I’ve been practicing drawing on the iPad with my new stylus. It’s a Pogo Sketch stylus, and I like it a lot. So here are some quick doodles.
Author: meisaj
Living in the Cleve
50 miles
I biked 50 miles yesterday. It wasn’t as bad as I thought. I didn’t prepare for it or anything, just went out for what I planned on being a 20 mile ride, then 30 mile ride, then 40 and finally 50. Being that I hadn’t eaten at all that day (except for a handful of Reese’s Pieces) it was probably not the smartest right to take.
It was also a solid 3 hour and 20 some odd minutes of biking. I really half-assed it on the way back, but I didn’t stop at all (except for red lights) and even made it up what I dubbed the “Stuper-hill) at mile 44. I hadn’t really thought about it before hand, but the last 15 miles of the ride take me from a place called Valley View to my apartment up near the lake. All slight uphill. That is a stupid way to end a bike ride.
The only muscles that got tired enough to actually quiver and then knot up were my inner thighs. Mostly on my right leg, first at mile 40, then 42, then 44 (on the hill, where left inner thigh joined right inner thigh in its knotting up), and then miles 46 – 48.
After mile 50 I stopped at Liquid Planet for a smoothie (Orange Creamsicle, oranges and other such fruit and yogurt) coast around the block home and carried my bike up the three floors. I made a hot bath to relax my muscles and actually got out of the tub feeling pretty good, just tired.
My goal for this break is to bike 200 miles. With the 50 mile venture yesterday I’ve made solid dent in the miles I have to right. I feel pretty good with the 87 minutes for the first 25. I need to just make the last 25 more steadily paced.
Odd
It may be a little odd, but I occasionally have whole conversations with my cats. Not just the cats though, also with Sam’s Guinea Pigs. They also swear a lot in these conversations. At me.
Like I said. Odd.
Anyways, so tonight when I get out of the shower Oscar is standing on the sink looking at me like he usually does. Since he got worse a few weeks ago he has been more and more cuddly and much more of a follower (he’s always around). When I shower he usually stands on the sink and stares at me through the shower curtain.
When I get out and stare in the eyes this whole conversation plays out. Not in my head mind you, rather out loud with me giving both voices.
Me: Glad you are sticking around Oscar.
Oscar: I’m still sick.
Me: You’re doing better though. That’s cause you’re a Charpentier.
Oscar: I’ve only been a Charpentier for a few years though.
Me: Doesn’t matter. We ignore pain and sickness through stubbornness and will power. The Vet gave you a week and its been almost three and you’re still kicking. In fact you are the best you’ve been in a month.
Oscar: You know it doesn’t mean that I’m alright.
Me: Well duh. Charpentier’s may ignore pain and injuries and sickness up until death or falling over from exhaustion, but we’re not stupid.
Oscar: Sounds stupid when you put it like that.
Me: OSCAR. Its ok, I still love you.
Oscar: Love you too. Now give me some food you bastard.
I realize
I realize there have to be worse ways to wake up but…..
a cat throwing up loudly at the end of your bed has to be near the top of the list. The sounds are bad enough, however when added with the horrifying accompanying scents it’s nauseating.
To double-down on the “you’ll not get back to sleep after this” Angelo then followed up the vomiting with crapping in the other room…. not in the litter. In case you’re wondering, yes, you can hear Angelo shitting, it is like a loud, messy, wet popping now that happens several time in sequence. Oh yeah…. that smells too.
I realize he’s old, and eating lots of wet cat food of differing varieties and healthiness because we are trying to keep Oscar eating by buying whatever food tastes good, but if he never does this again I’ll be a happy man.
But I’m not kidding myself.
Sigh.
St Patrick’s Day at 33
So St. Patrick’s Day takes on a whole other form at 33. In a past life (or past years) I would be planning a night of drunken debauchery. Instead 33 looks a bit more subdued.
Currently I’m having a beer and cleaning. Yeah… it’s 9:45 am, but this is my first beer in two weeks or so (I really don’t drink anymore) and I’m in a good mood. Its gorgeous outside, Smashing Pumpkins are blasting from the stereo, and our place is a mess. So cleaning and a beer to start the day.
Looking forward I hope the day goes something like this.
Another hour of cleaning (as I said, its a mess)
40 minutes of prepping my bike for a ride outside (its been on the trainer all winter)
1 – 2 hour ride (depending on how I feel)
Shower
Trip to the store (buy some beer, some grilling foods, and other such)
Trip to the park for grilling and walking Oscar
Home and Video games in the evening with Sam (she’s working today)
Out to a bar with Sam for a few drinks
Midnight Showing of An American Werewolf in London at the Capitol Theater with Sam
Sleep
Sunday is planned out also:
Wake
10 o’clock showing of The Apartment at the Capitol (I really want to see this one, Sam wants to see American Werewolf in London…. we’ll sacrifice sleep to see both)
Coffee Pot?
Chuppa’s Market
Dick’s Sporting Goods (look at biking jerseys) & Apple Store (iPad for Sam??)
Laundry
Walk Oscar
DInner??
Sleep
In a past life St. Patrick’s Day falling on the weekend was a reason for all sorts of craziness, this year is more subdued, and I’m ok with it. By the By:
Happy Birthday PJ
&
8 years ago I my appendix tried to kill me. (8, 9, whatever. I survived, Appendix didn’t. He put up a good fight and had the doctors all thinking I’d die, but it’ll take more than gangrene and an angry organ to kill me.)
Ode to Oscar
You are my cat.
Therefore you must rock.
I took Oscar to the vet today. He has an infection in his tooth, same tooth (or at least area) as last summer. When I took him last summer was when I found out about his Kidney issues, and they basically said he had 1 – 2 years left. Last visit at the end of October was fantastic. He was doing great, they pushed back bringing him in from every 6 weeks to 6 months this time.
So when I brought him in for his tooth I figured everything else was fine (Kidney wise). I knew he had lost some weight because he wasn’t eaten much at all, but he was a full 4 pounds lighter than his last visit. The vet still thought it was just his tooth, but wanted to do blood work anyways. His blood work revealed that he was basically in the end stages of Kidney failure. He had weeks essentially.
They offered to keep him there and super hydrate him with fluids, but there were downsides to that as well. I told them I’d rather take him home with me. So he’s on antibiotics, pain medicine (for his mouth) and I have to give him an IV every night. It sounds like a lot, but its not. Even with all this they said it wouldn’t be a recovery so much as a postponement, which I’m ok with if that’s all I get.
I went in with some worries, was picked up when she said she thought it was just his tooth and antibiotics would help, and then kinda crushed when the blood work came back. When the vet come back with results and she has tears in her eyes and is having trouble talking its definitely not good news.
Before I left they told me to “Get him whatever food he likes best, take him out for lots of walks to his favorite places, give him treats and make him comfortable, he’ll let you know when its time.”
I got Oscar three years ago from my friend Dani. She was moving and couldn’t take Oscar with her. It took him a long while before I considered him mine. ALmost a year really. I was used to Angelo, and Angelo and Oscar are two completely different cats. Angelo is a perfect apartment cat. Independent, quiet, loves to cuddle. He doesn’t need anything from you but your warmth, food, water and a clean litter box. Oscar needs and craves attention. He wants adventure, whether a laser pointer, toy mouse, or running around in a park. And that last bit is how I really bonded with him.
I spent a whole summer taking Oscar to the park with me. I don’t have a ton of friends out here in Cleveland, and going to the park and reading, or walking around, or laying on my hammock was always more enjoyable with Oscar there with me. He would run about on his leash and harness for a while and then just settle down on the grass in the shade. After a particularly windy storm out here there were tree limbs all over. Oscar had a ball. He once found a tree with a big hole in the bottom that he could crawl into. He sat vigil in that hole for over an hour.
Almost two years ago when I was dating Sarah we got a ferret. Oscar and the ferret were best friends. It was crazy to see them jumping around and chasing each other. Oscar never attempted to hurt the ferret, just loved playing with her. It was a bizarre relationship between them, they were like siblings. Awesome to see, and made me never worry about them being lonely.
Oscar and Angelo on the other hand are like brothers who love and kind of can’t stand each other at the same time. They’ll lay near each other, groom each other on occasion, but you’d never think they really got along. Usually they are at opposite ends of the bed or couch or even apartment. They fight occasionally. But on the other end of the spectrum Angelo won’t leave the apartment unless Oscar is in front of him blazing the trail. If the door is open and Oscar is out there Angelo will go out. No Oscar and he stays right in the safe apartment.
Oscar basically became family.
So yeah, it was kind of crushing to hear that news today.