Life

What's your favorite thing about the holidays? Least favorite?

Family, friends. Presents are good too :) Least favorite: the damn snow. It's pretty once the roads are clear. Until then, I hate the stuff.

So yeah, it's pouring, my dog is a huge pansy, and I'm riding again.

And I've started looking into jousting/archery/reenactment again. I'm in trouble now...

Would you prefer fame or respect? Why?

Respect. Have you seen what celebrities go through on a daily basis? No thanks.

You're so strange. But it works, somehow.

Once a month updates. That's what ya get. ;) Let's see...

I have a new foster dog! She's moving on to another foster home come the 29th, but she's my good deed for a little while. Her owner's dropped her off to be euthanized because "she's making us crazy" but she's such a sweet little thing we decided to give her a chance. I haven't had any of the behaviors they described happen here, but she's also getting a lot more exercise than she was. I'd adopt her out of my home, but she chases the cat pretty badly... she's a Cairn, what do I want, right? Liam's liked having another dog around, and I kind of have too... reconsidering adding a permanent second dog. I'm starting to really like Standard Poodles... but we'll see.

Things are changing again, I'm learning more life lessons (those generally suck, have you noticed that?) and I'm starting to think of Vermont as "home" not just this place I'm in right now. It's kinda weird. But I keep trying to leave, and it keeps not working... maybe I should take the hint.

Went to Maine this past weekend... I had forgotten how much I missed the sea. Wish I had more time to sit out and enjoy it, but I got a good bit. Also, yay for amazing seafood! Had the BEST grilled swordfish at the Tugboat Inn in Boothbay... go, if you ever get the chance. I hope to head to Maine a little more frequently. We're starting to plot another Scotland trip (!) and things are generally looking up.

Right now, it's quiet in my house but for the dog chewing on his rawhide, which is oddly soothing. Gotta love it.

Have you ever experienced a natural disaster? If so: when, where and what happened?

There was an earthquake that was 7.5 on the richter scale in CA when I was a kid- nothing major happened where I was living, but it brought down buildings elsewhere. Also, Cedar fire, 2003- got burned out and we holed up for three days watching the fire come down the hill. That was fun.

How many times did you move growing up? How did moving (or staying put) impact your childhood?

7 times. I missed a lot of stuff at school because of it, and I'm practically phobic of moving now- despite the fact that I keep doing it. I also tend not to bother to make friends when I move to a new place... what was the point, way back when? It's a habit I can't seem to break now.

Hi guys! I'm not dead, I promise!

This has been an interesting couple of months. Hell, it's been an interesting summer in general. Without putting too fine a point on it, I've been doing a lot of new stuff, reverting a little, and doing a lot of thinking. These past couple of weeks have kind of sucked, but that's life, I guess. Managed to pick up a badly timed case of strep throat after 5 years of not getting it, my truck was trying to kill me (seriously... a spring on my e-brake broke and was wearing through one of my tires... it was ready to rupture when I took it in. I took it to the garage for what I thought was a leak that wasn't, and they find THAT.) one of my favorite cats ever was put down, and then I got sick again. Suck... but life.

Not really a whole lot else to say. Work seems to be going well, I'm having a lot of fun. The cat is ok- has her painful days, and the lump is getting bigger, but I can't afford the treatment and she probably wouldn't appreciate it anyway, so... Liam's his usual spooky, goofy self, and I'm doing ok.

Hope all is well elsewhere!

If you are on my friends list, I would like to know 36 things about you.
I don't care if we never talk, or if we already know everything about each other.
Short and sweet is fine... you're on my list, so I want to know you better!
Comment here and repost a blank one on your own journal.
AND INCLUDE A PIC OF YOURSELF AT THE END if you'll please indulge me

01) Are you currently in a serious relationship?
02) What was your dream growing up?
03) What talent do you wish you had?
04) If I bought you a drink what would it be?
05) Favorite vegetable?
06) What was the last book you read?
07) What zodiac sign are you?
08) Any Tattoos and/or Piercings? Explain where.
09) Worst Habit?
10) If you saw me walking down the street would you offer me a ride?
11) What is your favorite sport?
12) Do you have a Pessimistic or Optimistic attitude?
13) What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with me?
14) Worst thing to ever happen to you?
15) Tell me one weird fact about you.
16) Do you have any pets?
17) What if I showed up at your house unexpectedly?
18) What was your first impression of me?
19) Do you think clowns are cute or scary?
20) If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be?
21) Would you be my crime partner or my conscience?
22) What color eyes do you have?
23) Ever been arrested?
24) Bottle or can soda?
25) If you won $10,000 today, what would you do with it?
26) Favorite band to listen to when you're mad?
27) What's your favorite place to hang out at?
28) Do you believe in ghosts?
29) Favorite thing to do in your spare time?
30) Do you swear a lot?
31) Biggest pet peeve?
32) In one word, how would you describe yourself?
33) Do you believe/appreciate romance?
34) Favourite and least favourite food?
35) Do you believe in God?
36) Will you repost this so I can fill it out and do the same for me?

...continues.

So her bone biopsies (2 of them) came back as more-or-less normal. Last one was last month, and I'm not putting her through another surgery. We figured she was fine- the x-rays showed no progression over the past few months, and she wasn't limping. Cool. End of story, the cat has a weird bump on her leg, but it's no big deal. Right?

Or not.

She started limping again on Monday. Got worse, spoke to RV on Wednesday, who said put her back on Metacam for a week, see how it goes. She didn't respond to the once a day dose of Metacam, and I talked to RV again on Friday, who bumped her up to twice a day dosing, and we took another x-ray on Saturday. More progression, new focal point. *sigh* So now we're thinking it's a fungal infection- I got her with that fungal infection on her ear, which was treated but...

I need to talk with RV and Tammy more closely when Tammy comes back on Tuesday. The treatment is expensive,($100/bottle- which is OK, if I only need one bottle) protracted, and difficult. She's perfectly happy, eating, attacking the dog, purring, and not limping on twice daily Metacam. She's maybe not zooming around the house as much as she had been, but that's about it.

Somewhere along the way, I got attached to this cat. She drove me absolutely insane the first few months, but she's mellowed considerably in the past 6 months, and she's sweet, friendly, and has a fantastic purr. She still has her "bitch fits" every once in awhile, but they're few and far between. I'm just not sure what to do. If the treatment is going to take the year that I'm reading it could on veterinarypartner.com, I just can't do it. She's a pain in the butt to get blood from, and we'd have to do monthly bloodwork to make sure the drugs weren't screwing with her renal values, which also adds up. But I'd hate to just sit on my hands and do nothing and watch her decline when a treatment is available. If it had been cancer, I was good with letting her go when she got too painful. She's not a cat I'm gonna put through an amputation. This is in that "grey area" of decisions that I HATE, because there is no clear answer.

*sigh* I need to talk to the Drs. I'm leaning towards euthanasia, but I don't know all the facts yet and I don't want to jump to conclusions.

But seriously... what is it with me and my pets?! A fungal infection like this? Is *extremely* rare. I don't usually ask this, but... why me? And why her?