RSS Feed

June, 2006

  1. Not Out of the Woods Yet

    June 30, 2006 by Gail

    Hugh at the animal hospital

    I visited His Hughness this morning after a Soak Up the Booze Breakfast (not mine) at Tim Horton’s — which I’m sure has a longstanding tradition of nursing hangovers with coffee and bread products.

    I brought a fresh, unopened package of Greenies with me to the vet, which made poor Hugh perk up when he saw me open his cage. The techs told me he hadn’t eaten anything and he hasn’t used his litter at all, only piddling on his towel. I suspected Hugh wouldn’t use the litter there because he has a very particular way to pee, perched on the edge of the box, and with his bandaged front paw this would be downright impossible for him.

    I handfed Hugh like I did last night, starting off with the Greenies. He then moved on to the K/D, shoving his face in the bowl. Hugh won’t eat if he’s stressed out, no matter how hungry he is, so my goal is to encourage him to eat as much as I can while I’m there.

    (more…)

    Category Critters + Creatures, Hugh | Tags: | 11 Comments

  2. Straight From the (Drunken) Horse’s Mouth

    June 30, 2006 by Gail

    PomtiniIn an effort to do descriptive justice to the debauchery of last night and this morning I’m going to redirect you, since I was merely a bystander who had one bottle of Pomtini*.

    So I’ll let you hear the tale directly from the source (who did not imbibe in Pomtini, but red red wine, just like the UB40 song**):

    Riri’s Brain Dump: The Drunkening

    (more…)

    Category Linkage | Tags: | No Comments

  3. Another Day Without Hugh

    June 29, 2006 by Gail

    Hugh at the vet, plotting revenge
    Hugh at the vet in Scranton for a checkup, completely unimpressed

    Hugh was diagnosed this morning with hyperthyroid, a disease more common in older cats which attacks their major organs and affects their entire system.

    From the Winn Feline Foundation website:

    Hyperthyroidism (also called thyrotoxicosis) is one of the most common diseases of the middle-aged and older cat. It is a multi-system disorder caused by an increase in the amount of thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) produced by an enlarged thyroid gland. It was first documented in cats almost 30 years ago but the cause of the disease has been elusive. Although the enlargement in the thyroid gland is caused by a tumor called an adenoma, it is non-cancerous.

    The most common clinical signs of hyperthyroidism in cats include weight loss, increased appetite (although some patients have decreased appetite), vomiting, increased thirst and urination, hyperactivity, and diarrhea. The high levels of thyroid hormones can cause the development of heart disease, and these patients may have a heart murmur, difficulty breathing, high heart rate and arrhythmias.

    (more…)

    Category Critters + Creatures, Hugh | Tags: | 9 Comments

  4. The ‘Four’ Meme

    June 29, 2006 by Gail

    In a bid to try and get my mind off the conspicuous absence of furry paws laying across my feet and whiskers tickling my leg, I’m posting a rare meme, one that Kim sent to me by email.

    I’m not tagging anyone with this meme, but feel free to fill in your version as a comment. Or if you have a blog and post it there, add your permalink here, merci beaucoup!

    (more…)

    Category Gail at Large, Memes, Polls, Quizzes | Tags: | 3 Comments

  5. We’re Pulling For You, Hugh!

    June 29, 2006 by Gail

    Hugh at the vet, plotting the birds' demise
    Hugh at the vet in Scranton, PA, November 30.

    I just spent the evening at the Veterinary Emergency Clinic. I took Hugh in because he hasn’t been using the litterbox. I’ve been checking it every time he disappears, checking his water dishes, his food dish, petting his belly to see if it’s sore, and gradually I became convinced that something was truly wrong.

    I’ve been spending more time with Hugh the past couple of days, monitoring his behaviour. I’ve watched him approach the litterbox then walk away a number of times. He’s been drinking lots of water, but barely eating half of his regular amount of food and I haven’t cleaned up any pee in a couple of days. I wasn’t terribly worried about the food because he was just as excited to eat his Greenies, and he still plays with me. In fact, last night we played ball and Hugh was as energetic as ever. So why wasn’t he using the litterbox??

    (more…)

    Category Critters + Creatures, Hugh | Tags: | 8 Comments

  6. Protected: Note to Self

    June 27, 2006 by Gail

    This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:


    Category Loss, PWP-2 | Tags: | Enter your password to view comments.

  7. Escape Route

    June 27, 2006 by Gail

    escape route

    I found myself on College Street this afternoon after an appointment, and I took my camera out for the first time in ages. Far too long, actually. I carry my camera around with me everywhere, but I haven’t been shooting much lately and my photostream has been sorely neglected. Crickets started chirping, even.

    Took about 20 or so pictures, and it was like a shot in the arm*. That, and sitting in a cafe writing a letter and two postcards.

    * To the point where I didn’t mind so much getting a parking ticket because I wasn’t paying attention to the restriction signs.

    Category Photography | Tags: | 1 Comment

  8. The Charge Box

    June 27, 2006 by Gail

    I’ve recently started following this site called The Cool Hunter, and the latest in the Gadgets category looks pretty interesting:

    http://www.thecoolhunter.net/Gadgets/THE-CHARGE-BOX/

    In a world that is obsessed with mobile phones, PDAs, iPods and the like, we are perpetually draining and recharging our batteries. In-home refuelling is a cinch, but the same cannot be said for public places where electrical outlets are typically guarded against unauthorized recharging. The ChargeBox offers a solution, which consists of 6 small lockers, each with 4 unique chargers that can power 90% of our mobile devices. Users simply plug in to the charger that corresponds to their device, make payment with a coin or via SMS, lock their box and return when charging is complete. The ChargeBox will top up your battery for 40 minutes at a cost of £1. Already a big hit in parts of East Asia and the UK, it’s only a matter of time before ChargeBoxes spring up in a mall, airport, or coffee shop near you. by Harold C via Springwise

    One of my pet peeves is getting caught out with dead batteries. I wish airports had more sockets — the last time I remember lamenting about this was at Philadelphia International last year. My US Airways flight to Seattle was delayed more than two hours, and I ended up recharging in the washrooms.

    Category Linkage, Unabashed Geekiness | Tags: | No Comments

  9. Watch Out For the Bogey-man

    June 27, 2006 by Gail

    watch out for the Bogey-man

    Love the tongue blur, Bogart! Good boy!

    Category Critters + Creatures | Tags: | No Comments

  10. Phone Buddy

    June 26, 2006 by Gail

    I got a call from Washington, DC, today. It’s taken about a month, but the Lung Cancer Alliance found me a phone buddy. One of the services that they provide as a patient advocacy non-profit organisation is a peer-to-peer network for those living with cancer, either as patients or caregivers.

    When I was drafting David’s memorial program back around Christmastime, I consulted with his oncologist with regards to groups/foundations/etc. that I could suggest to memorial attendees who wished to make a donation towards lung cancer research in memoriam. The oncologist put together some materials for me, and one of the organisations he recommended was the Lung Cancer Alliance.

    Memorial Program – David L. Fielding (236 KB, PDF)

    I had contacted the Lung Cancer Alliance a while ago, and after I told them my story they asked me if I was interested in speaking to someone in a similar situation to my own. I said yes, and today they called and said they’d found someone and forwarded her my phone number. She lost her husband six or seven years ago and thought I might benefit in talking to her. I wasn’t surprised it would take a while to find someone, since David died young and I’m five years younger.

    So in case you’re wondering what happens to the money you’ve donated to the Lung Cancer Alliance, I can tell you it benefits not only patients, but caregivers, too.

    If you’d like to purchase a silicone “Clear Skies” bracelet designed in David’s memory to support the Lung Cancer Alliance, please let me know. Thank you.

    Category Haunted by Cancer, Widowhood | Tags: | 2 Comments

Older Entries