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Dad Pete's Meandering Mumbling of Mind

11/03/2014

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First if you look at the top menu you will see the new Feline Asthma page. I hope to have some helpful information on this condition posted soon.

I am now a full month past the injection of my L shoulder. It is somewhat better but I do need to take a full day or more off every couple of days. Work makes this difficult and this is why I am not visiting as much as I would like. Just sitting can cause pain if I do not hold my arm in the right position. Really great. Thanks for understanding and I will visit as much as possible. Thanks so much for the purrs and prayers.

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09/12/2014

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Keeping the larder stocked with cases of wet cat food is no easy task and requires that I indulge in that all too common pastimes, work. This week I have the wonderful opportunity to present five hour trainings on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. On top of my regular duties of course. The class was engaged so I made it through alive, if a bit tired. This is why I have not been visiting. I shall make up for this post-haste my friends.

Now if I can find time to get a few x-rays of my shoulders and then see Mr Orthopedic Shoulder Guy I will be ready for...

Opening those cans of cat food, of course.

08/17/2014

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Mr Phantom has again gone into hiding so life is better. I need something done about my left shoulder but am hoping a steroid injection will keep things going. I have no idea why I did not think of this before as it helped my wrist greatly. Hope it can be done.

In the meantime sitting on several pillows while having my keyboard at a tilt seems to allow short periods of typing to visit my friends which is the high point of my day. Hope to visit you all soon.

Thanks so much for the prayers and purrs. They help immensely.

08/12/2014

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I had the return of an old friend the past few weeks. The Phantom.

My particular phantom limb pain comes mainly late at night. I wake up wondering what woke me and as I reach around the bed feeling for which cat is close BANG! I know what woke me. Phantom is visiting. Again. I was going to go into a bit of detail but... it takes too long and seems dramatic so I will not. Just let me say I am so glad we are removed from the

neighbors so they do not call the police due to my vocalizations.

This along with my shoulder pain has kind of wrung me out.

Timmy and Buddy are right by my side purring during all of this and the others also. All amazingly empathetic.

See you soon.

I pray.

Ouchie

06/26/2014

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Ouchie! The old shoulders, and I do mean old, are still causing a compendium of consternation. I am going to try and visit our blog pals during work. If I can get a second.

That said Einstein seems to be past his first brush with a cat cold.

Ouchie!

The little tyke has been curling up in my lap on the couch and following into bed since we have been under the weather. Last night he was noticeably more active and at bed-book time he ran in bounced off the bed, ran up the small cat tree, leaped down, jumped to the top of the armoire, leaped to the floor, ran out the door, ran in the door, jumped on the bed, gave me his eyes-all-big I am a wilding-wildcat look, leaped in the air and bang out the door again. Yes feeling better. Rumpy is too.

The tailless one cornered Fitz who gave a grand performance. She shrieked like a banshee. Of course she does this if one of the boys bumps her accidentally as she knows I will put my two coins in.

They say not to  yell at them but my fellows do stop, instantly, well, most of the time they do. Oh ok, Rumpy not so much. Buddy and Toby maybe a bit less. I admit it feels empowering to feel as though my voice counts for something around here. I mean really.

Maybe being empowered by cats following command is an endeavor doomed, before the start really, but, I purrsevere! Ouchie! Ouchie!

06/21/2014

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Hi friends and furs.

I just wanted to thank all who come by to visit and comment on our fur family blog.

That said I want to apologize for not being able to visit much in the past week or so and I do hope I will be able to come by again very soon. Let me explain.

Some of you know I am handicapped due to an accident that occurred back in 99. I really enjoy saying 'back in' like the old westerns. My favorite is 'back in aught-five when I left that slug suckin dang nab...' meaning my divorce but I digress. I was in acute hospital for some months and 22 surgeries that left me with my right arm intact which is much faster than the listing what parts no longer work.

One part that had been working, a bit anyhow, was the left arm. Unless of course I hold it at a bad angle whereupon it hurts like 'ell younin, like bleedin el, just like back in aught...' Sorry, like I said, I enjoy that. Where was I, oh yes. The darn shoulder hurts like 'el' if I move it wrong and keeps it up, usually, until I sleep and it resets, or, whatever it does in the wee hours. Maybe it runs off to a Jersey Casino. OK as long as the treat money is left alone. I am trying to preserve it as long as possible so I can work and feed the crew.

I am working out how to position pillows and such so I can have some time at night to visit. Hopefully, this too shall pass.

Thanks so much for all the support and love you have shown us all.

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*** Update post 09/2013: Thankful Day before Thursday ***

My week started well but then went skidding off to the gutter. Not horribly mind you but there were a few of those “what next” kinds of things, not insurmountable in isolation, but, line them end to end, or, speaking of a cat home nose to end and they grew in that strange way emotional stress may. The additive impact grows as each rubs an increasingly raw nerve beyond tolerance. Those nudgy crusts that peel off the walls and lay on your particular path needing to be scooped into the bin so we can continue or begin some given journey anew.

Of course these things look much darker when one has just had some success. My weekend work on the cat-perches, and, a small shelf, went winningly so lets have at it.

The Cat Perch Project:

Before starting I had checked for materials. Amazing but true. The mind boggles. My normal is coming home with a bag, box, crate, semi-trailer a bit smaller than my smile which wanes as I find duplicates of everything, or missing items, so, no running out to get the materials I should have or wasting time thinking what to build next. And that was not all!

The excitement was added to by: No. New. Tools!

Hah!

You red blooded fellows, and ladies of course, know what I mean. Those constant skirmishes with neat gizmos or upgrades on what we have. They sneak into your cart all the while sniggering with their pals on the shelves:

'see you poor schlubs! I have broken out of this joint!',

'slip under that board Charlie, never see you there. If you get to checkout you have it. No one can admit a mistake!'

Yeah, verily, though I walk through the tool aisle my vision clouded by escape from sight of my too-high-cost, moment of happiness, days of despair, stud-finder and laser-level. Ye brethren who cast your eyes... sight... um... want to get into my cart beware as I shall banish thee to some shelf of my choosing where you will lay until sent to the hateful half-off shelf. You are warned!

The last boost was those years of construction work are still floating in the old brain: Knocking with knuckles to find a stud through drywall still felt like second nature and brought a grin to the fore and I was living large just sitting back and watching my crew explore their new toys. I had a new tea was simply wonderful and adding a touch of honey seemed like some secret lost art of the tea ceremony, rediscovered.

Yes a great weekend and now a fine night that was going just right and... YEOW! WHAT THE... Good lord that HURTS! It was one of those pains that just freezes you in position. It was a cold sweat pain. A real eye opener. If you have never had one of those you are a youngin and I send my regards. This was an odd one though a cramp to end all cramps. The old Galoot over done did it. Well no biggie. Yeah no biggie until it returns like some sneak theif coming to snatch away that most elusive jewel of healthy living, a bit of the old shut-eye.

11PM Ouchie! 12PM Ouchie! 1AM Ouchie!

Ouchie!

Ouchie!

Ouchie!

5:45AM Zzzzzzzz...

6AM: RUMPY! Git outta mah face or you go inta mah bellah! Razzum frazzum bazzum lazzum gittum grrum CAT!

Drag to work. At home luckily. Ah, yes and... what the? I just love when Monday starts off with deeply stimulating case notes. Stimulating as a bit of new art you must contemplate deeply to catch what is being said. The color and flavor always better when the author has not been tainted by those banes of modern education such as spelling, grammer, punctation. Interrupt the code breaking with that toast of modern corporate life, the highly stimulating, always educating, time wasting, mind numbing mandatory meeting. And the Monday clock keeps on... tap... tap... tap... is this thing working... tap... oh yes, it is CRAWLING.

End of work and this, that, the other. Monday night came and yeah man that bed looks so comfy... Yeah that is just... RUMPY! OK, ok I will read to you all and, and, and, and too tired to sleep. 11PM, toss! 12Midnight, turn! 1AM, toss. 2AM, turn. 3AM Zzzzzzzz.

6AM: RUMPY! Git outta mah face boy-cat iffin yo know whats good fer ya! Razzum frazzum bazzum lazzum gittum grrum CAT!

Tuesday dragged more than Monday. Yes there was more but what the heck why mention it. I was feeling weary and Worn and Unborn??? Was that a crappy movie?? Sounds like a title of one but I digress.

That night I thumped in (the prosthetic leg thing if you must know) expecting to start another night of... What’s this? The whole crew is running in? Forget the sheets I had to slide between the cats.

Here, was Fitz, there was Toby, Buddy what do you want with that meow, hey Tim hi there Buttons. Rumpy, are you going to behave, That roll over and belly must mean yes.

What, is all this then?

I pull the sheet up and grab my e-book as every cat takes their position. Tired I read a little ahd look at Tim who looks back with that smile and he blinks. Thankful are the little things. Paying attention to how good a nice cup of tea with a bit of honey can taste. How amusing a turn of the word or an interesting plot can be. And most of all, how special it can be to live with a loving cat. Or 7...

Wednesday morning I was well rested and was ready to take on the day. The coffee tasted really great. I got up to make my lunch and... RUMPY! He knocks a half a cup of coffee on my new carpet. Funny thing is, I still feel very thankful.

Dad Pete