Haven't posted in a while, mostly because was putting all of my effort in preventing this last depressive episode from becoming an all out major episode. Thank God for good girlfriends. They can be a life saver.
I met again with the career counselor, and it's been going really well. Just brainstorming about different ways of learning about some business areas I'm curious about. I seem to be leaning a lot towards marketing and advertising, so I'm going to be talking to some of the local business owners to see if I can do some work for them for the experience. I think part of being a criminal defense attorney is honing the ability to spin - I am really an expert at making a very bad situation look good. So I think I'd be even better at making something that is already good even more appealing. I'm also still throwing around the idea of fundraising and development, which is something that my law degree would actually be advantageous.
I won another appeal last week. It's so ironic that I absolutely hate this profession when I seem to be fairly successful at it. The funny part about the win is that the defendant was serving a sentence for this case (that I won) and didn't return to the prison from work release so he picked up an escape charge for which he's serving 11 1/2 - 23 months. Dummy. If he hadn't walked away he'd be home right now.
This weekend has been good so far. Friday night met up with an old flame for drinks. We had a nice time together - he's met someone and it was nice to see him so happy. And very relieving that I didn't end up with him. We were so mismatched. Hard to believe that I ever shed a tear over him...
Another thing I did for myself this weekend was signing up to audition for one of the city's performance choirs. My audition will be in january, and I've already decided I'll do one of the Chichester Psalms. I'm really looking forward to it...
On October 6th, Dash and I will be participating in the "Mutt Strutt" - a fundraising walk where the proceeds go to a local shelter that helps animals in need.
For details (and to help!):
Yesterday I took Felicity back to the animal shelter after watching her go through what I believed to be an asthma attack (although it could just be pneumonia or a really bad upper respiratory infection). I was just so angry about everything.
I met with the clinic director (who, suprisingly is not a vet) and explained the situation. I asked her why they were adopting out cats that weren't tested for the FIV/FLV. Her response, "Because they're assholes."
I knew immediately that we were on the same page. I explained the tooth abscess and the cost for treatment. She asked me whether I would still keep Felicity if they were able to find a vet who would either do it for free or if the shelter could cover the payment. I said it would also depend on whether she does have asthma and how bad it was.
She did a FLV test (negative, HOORAY!) and called my vet. She then drew some more blood and sent it off to an outside lab to do a full blood panel. Since it would be needed for surgery, she figured why not find out everything that could be wrong with Felicity, and not just the FIV. I should find out the results today. If she has the FIV, the shelter will take her back and I can have another cat (if I want). If she is negative, we will wait until she gets over the respiratory infection and then see if she really does have asthma. If not, then off to surgery and back home with me.
On one hand, I'm not thrilled about still having her here (and continuing to get attached to her) when there is the possiblity I'll end up having to give her back anyway. But on the other, how fucking awesome is all of this?!?!?!!!!!!!!!
Dash thinks it's awesome.
Well, not as awesome as her butt smells.
I must be a magnet for the downtrodden.
Meet Felicity:
So, low and behold, Felicity, age unknown but perhaps 2 years old. She came into the shelter pregnant, all of her kittens were adopted out and no one wanted her. She had been adopted out a month ago, but the person returned her because she just "hid under the furniture." But she's so loving that's hard to believe. She came to me barely weighing 7 pounds and with a chipped tooth and the sniffles.
So not ready for this.
So, I take her to my vet for a physical. She has a cold (common with cats coming out of shelter, no big deal). But she's also wheezing....could indicate asthma, x-rays will be needed. But, even worse, that's no chipped tooth - that's a completely rottted, abscessed tooth. That will need extracted. She has extensive periodontal disease, especially for a 2 year old cat. Estimated cost: $600. Six hundred FUCKING dollars.
I called around other vets. The lowest I could get was $300. To pull one tooth.
My vet asks whether Felicity was tested for Feline Leukemia Virus and the Feline "AIDS" virus. I assumed so, because why would a shelter adopt out a cat who was positive for that?
Ha. Because, testing the cat prior to adopting out would be the RESPONSIBLE thing to do, right? And of course, the shelter would KNOW that giving the vaccination for those viruses can be DEADLY to an FIV/FLV positive cat. Right?
Well, apparently not. Little Felicity was/is getting progessively worse. So, yesterday I took her back to the shelter for the "free" medical care I get for 30 days post adoption. After waiting over 6 hours, I learned the following:
1. They do not test the cats prior to adopting them out
2. Her tooth needs extracting, and the shelter will not do that because the free 30 day health insurance doesn't cover it, even though they adopted her out like that (hmmmm could that be the REAL reason the last owner returned her?)
3. It looks like she has the FIV/FLV. However, since they VACCINATED her without testing her first, the test will always show a positive result so there is no way to really know whether she has it or not. This is a problem because my parents have cats and if I ever go home I can't have them exposed to her, just in case she actually has it.
4. The severe periodontal disease and upper respiratory condition are indicative of her having the virus.
So, the vet tech does the test (even though it should come up positive), we wait an hour, and she tells us that it comes back "invalid." They give me an antibiotic and instructions on how much to give her, tell us to bring her back in 2 weeks to do the test. (It turns out that she put the WRONG dosage on the bottle - but I only figured this out AFTER I gave the first dose today, which was 3x more than what she should have received for her body weight).
She says that they will do the tooth extraction after all, but they want to find out if she has the viruses first (because then they'd just put her down instead).
Great. So I get to have her at home with me for another 2 weeks so I can get even MORE attached to her. I don't know what I wanted, but I just wanted answers and something done. I don't want to go through this again. God, I just had to put a cat down. I can't go through that again. But she is sick, really, really sick. I don't want her hurting, either.
Basically, I just don't want to deal with this. That's really what it boils down to.
She is so loving. She gets along great with the dog (she actually let him lick her belly). Although now I'm thinking sh's just SO sick she could care less about anything.
I've melted down over this several times now. Spending the money on the kind of treatment the FIV/FLV requires is out of the question for me, as is the money it would cost to extract the tooth should the shelter refuse to cover it. It's just not an option right now. But if she really has the viruses, I can't risk exposing the other family cats.
It infuriates me that they adopted her out in that condition and weren't honest about it.
So, after crying and going through a box of tissues, I've decided that my apartment is officially a hospice for this little kitty. For the next two weeks, I will put food in her belly and affection. If she is dying, and I honestly think that she is, at least it will be in my apartment rather than in that horrible shelter.
Two days ago a friend of mine picked up a stray cat. As she was walking to her car to go to work, this orange cat that was sitting on the sidewalk came over to her, and proceeded to follow her 2 blocks to her car. So, my friend picked up the cat, threw her in the car, and set her up in the bathroom at her house. She can't keep her because she already has a cat and a 2 year old.
So, I offered to take the stray in at least until someone responded to her Lost & Found ad. Now, she's in MY bathroom.
I have to say, this is one of the friendliest cats I've ever met. She's skinny, but otherwise looks well cared for. I definitely think she's someone's pet. She's not declawed, as my dog quickly found out. So far, that's the only problem - she is NOT keen on the dog. Of course, he's so excited and fascinated by what's on the other side of the bathroom door.
When I checked on her this morning, she was "nursing" on my dirty clothes. Cute. She ate all of her food (good) and used her litter box (better). I don't know what I'm going to do.
She is SO friendly. Almost too friendly. Hmmmm....now that I think about it, maybe she's in HEAT!
I made an appointment with the vet for monday. My officemate's roommate really wants an orange cat, so if this doesn't work out at least the kitty has somewhere to go.
What would you consider to be your 15 minutes of fame so far in life?
Okay, it's not a full 15 minutes but so far it's all I've got?
Haha I called in to talk about my crazy pup who mounts every freakin- dog at the dog park.
Anyway,
if you have a dog, I recommend you listen to the podcasts. She gives
great advice and knows her stuff. She helped me a lot with my dogs
separation anxiety problems. Anyway, you can hear me on the epidosde!
I have the best dogwalkers in the world. Okay, well, at least in the city. They are a great couple and the more I get to know them as people the more I like them.
They have been fostering a few kittens who are now ready to be adopted.
My dog really misses Sophie. But is it too soon?
You want to buy silly things for your dog. This is what I'm curently trying not to buy.....
Unbelievable. More people are dying every day from gun violence and yet our illustrous Mayor is spotted standing in line for hours waiting to buy the new iphone...
PHILLY MAYOR GETS A BROTHERLY SHOVE OFF LINE
AP (NY Post, link below)
June 30, 2007 -- PHILADELPHIA - Mayor John Street abruptly ended his wait in line for an iPhone yesterday after a passer-by asked him about the city's murder rate.
Street, who showed up outside an AT&T store at 3:30 a.m., left shortly after 22-year-old Larry West asked him, "How can you sit here with 200 murders in the city already?"
Street had planned to stay in line for most of the day, waiting for Apple's iPhone to go on sale at 6 p.m. When he left at 11:30 a.m., Street said he planned to return to his spot.
West returned later in the day to protest Street's actions - only to find the mayor still hadn't returned.
"In this climate, at this time in this city, you shouldn't be waiting in line for a phone," West said.
Before the encounter with West, the mayor said he wants the new device because he loves trying out the latest technology.
Philadelphia recently had its 200th slaying of the year. Its murder
rate is up from last year, the deadliest in nearly a decade.
video of taxpayer confronts Mayor over iphone
http://www.nypost.com/seven/06302007/news/nationalnews/philly_mayor_gets_a_brotherly_shove_off_line_nationalnews_.htm
