tag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:272287the trick is to keep breathingcoffee || CAPSLOCK || cock jokes || chemical engineeringunfortunate hobo2017-05-22T04:32:30Ztag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:272287:395836Foster Family, Day 12017-05-22T04:32:30Z2017-05-22T04:32:30Zpublic4So with the help of <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://drakonlily.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png' alt='[community profile] ' width='16' height='16' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://drakonlily.dreamwidth.org/'><b>drakonlily</b></a></span> and <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://crankyoldman.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png' alt='[personal profile] ' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://crankyoldman.dreamwidth.org/'><b>crankyoldman</b></a></span> and some other friends, we have collectively rescued a mama cat and five babies from the wilds of a porch in Columbus. One of the babies was adopted out; the other 4 came to live with me until they are old enough to leave mama. <br /><br />Mama is 1-2 years and incredibly smol. The 4 babies are around 3-4 weeks old. I know it's gonna go quickly, so I'm gonna keep a record here of what we do each day that's cute and noteworthy. I've been up there maybe 6-7 times today, making sure mama has enough food, making sure everyone is adjusting. Here are today's benchmarks:<br /><br />- all the kids run to greet me when I come in the room, with tiny squeaks<br />- I had four amazed and confused kittens breathlessly watching me scoop their poops<br />- mama realized she could get away from the kittens by jumping on the bed; she then proceeded to take a half-hour breather-nap while I babysat<br />- for the first time since they've been here, mama lay down by me and let them nurse. I've never been able to actually watch a mama and litter nursing from that close and for that long before. The purring as the kittens feed reaches incredible volumes, and mom alternated between dozing and giving me this worn-upon look that's the cat equivalent of rolling eyes. I was just surprised and impressed that in the short time she's been here she came to trust me enough to feed the kids less than a foot from me. <333333<br /><br /><br />Tomorrow we start clipping kitty claws, and introduce some new toys. As for tonight, I'm curled up on the couch (where I've been sleeping bc my bed is covered in stuff, but that's another story) with my cats on and near me, and we're off to bed. They aren't mad yet, just a bit needy and kind of resigned. <br /><br /><br />Obviously pics will be coming -- it's hard to get great shots in that room, but I'll manage. :3<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=seventhe&ditemid=395836" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:272287:385892rearrangement of entire life plan2016-04-22T03:11:29Z2016-04-22T03:36:31Zpublic3<p>Reasoning: </p>
<ol>
<li>I make amazing money <em>for my age</em> and I should take advantage of that </li>
<li>I am in a good position: owning a house already, partnered but legally single, no dependents </li>
<li>I need my goddamn health insurance so cannot quit </li>
<li>I don't completely loathe what I do yet (it's more like a bipolar disorder relationship). </li>
</ol>
<p>Plan:</p>
<ul>
<li>live well but frugally for the next 15 years </li>
<li>enjoy the shit out of the next 15 years well but responsibly </li>
<li>take good care of self and health </li>
<li>pay off house </li>
<li>save well </li>
<li>retire at 50. </li>
<li>become actual hermit </li>
<li>spend rest of life writing and giving the world the middle finger </li>
<li>become millionaire </li>
<li>replace body with wheels </li>
<li>profit </li>
</ul>
<p>15 more years at my job gives me the new plant I want - covers everything from engineering to actually flipping the switch to development projects - as well as turnover to build a dynasty (not that I am arrogant BUT I AM but really it's to protect the years invested in the place): I'd literally hit the peak of my career then leave. and, if I work it right, lots of company buffing of my 401k. </p>
<p>50 will be a bit old on my poor broken body, but it's still an age you can do most things: travel, hobbies, open a bar with your friends, etc</p>
<p>The counter-thought is "take your break now" but I'm not in any kind of position health-wise to do so: need insurance, so need (a) job; this job has good/decent insurance; not good at traveling right now; too much house debt to really call off the paychecks. Trust me, it's tempting to toss everything and run to the woods, but it isn't a good place. </p>
<p>But working <em>towards</em> something makes the working seem slightly more palatable</p>
<p>1^0 edit I FORGOT TO MENTION what I want to do with my millions: I want to be a patron of the arts and sciences. </p>
<p>One of the things that sticks out in my memory from my Germany trip - touring an old palace - it's so weird that this was significant - but I was doing the headphones tour of Queen Sophie's palace and there was so much discussion about how royalty and the well-off were <em>patrons</em> -- of arts, sciences, literature, voyages, anything they wanted. It is this weird mindset - and ok I know that historical context etc life was NOT A MAGICAL BETTER BACK IN THAT CENTURY - but in our evolution to what we are now we have really and truly lost that spirit? Rich people don't go and support artists they personally think are cool anymore, or host salons for neat artists to get together, or sponsor someone to write a symphony or a novel, and --- there's something about that concept that really appeals to me. </p>
<p>So after my job and my novels and my millions, I plan to become a <em>patron</em> of the arts and sciences. If you can wait 15 years, you all get first dibs.</p>
<p>2^0 edit <em>im not even drunk guys, seriously</em></p>
<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=seventhe&ditemid=385892" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:272287:326094Medical woes in multiple directions2012-08-22T13:23:05Z2012-08-22T13:29:37Zpublic6I am sitting in the waiting room of Lab Corp right now waiting for my blood draw (with bonus peeing test). I haven't eaten breakfast. I haven't had coffee. These are both cardinal sins in SevLand. It has been an expensive and depressing week for health in SevLand. (edit: I was interrupted for the test and am now happily seated at my desk with coffee post-breakfast.)<br /><br />Yesterday I took Marzy in for his echocardiogram checkup. His heart murmur has gotten no better; while it's still better than it was at his very first visit (when he wasn't on any drugs or anything), it's worse than his last checkup. The obstruction in his heart is getting worse and the walls of his heart are thickening (from overwork), and while they were examining him they did see one fully stopped beat, which means he is at the maximum dose of atenolol he can be on. The thickening and the obstruction are so bad that they're starting to worry about heart failure and blood clots -- although he is still asymptomatic at home, which is still a good sign amidst all the bad news. <br /><br />They've put him on another drug, one that will help prevent blood clots. There's a small chance that this new drug will act synergistically with his current dose to improve the murmur - it isn't a proven thing with the drug, but they've seen it happen in a few cases, so it is worth trying. It's an additional $10-14/month I guess (more expensive for humans but apparently I get a break because cats?) and he has to go back in 6 months for another echo. <br /><br />I was pretty upset yesterday. I cried in the car on the way to giant eagle to get his new drugs, and then accidentally a diet coke from the store while I was waiting and cleaned myself up in the bathroom. My poor little baby and his little broken heart. He is so lucky that I found him and kept him, because i am a crazy cat lady who will pay $$$ to take care of him, and probably no one would have even found it until it was too late. Asshole. I love my cats more than I have loved anything ever and I hate it. <br /><br />Plus I've got all these medical bills coming in (X-rays haven't shown up yet, but just refilled my inhaler, I look, $120) and physical therapy coming up and I may not be doing a whole lot of anything come September because dollars. <br /><br />Bodies. Why.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=seventhe&ditemid=326094" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-05-04:272287:268807Oh!2011-05-18T18:07:16Z2011-05-18T18:07:16Zpublic7The kittens are all doing well. I had to start calling them something, but I didn't want to spend too much time picking out names if they were going to be renamed by new owners, so I've named them all after the Weasleys from Harry Potter. The mamacat is Molly, the oldest grey one is Bill, the rambunctious black one is Charlie, the shy grey one is Percy, and the tiny little grey-and-white girl is Ginny. Yes, I have officially lost it.<br /><br />But! I heard back -- I have someone who will take the remaining two kittens, together! So Molly is going to a good house, Bill and Ginny are going together with B+J that we work with, and Charlie and Percy are going to go live with a very nice lady who just lost a cat of 13 years and wants to bring some kittens into the life of her 5-year-old son. :) :) :)<br /><br />I am so happy that all of the babies get to go in pairs, that makes me really really pleased with how this all worked out. :D<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=seventhe&ditemid=268807" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> comments