1) The cat is officially radioactive. More to come on this (wait until I tell you about the stockpile of used litter in our garage!), but suffice it to say that the cat is unhappy, we are unhappy, and one of us is regretting persuading our spouse that this is the best course of action, gold-standard of treatment be damned.
2) Yes, the dog still has diarrhea. No, I don't want to talk about it.
3) COVID kicked my ass and I still feel pretty crummy. No, I don't want to talk about this, either. There have been some moments of marital disharmony surrounding this and while I don't want to talk about marital disharmony, I do want to say that when someone takes over my chores for three days and then complains that it is an "unsustainable way to live," I might argue that the patriarchy has really won. I have a full-time job AND do these chores EVERY DAY of the YEAR.
4) There's family stuff. There always is. My mom is doing really well and that's the great news. The bad news is that this election is really a problem for my relationships with a lot of family members and the holiday card list is getting smaller and smaller. I am staying up at night worrying about this election and I see bad things no matter how things turn out.
5) I mean, the election is what it is. If you are a US citizen and have not already voted or made a plan to vote tomorrow, what are you waiting for? It's literally the fate of the democratic world (and, honestly, if you want to get started thinking about nuclear war, the entire world) at stake. Because of my husband's work, this election has added even more stress to what is a stressful time.
6) I don't want to end this on a downer with nuclear war and stress. It was my one-year anniversary at my job last week. That's cool, right? I love my job, my co-workers are great, and I'm going to go to work late tomorrow because I am going to vote.
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What's new in your world? Any radioactive pets?
Oh dear! That sounds like a bunch of difficulties. Cat littler is a problem. Our girl drinks a lot of water and pees a lot of pee. That makes the litter heavy and that makes the garbage bag heavy. Each week, I wonder if they will take it, but they have so far. I think we are all crossing our fingers wrt the election.
ReplyDeleteYeah, once that bin is filled with litter, it's going to be super heavy. Oh, well. We'll just have to muscle it down the driveway somehow.
DeleteWow, I can't believe it has been a year already at your "new" job! I remember you announcing that like it was just yesterday. I guess that means that I have almost been gone from home for a year, as I was probably in the throes of decluttering when you announced that. Congrats on your anniversary!
ReplyDeleteSo many big life changes for both of us at that time!
DeleteWell, shit. I hate all of that for you except the WONDERFUL JOB THAT YOU LOVE AND DO FANTASTICALLY GOOD WORK AT.
ReplyDeleteI wish I were Superman and could fly around the Earth and either make it go backward or forward, whichever would make you happiest.
I think I want to go forward? Like...until all this (radioactivity, election) is over? That would be good, Nance!
DeleteWell no- I don't have any radioactive pets, or pets with diarrhea, I'm not recovering from Covid, and I don't have family drama. So I guess I'm pretty lucky! I am worried about the election though. I can't believe that it is TOMORROW. All we can do is band together- can we have some kind of Cool Bloggers Election Support Group? I think we should start one.
ReplyDeleteDo you even have plans for Tuesday night? To watch results or not? Such a hard question!
DeleteNo glow-in-the-dark animals here, thankfully. Congratulations on your one-year anniversary!
ReplyDeleteThanks. My job search was long and demoralizing, so I'm glad I found a spot that works for me.
DeleteOh wow, Engie! One-year-anniversary already! It feels like just yesterday we were all celebrating this "new" job and yet it also feels like you're such an expert at what you do and belies the just one year mark. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry about all the other crappy stuff--#1 and #2 especially and the double punch of #3. Stay away from the dark thoughts this week and let's hope for the best, eh? <3 Perhaps next week will dawn a bit brighter.
Everything is going to be fine. Everything is going to be fine. Let's all use this as our mantra for the next couple of weeks.
DeleteYay for 1 year! Down with the patriarchy!
ReplyDeleteThe patriarchy reaches its tentacles even to the good guys!
DeleteI can understand that disharmony. Hopefully a bit understanding and appreciation is coming put of it.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the job. It is great if the job is fun and the people are nice.
It's definitely a fun job for me. I'm glad I landed there.
DeleteOh, not cuddling the cat would be terribly hard! And ooh, #3 has me seething. Someone needs to think about what he said. What an unfortunately corollary to your being sick. I hate that for you. Happy job anniversary, at least!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't believe it when he said it. If I give him the benefit of the doubt (and I do), I think he just meant that his regular chores combined with mine was a lot. And it is!
DeleteLove the job anniversary. Glad your mom is doing better. The rest is...not great.
ReplyDeleteI'm not American, but I literally feel like I'm on the edge of my seat here in Canada. I mean...we're not THAT far away. My Christmas card list is changing a lot. I have new bloggers on the mailing labels...but I'm removing some people who never ever send a card in return. Life is too short.
Sorry about Hannah and Zelda. And yes, it is insane the amount of work most women do in addition to their jobs and other responsibilities (many of which only fall to them because they are women).
And having tense family relationships is it's own hellish experience.
Thinking of you friend. Wish I could pop over and bring you a hot tea and give you a giant hug.
I would love a giant hug, but I'd probably give you COVID, so we could just just have a meaningful conversation standing six feet away from each other. *eyeroll about myself*
DeleteI feel terrible for Canadians. It probably impacts you a lot, too, but you have no say in it! Scary!
Sorry that I lol'ed at your husband's comment.... it's not funny, but you know, it sort of is. ha. Only thing I can say is maybe it was secretly a good thing for him to get to experience the reality of your daily life...??
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your 1 year anniversary! I remember you being so down and depressed about your long job search, and look at that. Sometimes things do work out. :)
That job search was BRUTAL. I'm so glad it's behind me.
DeleteHappy workiversary! And, so glad about your mom. The rest felt wildly relatable - well, I haven't had a radioactive pet... YET - so I am just going to say "solidarity" and hope we get some sleep soon. In my world, I am trying to have less strong reactions about work stuff (because I can't have strong reactions about everything, it's exhausting) and trying to navigate my daughter's tweenishness (I've decided it's a word) in both its good and bad embodiment, haha sigh.
ReplyDeleteOh, man. When will we next have a decent night's sleep? Let it be soon for everyone!
DeleteWell I had a terrible nightmare last night that my family was posting on social media about how I voted and wanted to debate about things like abortion and then I was disowned. I was yelling in my sleep and Phil tried multiple times to wake me up but I would just fall back into the dream... So I hear you and can relate to how you feel... I am very glad to be off social media right now as I am less exposed to the crazies out there. When I was on social media, I had to block my older sister because her views on things were so upsetting, and I did not need that stress when I was pregnant/had a newborn.
ReplyDeleteOh Dr. BB. Now you know how very good you have it.
All the cruddy stuff aside, congrats on your 1-year workiversary. I vividly remember your job search and how, well, demoralizing it was at times. So I am so very happy that you are happy in your role and love your coworkers! We spend a lot of time at work so it's really important to like the people you work with!
My update: my infusion that was scheduled for that I've been living for got cancelled because they don't have the IV saline that I get along w/ the meds because of the hurricane supply chain issues. I really about started to cry when the scheduler called to tell me on Friday. They can't even reschedule it because they don't know when they will have the meds back in stock. But my something good is that I have Wednesday and Thursday off from work to use as mostly shouldless days! Of course that means that Mon/Tues/Fri are absolute disasters full of meeting after meeting. I had someone send me a message at times as she was trying to schedule something on Friday and asked if my calendar was actually that full? Yep... it really is (but partially because we have a teacher's conference for Taco and a dr appt for Paul plus literally 7 other meetings. (see previous comment about the challenge of taking a 10 minute walk).
Oh, no! That flare is never going to go away if you can't get treatment. I am SO SORRY that everything is delayed. It's crazy how fragile our supply chain is, isn't it?
DeleteI'm jealous of your shouldless days, but I hope you have a lovely time with them! I have one scheduled a couple of weeks from now and I can hardly wait.
Sending you all my best wishes, Engie. This is a lot to deal with on top of a very stressful election. I can't even watch the news or be on social media right now.
ReplyDeleteThe world is a scary place right now. Hopefully it will pass and the last eight years will be a blip for us.
DeleteWe Canadians are worried about this election as well. Please America, do not go back.
ReplyDeleteFrom your lips to America's ears...
DeleteDang it - I drafted a comment this morning, and I just refreshed the page without realizing. Anyway, I'm sorry about radioactive cat sadness. That's so hard, because how does one explain the lack of cuddles to a cat? The household tasks . . . grrrr. Well done reflecting on the positive - it's great that you love your job and the people that come with it. That's a win for sure.
ReplyDeleteI hate it when I write a comment and it disappears. WHY?!
DeleteI cannot explain anything to Zelda and I think she's starting to think we don't love her. It's the opposite - we love her so much we made her radioactive!
Oof. You had a tough week my friend and I am sorry about all the election anxiety is adding to it... not just the outcome but what it will mean for the nation and family relationships.
ReplyDeleteI also think your martial disharmony proves that we need more women in charge and educate men about all the "unseen" work that we do on a daily basis (without complaining!).
I am happy to hear your mom is doing better, that you're doing better, and I hope your pets both are getting better, too.
This will pass! The election will be over. The cat will be healthy. I don't know what's up with the dog, but she can't have GI issues forever, can she?!
DeleteI hope that your husband hears himself when he says things like how unsustainable your burden is. Maybe it's time to re-balance the division of labor. I'm so sorry that Zelda's radioactivity is making you all miserable, that SOUNDS miserable. I hope that once this time of misery is in the past, she will live a long and healthy life, and you will both feel better about making the decision that you made.
ReplyDeleteUGH on the diarrhea, poor Hannah! I wish I knew the answer for you. Our Genevieve used to have that issue, and the vet gave us something for it that was maybe an antibiotic I can't remember, and it really helped. She hated taking it, it was very bitter. I had to trick her and as soon as she figured out one trick is was on to another. Not good.
I hope I will sleep tonight, though perhaps tomorrow night will be more difficult, with likely not knowing the election results.
I will give Dr. BB the benefit of the doubt - I think he meant that his regular duties PLUS mine were unsustainable. And I'm sure that's probably true. But it was just a few days, you know?
DeleteYES!! We have the bitter tasting stuff right now. We just sprinkle it on Hannah's chicken-laced kibble and after the first day (when she spit it out), she's been just gobbling it up. I think she's used to her food being gross. FINGERS CROSSED THIS WORKS because I am over a sick dog. OVER IT.
Oh, I'm glad that she eats the bitter powder! Genevieve ate it fine at first too. Years later when I had to give it to her, she refused (she was elderly and a picky eater at this point, blind and a little grumpy about always bonking her pretty face into things). I went to a small pharmacy and bought empty capsules, filled them with her medication, and gave it to her with peanut butter. She LOVED it. Until she accidentally bit into one and tasted the bitter powder, and then all bets were off again. GOOD LUCK, I HOPE THIS WORKS.
DeleteAlso, your benefit of the doubt does sound reasonable and much better than "I can't do what you do every day, it's too much!"
Happy work anni! It's a big deal, and a happy thing to celebrate on election week. Also yay that your mom is doing well and the rest of the family stuff doesn't matter. I'm sending all of the good vibes your way for Zelda, Hannah, and for COVID recovery.
ReplyDeleteI've noticed that the household tasks are "easy" when I do them and unbearable and unreasonable when others get brought into the fold. Harrumph.
It was fun to celebrate a year at my job. I feel so much better about life with a job. Even when things are hard, there's a way through.
DeleteSending hugs Engie, and congratulations on yuor one year job anniversary. Yay for good jobs. The household tasks ... we do have a way to go. When I was working longer hours and the kids were all home we had a cleaner until COVID hit and she couldn't come. Because everyone was home we divvied up the chores. After a couple of weeks G piped up saying the cleaning was easy (he was assigned our bathroom) and that instead of having a cleaner when COVID lifted, get a gardener instead. A few weeks later I asked him whether he was actually scrubbing the shower tiles and base. I realised then why he thought it was so easy. Let's just say that the cleaner was reinstated once restrictions lifted.
ReplyDeleteHousehold management is so hard. There's a reason it used to take many servants to run a household in the past, right?!
DeleteOne year at your job! Woop, Woop! I'm glad you found something that's such a great fit for you. <3
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry about the radioactive cat and the diarrhea dog and the family drama. I am so anxious about this election. I don't know how I'm going to get through these next few days (?!) while we wait for it to be called. Deep breaths.
You know what? As soon as I cast my ballot, my anxiety faded. I've done my bit. I need to have faith in my fellow Americans that they've learned their lesson re: the Republican candidate. And I voted for a woman!! Woot!
DeleteI'm sorry to read about the rift this election is causing for you and some of your family members. You're not alone, of course, but that doesn't make it any better. I like the Garth Brooks quote you mentioned on today's post. Ain't it the truth?
ReplyDeleteGarth Brooks, universally known as a speaker of truths!
DeleteI don't have pets but hear you on the rest (that is part of the reason why we don't have pets). I am so anxious about the election and am trying to come up with ways to explain a Trump win to my kids. I voted early. It's the one most important thing one can do. Sorry, you have to deal with the family discord. Since my family is in Germany we luckily avoid this and my friends feel the same way I feel. I usually don't agree with my dad when it comes to politics but our sides are still way closer together then what is happening in the US right now.
ReplyDeleteAs for #3, should I come up and kick your husband’s ass for you? 😉 I’m sorry you’re not feeling well. I’m in the same boat—not COVID, but my husband got me sick. You can come down here and kick my husband’s ass while I’m kicking yours!
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear good news about your mom! I have a friend whose dad has terminal cancer, and he’s doing well too. Good cancer news always makes me beyond happy.
Happy one year work anniversary! 🩷
Poor Zelda. Poor YOU! The radioactive stuff is scary. (Lillie was on chemo for a while and I had to be so careful with her poop/pee, so I get it)
ReplyDeleteI hope you are feeling better, and getting back your strength; it takes time.
Everyone needs to calm down about the political stuff; it shouldn't get into your personal or business relationships. I don't get it, but I hope things have settled down in your world.
Congrats on one year!! Woot Woot!