chruch)

When it suites the treasurer, checks can be written earlier. In April, I received both checks for the month on the first of the month because she would be too busy with taxes around April 16th to write the check. I guess when it suites her, I can be very trustworthy.

One of the great problems of this arrangement is that the treasurer has been in church maybe twice in the year I have been here. And her mother is one of the most anxious people I know. Her mother told me to clean my office and would walk into my office and start looking for things. Her mother, working on information I am assuming came from the treasurer, has approached an organist and told me that I better talk to this organist "sooner as opposed to later." Get the treasurer pissed, and it gets played out through the mother. And mom has been part of the congregation since the "glory days." I thought vestry members were supposed to be a living part of the congregation.

The payment that hit my account was a school loan payment. My loans have been in forbearance for two years while I am under employed. Staying in the current situation does not help this situation. But trying to find a job in Michigan is nigh on to impossible.

/rant off
Time to go to my exceedingly *full sarcasm* fulfilling job of making coffee.

Critter Comment

Claudia and Madeline comment on today's Inaugural Activities: "Ho Hum..."

Amber Goes To The Spa

Amber had an appointment to get her hair cut today. Since it was below zero Fahrenheit. She shook the entire way to the groomer. Even with her parka on it was COLD! On the way home, Nick decided to ditch the parka and just wrap her in a blanket. She spend the rest of the day huddled under the blankets on the bed. Smart doggie!

Wonder of Wonders

I got an apology from The Coffee Asshole! He came in yesterday and it was the first time since the incident that I had to wait on him. He apologized, he said he was rushed and in the wrong.

I don't know if he was just doing that to get an extra shot or not but I am going to accept that the apology was genuine.

Otherwise, Nick is still gone. It seems weird here without him. I lived alone at the house for a while, so being there alone wasn't too bad. But here, Nick has always been a presence and to have him gone leaves a whole.

He said his first day of work went well, and he has gotten his schedule for the rest of the week. Lots of computer based training for Ol' Nick!

So, it's just me and the critters.

Hope you are all having a great day!

P.S. I just really like the picture of the guy in the white speedos, thats I why I have kept it as my Starbucks picture.

Kitty Update

Well, after a night of dreaming of kittens and baby goats (?!), we awoke to a cat that appears to have taken a dump in the night. (Things that go dump in the night!!)

I didn't mean to send her to Kitty Jesus before her time, but it was looking mighty grave. But today she is moving much better and appears to be doing better.

So we continue to give her medication and pumpkin.

Requiem for a Cat

Well, I think this is it for Madeline. Not even a month later and she is again plugged up.

I would like to continue to be able to take her to the vet and have her opened, but money is just too tight. I think the last time prepared me for this eventuality. It just has to be uncomfortable for her too. She is unable to take a crap and then it oozes out of her butt. And she also throws up everything she eats. I can't justify putting her through this anymore. If I knew that she would go for a year without being plugged, I might consider it, but it has only been a month since her last "cleaning."

I love my cat, but I can't stand to see her like this.

Madeline's New Look For A New Year

My cats each have their own ornament. Today, Madeline was lying under the tree and just happened to be lined up with the ornament. I thought it looked funny.

Let There Be Turds! Part 2

I don't know what it is with my cats and evacuation problems. But as I posted before, my other cat, Claudia, was having a dislike for the litter box. Now, thinking outside of the box is usually a good thing except when it comes to litter boxes! Well, after raising the box up and providing a landing platform that the cats can get to but the dog can't, we can now leave the door open to "boxland." This seems to have eased Claudia's fears of jumping over the barrier to get to the box. This morning, I found Claudia turds in the box!*

*Some of you may wonder how I could tell the difference. It is not that I make a habit of studying my cats' bowel output, but since Madeline is on what we lovingly call "butt-drugs" to help with bowel movements, her turds are kind of wormy-shaped. This is probably much more than you ever wanted to know, but you know, you could have stopped reading many sentences ago!

Nothing Was Belly-Up

Nick and I went to the store yesterday to buy livestock for the backyard pond. (Or, as they would say on HGTV, the "Water Feature.") We bought two tiny koi, a Fantail Comet, a Calico Comet, and a bunch of tiny "fish seeds."

As of this morning, I have seen the calico, the fantail, and at least one of the koi. It may have been both of the koi but cannot tell them apart yet. There are a bunch of the fish seeds swimming around. It doesn't look as if any of them have bought the (fish) farm over the night.

The water is a bit (bit?) on the cold side, but I think they will make it.

Kitty Addictions

We have a guest writer today! Claudia, one of Ben's (and now Nick's) cats takes to the keyboard.

Hello, My name is Claudia and I am a plastiholic.

I just can't help myself. If I see a plastic bag, I have to lick it. I just can't help myself. I feel ashamed when one of my dad's catches me doing it; but I would risk a scolding just to lick plastic.

And as I lick, I begin to chew. The feel of my fangs piercing the plastic just makes me purr! The thicker the plastic, the better I love chewing it! Oh, PURRRRRRRrrrrrrrrr...........

And if I can't find plastic, Styrofoam will do. Styrofoam is a little more dangerous. I have more chance of getting caught; the foam makes more noise when I chew on it and my dads are more likely to bust me.

But there is a new love in my life... BUBBLE WRAP! I can't help myself when it comes to bubble wrap! Oh the thrill of having my fangs pop all of those tiny little bubbles! On it is so great! I will go searching out bubble wrap. Even when my dad's put it up so I can't get to it, I search out that wonderful wrap! I will go searching on chairs and table just to find the wrap.

Sometimes I am so ashamed, but not often!

My name is Claudia, and I am a plastiholic.

Merry Christmas!

As you find yourselves surrounded by wrapping paper, empty boxes, and screaming neices,nephews, parents, and partners, just take a moment to give thanks for the people and things around us.

This is the first Christmas I actually woke up next to someone. And no, it was not my brother as in Christmases past. I actually woke up next to someone who I loved. It was nice. Actually, I was questioning what I did to deserve such a good thing.
I remember past Christmases that were just the same-old, same-old. I was surrounded by my family, but I still felt alone. Now, I have a kitty lying next to me, a puppy sleeping near my feet and the man that I love wrapped in a blanket watching "A Christmas Story." It don't get much better than this.

Here is wishing that you are surrounded by what is important and special to you.

Merry Christmas!

Let There Be Turds!

There were turds in the litterbox! No trip to the Vet! Life is good!

Turd Watch

It’s time for Turd Watch!

My cat, Madeline, is not feeling so good. She has mega colon which sounds like it should be something good but in effect is not so good. The crap just starts stacking up inside the cat and won’t come out. ( I bet you all could have gone through the day without that image.) So the poor kitty starts acting lethargic and gets really clingy.

The unfortunate thing about this that it usually costs over $100 a trip to “Pop the Poop.” It can get expensive!

Right now, Madeline is in the bathroom with a litter box, food, and water. I need to know if the “gifts” I find in the litter box downstairs are hers or Claudia’s. I hope to find a whole lot of crap in the box. That would be a good thing.

If there is none, I will need to take Madeline to the vet tomorrow morning before going to the Bishop’s office. I can hope.

Did you feel it?

I think Hell must have froze over. Something I never though I would see has occurred. At one time, there were two men, two cats, and one dog, in the same room. Wow, the family is starting to come together.

It was quite amazing. Claudia, the cat that doesn't like anyone, came walking into the room where Nick and I were watching TV with my other cat Madeline, and Nick's dog, Amber. Now it was weird enough to have Claudia walk in, but then she stood there and allowed Nick to pet her! She actually meowed when Nick stopped so he started to pet her again.

Hopefully this is the start of some good things.

OUCH!

I guess it was good that we weren't cruising down the interstate when this happened. We were on the back roads out of the Detroit area. I really am not a fan of major highways. Granted, they are usually faster, but they just are not very inter sting. The good thing is that the weather was wonderful (about 70 degrees F) and I have roadside assistance. I felt kind of funny calling to have someone change the tire, I could have done it myself, but that is why I bought the roadside assistance, wasn't it? Also, I didn't know how to get the spare off the underside and how to work the jack. I do now! And also, the butt on the guy from the shop wasn't too bad! The face was, aigh... But when he bent over it was nice!!

Nick and I were in Detroit because I had to go to the debriefing of my psych assessment. (Talk about Freudian slips, I originally typed "psycho assessment"!) That is another hoop I had to jump through and now that is finished. I just have to track down two people to do the background assessment and then the process is finished on my end. (I hope!)

I am getting tired of this. I had a fairly major melt-down this afternoon. I thank God Nick was here to help me. Sometimes I just get tired of the struggle. I get tired of being strong. I get tired of having life always be a trial. It was nice to have someone there to just hug me and make no demands. That was something I had come conclusion I would never have.

As Nick posted, I will have Amber this week. This is not really a very good picture of her, she is much cuter.

Right now, Claudia, the more skittish of my two cats is lying on one side of me, and Amber is on the other. In the time I have been posting, Madeline changed spots with Claudia. Maybe there is hope they will get along yet!