Wednesday

15 July 2020

Clean black shirt, clean black shorts, so of course the cat with white fur decides life will not be any fun at all until he sits on my lap, rubs up against my shirt, and leaves a ton of evidence behind.

And once he's done that, he's done with me.

Because of course he is.

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We had a really rough weekend with Max, you can read more about it in his Ask Max column on Mousebreath. Short version: I did not expect him to be here Monday morning. And while he's okay now, Sunday night was super hard on him, and it just hit home with me that I am not ready for any of this, not yet.

We're trying to keep the mindset of one day at a time, and today is a good day.

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We're also asking ourselves what the hell we do if he dies at home on a weekend. When the time comes I would prefer he just drift away in his sleep, but what do we do with him if it's Saturday night and the vet is closed until Monday? We're not burying him because he's always been terrified of outside and it seems wrong. I want his ashes. But what the hell does one do with a body for 48 hours?

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Yes, it's morbid. But it's also something we have to consider.

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In a not as depressing mode...I've seriously started thinking about how to handle the 300 mile goal I set for September's Great Cycling Challenge. The obvious is 10 miles a day, every day, but I need rest days at least every 4th day. So then what, 10 three times a week, 15 three times a week? I'm not sure I can do that, either.20 five times a week? I know I can't do that.

I mean, I'll figure it out, but I think I may have set the bar too high.

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I had my first flat in a bazillion years this weekend. Changing the tube should have been easy, should have taken under 10 minutes, but I wrestled with that sucker for far longer than I care to admit. I could not get the tire back on. I know, you only unseat one side of the tire, but the tire had its own ideas and came all the way off and did not want to go back on.

I better hope it never happens out in the middle of nowhere. This was at home, so at least I wasn't sitting out in the blazing sun screaming at an uncooperative chunk of rubber.

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One day I'll either upgrade my current road bike and use this one to break things on so I can learn how to fix the, or I'll find the ideal beater. But I really need to learn more basic repair beyond changing handlebars and stems. I can take the back wheel off, though, so that's something.

(Yes, mock me.)

(Anyone can do that. I'm not sure why I was reluctant before. Probably because I wasn't sure exactly how the derailleur and chain were on.)

(I could have, you know, looked. But that makes sense, so...)

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And lastly...what the hell is up with soft drink distribution? Caffeine-free diet DP, diet Crush, diet cherry DP...nowhere to be found. I know coins are in short supply, but why soda? I need my fix. Especially the diet Crush. I'm feeling kinda twitchy here, folks.

6 comments:

NitroStitch said...

Really scary times with Max. Sending you al hugs. Does the vet have any advice about the possible weekend issue if that’s when the time comes? I hope it was an injury that’s doing better now.

Riding goals...ugh. The heat and other outside conditions don’t make that easy and doing that indoors isn’t so exciting. Good luck with the schedule - I guess do the best you can and let go of the rest.

And what is up with missing sodas? There are essentials we all need, and that’s really frustrating. 🤨

Mark's Mews (Marley, Lori, Loki, and Binq) said...

We wish Max well. But we wanted to say that Iza spent a couple of weeks in the freezer wrapped in a heavy duty bag while TBT (Mark) built a Memorial Marker. For a couple of days, the refrigerator would do fine. A cooler full of ice would work, too.

Hnossa said...

Glad to read that Max is doing better. Take the good days as you get them.

Maybe Slime for those tires?

Shaggy and Scout said...

Here in the upper midwest we have cold basements. I had to keep Scooby down there on the cement floor for a couple days. We're lucky enough to have a deep freeze in the garage for if one goes while we are vacationing in Phoenix. My sitter could go to the vet, but, no, I'd want a final goodbye. Plans need to be made as hard as it is. I agree with Mark...not the refrigerator, but packed with ice bags in a cooler. Oh Karen, it's so difficult, I know. My heart is with you. I think of you and Max often.
Sending Love....Lynne, Scout and Princess

Just Ducky said...

Yep, ice him down if needed.

Anonymous said...

It's never long enough, and you're never ready. Focusing on the mundane (weekend stuff) is both a distraction and good planning. (Our motto is "that which you prepare for doesn't happen.") If the weekend situation happened to us, I've always thought I'd go to the emergency vet hospital and ask for help. But checking with your regular vet first is a good idea, and one I plan to act on. Soon. If I can bear to bring the subject up.
Susan Saavedra