January 26, 2009

• I’m Back Home!

  Back?  On a Monday morning, she never goes anywhere.  Back from where?  Why?

  This morning didn’t start out like all the other Monday mornings.  Remember how I stocked up on groceries because of the “ice storm” the weathermen warned about?  Remember the plan was to go no where until the end of this week?

  *I* remember saying that – but lots can change . . . and it did.

  Stormy (#1 cat, black & white one) became ill yesterday evening and vomited.  She’s been quiet all weekend and not acting right.  This morning, she threw up again on Annamarie’s & Luci’s WHITE eyelet bed spread.  AND, to make everything all the more exciting, we really ARE getting an ice storm (or ice, at least).  Jesse decided last minute not to take today off, but to go work for a friend for free.  That left me at home with a sick cat and the reasoning that the icy roads would only get worse.  The vet was in today (I DID call first!!!) and I decided to quickly get ready, get the girls up and ready, and take Stormy in to be checked; in case she got sicker tomorrow and traveling was more perilous. 

  Well, if I was taking her, I might as well take Sushi for her shots, right?  Naaa, I’ll do that later in the week and only mess with the cat today.

  I took Sushi out to potty and guess what I found?  Tape worms again.  So, like it or not, Sushi and her humongous carrier were making the trip, too.

  We bundled up and I went first to put the empty BIG carrier in the back of the Suburban.  Slipped and fell right on my *good* knee.  The driveway was very deceiving.  I came back in and grabbed the sidewalk salt and proceeded to sprinkle the walkway, porch, and driveway.  I put Sushi in the back and closed the hatch back.  Then used my remote to lock the doors and start the engine so the car would begin to warm.  We waited about 5 minutes and then the girls carefully walked out to the car, got in the one door I told them to use, and climbed across into their seats.  I put Stormy’s cage in the passenger front with me, then went back to turn on the house alarm and lock the door.

  I got in the driver’s seat and realized my windows had a crusty, hard glaze of ice over them.  I turned the heater vents on the window only to speed up the defrost, making for some very cold feet.

  Eventually, I left with a small portion of the window clear – down by the wiper blades.  The car took FOREVER to heat up the window enough to clear the whole area of ice.  Then, the ice at the top of the windshield began to slide down lower in huge sheets – once more blocking my view (rolling my eyes!).

  While I was driving, Jesse called and wanted me to pick him up at the bank down the street from where he was working.  I couldn’t do it and was too far away to be of much help.  He called a friend to pick him up.  We crept alone a road marked as a snow route and had no problems.  Except poor Stormy howled the whole drive there.  She usually settles down and never howls as loud as she was howling.  I wondered if she had an inner ear infection and was dizzy, thus the nausea and vomiting.

  The vet took us in immediately, it took longer to get pets and people inside than it did in the waiting room!  He checked Sushi first and gave her a tape worm treatment, then a CapStar pill (wonderful if you’ve never used it) to kill the fleas, and her vaccinations.  She was darling and he couldn’t help but smile at her (we have a very quiet and DEADPAN vet!).  Next was Stormy’s turn.  He decided her ears were fine but she had an intestional bug.  He gave her an injection, a topical ointment for nausea, and sent her home with an antibiotic.  Since we were the only ones there, he took lots of time with us.  Jesse called again (once) to tell us he was heading home and told me to set the car for 4 wheel drive – the roads were slick.

  We loaded cages, animals, and children back in the car and could see the traffic was beginning to creep slower and slower and there were LOTS MORE drivers out than when we had arrived.  People were being sent home from work due to bad weather.  I had no trouble driving home except in two spots, where I “minimally” lost traction.  Stormy howled the whole way home, which took longer because of the amount of cars on the road.  At least the windshield was clear this time.  Jesse called again (sigh) and Rissy got the phone.  He said he was home and she said we’d call when we were close so he could help us get everyone inside.

  It ends up that the “friend” (he had gone to help) and he had tense words.  The guy wanted him to commit to a day or two every month and Jesse couldn’t get the point across that he couldn’t commit.  Where he works daily is very lax with no schedule.  He never knows when he will get a day off and it is usually last minute.  PLUS, his dad’s condition left him without as much leisure time as he might normally have.  The guy pushed again for a day or two a month.  Eventually he told Jesse to just go home.  Jesse was tired of arguing and said okay and took off on foot (in the sleet).  Ends up, he had a cover put on the back of his pick up truck’s bed and didn’t HAVE a car – thus the reason for the call to me from the bank. His friend came to get him and took him to where his truck was. 

  This day is absolute toast – nothing is turning out like planned.  PLUS, Jesse said Annamarie woke up in the middle of the night and told him her ear hurt.  She has a return appointment on Friday and they all have a dental appintment on Friday morning.  I tried to call to cancel the dental appointment until next week, but they closed due to the weather. 

  THEN (are you getting tired of reading, yet?), the guy from Child Protection called me back.  A short curt and rather “snotty” call and attitude.  They’ve lost our back ground check, they’ve lost some of our references, AND they will need to do a walk-thru of Stephanie’s “home” (a tiny apartment) before approving her as secondary caretaker.  I explained, Stephanie comes to our house and the children don’t stay at her apartment because she doesn’t have room.  I told him some of the refererences had been called AGAIN by our home study person and SURELY those should be in his file. I told him same of our references last names to look for and he broke in saying, “I don’t need you to tell me what to do.”  (instant fury inside of me!)  Then he said testily, “Do you want me to look through your whole file again or recall people?”  I told him, “Look through the file, because some of these people have already been called twice.”  He told me some other papers we would have to sign like the grievance paper (if we have a grievance against them – BOY!  don’t we already?!!) and the contract needed to be sighed.  I told him that should be in the file and HAD been signed and “WHEN” it had been signed.  He said again, “I don’t need you to tell me names or dates.  *I’m* telling you what I plan to do.  I have lots of other calls to make and I can’t take any more time with you.”  We hung up.  To say Jesse’s mood was disgruntled would be putting it mildly.  He said to call back and tell him since he was too busy, he could drop our case and make his load one file lighter.”

  I knew we were both cold, both of us had our days interrupted, and things at home are totally off schedule and I didn’t want to make a rash decision.  I’m contemplating calling the head of the state’s foster office to let him know why there are so many children in the shelters.  I’m waiting – to calm down.  But, if I call, I have documented dates and names of conversations.

  Weird day!  From ALL angles.  I’m not known for being flexible or spur of the moment and I have never had a high opinion of Child Protection services and their workers.  Zing!  Zing!  Zing!  Little enemy darts are flying at us from all directions.

  My feet STILL haven’t warmed up and my knee cap is sore from my fall this morning.

  Seems like I had some piece of news to write about.  It crossed my mind yesterday. But I can’t remember anything right now.  My brain is cold!  My feet are cold!  I’m going to go give Rissy a spelling test and then sit in front of the fireplace.

  No “To Do List” today – the only thing I need to do is get warm and get happy!  Time for an attitude adjustment!

  Be Blessed  ~

  • 4:09 pm
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