Category: Crankypantsing

Crankypantsing, Pets, Photography

At the Vet

Shelly

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Thomas went to a new vet today. He was urinating every 15-30 minutes yesterday evening, so I called my vet. The earliest appointment they had available was Monday. They would take him as an emergency between 8-5 today, but that would cost an extra $80, on top of the $38 office call fee.

Um, no. I’m still a little bit angry about the receptionist offering an appointment FIVE DAYS LATER, for a suspected UTI. A UTI is not an emergency, but it’s an urgent care issue, and if an owner doesn’t understand that, the receptionist should explain it to them.

I’m also annoyed that my vet–a practice I’ve been going to for ten years, is no longer able to provide urgent, non-emergency care. That’s unacceptable to me. I’m not asking them to drop everything to examine my dog, but they shouldn’t be so booked up that they can’t fit in urgent care cases. And they should have office staff who can triage those appointments, putting the non-urgent ones farther off and leaving a few slots open for more pressing problems.

So, I called another practice, and they were able to get Thomas in as a new patient this morning. They also had a couple of new client discounts that brought the bill down to $57. It would have otherwise been $87, which would have still been very reasonable!

You know how this story ends, right? After being stressed out about Thomas and pissed off at the old vet practice yesterday, I got no sleep last night. And of course, Thomas was back to peeing normally today. His urine looked normal under the microscope and everything else looked great. They did a needle urine draw, so they had a sterile sample to culture. Results of that should be back Monday, but I expect they’ll be negative.

All that angst and drama for nothing!

Crankypantsing, Pets, Photography

Sundogs

Shelly

Sundogs
Left to right: Harriet the Boxer, Frances the Boxer x Pit Bull, and Thomas the Boxer x Klingon

I got into a bizarre discussion on Facebook with a former animal shelter ACO who believes that folks who live in apartments should not own dogs. She thinks that a fenced yard should be required, and that lack of one is dog abuse. (And weirder, she feels that it’s also abusive to have children in apartments.)

Can you just imagine if the millions and millions of city dwellers in the world no longer had dogs (or children)? We would have to kill even more dogs than we already kill, and for what? The lack of a mythical “perfect” home? That’s kind of monstrous.

So here are the three dogs I’ve had while living in my current apartment. I don’t think they look miserable. Sure, in a perfect world, we’d all have acres of flowered fields and enchanted forests to play in, but that isn’t the world most people inhabit, and that’s okay. Dogs are incredibly adaptable, and lucky for everyone, they mostly just want a chance to play, to go for walks, and to hang out with their people.

Crankypantsing, My Garden, Photography

Great Spangled Fritillary

Shelly

Great Spangled Fritillary

Today’s visitor was a great spangled fritillary. And thank goodness, too. When I got home from work, the street in front of my complex was blocked by a car with its driver’s side door open, and a shirtless guy standing in the street, screaming hysterically at the driver.

I turned around, circled the block, and entered the complex from the other direction. And he was still screaming.

I went inside, got Thomas, and we left for a walk. Still screaming.

Thomas and I got back about a half hour later, and the shirtless guy was no longer screaming, but was still agitated.

They did finally leave at some point. I hope the guy calmed down. I did considered calling the police but decided that wasn’t going to help the situation for the guy or his girlfriend. The girlfriend could have left him and driven off at any point, if she felt threatened.

Ugh.

So, butterflies! They were a welcome sight.

Great Spangled Fritillary

Great Spangled Fritillary

Great Spangled Fritillary

Crankypantsing, Photography

Cosmic Pickle

Shelly

Cosmic Pickle #pickles

Best snack in the world: Teeny tiny itty bitty little crispy dill pickles with sharp cheddar cheese.

I didn’t get to the shelter today, to look at dogs. One of the cats I’m sitting for was sick, so I took him to the vet, instead. I’m starting to think the universe is telling me that I’m not allowed to have another dog.

Hmf.

Crankypantsing, My Garden, Photography

More Flowers

Shelly

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Hosta

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Honeysuckle

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Queen Anne’s Lace

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Queen Anne’s Lace

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Forget Me Nots

I got out the big camera, for a change. All these were taken with a Lensbaby 2.0. Close-ups were taken with a macro filter.

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Beetles having sexy fun time on Queen Anne’s Lace

And guess what? My car still isn’t fixed. They put everything back together and still couldn’t get the brake lines to pressurize, because the master cylinder is also shot. So that’s going to double my repair bill. They said the part should arrive tomorrow morning, and they promised it would be ready to pick up by the end of the day tomorrow.

I thought that the one silver lining of losing Frances, and it was a pretty piss poor one, was that I would finally be done hemorrhaging ridiculous amounts of money. HA! No, I would not be that lucky.

Art, Crankypantsing, Journals, Paintings

Anjou Pear

Shelly

Anjou Pear #gouache #paintings #paintsketch #sketchbooks #artjournals #scumbling
gouache on 140 lb Canson cold press watercolor paper

I had been planning on going to the animal shelter yesterday after work. So of course, on my way to work yesterday morning, the brake warning light on my car came on. Instead of looking at dogs, I dropped my car off at the auto shop. They called this morning to say that there’s a broken rear brake line, leaking rear differential, and a broken brake caliper slide, all of which will cost about $500 to fix.

I’d like to stop hemorrhaging money soon, pleaseandthanks.

Crankypantsing

Backup, Backup, Backup

Shelly

backup

Piglet was being hilariously obnoxious last night, singing opera and trying to catch the bug on the front door (AKA the peephole). I wanted to get it on video, but nope, my phone was full. Hmf. So now I’m sitting and waiting and waiting and waiting while all my photos and video transfer to a backup drive. Which obviously I should have done ages ago. I think I just have a 32GB phone, which is not a lot of space. I end up having to dump it every few months, and it was long overdue.

So instead of a video of my ridiculous cat, you are getting a reminder to back up your photo and video devices so you can make room on them for new stuff. (Only 23 minutes remaining!)

Crankypantsing, Photography

Morning Sky

Shelly

Morning sky and newly paved parking lot #indianaskies #skies #morning #iu #indianauniversity #iubloomington #parkinglot

There has been a whole lot of coworker angst about the repaving of the 10th Street parking lot. You’d think the world was ending. For reals. They closed the west end of the lot a few weeks ago, completely dug it up, relaid bedding, and repaved it. It opened yesterday afternoon, so this was the first day I was able to park there. It’s pretty!

And now they’ll close the smaller east end of the lot. I expect another round of coworker angst, because duh.

(Seriously, someone was upset that he had to walk twenty feet farther to get to work. If he’s disabled, he can get a pass and park in the lot right behind the library. Otherwise, suck it up, buttercup! A short walk is good for you.)

Crankypantsing

Mystery Tropes

Shelly

Apparently no mystery writer ever in the history of writing has owned a cat. If they had, they wouldn’t assume that a twitching curtain in an empty house means that someone is inside, hiding. Piglet would twitch the curtains just to screw with people’s heads.