Wednesday

Sep. 26th, 2012 07:47 pm
wookiemonster: (Default)
What an exhausting day...

It started with me taking Rocky to the vet for a glucose check. I figured I had the time, it had been 12 hours since his last insulin shot, and he'd been working on his bandage, so, better to make the trip sooner than later and maybe get his stitches/staples out. The good news is that his glucose was at 97, so, his insulin dosage has been reduced to just 5 units, and it's looking like he may be off the insulin in the near future. The bad news is that Rocky had already removed all his staples and had a small abscess. He's got another bandage, which will probably come off on Saturday, when they check his glucose again. Oh, and he gained another half a pound since last week.

Then there's the car... Went up to the Wilmington DMV for re-inspection. It passed emissions, though, it was close on the fast-idle CO. The repaired accident damage passed. But there was a code for non-regulation clear lenses for the front markers that wasn't well marked on the failed inspection notice from New Castle and that they didn't tell me. The tech who did the re-test told me that yeah, New Castle were pricks with the whole amber lights and older cars and also with not telling people why their car failed. But, it passed re-inspection.

So, I go inside, get my number, and settle in for a long wait, as I was number 536, and they were just calling 482. Then I look at the inspection sheet and see that it still has the whole lens thing and that I failed inspection...

!

So, I wait a few minutes and see that the line is moving with the speed of molasses, then take my stuff and walk around the building to the inspection lanes. As I approach the lane where I was, I see that there is (already) a different tech. He greets me, and I explained my problem. So, he sent one of his other buddies to go to the parking lot and check the lenses. Of course, everything's fine (finally!) and he apologizes, saying that sometimes they hit an "enter" key too quickly and it doesn't register... Hey, it happens. It's all good. He prints out another inspection sheet for me that shows I passed. So then I went back inside and waited. For over an hour. Fortunately, the person at the counter was nice and on the ball. Took care of the registration renewal and didn't give me any problems with the final steps for switching over the vanity plates and printing out another, updated registration form for Mom's Hyundai. (Which will be updated again when she gets the Gift of Life specialty plate, but whatever.)

So, it was a long, drawn out, painful process, but, I finally have Cammie registered and such for another two years. In the meantime, I'll see what I can to to recondition the front marker lenses, plus get some other metering rod sets for the Edelbrock carburetor. There's probably be a set optimum for summer, another set optimum for winter, and maybe a third set for in between. Plus, I'll get a set to run the car really lean for emission inspections purposes. From what I understand, the metering rods and springs are really easy to swap out on an Edelbrock carb.

On the way home, I stopped at Christiana Maul and went to Build-A-Bear to buy/make the Memorial Bear, primarily for TomTom, but also for the others. I'll post pictures once I have him all dressed up and figure out how to work in the collars or tags and such.

And good gods, could they make the traffic patterns any more convoluted and confusing? They're re-designing all the ramps and overpasses and such in the area and...it's...just...a mess. No nice way to put it. And with the holidays approaching... Yeah, I plan to avoid that area for a good, long while.

So, the past few days have been busy, but, a lot of the major stress issues from the summer are finally resolved. The accident damage from March is repaired. The car has passed inspection and the registration is renewed. I no longer have a misinterpreted vanity plate and instead have the plate my father had on his Triumph Spitfire since before I was born (CIAO). Rocky is approaching ideal health, despite his penchant for removing any kind of stitch or suture. And now, I am just totally, completely exhausted.

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Burnout

Aug. 31st, 2012 02:01 am
wookiemonster: (Default)
Semi-quick, worn-out post before bed, in an attempt to alleviate some insomnia...

After receiving advice from several people that I trust that it would be better to just get the damn temporary pass from DMV than risk getting pulled over and having my car impounded, I've decided that tomorrow morning, I'll be making a trip to the DMV and going in to work late and staying late. This is teaching me that there is no such thing as "a little, minor fender-bender." I'm not mad at the person who caused the accident, because, accidents happen. Instead, I'm frustrated at all the bureaucratic bullshit that has accompanied it. The insurance companies have been okay this time around, but... The DMV, shops refusing to work on it because of its age (they don't see it as a classic), manufacturers not updating their inventory to show discontinued parts... All for a stupid lens! For a side marker light that actually works.

I'm also rapidly approaching burnout from all the stuff with the cats. Not that I begrudge them at all. But the multiple vet trips and rechecks on sutures and so on... For example, Rocky needs to go back Tuesday morning for suture removal. They didn't take them out today because his scabs keep getting into the area. So, I need to keep giving him drops and maybe cleaning his face daily. Thing is, he knows how to get the cone off. He uses his hind foot to move the bow knot to the front, then steps on it with his front paws and pulls to undo the knot. However, he hasn't removed or attempted to remove his cone for over a day now. Despite being frustrated with it. Tonight, the cone got caught on the edge of his dinner dish and he flipped the dish. We all take this in stride, get him cleaned up and such. He really is a good kitty, despite the rough patches we had when we first got him. No one can replace TomTom, but TomTom taught Rocky well, and Rocky is doing what he can to fill the role of "hoomin helper."

Riffy is doing okay, though, he's definitely lonely without YoYo. I'm hoping this will help him to decide to rejoin the World Beyond the Door.

Minerva managed to unbuckle her new collar, but was ever so happy when I put it back on her tonight.

The one positive thing about all these trips to the vet for checks and such is that I'm pretty much over associating the drive and the trip with TomTom's and YoYo's final trips. It reaffirms my focus on the living furkids which, I think, is what both TomTom and YoYo would want. TomTom didn't have many issues at all after we got him cleaned up after adopting him, and YoYo would probably remember everything we did for him when he started having urinary tract problems, and both would want the same care given to their siblings and successors.

Mom is still recovering. Moving around a little better today, but...yeah.

The stepgoggies came over early this weekend to make it easier for Rich to stay here with Mom. It's all good. According to Rich, they love coming over here. As he's driving them over, they recognize the way and get really excited the closer they get to here.

Rocky's all happy now. I just cleaned his cone a little from leftover food and such sticking to it.

Anyway, I'm finally feeling a little tired, finally, instead of all wound up. Time for some sleep...

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Monday

Aug. 20th, 2012 09:32 pm
wookiemonster: (Default)
Okay, high-speed, low-budget summary of the day...

I ended up taking a vacation day. First, Rocky's face was a dried-bloody, scabby mess. Second, I heard back from Maaco to bring the car by for them to look at it. Plus, I was considering stopping by the DMV for a temporary sticker for the car to give me some time to get the light fixed. Well, I eventually decided to not bother with the DMV just yet.

The trip to Maaco wasn't too bad. The guy there asked me what my plans were for the car and such, and I told him that I was eventually going to restore the whole thing. So, he suggested that instead of paying for some work twice that instead of a full repair on that dent, which would all be sanded down/removed and re-done when they repair the other hole in that panel, that instead they bang the dent out and replace the molding and lens for the light so that it'll pass inspection and look less bad than it does now. This would only cost me $200, leaving the remainder of the insurance money for other things or to be put into savings or whatever. Plus, it'll only take them a day to do the work - drop it off in the morning, pick it up in the afternoon. So, they're going to call me once they get the parts in and we'll go from there, but the guy was confident that they'd have everything in and be able to complete the work before the end of the month so I can get it through inspection.

Then this afternoon, I took Rocky to the vet to see Dr. Lon. His stitches aren't quite ready to come out yet. So, they gave him another anti-itch shot and another anti-biotic shot to be on the safe side, plus cleaned up his face and all. He's got a hydrocortisone solution I need to apply to his face twice daily between now and Saturday to help everything heal. And...he's got a cone of shame to keep him from tearing up his face any further. He's...not happy about the cone, but, he's coping. Meanwhile, he has an appointment on Saturday to get his sutures removed. Fortunately, he hadn't snagged or pulled any of them out. Anyway, he's cleaned up and doing well. The tech commented on what a good kitty he was and on how relaxed he was, despite everything. I'm hoping Rocky knows that car rides do not in any way mean he's being abandoned, but rather cared for.

Anyway, we've set up food and water stations for him that are "cone friendly" and I took the lid off the main litter box he uses. He managed to clip the edge of his water dish at dinner and spilled the water, but, it was all cleaned up and such. Mom has...actually gotten rather patient with the cats since Rich came into the picture.

In any event, I'm glad that Rocky trusts me enough to not be nasty at the vet. More than that, he seems to have learned from TomTom and is becoming a vet tech favorite. Three of them seemed happy to see him today. I mean, one time, I asked them if they told everyone that their cat is well-behaved, and they said no. That I'd be surprised how often they get bitten, scratched, and so on. Hell, my guys don't even hiss or growl at them. Well, Minerva growled and hissed when I first adopted/rescued her and brought her up there for shots and Felv and HIV tests, but then, she'd known me all of an hour at that point. Other than that? My kids are good for the doctor. It's not just a sign of trusting the veterinarian, but a sign that they trust me enough to know I won't put them in harm's way. Every day, I hope I prove worthy of that trust...

On a parting note, here's Cracked.com on the 6 Most Baffling PSAs Starring Famous Superheroes. The first one explains Todd Akins, the last one actually makes me like the X-Men even more, and the Batman one was just...batshit crazy...

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