How Do You Feel Today? v4

[Avatar]

Scheduled power cuts, so working from home, which is also going to have a scheduled power cut, any minute now...

--A

[Sorus]

That's no fun.

[Menolly]

Went to bed an hour earlier than usual last night, feeling excessively exhausted. Woke up to take my fasting pill without a problem, and went back to sleep. When I got up an hour later, I was sweating (and I leave my window cracked open, even in winter), congested, and nauseous. I had a gig today at a school I really enjoy working, and I hate canceling at the last minute. I called the substitute coordinator, explaining that I felt exactly how I feel when my chemo causes a side effect, but that such a reaction usually occurs 90 minutes after taking it, which is a half an hour after dinner.

After discussing it, she said while she didn't know if another sub will be found this close to start time, she agreed it sounded odd enough to cancel me from the job. If I am sick, there's no sense in "spreading the love."

Hoping I feel better by taking it easy today.

[Cameraman Jenn]

I had a weird day. Went to run errands and at my first stop my card was declined so I drove halfway across the city to my bank branch and was told there was a three day hold on a check I had deposited. I got the deposit receipt out of my purse and showed them that I had deposited that check nine days ago. After and hour of standing at the teller desk they finally got it straightened out and refunded the overdraft fee they charged me to cover my rent check. I then started driving to the grocery store and proceeded to get a flat tire in the center lane of a three lane road. It took me two blocks to get safely pulled over on a side street. I proceeded to jack up the car and get the flat off but when I went to put on the spare the jack fell over and the car was sitting on the jack and the rotor was on the ground. I got out my phone to call roadside assistance and it promptly died since I forgot to charge it. I sat on the curb next to my disabled car for well over an hour before finally these guys in a Geek Squad truck stopped and asked me if I needed help. They proceeded to lift the car up enough for me to get the jack out and then helped me put on the spare. I limped the car to the nearest tire shop and got four new tires. I then finished my grocery shopping and went home and made guacamole with the almost overripe avocados I got at Costco over the weekend and now I am lounging on the couch. I was going to cook a nice dinner but I kinda lost my steam. On the up side, the geek guys were super nice and the guys at the tire shop were super nice too. They couldn't believe that the VW only had 55481 miles on it since it's a 1997 model and they were marveling over the fact that I actually had to take the sealed plastic factory packaging off the jack since it had never been used before! I also have to admit that I knew the tires were dry rotted since the car had been sitting practically unused in Danlo's driveway for the past six years until I took it off his hands this past summer. It all turned out ok though so it's all good.

[Avatar]

Sounds like a mission.

Ah well, the week is nearly done thanks gods. I'm just not feeling it at the moment... Meh.

--A

[Cameraman Jenn]

It was rougher than I made it out to be. Albuquerque drivers suck and they could see my flat and still would not let me pull over for two blocks. I also left out the part where after I finally got the lug nuts loose and was going to put on the spare and the jack slow motion fell over and I was screwed I cried on the curb for about fifteen minutes. About 300 cars full of people drove by me and could see I was in trouble and didn't help. Thank the powers that be that I had a bottled water in the trunk in case of emergencies... actually thank my Dad for that. I have matches in the glove box and a small tool kit. I was ready to pretty much walk home when the Geek dudes came by and helped me. Then later at the grocery store some awful undisciplined kids rammed my ankle with a cart and yes, it drew blood and their mother acted like nothing happened. It was a rough day. Again on the plus side, my sweet guinea pig, Salacious Crum was so happy to see me and I got tons of pet me love from him. I fed the two of them and he ignored food in favor of my petting which is rare and weird for guinea pigs since all they do is eat and drink and poop and pee and make little guinea pigs but he purred and made his squeaky noises and wanted me to pet him a lot while Soirchia ate most of the food. I think he knew I was upset...

[Avatar]

Ah well, all worked out OK at least.

--A

[deer of the dawn]

Really I think sometimes God allows crappy days so we can remember there are actually some really cool people out there who will stop and help you out for no reason of their own. Glad the Geeks were there for you.

I've had a good week, other than a frustrating health issue that refuses to cooperate with my plans to exercise and keep weight off. Oh well. ON the upside, I was asked to apply for an administrative position and am waiting to hear (I was told Friday, but history with the school tells me to be veeeerrrryyyy patient).

[sgt.null]

So my new ortho surgeon.
He can't believe I am able
To walk at all. The fusion
Never set five to seven years
Ago. Normal people would
Be unable to walk on what is
Left internally of my ankle.
This time two screws and a
Plate. Aug - Oct. Yea me.

[Avatar]

That sucks Arge. Good luck.

(I was told Friday, but history with the school tells me to be veeeerrrryyyy patient).

Not just the School I'm sure Deer. That's Africa for you.

--A

[sgt.null]

Thanks Av. It sucked last time.
It will suck more this time.
Outpatient surgery. can you
Believe it? Its gonna hurt Bigly.

[Sorus]

I think we need some Guinea pig pics.

I had one years ago. He was a rescue, who turned out to be a Peruvian (suuuper long hair, basically a walking tribble) - he couldn't handle the grooming on his own, and he'd scream the whole time I brushed him, even if I didn't hit a knot. Never bit or tried to get away; he'd just sit there placidly and scream like he was being murdered. It was nerve-wracking. I finally gave up and gave him a crew cut. He screamed the whole time, then stood there frozen for just long enough for me to wonder if I'd made a horrible mistake, then he started hopping and frisking around like he'd discovered freedom. Never screamed again, even when I was doing maintenance on his hairstyle.

Good on you for having two. Back in the olden days it wasn't recommended, though it should have been. He was sorta buddies with one of my cats, and never seemed lonely, though I guess it would have been hard to tell.

[Cameraman Jenn]

Well they are pack animals. In the beginning it was Salacious Crum (gangster nickname is G-pig) and Moose. They loved each other. Back then the enclosure was on the floor and they used to rub noses over the top of the sides of the cage and they would hang out in my lap together while lounging on the couch. Then Moose passed away and a few months later I was at the pet store and she was in an enclosure being absolutely picked on by the other guinea pigs so I couldn't help myself and brought her home. They fell in love immediately and had quadruplets, two boys and two girls. Both the girls got adopted as a pair and both the boys got adopted as a pair. Then I had the two of them in separate cages, I had to separate him out from her while the kids were little so a second enclosure was here for a while. The bad thing about that is they would cry for one another even though the cages were up against one another and they could touch noses etc. I did some research and ended up getting her spayed which cost over $600 bucks but they are so happy together that it was all worth it to me. He's totally a momma's boy and she's a sweetie but not as aggressively affectionate. He literally tries to climb out of the cage to get to me for his love sessions. I'll post some pics...

[Cameraman Jenn]

Sorry for the double post but I had to let Sorus know I uploaded a pic in "The Muttley Crew" album.

[Sorus]

They're adorable. I can almost hear their little moink moink moinks.


So sorry to hear about Moose.

[Cameraman Jenn]

He started having episodes of not knowing where he was and what was happening and he would bark and whimper and shake and it was difficult so I made the humane decision. I cried randomly for weeks and it took me over three months to sleep through the night without waking up and freaking out because he wasn't there snuggled up at my belly. That was two years ago in November. I still cry thinking about him sometimes. And yes, the piggins are stupid cute.

[Avatar]

Ah shame, that's rough.

Well, Monday. Here we go again...

--A

[Sorus]

I'm so sorry. That's heartbreaking.

I still have my three cats, though Min was diagnosed with cancer a while back, and has a prognosis of about another year, best-case-scenario. She's doing well for now, though she's on a lot of meds. It's never enough time.

[Avatar]

Yeah, this is why I don't want pets. (For all the good such wanting did me. )

No more after these.

Happy Tuesday all. Today I shall be insanely productive.

--A

[Cameraman Jenn]

Av, it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. I know losing the Mooseman was hard and it's still hard but the joy and love he brought into my life is so much more than if I never had him. All the good times and bad times were all worth it. When he was a baby I almost lost him. I was hanging out with my friend Terry, Atrium from FBH and Moose had buried a greenie dog chew in one of the plants and then dug it up and ate it and it had developed toxic mold. I found him in convulsions in the entryway to the house and we had to rush him to the emergency vet and he nearly died. I was up all night and a total wreck but when they called and told me he made it through the night but might have brain damage I was nothing but relieved. I didn't care if he had brain damage as long as I had him. He was normal for years and I'm pretty sure his dementia was a latent result of that. For many years though he gave me such amazing love and incomparable companionship that I will forever be grateful for. Many an evening was spent with a good book and him snuggled up with me on the couch. He got to be Lord Foul's chihuahua in our show and he got to put an arrogant jackass in his place because of that. After we got front page of the San Francisco Chronicle on what to watch on TV, I was dropping off the next tape at the station and I had him with me. The new director came into the lobby and saw me yammering with Alexa, the amazing transgender woman who worked the station desk and the director told me to get that dog out of the station. Alexa looked at him and said in a total head moving Oprah show way, "Do you know who that dog is? It's Lord Foul's chihuahua!" and then pointed at the framed copy of the Chronicle article on the lobby wall. The director then apologized and left the room. He was never a small dog because he acted like a big dog. I have tons of pics of him running on the beach with labs and Dobermans and all sorts of dogs twenty times his size. He was a joy I'll never forget and never regret. His favorite treat was not dog biscuits but raw red peppers or carrots. When I moved to Albuquerque and my landlord needed to get into my apartment I told her to go to the fridge and get a carrot from the lower right drawer and give it to him and he would shut up and she did and he did and she thought that was the funniest thing. All the little memories and moments make up for the loss a thousand fold. I remember when he was a puppy and I was making spaghetti sauce and I dropped a raw garlic clove on the floor by accident and he snarfed it down and for the next few days he stunk so bad it was horrific. Even his skin smelled of rotting garlic. The first night I brought him home I put him in his puppy bed to sleep and I woke up around two am to find him wrapped around my neck. I put him back in his bed and around four I woke up with him wrapped around my neck again. He figured out how to shinny himself up between the nightstand and the bedframe a full three feet to get into bed with me and he slept with me the rest of his life. I'm going to post a pic in the muttley crew that will say it all...