not looking for a freebie or a deal just someone skilled and reliable that we can trust to get the job done safely and well and will actually show up! we need one up at saints asap…the hot water tank keeps blowing the breaker…no hot water totally sucks!

early morning shift again but just this one then back on reg. day shifts.

jake came slinking up on the bed at bedtime like he had just done something pretty damn bad. I have no idea what it was tho so I gave him a cuddle and a belly rub and told him he got away with whatever it was so relax!

it may just have been because an hour before I yelled at mystic to get the hell off the bed with her wet muddy feet. I was trying to change the linens and she was messing up the new and clean shit. she sulked the rest of the night and wouldn’t come back in to sleep with me. anyway, maybe my yelling at her scared jakey?

whatever..doesn’t pay to be too sensitive here cuz I am forever giving someone shit for something, fer chrissakes I live with a bunch of somewhat pain in the ass dogs.

not sure why but odie’s leg is sore..we put him on pain meds for a couple of days.

pokey had his vet visit and some bloodwork done…apparently he badly needs a dental.i really hate doing big shit to almost 20 year old cats but if his mouth is too bad, he will stop eating and that will be a death sentence for him. but, we will wait and see if his kidneys are good enough to do the surgery first.

renee caught sunny right at the start of a cold so he is caged up until he is finished his meds.

phoebe has some really nice quiet resting times and others when she is right back to driving me totally insane.

crash is doing better with the increase in meds…he is not so restless at night now.

jazzy is a kleptomanic, she keeps stealing stuff off my computer desk and ripping it to shit.

I guess I better get to the diabetics and haul my butt into work.

I know how well you all love my WTF? posts.

here are the updates from today.

cliff had the rest of his teeth removed. it is a risky option for a feline leukemia cat but maybe better in the long run than continued high doses of steroids every few months. hopefully this works to control his mouth ulcers, if not, we go back to the steroids.

big sympathetic hug to Helga who had her car stolen last night. I only know because she called me to apologize for the probably never to return laundry that was packed up in her car waiting to come home. I told her not to worry about the laundry and so sorry about her car! and a curse on the morons who stole a 20 yr old car from a senior..nice going, hope your sleazy karma catches up to you one day soon.

shep had to go into the vets…bloody diarrhea and dripping frank blood out of his rectum. it is probably from the spot’s stew I fed him yesterday cuz he turned his nose up at everything else. no more spots stew for you shep, ever again.

the other thing that will never happen with shep again is me grabbing lunch via the drive thru. apparently some kinds of dementia are by choice and with certain triggers..like someone elses lunch..brain cells can fire in high and accurate speed once again.

the second that bag of food hit the car, shep was on high and crystal clear alert. he was pretty much falling over the front seat to get his mouth on my food. he got the toasted bagel, he got the chocolate donut but I put my foot down over the ice cap. the bagel and donut was bad enough for his bleeding gut, there was no way he was getting iced coffee to boot.

once he had fully consumed the bagel and donut, he made it perfectly clear that he wanted the ice cap too. he poked me with his nose, he whapped me with his feet…his freaking mouth followed the cup up to my lips every time I had a drink.

I have never felt such a clear and electric connection with shep before over anything. he was 100% fully there in that crystaline moment of wanting everything I possibly had that he could possibly eat.

funny dog.

wow…I fell asleep before The Voice was over and with only 2 brief times up, slept until 0730….finally a really good sleep catch up!

and the rain is back…sucks for sun worshippers…great for our well and the grass!

phoebe is still all wrapped up and sleeping, her 24 hour bill was about $700. about half the cost of an emergency visit and far more convenient. so glad cedar grove again has long weekend vet visits available.

I am not even going to try to do a to do list for today, they always get screwed up somehow. I am just going to piddle around getting done what I can and at the end of the day we will see what actually I get done.

I have been thinking about a lot of stuff lately…mostly our seemingly god given right to live in a predictably stable western world. but when things like Oklahoma tornados, Katrina hurricanes, boston bombings, school yard massacres, and woman kidnapped and caged for decades appear…then I realize maybe our life here is maybe not as safe and predictable as we think.

global warming, the world wide instability of the American dollar, the pollution of our water and air..these things are going to profoundly affect us one day…maybe that god given right isn’t as god given as we think…maybe we have just been lucky…so far.

I am so about changing the world for the better for all animals and really for all people too. but what if the changes that are inevitably coming will actually make all of our lives more difficult?

cuz here is the inherent fault in our living these lives that we like so well…it is built of the perception that we have the god given right to own, control, and be in charge of our lives, when we actually don’t.

we are as susceptible as any one to the ragings of weather, the economy, violence, war…madness.

the animals know it, that’s why they sometimes survive…and maybe we better learn it…sooner than later.

I am not a doomsdayer but I do believe in being prepared.
and I am not talking about storing up gallons of water, gasoline and granola bars…store all you want..one day they might run out anyway.

I am talking about changing the way that we think..that things have to be the way that we say. one day they may not be. and then how do we manage to get thru the day?

I think we need to realize that the absolute only thing we actually own is the skin we were born in…everything else could one day suddenly be up for grabs and how will we cope?

we can enjoy the things we are lucky enough to have but we need to get it thru our heads that we don’t actually have to have them. we can problem solve solutions to live thru disasters if we let go of the notion that we have to have.

one day we might all be without electricity, there may not be any gas for our cars, a tornado or earth quake might take out our house or if the economy suddenly collapses, the banks may suddenly come and take our homes and yes…we can still survive.

we have forgotten how to be flexible, how to be proactive instead of reactive. we have forgotten that every thing we are lucky enough to have is a gift and all days are not supposed to be Christmas.

quite frankly we have been spoiled rotten with far too much of everything, obtained far too easily and we think this is what life is about….wanting, getting, owning….our god given rights. but here is the thing..god most likely does not give a crap about big screen TV’s, nice cars and big houses with hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops. he might not even think twice about our RSSP’s or pensions or if the almighty American dollar loses its place as the worlds universal currency. our precious antiques, music, books and art might mean nothing to him because all of them are just man made things.

I would think if there really is a god out there somewhere, all he really cares about is what is really necessary to sustain the life he has given to all creatures…clean air, fresh water, food to sustain our continued living and our ability to care for each other…and for all living things.

and that’s my deep thought for today.

phoebe had a miraculous overnight recovery and went from needing to be carried around last evening to bouncing around the clinic today. she’s home with three different antibiotics and already driving me insane.

bo ate odie’s favorite tossing around the kitchen ball. he is not happy.

puff was a total snarling dickhead today. bad moody buddy finally got his fuzzy cranky ass sent off to bed.

I almost came home with a baby meat turkey…there were 4 extra above ordered ones down at the feed store. I didn’t do it because they were unsexed and I was really afraid of bringing home a male that would be trying to breed with Crosby and she is so old and wrecked that I am sure that would kill her. too bad tho cuz I would have liked to save at least one from their fate as xmas dinner and Crosby might have liked to have a NICE turkey girl friend. I was trying to think of where we could build a male turkey pen if that was what we ended up with but I couldn’t think of any empty unused space left. sucks to be a turkey rescuer sexist.

beautiful day today..KO, Maggie and Sheila worked hard on the gardening stuff today plus Helga, penny and marta got to some of the driveway weeding yesterday. geez weeds and grass in all the wrong places sure grow fast!

big thx to everyone who helped out this long holiday weekend..the animals are happy and the place looks great.

too early for any news on phoebe. max is better however. the swelling has gone down, his tip has retracted, the raging red in his groin has faded to a less startling bright pink. I will keep on it with Epsom salt soaks and protective/healing cream til his skin is normal and healthy again.

jake got the boot out of the bedroom at 2 am last night for being a dickhead to angel over a puddle of vomit. not sure whose vomit that was but jake thought it was his.

I let his sad self back in at 04:30 when I was up again for jelly who puked up a SUPER-SIZED hairball (it was like 8 inches long and 3 inches thick!)…she must have been storing up all of the hair she has licked off her feet for a whole freaking year! gross..but… she must feel so much better without that furry torpedo inside of her.

pretty damn quiet around here without phoebe and it is amazing how much she rules pretty much everything. I kept turning off the ceiling fan because she would be cold…oops she is not here so it can stay on. grabbing the finished canned cat food bowls before phoebe can find them and start barking non stop..oh shit she is at the vets and can’t see them. and when folding the left over laundry, picking the best phoebe fleeces available so she has a good store to wrap her in periodically during the night as they fall off..arghh..she is at the clinic..i hope the staff wrapped her up warmly for bed.

PLUS there was not one single time during the whole gawd damn afternoon, evening or night that I got to say…
come on, give me a break! I just covered you up so knock it off with the dicking around!!
or
I gave you the freaking bowl so quit bitching at me, I told you it was empty!
or
(my repetitive mantra…)
phoebe! PLEASE!! shut the hell up!

I can’t seem to stop running smack into pheber thoughts…apparently I am somehow missing her.

now I know I have gone totally batshit nutz.

lynne, Dionne and I kicked ass..the house was clean, tidy and fresh by 1030 am…nice!

phoebe is in the vets on IV’s..i feel somewhat, minimally bad about the headless phoebe remarks cuz she started puking right after I wrote them…looks like an acute and sudden pancreatitis. I bet she got all of her hyper-toxic juices flowing and irritated it while she was screaming at me this morning. anyway, she is staying in at the clinic overnight so I get at least 12 hours free of head shattering phoebe…bonus.

max is on house arrest indefinitely. Dionne found him outside dragging himself around in the gravel, he has totally inflamed his groin area and the tip of his penis is stuck out and swollen. I have given him a nice long and cool Epsom salts soak in the sink, lathered him up with criticaid cream and I think I will start him on antibiotics propholactically cuz the last thing he needs down there is a massive infection. I think even tho he likes it better over in the mp building, I am going to have to make him live over here where he is easier to keep inside AND for me to keep an eye on…his skin just can’t handle both the urinary incontinence AND the scraping around on the rocky ground outside the mp building.

2:45 update..

inhouse bloodwork is back on phebes…probably not pancreatitis. they are going to look further and do a urinalysis and an xray.

jake has the whole sunday afternoon movie/nap on the bed thing down to an art…apparently there are some advantages to being a homeless dog!

squirt is squirting on a lot of stuff today..i am afraid to give him shit cuz maybe he will crap out and get suddenly sick like phoebe did. big sigh..go ahead squirt and squirt anywhere you’d like.

I think I will just keep adding to this post as the day goes along…it may be a long, ongoing post depending on how phoebe fairs.

3:30 phoebe update…

urinalysis is positive for bacteria. xray shows her spleen is enlarged, combine this with her increased WBC, slight fever, vomiting and past history of urinary tract infections and it most likely means it may be a kidney infection. they are starting her on IV antibiotics and sending the urine off for culture and sensitivity so we treat the right bug.

oh and despite the cool bath, the soothing ointment and some anti-inflammatories, max’s penile tip is still swollen and stuck out. he might be going into the vet too if it hasn’t sorted itself out by tomorrow.

sorry about no post last night..i had a headache. still have it this morning but it is not too bad…. yet. given a choice I would rather have headaches on working days so at least I can phone in sick.

I took mystic, june, daphne and jake out during barn bedtime last night. I wanted to see how trustworthy and cooperative jake would decide to be. because I am busy putting the big guys to bed…I can’t watch the smaller guys all that well so I have to trust they will stay around, not get into trouble and come when I call them.

jake got an A in everything.

daphne got a C-..she not only buggers off to where ever she can get to..she also only comes when she says we are done.

gawd phoebe! please do not start your incessant, high pitched, demanding something unfathomable barking this morning..it hurts my freaking head!

I think today I will help Dionne and Lynne in the house and tomorrow since Jamie, Maggie and Carla are here, I can go do the weekly barn feed run instead.

I guess I better go down some more Tylenol so I don’t lose it and rip phebers shrieking head off her neck.

if phoebe was silently headless…i’d give her an A+ for no longer being able to irritate me.

Dionne and lynne for sunday and Maggie and Carla for Monday….since these are “help! we are short bodies” extra pick ups for you guys…you don’t actually need to come in if you have other things to do. I am home on both days and jamie and I are fully capable of easily managing the whole house. I don’t want to burn folks out coming in extra if they don’t absolutely have to..i would rather save you for days that I am not here and we are totally screwed.

I know Maggie has leah to look after and Dionne is already working saturday at her other job plus she is house/bru sitting for jenn, lynne has her grandkids to look after and not sure what plans Carla had but sunday and Monday are covered ok this weekend as Jamie and I are here.

anyway…up to you guys…welcome to come if you want but it is not a big deal if you actually would prefer to have sun and/or mon off.

just post in the comments below so I know what I am doing each day.
thx!

arrghh.. got stuck back on early mornings again tomorrow..i thought I was done! I don’t just hate the the early morning shifts because I have to get up early..i don’t like them because I get stuck being the clinic nurse. this means that instead of me going to see them..the patients come to see me. In many ways it is easier…no driving around parking the car, walking to front doors, waiting for elevators, everything I could possibly need is right with in arms reach. I do the same kinds of things..wound care, IV’s, PICC dressing changes, VAC therapy but I do it in the clinic. I don’t like this because I am stuck in a building for 8 hours a day.

BUT…

this does not matter…we are really short staffed right now and patients need to be seen. I will go where ever I need to be to meet the needs of the people we see.

now you are probably thinking..yeah so what does this have to do with the animals?

well…it is the same here. we are not here to get personally attached to only a specific area or just to a certain group of animals, we are actually here to meet whatever the animals needs are no matter who or where on site they happen to be. of course I know not everyone is “trained” in each and every area but trust me the basics right across the board are the same….we clean, we scoop poop, we wash food and water bowls. the safety things are pretty much the same…keep doors and gates closed and don’t let the animals wander out of their areas.

in rescue we miss the very real fact that when we learn somethings…we know somethings and we can take that knowledge and skill and use it in other places as well.
I only know how to do the dogs sounds pretty silly when the cats just need the same clean water, fresh food, floor swept and washed, bed linens changed and maybe a pet or a cuddle or two.
I don’t know how to do chickens really doesn’t fly when everyone can figure out how to scoop soiled shavings and dump a wheelbarrow and refill the water and food.

these are VERY basic and transferrable caring tasks that can make a world of difference to any of the animals every day.it is not rocket science here…it is fresh food, waters and clean/comfortable homes and beds. we might need to ask where certain things are or where some things go but we should be able to chip in pretty much anywhere that help is needed.

when I first started saints,,,i knew how to care for dogs, cats and rabbits. horses, cows, sheep, pigs, goats, ducks, chickens, llamas, donkeys, budgies and doves were all a new experience for me. but I already knew the basics..i knew how to clean, I knew all animals needed fresh food and water, I knew that they needed to be treated kindly and with respect and safety is important to all species. I knew quite a lot about aging in general and about illness and disease. and I mixed it all together in a big pot and kept on adding to it by continual learning.

there are no species here more important or more deserving of our attention and care than any of the others. and if the dogs are all covered but the cats are short, if the rabbits have caregivers but the chickens do not..then it behooves we as the humans to roll up our sleeves and get there and start helping.

shoveling cow patties out in the field may not be a rabbit caregivers perfect dream, scooping up dog poop from the front yard may not appeal all that much to the cat lovers. dog people may not think filling water buckets and scrubbing food bowls out at the barn is all that much fun either. but when we are short of care giving bodies in any area here… the ones who are waiting to receive some aren’t all that picky about who actually shows up. they are just grateful that someone came and actually cared.

the folks that I saw in the clinic this week, don’t care that I am usually out and about in the community and that is where I really like being. they were just glad that there was a nurse there in the clinic to do for them whatever it was that they needed to be done.

I am a nurse…and I can nurse anywhere in home health that has a patient that needs nursing.

here at saints, we are animal caregivers and we actually can give care where ever it is needed. all it takes is our willingness and flexibility to step up and pitch in…..even if it is not our favorite area.
no animals should ever have to do with less just because people are afraid to give them a chance.

so what is the point of all of this?
when folks see that the schedule is unbalanced…with 10 people out at the barn and only one in the mp building or 5 folks in with the cats and no one in with the dogs, or 6 in the house and no one in for the rabbits . think about giving a bit of a stretch…and maybe there is something that someone can do about it.

it wasn’t a super sleep but it was a better sleep….today is the last of my early shifts, tomorrow I go back to just a regular day…alarm change to 6 am instead, yay.

I was pretty damn lazy on my last set of days off…didn’t get anything extra done that I didn’t absolutely have to do. I will try to do much better this week or we will totally be screwed. that open house to do list is patiently waiting for me to get to. I did do the first spackling coat on some of the walls. pretty sure it is dry enough a whole freaking week later to continue to fill some of the bangs, nicks and holes. that should have all been done and sanded and ready for paint within 2 or 3 days…it so sucks to be lazy!

that is the trouble with some place like saints…it is the real life actions… not just the helpful, “sounds like a great idea” thought that counts. I am well aware I am the procrastinator extraordinaire..i can think of all kinds of really nice shit to do to make saints look better…the question becomes will I actually do what I said I could do?

it not only sucks to be lazy..it sucks to procrastinate too!

it is one thing to be lazy and keep ones mind and intentions free of endless lists to do, but once i say it or write it down on paper…it becomes something that I am now freaking honor bound to do.

I should really just learn to shut up and keep this mind a total blank about things I think I can and might just possibly, one day, get around to.

so much guilt and time wasted formulating reasonably logical excuses on why I DIDN’T do what I said I would do.

why oh why can’t I be a real live super action hero instead of a make believe wonder woman whose super powers only lives in her head????

if you ask me…it actually sucks to be somewhat insightful too.

my head might be the real thing that needs a deep cleaning/de-junking..i just need to get in there and start sorting and doing til it is empty again.
then hopefully then I can keep it like that.

that sounds like a truly brilliant idea….I better add it to my list.