Unutterably Silly So what are you doing RIGHT NOW?

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Just now I'm browsing MobileRead, of course, but shortly I'll be out to cut another hedge. (I have three. This is the third.)

And I need to wash dishes and then continue cutting Crystal.

[pdurrant]

Resting after cutting the hedge. Alas, the rain came before I could finish clearing all the debris. Tomorrow.

[Angst]

avoiding actually doing some work.

[Stitchawl]

Wondering why I'm at the computer at 5am?


Stitchawl

[poohbear_nc]

Rain finally ended last night! After a cool breezy day I dashed out with the lawn mower before I had a lush jungle develop overnight!

[Stitchawl]

Trying to find the cat... I wonder if she fell asleep in one of the boxes and got sealed in. I haven't seen her all afternoon, and she's not in any of her usual sleeping places. Well, another hour and I'll find out for sure. That's feeding time and she knows that we bought some fresh sashimi just for her. Where ever she is, she'll be asking for dinner very soon!


Stitchawl

[orlok]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Trying to find the cat... I wonder if she fell asleep in one of the boxes and got sealed in. I haven't seen her all afternoon, and she's not in any of her usual sleeping places. Well, another hour and I'll find out for sure. That's feeding time and she knows that we bought some fresh sashimi just for her. Where ever she is, she'll be asking for dinner very soon!


Stitchawl

So have you found her yet? Cats can pick up the vibes that something is going on, and start to act a bit strange, including running off, so hope that doesn't happen just as you are about to move...

I'm preparing myself for a day of "Dad's Taxi", including taking 3 11 yo girls swimming. Such fun.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by orlok

So have you found her yet? Cats can pick up the vibes that something is going on, and start to act a bit strange, including running off, so hope that doesn't happen just as you are about to move...

She strolled in, exactly when Mickey's little hand pointed to the 5 and his big hand up at the 12, announcing her presence, sitting down next to her bowl giving us dirty looks. When we just looked back at her, she came over, jumped up into my lap, put herself nose to nose with me, and ever so politely howled like a banshee for five full seconds (which, relatively speaking is an eternity when you are nose to nose with a cat,) jumped back down and sat next to her bowl again. I got the message... She got her maguro sashimi.

I'm preparing myself for a day of "Dad's Taxi", including taking 3 11 yo girls swimming. Such fun.

Consider yourself lucky. My Hong Kong friend had to play host to a group of 11 year old girls indoors watching 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' for the day. All things being equal, you got off easy.

I'm sitting here fabricating a traveling kitty litter box. We'll be arriving at the hotel in the evening, and I'm sure after spending the day inside her travel box Felicity will be more than happy to find some nice kitty litter to pee in. By cutting up a plastic storage drawer, I can get it to fit exactly into the bottom of my wife's carry-on case without taking up any real usable space. With a bit of duct tape to hold it all back together again, and a plastic bin liner, it will comfortably (and safely) hold a kilo or two of kitty litter. It's just a shame that I can't let her out of her travel box while inside the plane. She'd be a lot more comfortable sleeping in my wife's lap than in her travel box.


Stitchawl

[poohbear_nc]

I flew across the US (Washington state to NC) with my cat in a carry-on travel box under the seat in front of me. He was tranquilized with Valium for the flight and did fine (I could have used some myself) - slept the entire flight - even with the flight attendants asking to see him.

The only hitch in the trip was passing through Atlanta air port - the security folk wanted me to open the box to make sure the cat wasn't wearing an explosive vest. I pointed to the expanse of the airport and refused .... they eventually shone a flashlight through the slits and agreed it was a sleeping cat. They were too dumb/tired/apathetic to suggest we move to a private room and open the box.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

I flew across the US (Washington state to NC) with my cat in a carry-on travel box under the seat in front of me. He was tranquilized with Valium for the flight and did fine (I could have used some myself) - slept the entire flight - even with the flight attendants asking to see him.

The only hitch in the trip was passing through Atlanta air port - the security folk wanted me to open the box to make sure the cat wasn't wearing an explosive vest. I pointed to the expanse of the airport and refused .... they eventually shone a flashlight through the slits and agreed it was a sleeping cat. They were too dumb/tired/apathetic to suggest we move to a private room and open the box.

We tranqed Felicity for the flight from Thailand to Japan, but as it's a nine hour flight, she was awake for the last 4-5 hours. The vets in Japan don't like the idea of dosing the cats before flights (I don't know why,) but I may give her some anyway. I need to figure out the correct dosage for her. And I wonder if Alprazolam might be better anyway. That's a better anti-anxiety drug than Valium, even though they are both in the benzodiazepine class. I keep a large medical supply of everything on hand in Japan, as Japanese doctors prefer to hospitalize rather than home medicate. They will give two days worth of amoxicillin saying that if that doesn't cure your bronchitis you need to be hospitalized. Most meds are available over the counter in Thailand (except narcotics or stimulants) so I always stock up with fresh stuff each visit. I was a medic during the war, and have kept up with the newer medications and treatments just out of interest. I do, however, leave organ transplants to the professionals.

Stitchawl

[pholy]

I do, however, leave organ transplants to the professionals.

There are limits to self-medication, I guess...

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by pholy

There are limits to self-medication, I guess...

Very true. But one never outgrows the fun of playing doctor.


Stitchawl

[poohbear_nc]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

We tranqed Felicity for the flight from Thailand to Japan, but as it's a nine hour flight, she was awake for the last 4-5 hours. The vets in Japan don't like the idea of dosing the cats before flights (I don't know why,) but I may give her some anyway. I need to figure out the correct dosage for her. And I wonder if Alprazolam might be better anyway. That's a better anti-anxiety drug than Valium, even though they are both in the benzodiazepine class. I keep a large medical supply of everything on hand in Japan, as Japanese doctors prefer to hospitalize rather than home medicate. They will give two days worth of amoxicillin saying that if that doesn't cure your bronchitis you need to be hospitalized. Most meds are available over the counter in Thailand (except narcotics or stimulants) so I always stock up with fresh stuff each visit. I was a medic during the war, and have kept up with the newer medications and treatments just out of interest. I do, however, leave organ transplants to the professionals.

Stitchawl

Cats can have quite individual reactions to different drugs - even to drugs in the same class. I had tried Buster on phenobarbital - which everyone assured me was the best choice for cats - but it had no effect on him at all. Valium, however, worked dandy.

So, the rule is to try the drug at home to make sure it works, before the day of the trip. I've seen a lot of differing reports on Xanax & cats - some say it's the best choice for travel, others report aggressive reactions and behavioral changes. YMMV. You can never predict how cats will react.

[Rumpelteazer]

Ordering knives. I'm getting the Victorinox SwissChamp in black for myself, plus a bottle of oil, and for my sister I'm getting the Victorinox Classic Magnolia (she wants a simple knife for work but thinks the standard designs are ugly).

They haven't got the black SwissChamp in stock so it will take 2-4 days, with a bit of luck it'll arrive before my trip to Antwerp next week .

[poohbear_nc]

I'm enjoying a lazy 3-day Memorial Day weekend ... spent the morning wandering around Duke Gardens (the frogs were croaking at full volume), then watched the magnificent Merchant & Ivory film adaptation of Henry James' "The Golden Bowl" - I would never have believed one could cast Nick Nolte and Uma Thurman in a Henry James film - but they were outstanding.