Life Still Sucks, But In An Interesting Way

The bank sent me a letter. They do that often because, in their opinion, I use my overdraft protection far too much. They've been sending me letters telling me there are better ways to "borrow" money. Yeah. I know that. But most people who lend you money generally want you to have a good credit score. They want some assurance they'll actually get their money back. My credit score is not good, so these people tell me "no" and then have a good laugh when I leave their offices.

This letter was different. It said, basically, "you're cut off." They're taking my overdraft protection away. I'm not angry or surprised. Frankly, I wondered why they hadn't done it sooner, if it had always been an option.

Ultimately this will be a good thing for me. I mean, it's money I have to "pay back" every month, so there's no outstanding balance like with credit. And each time I "dip into" the overdraft protection I am charged a fee, which only adds to my monthly deficit. Again, this is money they take from me and which is paid back each month. So technically, I can get along without overdraft protection, and now I'm going to have to try even harder to do so. The good news is it will be cheaper for me because there will be no more overdraft fees. The bad news is that there will be "insufficient fund" fees if/when a check bounces.

I'm going to go in to see the people in this very same bank about getting one of the loans they have urged me to get. The easiest one should be an account based on the equity in my home, and that will mean a very low interest rate. I still expect them to say "no" and laugh at me, though, because my credit score is so low.

I'm also planning a yard sale. I have a bunch of stuff that's worth money, and a lot of it I don't even use.

The cat situation in my home is becoming unbearably stressful for me. A few nights ago I broke up a cat fight between two of my "pet" cats. I did so without thinking and without gloves. That resulted in a couple of fairly deep and serious bites to my right hand. I know that cat bites are notoriously bad due to the sharpness of their teeth combined with the bacteria in their mouths. For this reason it's always a good idea to go straight to the hospital whenever you suffer a cat bite. I didn't. Several of my Facebook friends are angry about that. My hand swelled, and is still swollen, but feels like the swelling is going down. And I thoroughly cleaned the bites with hydrogen peroxide and have been keeping them clean and, until a few hours ago, bandaged. The bites are drying up and scabbing, which means they're not infected. As long as it doesn't get any worse, I'm not going to see the doctor. I'm sure they'll want to put me on strong antibiotics, which I don't mind, but they'd probably be of the IV type, and that would require either a stay in the hospital or a visit every eight hours for the duration of the treatment. No thanks.

Besides this fight & bite incident, I had a minor meltdown a couple of weeks ago. I have at least three - possibly more - cats that spray urine to mark territory. A couple of them want to climb up on counters and table tops and spray things you definitely do not want sprayed. I mean, no one wants anything to be urine sprayed by cats, but there are things that are not so bad, like walls, which can be easily cleaned, and there are things that are very bad, like the clean dishes in the dish rack, and the toaster oven, and the coffee maker, and anything that isn't easily cleanable. And this was what was happening in my house. I have gone so far as to tape protective pads (puppy potty training pads) to many items in order to protect them: my computer, monitor, and peripherals; countertop appliances; televisions (when not in use); and more. This is drastic and somewhat disgusting, but it has saved me some serious stress. But when I had my meltdown it was because someone had sprayed the coffee maker before I could get the protective pad in place. It was nearly the straw that broke the camel's back, and I was about ready to get out my gun and start "euthanizing" all the cats in my home.

"Get rid of the cats," you suggest. Yeah. Easier said than done, unless you just don't care about cats. And if that were true, I wouldn't be in this situation to begin with. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to find a home for an adult cat - even a neutered and vaccinated adult cat? It's very difficult. And I didn't take in these animals just to turn them over to someone who will euthanize them. I have put an ad up on a local Facebook page for pet adoptions, and I'm willing to give up most of the cats that are now in my care. But like I said, there are not many people who want adult cats.

My sweet cousin sent me a book called Cat vs. Cat, which I have not yet read but which I intend to very soon. She hopes it will help me with the problems I'm having. I hope so, too, but I confess that I'm not very optimistic. I've researched some of the problems I'm having and have not yet found the answers. But like I said, I have not yet read the book. I suppose the easiest "fix" would be to find a way to keep the cats off the counters and tabletops. Anyone know how to do that? Please don't tell me to put tape on the countertops unless you can tell me a way to keep it on the countertops. I want to annoy the cats, but I don't want the tape to come off the counter and stick to them.

My car has been causing its occasional routine and not-very-expensive-thank-God problems. First I had a blowout while driving to see one of my favorite authors who was appearing in a bookstore about a hundred miles from my home. While changing my tire I discovered that the spare, which was 16-years old (as old as the car), had shredded in my trunk. So I had to call a tow truck to take me and my car home and then I had to buy a new tire and a new spare. My spare is one of those little "doughnut" spares, which is smaller than a regular tire and requires you to drive no faster than about 50 miles per hour for as long as you're driving on it. It also costs more than a regular tire.

I missed seeing the author I'd wanted to see, but I did managed to get a autographed copy of the book he was trumpeting by arranging it with the wonderful people at the bookstore.

I'm his personal idol! Wow!

About two weeks after the tire incident my relatively new battery died and I had to replace it. I say "relatively new" because it was only two years old, and other batteries I'd had lasted at least five years. I didn't get a free replacement from the store where I bought it, but I got a discount. Same type of battery, though, which means it'll probably last just another two years. Texas heat takes a real toll on car batteries. And I don't have any shade over my driveway, so my car is parked in direct sunlight most of the time.

I had to have another beloved dog put down. He was so sick, and having such a hard time getting around. Roscoe came into my life as an adult stray. I'm not exactly sure when I took him in, but I know it was at least 2004. So he was at least ten years old. He was a basset mix. He'd been a stray in my neighborhood for about two weeks when I put him in my backyard and called animal control to come and get him. Needless to say, they never did. He became a member of my family and was a wonderful addition. He got along with all the dogs and cats, and was housebroken. It took him a short time to get used to using the doggy door because of the clicking sound it made when he went through. For some reason he was spooked by loud noises. But he soon got to be a pro! He went to be with Rosie at the Rainbow Bridge on February 26th - just one week after the anniversary of Rosie's passing.

My butt's getting a little sore because I've been sitting here for awhile, so I'm going to quit for now.

Peace, love, and umbrella hats.

Saturday

Can't be more creative with a title than that. Not much happening.

I made an appointment with my doctor for Wednesday. Going to be very proactive about this chronic fatigue. That's the only thing bothering me, other than the usual growing older aches and pains. I think. Seems like there's something else, but I can't identify it at the moment. Ah well. I have a few days to think about it.

I've done some research and thinking about Roscoe's knee. I'm thinking that he'll probably need the surgery. I'm going to call the vet and ask him what the chances are that it will heal naturally. I'm betting they're quite low. I think he was just letting me put off the surgery because of the cost. I'm going to ask more directly this time. I don't want Roscoe to suffer if he doesn't have to. Of course, he'll be in pain after the surgery, and he'll need special care and physical therapy. But I made a commitment when I took him in. This is something I have to do. (I wish every pet owner was like me in this regard.)

The newness of my iPhone has worn off. I like it. It's interesting and fun. I even got Siri to read me a bedtime story a few nights ago! I had to ask twice, though. And she told me about her friend - I forget the friend's name. She was in the bedtime story, so I asked Siri about her. She was a brilliant psychologist but she's retired now. That's what Siri told me.

Can't think of any more to write about. It's been a boring few days.

Very Busy Yesterday, And Very Tired

I got a lot of things done yesterday. I finally got my driver's license renewed. It expired on my birthday last month! I wanted to get my new license with the "veteran" designation - something that's new for Texas. So I procrastinated, planning to dig out my DD 214 for proof of my honorable discharge. I procrastinated too long. I went a couple of weeks ago to renew my license, but that's the day my car died, so instead of renewing my license, I went to the car mechanic. By the time I was done having my car taken care of, it was too late to go back for the license.

I also got some merchandise mailed - it was something that I ordered by mistake and had to send back. If you know me at all, you know I don't get out of the house much, and usually like to put things off until one day when I must leave - usually because I'm out of food. And that's what happened yesterday.

I also tried to borrow some money, but didn't have the necessary paperwork with me, so that had to be postponed. The people I went to borrow the money from have now called me three times to see if I'm coming back!!! They really want that interest I'll be paying.

I got some groceries, too, yesterday. I'm good for a couple of weeks now! And so are the pets.

The final thing I did resulted in some bad news. I took Roscoe to the vet to find out, once and for all, why he's pooping in the house and having trouble standing up and walking. Well, it appears he has a torn ACL in his knee. Instead of trying to explain, I'll just give you this link, where you can learn all about it, if you like. For now Roscoe is taking some medications, but he will most likely have to have surgery, which will cost a minimum of $800. The vet said I'd be able to make payments. That's one of the benefits of being a steady, paying customer.

I'd stayed up all night the night before (Sunday night). Not really by choice but because I couldn't really sleep. I watched another movie on my iPhone that I didn't like much. It was a "chick flick," and I don't usually like those much, but I already had it so I watched it. It was "Love and Other Drugs." Because I'd stayed up all night, but yesterday afternoon I was exhausted. I went to bed at about 7:00 p.m. And I fell asleep real fast! Got up today at 4:00 p.m., so I'll probably be up all night tonight, too!

Up All Night

I had intended to sleep a little bit last night. In fact, I even "went to bed." But I couldn't sleep. First, I had eaten a large, fast food dinner only a few hours earlier and it was weighing heavy on my abdomen! Also, I didn't take anything to help me sleep because I didn't want to sleep all day today. Then, since I wasn't sleepy, I decided to watch a movie which was two hours long (and I didn't even like it much). Then I started playing Words With Friends, to which I'm quickly becoming addicted, with a friend in England. And now it's just after 6:00 a.m., and I'm awake. The good news is that I'm actually not tired! That's different!

Today I have some things to do, beginning with going to get some money. Then I have to mail something, drop some things off, and buy some food. It won't take all day, so I'll be able to come home and sleep if I get too tired. Oh, and I have to remember to call the doctor. I also need to talk to the vet about Roscoe. I'm getting worried about him. He's having trouble walking to the point where he poops in the house when he can't get outside. Funny he hasn't peed in the house. That's weird, now that I think about it. I really need to figure out what's wrong, and then take care of it.

If you want to play Words With Friends, my user name is "arealwacvet." Don't be upset if I decided not to play. Eventually I'll get tired and want to step away from it. But I'll come back, eventually.

Roscoe's Okay

Roscoe's feeling his old self, today. Thank God. And thank God for my great veterinarian. He gave me absolutely no indication that he was unhappy in any way about my calling him and making him come in after hours.

A Little Scare

Roscoe had his second heartworm treatment today. He had to stay at the vet's office so they could watch him because sometimes dogs have a bad reaction to the treatment. I picked him up after work and he seemed fine. But then he changed. He acted like he was sore, not wanting to get up on the couch or the bed. He wouldn't eat. Not even the turkey hotdogs I offered him. Then he started breathing funny. His breating was fast, and he exhaled in "puffs." I called the on-call vet who told me to bring him in. He was, indeed, having a reaction to the treatment, albeit a little later than expected. So the Doc gave Roscoe a fast-acting cortisone shot and some fluids. Told me to bring him back if he didn't eventually seem better. The Doc said that Roscoe should appear better by bedtime, but that he probably wouldn't want to eat anything. I'm to call him (the Doc) if Roscoe doesn't improve. Anytime. Tonight, or tomorrow. He said this with absolutely no reservation. What a great vet! I'll be keeping a close eye on Roscoe tonight.

So far, everything's okay.

Roscoe is doing okay staying in the house all day. I was worried that he'd start peeing inside, but he hasn't. Instead of removing the doggie door, I laid a chair inside on the floor so the dogs can't get out, but the cats can still come and go. I have one cat that's a little slow. I fixed up the bathroom window so the cats could get in and out, but Sweetie didn't get it! She was making the saddest sounds trying to get out! So I nixed that idea and went with the blocked doggie door. That's better anyway, because I don't have to leave a window open. Don't want bugs coming in.

Last night Rosie made me get up at 4:oo a.m. to let her out. Then I had to wait for her, Roscoe and Celie to all come back in. I guess I'd better get used to that because it's bound to happen often before these six weeks are up. I already have enough trouble getting out of bed in the morning!

I keep forgetting to give Roscoe his morning dose of medicine. Damn. I get up late and, rushing around, I just don't think about it. But he gets his evening dose. And I'm off work tomorrow, so he'll get his morning dose, too! It would be a lot easier if I didn't have to go through the process of hiding the pills in bits of hot dog. Can't someone invent a pill that dogs enjoy eating?!! Sheesh!

Mildly Bad News

I took Roscoe in today for his annual shots, etc. He tested positive for heartworm. My bad, I know. I should have taken better care of him. He has to stay at the vet's until Wednesday, while they administer medication and observe his reaction. Then when he comes home he has to stay relatively calm for two weeks, iirc. THEN they have to test for baby heartworms. If he has those, it's another type of treatment. You see, dogs get the adult heartworms first, then they get the babies. So the adult heartworms are killed first, then the dog is tested for babies, and treated if they are present. It sucks. The good news is that the vet said they have had a 100% success rate in eliminating the heartworms.

Rosie and Celie were both tested during their annual visits and were negative. They're on heartworm preventative meds now.

A Glitch

I didn't get my dogs today. There was a bit of a glitch with the plans. I have been told that I'm not getting Sammy, the senior chihuahua. He has found a home elsewhere. That disappoints me since he's the one I wanted more. I will still get Skeeter, the puppy, but not until tomorrow at lunch time. That sort of sucks. I wanted to get him on my day off so that we could spend some time bonding before I had to leave him alone with my other dogs. Now I'll have to bring him home at lunch and almost immediately leave him and go back to work. Oh well. I suppose he'll be okay. I know that Roscoe will love to play with him. Celie and Rosie aren't very playful dogs, and Roscoe suffers because of that. He has no one to play with. Now he'll have a puppy of his very own! Watch for videos on YouTube!