I used to think, back when I was about 4 and far too serious, that boxing day was a time when people would fight over bad gifts they'd been given and eventually start boxing. These days I've heard people talk openly about re-gifting, passing on undesirable or inappropriate gifts to someone in a different social circle all in very friendly tones. The percievable world has got a lot nicer than when I was wee.
Anywho. Happy regifting, boxing, or lying down and hiding to one and all.
Monday, December 26, 2005
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Happy Solstice
Went to Kensington Market for the festival of lights last night, wow. Drums, trumpets, 15 foot puppets, people who'd made second floor balcony's into little pageant scenes with native mythology, mermaids, or giant raccoons (a very Toronto solstice, that), dancing in a throng of people all through the market to a park where there was more drumming, fire spinning, and just when it was getting too cold fire breathing onto the huge bon fire in the centre. Absolute magic. Saw a couple of friends who I lost in the crowd and then saw at a distance a couple of times. There was something really nice about being somewhere where things had been made by local hands, no one was trying to get you to wear a logo, everyone was saying "Happy Solstice" and meaning it, knowing what it meant. Yah baby, happy rebirth of the sun to you too! And although it was as crowded as the Beaches jazz fest the vibe was much better. If people squished you, you also got a hug. Kids ran around freely. Random happy dogs.
And we've got a specific happy cat, lots of purrs last night. We knew she was feeling better when we took her to the vet on Monday and he backed away. She's fat but has speed you can't see coming (time of the paw, I think Ross would call it) and has opened him up once in front of us. Another time I dropped her off for a succession of six tests, they got two in and called me at work to come and get her early. The whole team of vet tech's looked traumatized, and she looked pissed, paws tucked low, square eyes and low growls. She adopted the same pose last night. So; they fear her, she's fine. We talked about what to do next time she barfs and cut her insulin in half; a little sugar high is okay, a little sugar low not so much. I really do love her vet and I wish she was a little nicer to him, he's a grounded country type Dr. Ah well.
And we've got a specific happy cat, lots of purrs last night. We knew she was feeling better when we took her to the vet on Monday and he backed away. She's fat but has speed you can't see coming (time of the paw, I think Ross would call it) and has opened him up once in front of us. Another time I dropped her off for a succession of six tests, they got two in and called me at work to come and get her early. The whole team of vet tech's looked traumatized, and she looked pissed, paws tucked low, square eyes and low growls. She adopted the same pose last night. So; they fear her, she's fine. We talked about what to do next time she barfs and cut her insulin in half; a little sugar high is okay, a little sugar low not so much. I really do love her vet and I wish she was a little nicer to him, he's a grounded country type Dr. Ah well.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Cat. Again. The Absolute Almost Worst
A couple of weeks ago there was one of two parties I was looking forward to this holiday season, and cat was grievously ill so I stayed home, Ross came home and we stayed up with cat. We thought she'd got into some bad kibble or something and was high. Likely though, what it was was a wee sugar crash. How do I know? Yesterday afternoon (hours before the second party I'd been looking forward to) she crashed for real. She seemed listless and had the big meows, we found a huge pond of vomit and I reasoned that having nothing in her system for the insulin to work on, she needed sugar. So I stuck a chopstick covered in maple syrup into her mouth and called Ross - of course, when she saw him she perked up and just seemed embarrassed for the mess and display. This "all better - whew" lasted for about an hour. Then she began staggering again so I took her into the kitchen to try to get her to eat. She started walking in counter clockwise circles around me, made one revolution in the middle of the floor on her own and landed on her side. I wrapped her up in a towel to try to elevate her body temperature, which had plummeted, and for a while that seemed to help. Then she started panting - this is not what cats do. Again I called Ross and this time she didn't perk up, didn't seem to register either of us. While I disintegrated into tears my level headed beloved (Ross not cat) phoned her vet and took down the emergency clinic number his voice mail referred us to, phoned them to get directions and we were off.
I cannot recommend the emergency clinic off Yonge and Davenport enough.
She was going into arrest, which if you've never seen involves eye rolling, panting, seizures and the inner eye lid half closing and turning a dark rusty brown. He drove (nimbly and very fast), I progressed to big eyed snotty bawling, and she got really, really cold in my arms. I ran her in while he parked, and one look at her had the receptionist calling out a trauma unit to take her into triage. A vet tech came out immediately to talk to me. They needed a standard non refundable fee to start CPR on her, and would likely need to intubate her, five minutes later and she would have been dead. The standard fee was three times what I had on me and said so; although their regulations would not let them around this I was not made to feel at all bad, the simple fact was there was a limited assortment of treatments they had within my price range and no guarantee that they would work.
They did.
One hour of oxygen, a hot air dryer in the shape of a quilt, a glucose drip IV and vast quantities of oral sugar, she was dazed but able to complain. During this hour, they were compassionate, involved and kept an open dialogue going about what they wanted to do vs what we could do. The receptionist, who was like a grounded earth goddess actually got me laughing and openly refered to us and the other owners in the waiting area as "parents". I looked around at the distracted and concerned people, sipping tea and not talking, all eyes on the main steel door waiting for news. Not one of the owners could bear to make eye contact with each other until they were at the counter checking out their furry (and at one point feathered) charge. To keep her over night, which was safest, would have been over $600 which I just didn't have, so against their best advice they released her to us with some syringes and some detailed instructions. If your cat has diabetes and there is a U after her insulin type, it's an ultra long lasting brand and stays in the system for 24 hours. She would need food or sugar ever hour for at least the next 6 or 7 to get her out of danger. She wouldn't eat, so I used the oral syringes they gave me to force feed her sugar sludge and maple syrup, followed by water. She resisted initially by snapping her jaws shut, then spitting it out, and finally (this is when I stopped as she seemed much improved) by batting my hand and giving me an incredulous look like I'd gone mad. The result of these resistances is that she's sugar coated until I give her a proper bath; the result of my persistence is, well, living cat. Occasionally her body temperature would drop again and I'd wrap her in a heating pad with my hand under it to make sure it didn't get too hot. I learned that inserting a metal chop stick into her mouth between the front teeth and rolling it against her tongue could trigger her swallow reflex, so sliding the syringe of solution along side that and gently squeezing would get some down. As it was a work related event, I sent Ross off the to party...apparently it was awesome. Ice sculptures you could do shots through, the best meal ever, squash put into a form that he liked...he still decided to come home early and she perked up a bit. Even managed to trick me out of my seat by feigning interest in a chair and then hoping on to the sofa while I was clearing the chair for her... Just now, after 4 hours of sleep and therefore not tending the cat, I checked on her and was rewarded with a purr.
Of course, we're broke now. So, anyone who thought they might be getting a non-camp crafted Yule gift, a secondary gift after the party here, or even a sizable card - your gift is that the cat as of 7:33am and counting is alive, okay? And yes, we're cutting her insulin back and taking her to the vets first opportunity we can, keeping a syringe of sugar on hand to hit her with the next time she vomits to ensure there is always something in her system. We will tend and draw out her life for as long as the purrs last. And if anyone was thinking of what to get for us this holiday season, we could really use a drink.
I cannot recommend the emergency clinic off Yonge and Davenport enough.
She was going into arrest, which if you've never seen involves eye rolling, panting, seizures and the inner eye lid half closing and turning a dark rusty brown. He drove (nimbly and very fast), I progressed to big eyed snotty bawling, and she got really, really cold in my arms. I ran her in while he parked, and one look at her had the receptionist calling out a trauma unit to take her into triage. A vet tech came out immediately to talk to me. They needed a standard non refundable fee to start CPR on her, and would likely need to intubate her, five minutes later and she would have been dead. The standard fee was three times what I had on me and said so; although their regulations would not let them around this I was not made to feel at all bad, the simple fact was there was a limited assortment of treatments they had within my price range and no guarantee that they would work.
They did.
One hour of oxygen, a hot air dryer in the shape of a quilt, a glucose drip IV and vast quantities of oral sugar, she was dazed but able to complain. During this hour, they were compassionate, involved and kept an open dialogue going about what they wanted to do vs what we could do. The receptionist, who was like a grounded earth goddess actually got me laughing and openly refered to us and the other owners in the waiting area as "parents". I looked around at the distracted and concerned people, sipping tea and not talking, all eyes on the main steel door waiting for news. Not one of the owners could bear to make eye contact with each other until they were at the counter checking out their furry (and at one point feathered) charge. To keep her over night, which was safest, would have been over $600 which I just didn't have, so against their best advice they released her to us with some syringes and some detailed instructions. If your cat has diabetes and there is a U after her insulin type, it's an ultra long lasting brand and stays in the system for 24 hours. She would need food or sugar ever hour for at least the next 6 or 7 to get her out of danger. She wouldn't eat, so I used the oral syringes they gave me to force feed her sugar sludge and maple syrup, followed by water. She resisted initially by snapping her jaws shut, then spitting it out, and finally (this is when I stopped as she seemed much improved) by batting my hand and giving me an incredulous look like I'd gone mad. The result of these resistances is that she's sugar coated until I give her a proper bath; the result of my persistence is, well, living cat. Occasionally her body temperature would drop again and I'd wrap her in a heating pad with my hand under it to make sure it didn't get too hot. I learned that inserting a metal chop stick into her mouth between the front teeth and rolling it against her tongue could trigger her swallow reflex, so sliding the syringe of solution along side that and gently squeezing would get some down. As it was a work related event, I sent Ross off the to party...apparently it was awesome. Ice sculptures you could do shots through, the best meal ever, squash put into a form that he liked...he still decided to come home early and she perked up a bit. Even managed to trick me out of my seat by feigning interest in a chair and then hoping on to the sofa while I was clearing the chair for her... Just now, after 4 hours of sleep and therefore not tending the cat, I checked on her and was rewarded with a purr.
Of course, we're broke now. So, anyone who thought they might be getting a non-camp crafted Yule gift, a secondary gift after the party here, or even a sizable card - your gift is that the cat as of 7:33am and counting is alive, okay? And yes, we're cutting her insulin back and taking her to the vets first opportunity we can, keeping a syringe of sugar on hand to hit her with the next time she vomits to ensure there is always something in her system. We will tend and draw out her life for as long as the purrs last. And if anyone was thinking of what to get for us this holiday season, we could really use a drink.
Friday, December 16, 2005
The Neighbours Kids
So yesterday to great fanfare and trumpets and such, we had our first real snow fall. I shoveled when I got home but soon enough it was piled again and I heard a gentle tap at the door. Well, more like a thudding bang but not a lot of force behind it - sounded like a kid. Two kids. Neighbours kids, well known for a gentlemanly brand of mischief. They were bored and wanted to shovel my walk for free. Not being a mum at this time myself, I wasn't really sure what to do with them - so I invited them in for hot chocolate and chatter, and gave them a chess set. They brought their dog in with them and we all hung out in the hall talking about child topics and such. I'm not very good at talking about kid stuff, and my valiant efforts to seriously engage my young guests were rewarded with peels of laughter. I mistakenly thought we were on dangerous ground at one point when one of them identified a neighbour as "you know, that man who's always taking pictures of us" which set off aooga sirens in my head that woke up angry and violent parts of my brain. Turns out "always" in kid speak means "each Halloween when we're in costume so mom can have a picture". Whew. But the cat was non too pleased about the wet and smelly dog in HER house. Once they were gone, she staged several protests, and I've had to change my socks. But at least I know she's feeling better if she's angry...
Monday, December 12, 2005
Weddings, Party and Cat
Three weddings this weekend. The first was a small wedding at my favorite bed and breakfast, a celebration by two women of their long walk up the aisle. Their elderly dog was unable to make the trip so they brought a picture of her to set by their unity candles. There was something truly lovely in this, and in the fact that although their rings complemented each other, they did not match exactly. The last wedding was a pick up from my buddy Matt who was unable to do it; this was a larger affair at an art gallery in the distillery district. The guest list was fairly small and intimate but one guest was co-officiating with me. I've done this a couple of times now where there is a family member or friend of special significance to the couple who is unlicensed, but who they would like to perform their ceremonies. It's a real privilege to preside. The second wedding though, has to be my favorite this weekend.
I got to marry my good friend Maribelle to her charming new guy, Alex. In my dining room. At our annual Yule party. And it was a surprise to almost all the other guests. Very very nice. I've known Maribelle for 12 years or so now, and I got very emotional filling out her paperwork...za. So very nice. And they brought an ornament for our tree - each year we invite friends to craft an ornament representing what they'd like for the new year to hang on our tree as a wish. Last year almost everyone got what they wanted - the couple who hung a house bought one that looked almost identical. The woman who hung a box of hearts found a new boyfriend. My dude hung a knight for his intent to work to being a scholar at AEMMA - he is. My wish was to be published - my story comes out in the anthology "Mythspring" in about Feb 06. I hope everyone gets what they wished for this year too, it would be very nice.
And the cat came out to play at the party. She's made yet another Miraculous Recovery and returned to her original programming with some new twists - she's friendlier and braver. It was bravery she displayed on Saturday night, she just wanted everyone to leave. But she came down and said so, which was rather unusual. And the party, much to her chagrin, went very very late. Still, she's happy and playful today. The insulin is at a good level and I think a few days ago when she exploded she'd just got some bad kibble, got high. Now that she's sorted out she's right at purring rain, and this makes for a very happy Roben indeed.
I got to marry my good friend Maribelle to her charming new guy, Alex. In my dining room. At our annual Yule party. And it was a surprise to almost all the other guests. Very very nice. I've known Maribelle for 12 years or so now, and I got very emotional filling out her paperwork...za. So very nice. And they brought an ornament for our tree - each year we invite friends to craft an ornament representing what they'd like for the new year to hang on our tree as a wish. Last year almost everyone got what they wanted - the couple who hung a house bought one that looked almost identical. The woman who hung a box of hearts found a new boyfriend. My dude hung a knight for his intent to work to being a scholar at AEMMA - he is. My wish was to be published - my story comes out in the anthology "Mythspring" in about Feb 06. I hope everyone gets what they wished for this year too, it would be very nice.
And the cat came out to play at the party. She's made yet another Miraculous Recovery and returned to her original programming with some new twists - she's friendlier and braver. It was bravery she displayed on Saturday night, she just wanted everyone to leave. But she came down and said so, which was rather unusual. And the party, much to her chagrin, went very very late. Still, she's happy and playful today. The insulin is at a good level and I think a few days ago when she exploded she'd just got some bad kibble, got high. Now that she's sorted out she's right at purring rain, and this makes for a very happy Roben indeed.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
My Secret Love Of Disco
Not so secret, it seems. Just got a disc of thank you music from a wedding a couple of weeks ago - all disco, all the time. I tell you, there is nothing finer than the Villiage People singing "go west".
Likely way more than you needed to know.
Cat is miraculously healed, house is toasty, friends are fed and although my Gorbachev bank on Ebay still has no bids (I swear that none of this is code) it's a pretty happy day over all.
Smooshy vibes to all .
Likely way more than you needed to know.
Cat is miraculously healed, house is toasty, friends are fed and although my Gorbachev bank on Ebay still has no bids (I swear that none of this is code) it's a pretty happy day over all.
Smooshy vibes to all .
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Tis the season...
Cat exploded. Only way I can put it; it was a spectacular and emotionally draining evening last night that necessitated blowing off the one work party (at a b&b) that I was looking forward to and changing my clothes. Twice. Her behavior ranged from purring in circles to convulsing and vomiting, with some cat screaming thrown in for good measure. Ross came home from the party, I stayed here and freaked out, thinking my cat was dying. Eventually, she seemed to level out so I bathed the forms of grossness off of her (and myself...the floor...the couch...) and today is much improved. Near as we can figure, some food which had been in an open bag at the back of the cupboard got some mould and she got really high. Either that or it was a diabetic episode but either way...not a good way to start the holiday party series. Gah.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)