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Tuesday, June 29, 2010

It's My Party

.... and I'll laugh if I want to! Yep, they say I'm another year older today, but I don't feel a bit older than yesterday. So, there's an antiwhine right there.

I'm feeling particularly grateful for my family, friends, those goofy cats; for silly things and lovely things, even the everyday variety; for good news, and kindnesses; for dreams and goals; for all the times we struggle with something and come out the other side, more or less intact and wiser than before.

This community and you all mean a lot to me. You brighten my every week with humor and kindness, shared experiences, and thoughtfulness. Passing the cake!

No whines at the moment, except the bark plus pook the senior cat left for me. But on the AW side, she left it all in the tub.

How's by you?

32 comments:

Sue said...

Happy, happy birthday kathy!!!

Anti-whine: Birthday cake!!!! Even the virtual kind is a treat.

Whine: My office is freezing cold. It is the end of June people - and I'm in long sleeves, a sweater and socks. That is just wrong in so many ways.

Anti-whine: It might warm up by August when I start my holidays. Hey, we live in hope, right?

Liz Miller said...

Happy Birthday!!!

It's too bad you can't give yourself the ERoM Award for
"No whines at the moment, except the bark plus pook the senior cat left for me. But on the AW side, she left it all in the tub."

Madeleine said...

Happy, happy birthday, kathy! And many happy returns.

Sue said...

I'll second that nomination Liz! Some kittehs are so considerate, aren't they? Our little girl kitteh likes to find the small patches of carpet (not many in our new place) upon which to place her barks. Then she actually sits and watches while I clean it up, like it's some kind of spectator sport.

Perhaps I will gently suggest that she try the tub..... :)

kathy a. said...

Oooooh! Junior dog also gave me a present! A dead bird, proudly presented in her bed in the garage.

Sue, wishing you some warmth. Good luck with training the cat; I find that more often, they train me.

Days said...

Happy birthday Kathy! I'd like to commend you on the extensive use of the pixie lexicon and third the nomination for the Mullet.

Boo to the cold office(have you any frivolous paperwork that might be used as tinder?) but hurrah for holidays!

W/AW: The kitteh name is still a hot topic of discussion here(Speed Bump and Lima(like the city, not the bean) appear to be the front runners) but we have 3 weeks to make the decision before she is ready to come home.

W/AW: The girlies leave for summer camp on Friday. Nervous excitement all around.

W/AW: We got wonderful news today that has resulted in my having a silly grin on my face all day but is also unbloggable as of yet. Huh.

Sue said...

Dead birds definitely deserve some kind of award (and perhaps a decent burial in the tradition of your choice).

Ick. Makes me glad our cats never wanted to go outdoors. Ever. They were/are quite happy to make our house their whole world.

As for the warmth - it's been six hours now, I've even had the HEAT on - and my fingers are so cold they're numb.

I am going. home. Harrumph.

kathy a. said...

I kind of ran out of steam on decent burials when the 5th pet rat died, all in the space of one year. Does "sorry, bird; you were a good bird" count?

The Mullet is wide open. We hosts took an oath. ;)

Sue said...

kathy - that definitely counts as a decent burial.

HUGE Anti-whine: A friend of ours has a congenital liver condition and has been waiting for a liver transplant. He was getting pretty close to the end. Then he was successfully transplanted today! Seven hours of surgery, and he's got a new chance at life.

WooHoo!

Jenevieve said...

Sue, that's wonderful!

I'm just stopping by to eat some cake and wish Kathy A. Happy Birthday! Packing and moving and trying to find a place to live, um, NEXT week are pretty stressful. But I'm still high on life, so I'm not feeling toooo whiny. :)

Sarah at ratatat said...

Happy Birthday Kathy! And many more...cha-cha-cha (my kids' school encourages all of these add-ons to the song. Anyway, embrace what I cannot change?)

Woo-hoo Sue! Cheering with you for the liver transplant.

Days - hope the unbloggable good news is fantastic!

Tara (my hair out) said...

Semi-Anonymous Whine: I think my brother has fallen off the deep end. He is obsessing over his wife again (she who may not have been completely faithful early in their marriage) It was anniversary # two and he is driving my mom nuts with the phone calls. (And we live together so I get the spillover). I think he needs to go back on anti-depressants, but he insists it is all her and not him. But I am taking my 8 year old to the child psychiatrist for far less crazy talk. Ugh. This cannot go on.

How about Rhymes with Tara (my hair out?) Too punny?

Sue said...

Tara - any thoughts of a family intervention? I've seen this kind of situation elevate far beyond what anyone feared, even the obsessive person. It's always good to catch it early and get the help needed. Sending good thoughts your way.

Sue said...

Anti-whine: Office much warmer today. Risk of frostbite has been reduced considerably. That's always good on the last day of June. Clearly.

Whine: Hubby and I had "discussion" last night. We're both so adverse to conflict that a discussion like the one last night is the closest we ever get to an actual "argument." So - we had polite but definite words about whether or not I will be going to Kingston for more trigger point injections.

The very thought of the whole process hurts my brain. The travel, using holiday time to go there, and the possibility of repeating last year's disappointing results makes me think I might be better off to stay home and relax. He disagrees.

It's the first time I've heard him say anything close to "I'm tired of all this crap." or "I didn't sign on for this." (He actually *did* say the first sentence, the second one I'm projecting on him from my own stuff.)

Gah. Don't. Want. To. Go.

Why? I feel more pathetic with every day/week/month/year that goes by. I don't even talk to my doctor about it much anymore. What's the point? There's a part of me that feels responsible for the fact that five years later, I'm still here fighting the same Headache Beast.

I guess I just want to ignore it and hope it gets bored with me and leaves.

Madeleine said...

Oh, Sue. I know it is hard to have any hope, to run around and keep trying and not get results. Sending some hugs.

kathy a. said...

tara, sue's suggestion about a family intervention sounds good. when people are very depressed, they may not be able to see those signs themselves. perhaps he might consider talk therapy -- that would help him process better, might seem less threatening, and there's a decent chance the therapist would recommend anti-depressants, especially since he has taken them before.

but you can't make him go. you and your mom CAN set limits on how much he is allowed to offload on you, though. i'm sure there are plenty of excuses you can offer for "gotta go, let's talk another time." it's a matter of self-preservation -- him dumping on you only makes all of you feel awful; it's not exactly helping him, either.

((( sue ))) that's way too many years of the Beast. your beloved knows and loves you more than anyone on earth, though. the treatment worked SO well the first time; worked some the second, though not so lasting. which is disappointing, but still more success than the other things you've tried. the 3d time might be a charm... and NO, the Beast is not your fault!

can you arrange something to do on the trip as a special treat for yourself? (guilty secret -- i hate having dental work, but know i have to, so i often bribe myself.)

JenR said...

Work requires too much work this week.

Sarah at ratatat said...

Sue - good luck. Does your husband think the trigger point injections helped? Or is it just5 trying something is better than nothing (whereas you've reached trying nothing is at least less tiring?) Hugs!

And wishing a long weekend to JenR

kathy a. said...

((( JenR ))) another vote on you needing a break already.

AW: just did my first cat-visiting stint for the friends with tiny babies! and boy, are these friendly cats. Purrs aplenty. And it was all of 5 minutes before one started investigating my purse, where I had hidden a ball-toy in a baggie with catnip.

Sue said...

JenR - I am SO with you on that one. Tomorrow is major Anti-Whine Day, aka Canada Day aka A Day Off!!!!!!

Sarah - a bit of both I think. The treatment *did* work the first time, and he actually said what you have said - that doing something is better than being frustrated and doing nothing. (At the time, that translated to "Quit Yer Whining" but I know that's not what he meant).

kathy - I may be able to go to kingston via ottawa where my sister lives. i haven't seen her new grandbaby yet, so that might be a good self-bribe.

So happy about the baby kittehs. They will already love you for bringing good loot!

kathy a. said...

oh, frickety fireplace frack. a friend had cancer surgery monday, and came through it well -- yay! but the cancer's in some of his lymph nodes, so chemo is in his future. i freaking hate the fucking cancer.

so naturally, my thoughts are turning to more cards, and what will make him laugh as he plows through the next part. the party store has a king tut headress! any ideas from the pixie gallery? [i swear, he does have a good sense of humor, even now.]

Unknown said...

We have not packed. We have not found an apartment. We are supposed to be out today. It is not going to happen.

I had pneumonia and spent a week in the hospital. I still sound remarkable like Demi Moore. I don't look anything like her, unfortunately.

My son also had pneumonia, but he has recovered. I hate him.

One of our cats has decided that she no longer tolerates us. She comes inside for food, water, and a comfortable place to sleep. All waking hours are spent hunting rabbits, mice, voles, and birds. Her life is way too busy and involved for a bit of human interaction.

Prednisone has raised my blood sugar to amazingly high levels. I should be on a marble slab soon if we can't get it under control.

It was 94 degrees with 70% dew point earlier this week. My hair is in tight little ringlets on the top of my head. I look like the bride of Frankenstein.

That's my week.

Liz Miller said...

Major antiwhine: am currently on The Vermonter with spouse and son on my way to visit my sister and her family and to see my nephew in Annie.

Liz Miller said...

Minor whine: ten hour trip

kathy a. said...

keep whining! prizes friday.

Sue said...

((((kathy)))) sorry to hear about your friend's chemo. If I think of anything really good to raise his spirits, I'll let you know. Does he have a portable DVD player so he can watch funny movies during his treatments?

((((margalit)))

Anti-whine: It's Canada Day, so I'm OFF!! Yay!!!!

Anti-whine: I love all of the pomp and ceremony around the Queen's visit to Ottawa for Canada Day.

Whine: I NEED to know what she keeps in that purse!!!

Anti-whine: Did I mention I have a day off today? :)

Jenevieve said...

Halp! I'm drowning under a sea of half-packed crap. And we have no palce to live next week! And our lovely houseguests left today. And, most importantly, I have Nothing. To. Wear. for graduation!!!!

(breathing)

Sigh. Can I have some more cake?

AW: Got the rest of the Sookie Stackhouse novels in from Amazon today, my grad gift (!!) from the incomparable Liz. Thanks, Liz!

I'm off to drown my worries in vampire romances! (Whoa, never thought I'd have cause to use that sentence)

kathy a. said...

passing more cake! yay for the present! and yes, you will find something to wear. xoxo

Sue said...

Yay for cake and vampire romances!!!!!

emily said...

Sorry I'm late!

<antiwhine> The poison ivy rash has mostly subsided and I can wear shorts without scaring small children.

I may have a few scars on my legs, but that doesn't matter, since my swimsuit modeling days are over:-).

<whine> During the school year, my family eats two meals/day at home and all the dishes fit (generally) in one load (which gets run after dinner). During the summer, various people are home for lunch on various days which means that often, the dishwasher is not full enough to run after lunch, but is too full to fit all the dinner dishes.

I hate having dishes in the sink after dinner! (and I don't like hand washing dishes, either)

Happy Birthday kathy!

Congratulations again to Jeni--hope you find something to wear! (no robes?) Also--you should win a prize for Freudian slip (almost) spelling--I read "And we have no palce to live next week!" as "we have no palace..." :-)

Sarah at ratatat said...

Emily - the half load for the dishwasher, oh how I hate that!

Kathy A - maybe funny cards, one delivered every day or once a week? Hope you're having a goodbye cancer party soon.

Jeni - black? skirt? Are you moving transAtlantically? Or just from that apartment? Cake cures so much, eat up!

Anti-whine: My husband's long-desired promotion went through. Happy day!

amy said...

Kathy, I don't think you can count that cat visit as a total Amazing Animal Encounter. I mean, bringing cat nip with you is like bringing a case of candy bars to a fat camp. You are bound to be the most popular person in the room if you do it. ;)

I'm sad tonight because I am apparently a 7 year old. My BFF is coming in to town, and I haven't seen her in over a year. I got super excited, but I also got super disappointed when I realized that I have to share her. I know she has other friends. I just wanted her all to myself, you know? And I really have no room to complain because I have not gone out to visit her on the east coast since she moved there because it was right when Tater was born, and I couldn't feasibly leave him or bring him (or afford the trip). I feel like a dope, but at least I know I will forget that when I see her, because she is made of So Much Awesome.

I can't stay on to read and comment much because my husband bogarted the power supply, and my laptop battery is about to bite it. I'll check in tomorrow. 'Nite, pixies!