Thank you for updates and so glad to see everyone comfortably in the same room! (well, I can’t actually see you, but I think I can safely assume that you’re comfortably in there also, behind the camera.)
Here is hoping that either Mort can be diagnosed and cured, or that whatever he’s got will go away as mysteriously as it arrived. – how old is he?
He’s right around 15, getting up there.
Oh, so glad to see this post! I’ve wondered about you and The Boys from time to time, but I figured you were on the road and off the grid. Bob has changed! I can see in his eyes that he’s matured from the delightfully unguided missile he was when you first got him–every bit as lovable, though, and probably less exhausting. He’s going to love traveling with you and will be a wonderful companion.
I hope Mort is OK. It sounds like he may be turning a corner? Here’s hoping. I have no idea how cats do with a vagabond lifestyle. I’m guessing Mort will love it, though. He adapted to Bob, after all.
IME 15 is younger than I’d expect for the digestive system to just quit absorbing food properly with no testable cause (it does sometimes happen in extremely old cats.)
This is great news! Thanks for sharing pictures of the boys.
It’s great to get the update. I’m glad the boys are getting along, and I love the pictures. I hope they get Mort’s diagnosis figured out.
I don’t want to count too many chickens but we showed the house today and got a very promising response. It’s like this - the buyer lives in North Carolina and is moving up to be closer to family (which is another story*). So her son came for the showing, took some video and he’ll send it along to his mom. My sister/realtor tells me that he wants her in this house so she’s close by as opposed to other options out in the boonies. So I think we’re going to get full price and if it sails through I will be out by February.
Or this will all fall through and I’m fucked. Whatever.
Here’s Bob:
*I bought this house from my sister’s husband’s brother’s wife’s mother. I’ll be selling to my sister’s husband’s brother’s wife’s brother’s wife’s mother. Or something like that … I can’t keep it all straight.
Another update: Not to jinx things but I think I’ve got this pile of junk … I mean gorgeous 1 bedroom prefab on a half acre lot sold. I’d been waiting for my sister to get back to me about the deal she was brokering after the holidays and today was the day. She said her client wants to sign a contract el pronto to avoid any raise in rates, so basically I said get that contract writing pen warmed up and let’s get things rolling. I think that means I just sold my house. It hasn’t hit me yet because I’m still at the tail end of quasi-chaos and I don’t even know how to feel about the whole thing.
I mean, I bought this place when I was flush, though I was really hating life - working in cube world; fat; pretending I gave a shit about banking for 60 hours a week. And though there could be a tendency to feel like this is just another failure of mine, it’s hard to dwell on that when now it’s my wallet that’s going to be so fat.
That said … I don’t think I can do van life. I’ve been giving it a lot of thought and it’s just not as feasible as I was hoping. I look to my niece and her boyfriend who are vanning it right now - there’s two of them and they’re in their twenties … there’s one of me and I’m in my fifties. I long for the adventure but I don’t know if I could take the journey. So here’s where my thought process went. I could spend half of what I profit on the house on an RV and travel for a year, but then I’d have to unload it and I don’t know how easy that would be. On the other hand, I could spend the same amount of money (probably less) on rent on an apartment in Portland (as urban as I can get in Maine) and instead of an RV, I’ll buy a nice new car that I can use to do some traveling when the weather is nicer. I wouldn’t be spending like a moron, but I could finally afford to just be comfortable, with a nice car, no boss and no debt … just for a little while. So I think that’s what I’m going to do. This summer possibly look for Jack and Bob to visit the west coast in a late model Challenger if everything comes up sevens.
Obligatory dog and cat pics:
That’s a Bob Ross painting on the TeeVee, by the way.
The animals look adorable and I think you’ve got a great plan.
Bob looks sad that your cat has no legs…
Things are starting to shake and move. Today I signed the papers to officially put the house on the market. It’s a formality. The lady I’m selling it to is buying it at asking price - done and done. I’ll have an inspection done sometime within the next week and then closing will most likely be on February 25, but I’ll have until March 1st to vacate. I have a line on a nice apartment right downtown, not far from my band’s practice space nor the studio where we record, nor the place where I may start working before this whole thing wraps up.
In an amazing coincidence, that place and our practice space is the same place as my bass player is who offered me the job. I have an interview tomorrow at 11:00. It’s perfunctory. My buddy runs the place; I’ve met the HR person before; it’s basically mine if I want it. It’ll pay pretty much the same I’m making in the warehouse, but it’s way outside my comfort zone. I’ll be working with developmentally challenged adults in a music therapy setting. I’ll have to do all these training modules and be certified in some sort of first aid, but basically I’ll be going to work and playing guitar all day. I’ll be a professional musician.
The sour news: I just had to spend a few hundred dollars on my furnace. Good timing, I guess. It would have been on the new owners, but I would have felt like a shit. Basically I had to have the starter and the nozzle replace, so at least that’s noted on the contract and will count toward something.
And Mort. I don’t know about the old boy. He doesn’t look good. He sleeps, eats and poops, and that’s it. Except for the current twist of a nasty brown liquid he has begun puking up. He has chronic diarrhea, and he’s started squeaking and squawking when I pick him up. I’m feeling really bad for him and I’m afraid he’s suffering more than he should be. It’s hard to think about letting him go when he’s lying on my chest purring, but I have a vet appointment for him and we’ll see what the next step is.
Mort - looking good, but feeling bad:
Bobby blepping:
It might just be the picture, but he doesn’t look good to me. I don’t like the way his fur’s standing up.
Pinch a flap of skin between his shoulderblades, then let go. Does it go right back down immediately, or does it only go down slowly? If it doesn’t go right down, he may be dehydrated. How soon is the vet appointment? You may be able to get fluids into him with an eyedropper or dosage syringe in the meantime – make absolutely sure that it’s cleaned out well first.
I hope you’ll give it a try. Some of those kids will never be good musicians, (some will!!), but they will love the time you spend doing it.
I’m sorry the Mort news isn’t good. I hope it’s something the vet can address, but it does sound worrying.
So … vet appointment set for Mort for a “quality of life” check up this afternoon at 4:00. I have that job interview this morning and then I’ll have to come home to deal with that. I’m already a wreck. I don’t know if I’m prepared to let him go. I’m also not sure the best look for an interview is red, raw eyes. Eh, I’ll just tell her I’m high, she won’t care.
Mort. I love you buddy. I don’t want to see you go but I don’t want to see you suffer. You’ve been my best friend for 15 years and I couldn’t have asked for anything more from you.
This sucks.
Here’s hoping it’s something easily treatable.
Mort is still with us. Easily treatable? That’s relative. I ponied up for the ultrasound - he has severe inflammatory bowel diseases, which means he may just have inflammatory bowel disease or he may have lymphoma. Doc gave him a steroid shot which he said should show results within a week or so … then, idunno, if it works he’s just on steroids for the rest of his life.
Job interview went well though.
Best wishes to Mort.
I’m keeping a good thought or three for Mort. I’m glad the job interview went well. Does it sound like something you might like to try?
Hope the steroids work and Mort’s feeling better soon!
And glad about the job interview. Might make it easier to pay the vet. bills. Good on you for ponying up.
Crossing my fingers and sending good thoughts for Mort, who’s a very handsome lad even when he’s not well. Bob may not need good thoughts, but I’m sending them anyway because he’s Bob and so endearing.
I’m glad things are coming together for your new life. And I think you’ll love the new job. Long ago, I worked with developmentally disabled adults, and it was one of the happiest and most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had.