Quiet times

[Poppaea]

Originally Posted by BookCat

Losing a cat is always tragic; I'm nursing one who probably doesn't have much longer.

Your description of the neighbours reminds me of my previous house. The area was a reasonably nice one of Victorian terraces when I bought it, but later, when the gov decided that 50% of school leavers should go to university, it became a student area - most of the owner-occupiers moved out. Each October I had a new batch of neighbours, some of whom slammed doors, played loud music and were abusive if I complained to them. Thankfully, the uni housing dept had words with them. There were always shouts in the street of people returning from pubs and clubs late at night. The summer didn't offer much respite: landlords would do work to the houses and I'd have the banging of hammers and drills all day.

I moved when property developers started overdeveloping the area - they also wanted to buy my house for a good price, regardless of condition.

It was a culture shock to live in a quiet neighbourhood.

I'm also a veggie, not vegan, and my staple diet at the moment is muesli, and lots of vitamin pills!

I am sorry to hear about your cat!!! It must be very hard for you. Here is a virtual hug. Mine is old and fragile too, but it looks like she has some more time till it gets serious.

Normally it is quite quiet in our house. The neighbours next door raised three kids and there were two more downstairs. None of them ever bothered me. Not their music or when their play got rough or when they were quarraling. I never felt the need to say anything about it, it was just normal. I heard them sometimes and I am sure they do hear me from time to time, well, rarely, but still. These two kids are different. They aren't the least bit sweet or even nice. The boy started to call me a$$**le when he is sure no one else hears it when he was six. They don't say hello to any of the neighbours and their parents never felt the need to say sorry, when I went to ask them to put a damper on it. On the contrary I was cut by the parents, too, after I said something for the first time. And I made sure I said it very, very nicely, because I have a temper and I wanted to be sure it didn't get the best of me.

I already tried to move, but it is extremely expensive and will take at least three years of saving up and it is very hard to get a flat right now. And even if you do, the rent will be much, much higher. I've had my contract for nearly 20 years, a new contract would put me in a one room apartment with no balcony. I guess it will be cheaper to schlepp them to court. Which I am contemplating.

Muesli and vitamin pills doesn't sound good. Maybe you could find someone to shop some veggies for you? Here we have an veggie only shop that has crates on the sidewalk and the owner steps out to serve their patrons. This way I don't have to walk into a supermarket, but I still try to limit my outings. Last time I was out and about a bunch of twentysomethings was walking four next to one another with hardly any room for me to pass them (I was next to the buildings on the side walk). There was no social distancing possible.

I am a fairly new veggie btw. I plan on making the switch to full vegan but I still do need some cheese right now. Everything else is vegan but the cheese... well, it'll take some more time.

[BookCat]

Originally Posted by Poppaea

I am sorry to hear about your cat!!! It must be very hard for you. Here is a virtual hug. Mine is old and fragile too, but it looks like she has some more time till it gets serious.

SNIP

Muesli and vitamin pills doesn't sound good. Maybe you could find someone to shop some veggies for you? Here we have an veggie only shop that has crates on the sidewalk and the owner steps out to serve their patrons. This way I don't have to walk into a supermarket, but I still try to limit my outings. Last time I was out and about a bunch of twentysomethings was walking four next to one another with hardly any room for me to pass them (I was next to the buildings on the side walk). There was no social distancing possible.

I am a fairly new veggie btw. I plan on making the switch to full vegan but I still do need some cheese right now. Everything else is vegan but the cheese... well, it'll take some more time.

Thanks for the hug. He has suspected FIP, which, ironically, is a mutation of feline coronavirus. It's impossible to definitively diagnose. Cydric is 12, far too young to meet Bastet, but older than cats with FIP usually are. I just wish he would eat!

I've been veggie for 40 years, since my second year of uni. Initially I would sit with some veggie cookbooks every friday night and suss the week's menu, then go out and shop for the week on the saturday. After a year of this I cooked instinctively.
When I lived in the aforementioned area, there were shops just round the corner which sold groceries and veg - I went there almost every day and chatted to the shopkeepers.

When I rescued a colony of feral cats one winter, I needed so much cat food that it was easier to do online supermarket shopping. That's when the muesli fetish began. Most of the veg didn't keep and I became too lazy to walk up to the corner shop.

Unfortunately, where I live now the only small shop doesn't sell veg. There's a Tesco not far away, but I doubt they have any veg at the moment. I'm waiting for the panic buying to be over, assuming cupboards get too full to buy any more.

[binaryhermit]

apparently it's been weirdly calm at work since pritzker issued a stay at home order

[Poppaea]

Originally Posted by BookCat

Thanks for the hug. He has suspected FIP, which, ironically, is a mutation of feline coronavirus. It's impossible to definitively diagnose. Cydric is 12, far too young to meet Bastet, but older than cats with FIP usually are. I just wish he would eat!

I've been veggie for 40 years, since my second year of uni. Initially I would sit with some veggie cookbooks every friday night and suss the week's menu, then go out and shop for the week on the saturday. After a year of this I cooked instinctively.
When I lived in the aforementioned area, there were shops just round the corner which sold groceries and veg - I went there almost every day and chatted to the shopkeepers.

When I rescued a colony of feral cats one winter, I needed so much cat food that it was easier to do online supermarket shopping. That's when the muesli fetish began. Most of the veg didn't keep and I became too lazy to walk up to the corner shop.

Unfortunately, where I live now the only small shop doesn't sell veg. There's a Tesco not far away, but I doubt they have any veg at the moment. I'm waiting for the panic buying to be over, assuming cupboards get too full to buy any more.

Ah, when I was about twenty I got a deadly ill cat, because my mom had a property management company and one of their tennants died. Turned out she had about 150 cats in her flat and I was voluteered (very much against my will, because I knew how it would end!) to clean litter boxes. You hadn't finished pouring fresh litter into a box when one of the cats hopped in to use it. They were all desperate to find a fresh one. It really is true the poor things hate to share the litter boxes. Right the very first day when I wanted to leave there sat one cat in my handbag. So off it went with me. The poor thing was so ill, I dreaded going home after work because I always feared she'd lie dead on the floor. I try to remember what it was she had, but I can't. I think it was FIV, not sure though. Anyway, she made it and was adopted by our housekeeper. It was apparently love at first sight. When I went to visit, the cat saw me enter their flat and ran with a swoosh under the bathtub. She really was afraid I came to take her with me. The cat went everyday to the bus stop to meet our housekeeper after work for the rest of her life. :-)

He won't eat because it either hurts him or he dreads throwing up. Can you hand feed him little bits? Or try to top it with some vitamin or malt paste, usually they love the stuff. My last resort is a thin veneer of leberwurst, works a charm every time.

Try the Tesco, I think you'll be surprised. The supermarkets here a full of produce, they only lack canned food, rice, flour etc. and toiletpaper.

I tried being a veggie a couple of times in my life. First time was in 1983, when I was 19. I was friends with some Reggae musicians and they tried to change my eating habits. But the cravings always got the best of me. But I never gave up trying and I hope it sticks this time.

[Poppaea]

Originally Posted by binaryhermit

apparently it's been weirdly calm at work since pritzker issued a stay at home order

Are you working from home now?

[taosaur]

I've not set foot outside my apartment since Sunday the 15th, unless you count a couple forays onto the balcony, so I'm not sure if it's quiet or not. There's still a decent amount of traffic in the mornings, but my neighborhood's full of doctors and hospital staff, so there would be regardless. I've been looking for hiking weather, but every day's been either decent temps and raining or sunny and freezing. Last week was more or less PTO for all but maybe three people at work, but today we're having the, "Okay, if you're working from home, what will you actually be doing?" meeting, by phone.

[BookCat]

Originally Posted by Poppaea

Ah, when I was about twenty I got a deadly ill cat, because my mom had a property management company and one of their tennants died. Turned out she had about 150 cats in her flat and I was voluteered (very much against my will, because I knew how it would end!) to clean litter boxes. You hadn't finished pouring fresh litter into a box when one of the cats hopped in to use it. They were all desperate to find a fresh one. It really is true the poor things hate to share the litter boxes. Right the very first day when I wanted to leave there sat one cat in my handbag. So off it went with me. The poor thing was so ill, I dreaded going home after work because I always feared she'd lie dead on the floor. I try to remember what it was she had, but I can't. I think it was FIV, not sure though. Anyway, she made it and was adopted by our housekeeper. It was apparently love at first sight. When I went to visit, the cat saw me enter their flat and ran with a swoosh under the bathtub. She really was afraid I came to take her with me. The cat went everyday to the bus stop to meet our housekeeper after work for the rest of her life. :-)

He won't eat because it either hurts him or he dreads throwing up. Can you hand feed him little bits? Or try to top it with some vitamin or malt paste, usually they love the stuff. My last resort is a thin veneer of leberwurst, works a charm every time.

Try the Tesco, I think you'll be surprised. The supermarkets here a full of produce, they only lack canned food, rice, flour etc. and toiletpaper.

I tried being a veggie a couple of times in my life. First time was in 1983, when I was 19. I was friends with some Reggae musicians and they tried to change my eating habits. But the cravings always got the best of me. But I never gave up trying and I hope it sticks this time.

Wow that's a lot of cats! The first colony I rescued had only eight cats; they weren't too unfriendly and I managed to find homes for 6 of them, and kept the other two, one of whom - Victoria - I still have. The poorly one, Cydric, was one of a litter of three born to a feral mum, who brought them into a lean-to I had on my house. When they developed cat flu I trapped them (humanely) nursed them and kept the mother and three kittens.
I still have Victoria and Cydric. She's going to be heartbroken (as will I) when he dies; she loves him.

I'm trying to syringe feed him Hills a/d food. He does have an issue with his teeth, but is too weak to take a general anasthetic. Unfortunately, because his mum was feral for a long time, he hates being handled. I wrap him in a towel, with limited success.

As for Covid 19, the prime minister tonight announced a virtual lockdown, with certain exceptions. One is medical visits: I'm having the cast removed from my arm tomorrow. The other is caring for the vulnerable, which I hope covers Cydric's vet visits!

[taosaur]

Originally Posted by BookCat

As for Covid 19, the prime minister tonight announced a virtual lockdown, with certain exceptions. One is medical visits: I'm having the cast removed from my arm tomorrow. The other is caring for the vulnerable, which I hope covers Cydric's vet visits!

Ohio spelled out in their shelter-in-place order that caring for pets counts. They also had a whole sub-section confirming that medical marijuana dispensaries and grow ops are essential

[binaryhermit]

I know Denver tried to close liquor stores and weed dispensaries, I guess they backed off because of a huge run on them.

[taosaur]

Ohio's governor and health czar (don't know her real title) have been showing remarkable good sense, and we do seem to be flattening our curve a little ahead of the rest of the country, at least for now.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by kyteflyer

High risk here: 70 years old, diabetes, heart disease, COPD... need I say more? I’m trying to avoid all contact but that isnt possible. Supermarkets have stopped home deliveries, so when I need more supplies I will be forced to go out. Nobody to shop for me, you see. One of the hazards of being a hermit. That said, so far so good.

Have you tried reaching out to a local church? I know services are cancelled but sometimes churches can do other things besides their normal services. Perhaps someone from one of them could pick up the groceries for you. Just a thought.

[crich70]

Overall I'm staying in most of the time. Only go out to take out trash & recycling, get mail, pick up some groceries and/or meds (I have type 2 diabetes and blood pressure problems) or if I had to go to the clinic. Of course my clinic is going to telemeds as much as possible. I have a therapist appt. on April 13th which is likely either to be via zoom or on the phone. Losing my mom and my fiancee within a year of one another has been rough. Mom passed on Palm Sunday 2018 (March 25th) and Lisa passed the day after Palm Sunday in 2019 (April 15th). Living alone has its good points I suppose but too much solitude can make you stir crazy. I'm going to take part in the April Camp NaNoWriMo as one way to keep busy.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by Apache

My wife is high risk, but has been staying home mostly. We had a doctors appointment out of town this morning and are back now. I was supposed to go to a rock concert next weekend, but it has been cancelled.
Apache

I hope you and your wife will continue to stay in good health Apache.

[Thasaidon]

Originally Posted by crich70

I hope you and your wife will continue to stay in good health Apache.

I will second that and hope that all Mobileread members do the same. Stay safe!

[Pulpmeister]

A lot of closures here, cafes only takeway, restauarants shut, my local mini-mall (which consists of mostly essentials like supermarket, pharmacy, news agency still running okay. Also the adjacent bottle shop, on the theory that wines and beers will keep morale up. Imagine adding compulsory teetotalism to our miseries!

Picked up a six pack of Peroni Leggera today, temperatures in the high 90s. Need a bit of morale!

Assuming the news from China is right-- epicentre has no new cases for several days, which suggests it has burned out there; it gives us a few clues on how long we have to hunker down before it burns out in our localities.