Thursday, February 25, 2010

my jadzia

i really thought that i had her best interest in mind when i took her for a dental cleaning and tooth extraction that i had been putting off for a couple of years now because of the expense. despite her nervousness and health problems, including high blood pressure, hyperthyroidism, and beginning kidney deterioration, three vets had strongly recommended cleaning, even though they all knew that she'd have to be anesthetized. her teeth were really bad. one tooth was infected and her gums were receding. dental problems, i thought, could exacerbate her other health issues, or introduce new ones, so i'd better go for the cleaning. everyone thought she'd come through, even me. now, she's lying in the bathtub, lined with towels, pads, and her little bed, struggling to move, barely lapping up fluids, pupils dialated- maybe she can't see. she can't stand on her own. she can barely stand on her back legs. sharp and heartbreaking contrast to the bright-eyed meowing face that would look up at me, full of love, trust, and a longing for tasty treats. i don't know if she will ever bring me little slips of paper to roll into balls to toss for a game of fetch, or curl up with me as i read, purring contentedly, or race around wildly right after i go to bed, or make her own bed in the crook of my leg as i sleep.

most painful now are thoughts that i entertained about life being simpler and more convenient without her. what i missed, why i took her for granted, is so clear to me now. sharing my life with that beautiful cat is more than worth the pet rent and the expense of her medications and special food, the unpleasant task of cleaning her litterbox, and dealing with vomit. i don't want to feel life without her healthy, vibrant presence. she was always there when i was far from home, when puppy had to be away. with her in my life, i would never be completely alone. i always had beautiful jadzia to share my home. i hope this is not the end for her. i love my kitty so much.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

gear in the works


headaches are a pain. pun intended, as always:)

for over a week now, i have kept my commitment to swim every day in an effort to get some good, healthy, fat burning exercise. easy to do, since there's an awesome aquatic center right across the street from my apartment tower:) i was especially looking forward to my swim today, because the pool would be pretty much empty, thanks to the olympics festivities. last weekend, i shared the huge pool with maybe one or two others on both saturday and sunday night. tonight i was robbed of my swim by a headache that began this afternoon at about 2pm.

it had been a pretty nice day until that point, though i did feel a little off since i woke up. kinda lethargic, even though i got plenty of sleep. i went to a new market with puppycat, and got a package of one of my favorite ramen soups on sale, along with a big bottle of one of my favorite hot sauces, "sriracha." after shopping, we headed home with plans to hurry to the mall(practically across the street as well) and eat at one of my favorite restaurants, Pearl Castle, before puppy had to leave for work. when we got to the restaurant, there was an unexpected wait, so we opted to try this little Korean BBQ place called Koryo. after a bit of a search(there was a huuuuuge crowd, no doubt the olympics festivities bunch, and all tables were occupied) we sat down to enjoy what turned out to be a very delicious plan B! I had some bbq chicken with gravy, rice, glass noodles, and garlic potatoes. everything was super tasty, but i think the noodles were my favorite. i'll definitely be going back, but will prolly get it "to go" for the duration of the olympics;)

so, here i am, still with a hint of a headache, listening to some live music down at the "o-zone," richmond's community center/running track turned olympics festivities site. i think i'll start some laundry, make some dinner, and maybe pop some more druggies.