Really really sorry, Steve.

My day started with the vet as well. Stupid Ivan got in a fight and lost, and had to have kitty surgery. He'll be okay, but he's gotta stay at the vets for a few days. The other cat managed to take out a few chunks of skin and muscle on his back.

That, alas is precisely where cats attack during a fight - biting the back is out of reach for a cat to groom, so the wound gets infected. It is deep rooted in the instinct of cats to fight that way.

How do I know? Talking to the vet while she patched up precisely that sort of wound on our current cat Cleo.

My mom and I aren't close to any other family members, but religious beliefs mean something even if you don't hold them: I'm as anti religion as it gets, and that is my stance.

Agree entirely with that. Hope things work out without the yelling.

Getting ready to leave for the hospital. What sadist OB schedules these things for a 0530 show time?

Wow, out of the sandbox [frying pan] and into the delivery room [fire]! Glad you made it in time, and good luck to you and your wife. Get ready for one of the best days of your life.

congratulations naamanf, hope all goes well, and enjoy these moments

This will be a day you'll always remember Naaman. Wishing you and your wife the best of luck today.

I thought Jarheads got up at the crack of dawn every day?

This will be a day you'll always remember Naaman. Wishing you and your wife the best of luck today.

I thought Jarheads got up at the crack of dawn every day?

Jarhead? That's just mean-spirited.

Good luck, naaman, and welcome home!

Welcome back Naaman. I hope all goes well with the delivery.

This will be a day you'll always remember Naaman. Wishing you and your wife the best of luck today.

I thought Jarheads got up at the crack of dawn every day?

Uh, Naaman isn't a Gyrene.

Steve, good luck with your buddy. I think that you are doing the right thing in giving him a chance to hang in there.

Spent first half of the work day helping out with the group from Japan that came to tour/observe our school. It was very odd to be speaking Japanese at work.

Best of luck today Naaman.

Hope everything comes out alright, Naaman!

Uh, Naaman isn't a Gyrene.

Steve, good luck with your buddy. I think that you are doing the right thing in giving him a chance to hang in there.

Oops, my bad. I thought I heard that somewhere.

Fred's foot is much better today, and he's pretty spunky for his condition. I think he must have read all the comments and decided he wasn't ready to cash in yet. I'm quite happy for the good day!

Yay for Fred!!!

Oops, my bad. I thought I heard that somewhere.

Fred's foot is much better today, and he's pretty spunky for his condition. I think he must have read all the comments and decided he wasn't ready to cash in yet. I'm quite happy for the good day!

Very encouraging Steve!! Fred, milk him for all the treats and ear scritches you can get!!

That's great to hear Steve. I just realized your dogs name is Fred. Our dog is Freddie, because well, he looks and acts like a Freddie.

Found this, which I can't work out whether I find disturbing or not...

it's disturbing.

On a scale of disturbing, this is worse though. Only in NY....

is that david bowie?

This thread took a major turn toward...

Took a 2.5hr round trip to the airport to pick up an express posted package...

Both ups and partsconnexion managed to fuck up again

Hurray for Fred's good day! Hope you guys get some more.

is that david bowie?

They called him "Edward Cullen cat" (but I like David Bowie cat more).

Apnea is definitely my issue. Hopefully they get the info they need to get me a machine, and then I can begin getting used to it.

Tough week for me to be up in the mountains! Still on the long drive home.

My best to everyone, esp to swt/boomana and their sick pets. (

Grawk, sorry to hear about the apnea. Feel free to pm me if you have any questions. While I don't consider myself a sleep expert, I diagnose and treat a lot of sleep conditions due to these often looking like psych conditions. Be persistent, follow up well and tell them if it's not working out. Lots of my patients do well, but only after lots of adjustments, masks, different machines and changes in settings. Check out CPAP Machines and CPAP Masks for the Treatment of Sleep Apnea.

Can't stand typing anymore on this Blackberry ... Going to dinner for a steak somewhere in the middle of Kansas. Wakeeny? Something like that.

Good news for Fred!

Three days and $600 later, I just retrieved Ivan from the vet. He made a beeline for his scratching pad in search of catnip.

I feel pretty guilty, and have to be more careful. He'd escaped about three days before I went to Indiana, and my neighbor brought him home, saying he'd been fighting in her carport. I didn't even know he'd gotten out. It took me a couple days after getting back to notice the abscess, and by then it had gotten bad. This is the second time in three months he's made guest appearances at the vet for the same thing, but last time I caught it the day I left for Chicago and just dropped him off at the vet on my way to the airport.

I'm supposed to give him ten-minute warm, wet compresses a few times a day. Have you ever tried to hold a wet washcloth to a cat? We'll see how this goes. Right now he's purring wildly at my side, so all's good for now.