Scott was kind enough to come over and help us blow the drip-line system out for the winter: we never have had to do that, since our old sprinkler system was below ground. It takes a compressor and a connector to the lines at the water source. I shut down and drained the waterfall, turned off the main pump, installed the pond floating heater that keeps a vital hole in the ice…and of course it’s going to hit 62 today. But that’s ok. WE’re back in the icebox by Friday.
Our unexpected snow wilted all the trees, but we’re still getting a lot of fall color. The burning bushes (a type) are brilliant magenta and the dogwoods are a bronzy brown with hints of red. And a few birds are back. We installed a feeder, and we are finally getting a little action there: birds had fled the monster arctic front. But we have some that winter-over here, and we may be getting them back. There’s a pair of doves and their last-hatch we’re supporting. I like to hear their song in the summer: reminds me of Oklahoma and gran’s farm, where they were a constant presence.
Jane’s had a sore back since the last treatment, but says it’s improving. I’m continuing to be able to use both legs equally, which is splendid! I go up and down stairs securely.
Meanwhile I’ve moved the paper shredder into the kitchen. We switched from Comcast to fiber-optic CenturyLink internet, and they had to be able to work in the office—so we put the whole office in boxes, and we are being very critical of what we let back INTO the office. We’ve moved the giant L desk around, and now actually have clear floor space. I’d like to keep it that way. So we are shredding old sunsetted records and generally getting more space in the files. It’s been a horror in there, and now looks clean and neat. The boxes stacked in the hall—not so much.
Meanwhile, working away on the book.
Good to hear you are doing well and Jane is on the mend. I’ve continued to work on letting go of “stuff”, winnowing down to the really good, treasured, and sentimental. It is nice getting the place cleaned up occasionally (it never seems to last LOL).
BTW, any update on A-U History ??
The doves and other birds: That sounds lovely. There were occasionally doves at my old house, and for a few years, we had a pair of cardinals at my parents’ house.
I don’t know if I’ll get to have a house again, but I miss a flowerbed, trees, growing things, a private, contemplative, naturalistic space like a garden. My mom’s artist side favored natural, not so manicured looks, in flowerbeds and landscaping, and my dad, as a farm boy turned city-boy, also favored this, which, from pictures, you and Jane also prefer. My grandmother liked her flowerbeds and garden space neatly trimmed, but not overly or artificially shaped, except after (very necessary) periodic pruning of the azaleas. So I get my fondness, nostalgia for, a garden space from them. I’m a city-boy, but something about me needs nature and some peaceful space.
Oh my, I (halfway innocently) searched for cheesecake from Kroger’s and discovered, Talenti cherry, chocolate, and cheesecake layered gelato, their usual pint jars. I, uh, admit to a moment of weakness, and I added 2 to the next grocery order.
However, Kroger’s online has no idea whatsoever of mince pie, mincemeat pie, or mince or mincemeat jars of pie filling, such as Nonesuch brand. I don’t know what’s happened to the world, but somehow, it’s hard to find mince pies ready-made for the holidays anymore. — I did find Nonesuch mincemeat jars via Amazon, so those and pie crusts from Kroger’s will be on the holiday menu. — I expect to be cooking for just me and Goober, and expect I’ll have found a permanent home for Curry by then.
There will be pumpkin pie at some point during the holidays, but I’m going to space things out. — I need to get cranberry sauce too.
We had only two days of temps below 60 at night and down to the 70’s during the day. I didn’t even turn off the air conditioner, as the apt. was still so warm. We are back to 80’s and a few low 90’s during the day, 60’s and 70’s at night. Those 90’s are unusual for October here. — I am hoping we cool off to seasonal norms for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
I’ve been doing cleanup, rebooting, unshuffling here, hoping to get everything ship-shape and reduced down in the apartment by year-end. I have crazed imaginings of getting in a few trips to the storage space, but don’t know when/if that will happen.
Curry is doing better, by the way. The meds have cleared up his symptoms over the past few days, and I am hoping for a solid week, but I intend to give him the full course of meds for two weeks, to be extra sure that is cleared up, so he won’t have a recurrence. He’s still a mix of sweet social and rude feral, and still wants Outside, Outside! with loud alarums. It will be another week and a half before he can go in for another checkup and have that infernal BB pellet removed and be neutered. I am supposing, therefore, he may be with me instead of placed with a new home, for the remainder of the month, or thereabouts.
Trying to stay positive and productive here, and get back into the swing of things. I am seeing progress. I’m still stressed and frustrated and telling myself that I’m doing all I can do, so don’t let it get me down. I’m having trouble following my own advice. Heh.
Eegad. I just had to scold some little neighbor kids for hitting the window because they saw one of the cats, and because they’d seen my shadow in the window while I was sifting out the litterbox.
First, I raised my voice through the window to tell them not to do that, they’d break the window. I thought that was enough, and finished and went to the other room.
then I had to step outside to tell them, again, to be careful, don’t do that, they could break the window. Really hoping I don’t have to step out there again. The porch light still doesn’t work. But oh yeah, I know they heard me and were still around. No answer from them. Used my best firm adult authority voice, but friendly. If I have to do that again, I can be a lot more definite and not as friendly. The thing is, that first two times, while I was inside, were way too strong a tap or hit. And I think those were younger kids, pretty little. I don’t think an older kid or a teen would do that, because they’d know it was either too risky, or they could make the apartment owner mad.
Naturally, I had to pick Curry up and bring him back in, since he darted outside when I opened the door to go back in.
I’m glad no one got hurt and the window’s not broken. But good grief, kids. I sure hope they will think about it instead of thinking it was just some guy fussing at them.
Ugh; I apparently slept on something wrong. I woke up with a twinge in my shoulder that migrated down and bids fair to become another backache of the 2 week variety. I am attempting to quell it before it does so. Zorro went to the vet today after an episode of extreme blep on Friday. The Fancy Feast gravy lover flavor didn’t agree with her at all. Vet determined that the poor thing’s last 3 remaining teeth had to go before they abscessed, so that’s how she spent her morning. No teeth doesn’t seem to slow her ating at all, though.
On the up side, I cooked up another gallon of mango low sugar jam, which does a great deal to clear out the freezer. I think I only have one container left of diced frozen mangoes now to do something with.
Yes, the mourning doves. Brings back memories of Girl Scout Camp, resting during the heat of the day on wooden tent platforms under canvas flies listening to their woo-hooo-hooo-hoooos down in the cottonwoods by the river (or such as what passes for one out here in the flatlands). They’re all over the place here. I’ll wander into the kitchen and there’ll be one having a quiet boohoo up on the roof by the vent for my range hood. Getting a little nippy here, too. I’m thinking the waffle blanket is going on the next time I change the bed, and I’ve seriously considered starting wearing socks again. . . .
I’ve tried to upgrade my CenturyLink internet, it’s at 10MB/sec down, 800kbs up, and they tell me that’s the best I’m going to get. So much for fiber optic. I remember when CenturyLink was Sprint – the nation’s only fully fiber optic long distance provider – but there isn’t a single bit of fiber optic in my neighborhood for CenturyLink. There’s another provider who does use fiber optic, but their costs aren’t comparable, and I really don’t want to go to the hassle of changing my email addresses, etc. for every place that uses it. I probably should use my gmail address, which is accessible anywhere. But, I’m in the market for a new desktop, since I just bought a new laptop in August. This desktop is about 11 years old, running Windows 7. Since I don’t do a lot of streaming, I doubt I need the higher speeds, but that’s not the point. If it’s available and I can afford it, I don’t have to justify need. Besides, when I’m monitoring the radar picture for storms, I need the data NOW, not 2 minutes later. I will not go to cable, so Spectrum is just out of luck with regards to me.
I guess I’m on strike today. I’m going to read. Will probably fix a frozen pizza this afternoon and eat something more sensible this evening.
I gave up on rewriting the whiteboard sign by the dryer and typed up and printed a sign, 3 copies, 1 by the dryer, 1 where it can be seen entering the front door into the kitchen and living room, and 1 where it can be seen entering the back door, by the door into the hallway. I’ve dated this with the most recent report requesting the repairs. No telling how much longer it will stay up. Maybe the “inspectors” will see it if they are doing mostly inspections, and someone might actually get it done. Maybe.
Domestic altercation last night involving about three women, apparently over some man and a woman, possibly not one of the three. It sounded like one woman was trying to get the upset woman to calm down. This was at about 10:00pm after a woman and one or two men were hanging out on what might or might not have been a date or friendly call. Sigh. I can sympathize that some guy and some gal are doin’ you wrong, but I don’t need to hear you yelling and cussing and ready to start a fight at night. Didn’t necessarily need to know there were friends / a couple (a triple?) outside, hanging out, chatting or dating. (I was trying NOT to know.) I am sorta presuming it was friendly or semi-chaperoned, rather than a triple. I would have been rather stunned at that idea, half a lifetime ago or more, college age and late 20’s, but, well, I guess I’ve mellowed or gotten more desperate or something or other. LOL, if it works for some people to have a triple relationship, I guess I’m OK with that. It’s better than being lonely. If whoever is happy that way, well, OK then. I don’t know if I’ve become scandalous or not. Human beings seem to be more varied and prone to more temporary relationships than I had thought as an idealistic young dreamer, back when I was much more naive about the world and people. I don’t know.
Curry…has had his medicine, missed his dose last night, my fault, and the last couple of doses have been more haphazard than I would like. But he’s doing better. However, he, ah, is so fastidious about the litter box still that, sigh, I have had to clean up twice, just outside the box, even though I’m sifting them both at least twice a day. Kitty. Please give me a break. — He continues meowing for attention or food or outside, boredom or reassurance. A LOT.
I haven’t called my friends for the past couple of days. Just danged tired of fooling with them. But I will need to call and remind them again tomorrow and keep on until it gets done.
The cheap bookcase to be returned arrived this morning, with the box open on one end. I’ve taped it securely. Now to get friends to take me to the UPS store to send the darn thing back before Amazon charges me for it.
It’s been building up to rain again heavily all day so far, and looks to be that way for the rest of the day and night. I’m going to go pay attention to a certain loudmouth kitty-cat, bless his furry, pointed little head, and then read and relax, because…I’m just tired, frustrated, and need to relax some. I will get after things with gusto tomorrow. Telling myself it is OK to take a break, and it doesn’t mean I’m lazy or losing momentum.
I think I’m going to delay groceries until the start of next week, but I may succumb by Friday, in order to have supplies in for the weekend. Out of eggs and bread, still have tortillas. Otherwise, it’s more livable, but my mind says I need to be prepared, plus I want goodies as well as staple items. Heh, human nature, I guess.
Kitty, it’s a wonder if my neighbors aren’t annoyed, as much as you’re meowing. Give it a rest, will ya, I was just in there 20 minutes ago….
Off topic, but good news for me.
I had a sleep apneu test recently, because I’ve been waking up about six times a night with a dry throat and mouth this last year, and waking up tired in the morning for years now.
I had one seven years ago, where I had to sleep in the hospital, that said my apneu was too few times a night to treat, though my blood oxygen saturation did go down to 86% at one point.
This time, I could do the test sleeping at home – getting all the sensors stuck on in the hospital the evening before, and going back the next morning to get them all taken off again. Sleeping in my own bed is definitely more relaxing and natural, even with all the wires stuck on.
I got back the results, and I now definitely have apneu: 79 times an hour on average, with the longest one being 86 seconds. The doctor couldn’t understand why they didn’t notice this more, seven years ago.(I’m guessing because sleeping in the hospital is a lot less relaxing, and if you don’t relax completely the airway doesn’t fall shut as easily).
That explains a lot of the chronic tiredness, and means I get a CPAP machine in a week or two. I am so looking forward to getting that, and starting to get some energy back, and waking up rested more often than the very sporadic times it happens now!
😴😴😴🥳
My last sleep study indicated 58 “heroic events” per hour, which is a moderately severe degree. Yours at 79 events is much more severe. They gave me a BiPAP, which has a differential pressure setting. I was set for 14cm of water inhale, 11cm of water exhale, but I can’t stand having the mask on my face, I can’t stand lying there waiting to go to sleep. Since my use was monitored, I had to try to use it every night, but after many nights of lying there trying to get to sleep, I just stopped using it and took it back to the company. They charged me for the mask, and that was it. I still have the apnea, but I don’t use a CPAP, either. maybe someday it’ll catch up to me, but for now, even a broken night’s sleep is better than no sleep at all. Surgery on the right elbow tomorrow afternoon, too. That’s also going to put a damper on my sleep. But as long as the painkillers work, I should be all right.
Joe, I hope your surgery went well, and the painkillers are doing an awesome job!
And I’m sorry about the sleep apnea. I have read that there are a good many people who can’t adapt to the CPAP equipment. There’s a surgical treatment as well, although I don’t really know much about it. Since I’m doing okay with the CPAP, I’m not eager to let someone with knives near me.
Hurrah for that!
Hanneke, I hope that helps. Insomnia is the pits. My dad was a champion snorer, which meant he sometimes slept separately, or with me when I was a kid. I don’t know how my mom stood that snoring, and yet I slept OK when he was with me. I’ve heard snoring is related to sleep apnea. I hope the CPAP machine helps, and you get good rest and sleep.
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I just saw a really intriguing recipe for Yachaejeon. (I believe I have the spelling right.) It’s a Korean vegetable pancake, not a lot of flour and oil, and lots of crisp veggies, with optional hot/spicy green chili or jalapeños, plus red pepper flakes in a simple dipping sauce. The vegetables are: A leek, green onions, sweet potato and/or carrots, white onion, a large mushroom or two, a zucchini, and the green chili or jalapeños. You’ll also need flour and vegetable oil and a 12 inch / large skillet. The dipping sauce was simple: soy sauce plus vinegar plus red pepper flakes plus sesame seeds, a typical Asian dipping sauce. — CJ and Jane, I’m sure you could substitute something for the onions. — The lady, Maangchi, who shows the recipe, is really sweet and cute with it, a mom, clearly, too. — She used sweet potato but suggested carrots could be used. — She also had some kimchee on the side, to go along with the vegetable pancake.
I was surprised this held up fine, and I was surprised there was no egg, only the flour and veg. oil, so this is completely vegan. — I recall seeing this video a few months back and I’m glad I saw it again. I intend to get the ingredients and try it. It sounds fantastic and tasty and healthy. Comments all said it was good, and enjoyed her style and presentation.
I would omit or go very light on the chili pepper, and I’d likely omit the red pepper flakes from the sauce. But others may like it hot.
Hmm, there’s a white, large radish-like vegetable I can’t recall the name of. Daikon? It’s mild to sweet, and you could get a good volume of it, chopped fine. That might work as a sub for the onions. — CJ and Jane, can y’all handle leeks, or are y’all both allergic?
Maybe bok choi or cabbage? Hmm, I’m not sure what would work best. (Dang, I’d like some of those white vegetables, if I could remember what they are called. They’re a rather large, fat, conical shape, white, mild to sweet, with a crisp but medium-soft texture. I recall having these in salads at, I think it was called Tomato Garden, a salad bar chain that is sadly no longer around here, a favorite a few years ago for my grandmother and her friends and myself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knxgR5esJu4
Hanneke, I hope you have a good experience with CPAP! I was diagnosed with sleep apnea in 2008, and the main suggestion I have is that, if your first mask is uncomfortable, keep trying until you get one that is right for you. I luckily found a comfortable mask on the second try, after a miserable night or two with the first one. It’s really important to use the machine whenever you are sleeping.
Looking back at my electronic chart, I see that I had 14 apnea episodes/hour with an oxygen saturation drop to 77%. Interestingly, I didn’t have symptoms of drowsiness, headaches, etc., and I live alone so no one complained of snoring. My otolaryngologist looked at my throat and told me I had sleep apnea, I didn’t believe him but went for the test. He was right.
I currently use a nasal pillow mask and go in annually for checkups. My machine tracks apnea events, so the doctors just check the chip to see if things look good, I don’t have to go through the whole electrode routine. I do well with therapy, with essentially no apnea events, and I expect to use CPAP for the rest of my life. My insurance pays for a machine every five years, so I’m on my third machine; they have gotten progressively better. Quieter, easier to track effectiveness of therapy at home.
Best wishes to you! I’ll hope to hear that you soon wake up rested and energetic.
I bought a desk / bed reading lamp less than four months ago, had to wait because the special light bulb was missing from the package, and — I’m going to throw it out as defective. — About two hours of sleep, is all, and I’m awake again, dang it. I’d turned on that light while I went into the kitchen for a drink and small snack. When I came back, the light was flickering like crazy. (I don’t think Will Byers or Barb were trying to contact me from the Upside Down, I’m pretty sure the CE3K aliens aren’t sending me musical interludes, and I’m not aware of any supernatural entities, despite that that shoe is still missing. Heheh.) I checked the plug, thinking it was that. Nope, seated just fine. I redid it, in case. Still wildly flickering. The bulb and lamp are new, supposedly. The bulb seemed hotter than it should be; a weird special fluorescent thing. So — I do not need an electrical problem like that when I’m there, or worse, if it’s unattended.
Luckily, I have the old lamp I was going to replace. I switched out the old incandescent bulb to a new energy-saving plastic Chinese whats-its bulb, and…well, it is about as bright.
So I still want a good, very bright desk / bed reading lamp. My very old (less than 22 years) fluorescent desk light has been buzzing badly, despite changing both sticks (bulbs) last month. I had thought if the new lamp was bright enough, I’d get another to replace the desk lamp. But now I’m back to square one. Still using it, still using the older small bed / desk lamp, and now the new lamp and bulb are to be thrown out.
Curry knows I’m awake, so he’s campaigning for “Outside, Outside! Attention, Attention!” and driving me and the neighbors crazy, doubtless. Hush, kitty, not happening, though you’re making it tempting.
Two hours’ sleep, and I really hope I’ll get back to sleep at some point. For now, I’m up for a while. I’m keyed up, nervous for no reason. I’ll find something to do, or try to settle down and read.
My sympathy again to those with sleep apnea. Dang insomnia is a pain in the posterior too, so I think I understand how you feel.
I think I’m out of yogurt or some other dairy snack which might help me relax and sleep.
Great — Cat, what on Earth are you doing? Climbing or something. I’d better go rescue the living room from the Restless Feline.
I’ve had good luck with Ott-Lites. (One died after a couple of years – I think it’s the ballast, but can’t prove it.) You can find them at craft stores, because the bulbs produce something very close to daylight-white. (Pricey, but long-lasting.) They also have ones for standard sockets.
@bcs. Last year I bought a floor and table lap from brightech (LightView – Led Magnifying Lamp: 2-in-1 Floor Standing to Table Light) . https://brightechshop.com/products/lightview-2in1
The lamp I bought can be used for either floor mounted or table mounted and has a three diopter magnifying glass in the center of the lamp, for those times you need brightness and magnification such as reading food ingredients. It’s about $90 on sale so it isn’t a spur-of-the-moment purchase, but it really works for me and I have used it daily for over a year and am very pleased. A friend of my husband’s is a gunsmith, and was having problems with a finicky part that he was fixing for an antique firearm. We let him borrow the lamp. He was so impressed that he ordered his own lamp for his business.
Sad Duty — Curry’s behavior took a sharp turn today. This morning when I checked for packages, he got out as usual. He was so eager to smell some scent left that he nipped at me when I brought him in. Just now, after getting some petting and thinking all was OK, there was a delivery (cheap magnifying eyeglasses) and he got out again. He was again enamored of the scent, and when I had him halfway back in, he turned around in my arms and — wham — clawed at me. He got my ear, drew blood, and didn’t quite get my chin. If he’d been an inch or two over, he would’ve gotten my eyes. I do not know why he’d be so charged up that he’d misread me that badly, as a threat, or if he was simply angry at being thwarted from what he wanted to do. But this shocked me.
When Smokey was a young adolescent, before he’d been neutered, he got over-excited once and grabbed my hand and clawed me. But I understood what it was, it was minor and didn’t show real intent, just mistaken excitement, and he never tried anything on me again.
What Curry did just now was way beyond that. It may have been by mistake, over-excitement, but it was delivered in true anger, with intent to fight me. I got him down and away and told him, No, bad kitty, in a mix of sternness and dismay. I would not have believed he’d do that to me after being here this long, and with mostly mild misbehavior up until this morning. I’m stunned.
But this has answered all my questions, misgivings, wishes for him to improve and belong here. Now I have to give him away, and he cannot be someone’s house pet. I don’t want him put down, but some people would argue for that. Some part of me hopes it was a bad mistake and he won’t do it again. — But his behavior has been such that I cannot take that chance for myself or Goober anymore. He has to be given away.
I was already very unhappy, saddened, by his behavior this morning, and in general how unruly he’s been. I cannot ignore this event, as it’s serious and potentially dangerous, if he ever tried it again, on me or anyone unsuspecting.
The operating system was trying to do a download and update and slowed to a crawl, so much so that I restarted and will retry.
Tomorrow, I will be looking in earnest, and the milder options I’d hoped for before are no longer possible. I don’t believe he can go to some innocent home and family and be a social house cat. He’s too feral, this was too serious to discount or minimize. I am sorry for him and for me and for Goober. I had wanted this to be better, and up until now, I had thought he could be socialized, have an indoor-outdoor home and a happier life. Now, I think he needs an outdoor-only setting, like a rural location or a sanctuary for feral cats. — And I am going to have to find someone who can pick him up and take him.
Tonight, I’m making an index card with the vet’s name and number and Curry’s rabies tag and number, stating the vaccinations and treatment he’s had, so he’ll have that in his favor. Maybe some shelter can find him a permanent home, with the advisement that he’s unsafe for an indoor placement because of the aggression. And that is a terrible mark against him, so a home for feral, outdoor cats is probably his only / best option.
I will also call the vet in the morning and ask for advice on what the best option for him will be. — I want him to have a good life still, if at all possible.
I’m still shocked at the behavior. This is beyond what I can excuse or rationalize away. Even if he was over-excited and did it in the heat of passion, a late-adolescent mistake, well, I still can’t ignore how serious this was, and how much worse it could have been.
I’m so unhappy, for him and for me. I had hopes he could have a much better future with a family. Now, I do not see that as the responsible decision for me to make. I have to consider my safety and any adult’s or young person’s safety.
I’m sorry to let people know of this, but I’ve been posting Curry’s goings-on (I wanted to say progress, but that isn’t it) with such initial enthusiasm, going into more frustrations and uneasy resignation to giving him away. I think people here will understand this. If there’s anything else major, I’ll post it, but I’m likely to be quiet about Curry until he’s been given away. I wish so much that it had not come to this, and that he could have inst4ead had that indoor-outdoor family placement, a brighter future. Now, he’ll have some kind of home base, but it will be essentially a more benign but outdoor setting than he had as a stray.
Just, dang, this does not feel like a win for anyone.
Later tonight, I am going to switch out his tag. I have to make doubly sure he gets the right one of the two rabies vaccination proof tags, and I’ll remove his ID tag giving his name, my name, and phone number for contact. The rabies tag has the vet’s name and phone, and the city’s ID number of the registration of his vaccination.
This does not feel like a good outcome. But this is how it has to be. I am sorry to be the bearer of such bad news. I still want him to have a better life, if possible.
He might be a good barn cat. Good hunter and not social. You might ask farmers and small farmers in your area.
Comment
Hoping for that. — I did a Google search again for a link I’d found earlier. This morning, I went through the links the vet’s office had listed, any with phone numbers, and was getting desperate. No one open yet, leave a message, or unlikely they’d pick up a cat or work with a person directly. I’m keeping the list on hand, though.
I found:
TexasLitterControl.org — Barn Cat Project
They are based either in Magnolia County or Harris County and have clinics locally in / near this side of Houston. They coordinate with shelters and vets and other intakes, to get feral cats, those who are not the cuddly, pick-up-and-love-on-them pet store or kid and family type of cats. Yes, they said once Curry is neutered, he may settle down again, or he may not. But yes, he’s feral, and outdoor life is his best option. He’s a city cat, but I suspect he knows how or will quickly learn how to hunt, and the organization requires adopters to do basic care such as daily feeding and vet care for any such new barn cat. But this will give him his best chance at the freedom he so longs for, and lets him also avoid humans or be social, if he can be trustworthy again.
This morning, oh, he was anyone’s best friend at breakfast, and had enough not to want to take Goober’s share. (So, maybe not so best-friendly.) Then mid-morning, he swatted at me while he was at the window and I checked on him. Just now, checking again, ah, happy, friendly cat, glad to be petted. His old self. I am, however, forewarned and now duly cautious, but I want to keep the possibility for him to stay social.
The ball is rolling, maybe. I got a real live person, discussed the case, and they are understaffed and weren’t really prepared to come do a pickup of a cat, but she said they’d see what they could do. That was two hours ago. The day is young yet. Sorta.
I also called the vet’s office and gave them the info, and they are going to send copies of Curry’s medical records over via email, so hopefully he’ll be taken care of that way. I have a packet all ready with copies of his records, his rabies vaccination tag, a note on his progress / regress, and contact info for his vet. I’ll add the bottle for his Rx med (Metronidazole). This way, he’ll be as taken care of as I can manage.
I think I can get him into the carrier all right. I’m supposing I’ll hand over the carrier and the packet and med, some discussion with the handler picking him up, and that will likely be it. Also supposing there may be a fee or donation.
So, if possible, Curry may end up a rural barn cat, rather than an apartment complex stray. Maybe someone can work with his good side, maybe he can mellow, and once more have a trustworthy cat. I hope. But at least this is a far better chance. I was most definitely not going to call the city/county shelters, who would see feral / stray cat and not give him any chance at life.
Knock on the door which was not the awaited person. Naturally, Curry darted out. Not happy with me, but I got him back in unscathed, albeit with something very unkind and angry said in feline-ese. Told him never mind, I’m working on getting him a good home, a better future he’ll like. He, ah, was not impressed.
So — As ready as I can be. I think I can get him into a carrier without too much trouble once that’s confirmed.
Goober, both this morning and this afternoon, has wanted in the bedroom with me instead of the living room with Curry. I think they sense my worry / unease and mixed feelings, and both are reacting as seems best to them. Goober being already separate is handy if and when someone shows up. So far, no word. I’ll keep going in and out, so Goober has a chance for food, water, and the litter box, as well as time with me.
I’m giving Curry time to cool his temper, and then a little reassurance, a check on him. I don’t want him to leave thinking I wanted anything bad for him. — I took him in expecting win-win-win for all of us. I took on that responsibility. I intend to keep that promise. I know I’ve also been trying to atone for Smokey. This has taught me that, well, maybe it really was best for Smokey to go elsewhere, if only I would have handled it better to be sure he got a good home. This has taught me that despite the best intentions, things can’t always work out the way we want, and some cats are feral. So…giving him the best chance I can manage. I sure hope this gets taken care of today, tomorrow at least.
I’ll let you all know what transpires.
CJ and Jane, Hanneke, Chondrite, Tommie, others who have commented and offered helpful advice and sympathy, thank you all. This has been an unhappy time with what could have been something so good. I want him to have a good, happy life. I wish it could be here, but I hope he’ll be truly happy where he ends up.
I’ve included a note asking that that (gods-rotted) BB-pellet be removed in surgery when he’s neutered, which was what I’d asked of my vet. That also, I want for him. It seems such a small thing to do to make up for someone else’s wrong.
Barn Cat, we hope soon.
Curry is still here. No call, no knock, and it’s now 6:30pm. Don’t know if I’ll hear any word tomorrow, but hoping it’ll get taken care of then. If not, he could be here through at least Monday. If I don’t hear something tomorrow, I presume I’ll need to contact other places on Monday and try, try again. I had hoped to have it all resolved today.
Apple’s new macOS 10.15, Catalina, doesn’t like my Wacom graphics tablet’s Wacom Desktop Center and driver, and it doesn’t like the latest (rather old) update of Fontographer either. I get to look for updates of both in order to use them again. And I will probably have to update my Fontographer source files to FontLab Studio and use it exclusively. Sigh. Always something; but usually, this isn’t a problem on the Mac. Usually.
Minor side point so far: Apple is moving away from iTunes, so the Mac spent time transferring things into the new Music, TV (and movies), Podcasts, Books (and audiobooks) apps, as well as, wanted me to “Try Apple Music FREE for 1 month, then pay $9.99 per month afterward!” Uh, no, thanks. But there’s not such button, so I had to quit the app and restart.
Everybody and his/her brother/sister/sibling/cousin/cousin’s dog/cat seems to want to start a subscription fee based streaming service lately. Apple, Microsoft, Adobe, Monotype/Linotype, every TV channel and movie studio you’ve ever heard of…. It’s getting really ridiculous. No, I am not going to pay for all of those, or even most of those. — I’m on Amazon Prime (which does benefit me); Netflix (some benefit); and I tend to buy iTunes season passes for TV shows I like. That, and cable/internet and cell phone are it. I am hoping I can watch the Orville somewhere (Amazon or iTunes) via season pass, so I don’t have to subscribe to Hulu and then unsubscribe. — I wonder if all these companies are going to figure out that the average viewer / listener cannot affaird and will not pay for every dang thing under the sun.
So, gotta look up updates tomorrow, besides looking for a permanent home for Curry.
Disney+ is pretty cheap and includes Hulu with commercials, but The Orville isn’t supposed to premier 3rd season until early 2020 as far as I know.
The problem with Amazon and many other web stores is they’ll carry anything. You may as well buy off Ebay or Etsy. You really have to look carefully to see if Amazon actually stands behind the product, as much as they stand behind anything.
After messing with an oddball fluorescent bulb, I’m through with non-standard bulbs. They can’t be worth my time. Edison screws or standard fluorescent fixtures, only.
I have dimmers in my bedroom for all the lights. LEDs are all, “Works with SOME dimmers,” which means you have to look for a dimmer that claims to work with LEDs. I replaced the bulbs in my bedroom to improve reading light, somewhat shocking the home store clerk when I passed on all the LED “Works with some dimmers” bulbs and just got halogens. They’re enough brighter to make a difference, and when they dim, they get orange, so you don’t blow your night vision or your circadian rhythm. I don’t have them on enough to merit LEDs.
f.lux is pretty good at doing this for computer screens. It gradually shifts your screen to warmer colors at night. Fully adjustable, and once you’ve set it the way you like, you can just forget about it and it does it automatically every day.
It’s very good!
DH uses that, or something like it. Before 6 a.m. (ask us about insomnia!) or after 9 p.m. the screen is definitely more yellow in cast. The rest of the day, it’s the normal-ish blue tinge. Works for us!
I find a big help for falling asleep is white noise. You can use a generator, like the phone apps Relaxio or Chroma Doze, or:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dYETf1fars
I use all three, though not Chroma Doze so much.
The apps are free. With ads, but you’re not going to see the ads asleep.
I’ve had insomnia, lying in bed for hours before sleep came. Usually after a couple hours I went and took a benadryl tablet, but that has side effects. Lately, it was awakening a couple hours early and not being able to get back to sleep. I mentioned it to my new doc in passing and he recommended 5mg tabs of melatonin. They see to be working well.