Tag: meisaj

Its about me.

I realize

meisajDaily Life

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

meisajDaily Life

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

meisajDaily Life

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.

The Bounce

meisajDaily Life

I have to carry a bouncey ball around with me. And I don’t care if its spelled bouncy and not bouncey, I like the ‘e’ in there.

It is a strange habit that gets me through the day and relaxes me. I carry it at work (I am lucky enough to work somewhere that doesn’t seem to mind that I bounce a ball through the halls). When I am called for something on the other side of the building I grab it to bounce while walking down the halls. If I’m waiting for the busses in the morning I have the ball in hand. It just feels right to carry a stress reliever with me. If I’m frustrated I bounce it, it changes my focus from whatever is frustrating to bouncing the ball, relaxing me instantly. I use it this way for students who are upset and can’t calm down. I give them my bouncey ball. This automatically makes them relax for a few reasons: a) it’s special, it’s something they know I cherish that I’m sharing with them; b) its the same distraction for them it is for me; and c) it can be good to get anger out, they can throw it as hard as they need to in the gym and nothing will get hurt (although it hit me in the eye once and I had a slight bruise).

So when we were away on a three day field trip with the 5th graders this last week and one of them had a birthday, it was particularly special for him when I gave him my bouncey ball. The one I had been carrying around since the beginning of the school year.

It’s not just any ball either, I need the ‘Whammo Superball’. Luckily they sell for two dollars at the local toy store two blocks from my apartment.

So today I will be bouncing my replacement Superball all over the place to break it in.

Good vs Interesting

meisajDaily Life

I remember answering this question once: Would you rather have a life full of good things happening to you, or interesting things?

I chose interesting.

It never bugged me.  I’d still pick interesting.  If I ever had to wish it for someone else I’ wish them good things, but in my own life and experiences I’d pick interesting.

I don’t know if that’s an odd answer or not, but I like stories.  I tell a lot of stories about my life.  Bouncing my face off a parked car while riding a skateboard late at night.  Walking miles in the rain (late at night).  Getting punched in the face.  Breaking my collar bone (shattering is a better word to describe it).  My appendix betraying me.  Multiple ex’s and that drama.  Getting rescued by drunken hillbillies.  Being broke as hell at 30.  There’s 9,000 more, and while none of them are horrible bad things, they certainly don’t qualify as “good” things.

In some ways I suppose I’m lucky.  I’ve never lost a close family member.  My two cats, despite their many problems, are still alive.  I’m in decent shape, eat pretty well, and exercise.  I have a job which only causes a few new gray hairs a week.  I have an awesome girlfriend.

Life is good for me, but only because so many interesting things have happened along the way.

So good vs interesting, I’ll always choose interesting.

Crazy Santorum supporter

meisajDaily Life

A Rick Santorum supporter on why being pro-life is the most important aspect of his candidacy.

“Because if we put God first in our lives he will bring economic prosperity and security to our lives.”

Really? We need more religion in government. We need to become a “Christian Country.” Sucks for all those other religions in our country. And where was God when we slid into the recession. But don’t ask the church that.

John Stewart put it fantastic when he said that Religions aren’t countries, nor are government, they are part of society. As such they can’t dictate everything that goes on in society, nor can they ignore the realities of that society. I put on my blog earlier and I’ll put it here again. Anyone saying their is a war on religion is mistaking a war for religions not getting everything their way. And that’s absurd.

I think the only thing to do is start my own religion. Obviously I’ll have to link it Christianity some how, oh and I need to make it male dominated and deny women all sorts of rights. And I’ll be the head the head of my religion so if you disagree with me I’ll just say you’re wrong and going against God. No other defense needed.