This passes for tenderness.

On the train to New York on our last day on "vacation" (bitter), I wasn't in the mood for any bull shit from New York or New Jersey for that matter. Our hotel was in New Jersey in a mysterious place where not a single train goes. We had to spend $25 on a faux limousine "cab" to get to the Secaucus train station.

By the time we got to the Secaucus station on Monday morning you can imagine I wasn't in a very jovial mood. I was busy thinking about the rug we could have bought with the money we'd spent or the week long family vacation in Chicago we could have taken. I was ready for New Jersey to bring it.

When we got on the train into the city I knew it was just one stop to Penn Station so I didn't sit down, I decided to do as I'd seen many times that weekend and stand in between the trains in that little vestibule.

This was fine until the conductor came by and gave me an odd sideways glance. I said, in my earnest Midwest way, the way that annoys the hell out of New York, "Am I not allowed to be standing here?"

The conductor gave me another look, took my ticket and said sternly, "No. No you're not."

He didn't tell me to move and so I didn't move.

He came back by a minute later paused, gave me another stern look saying nothing and left.

Right before we pulled into the station he stood in the vestibule with me, looking out the window opposite me.

He said, still looking out the window, "I hate it when we go through this tunnel slowly. I hate seeing how badly they're crumbling. It's like eating shellfish, if you think too hard about it, you really don't want to eat it."

I chuckled, politely.

Surprisingly, this was the most tender interaction I had with anyone working in or around the city the entire weekend.

================================================

Today I spent $115 taking Gary the cat to the vet because he was growling at us and walking funny. A few x rays, special food and one hundred fifteen dollars later and we know my cat....is constipated. I would have paid $215 to skip over what happened next.

Gary the cat peed in his carrier on the drive home. Which then spilled onto the seat of Logan's car. Which also covered my cat's fur in urine. Which then covered me in urine. Which then made me wish I was dead.

It's been a while since I had a week where I just wanted to stay in bed. I was due.

================================================

I wrote elsewhere this week, about fall crafts here and about some meatballs here. I'm also finding great things for you every day at Mighty Junior like these Argentine Friendship Rings. 

Comments

[HouseofJules]

You had a rough week. Glad there was a little bit of tenderness there for you to hold on to as a bright spot on your trip.

Jules
House of Jules

[Kristine]

No way! I spent $115 at the vet today too!

There was no urine episode from George the dog on the way home, but I was warned that the antibiotics (for the cut on his ear that just won't heal) could give him diarrhea. When a 100-lb dog has diarrhea, it tends to splash up the walls. Has been my experience. So I'm hoping that won't happen.

I hope that little paragraph brightened up your day.

[Hetty]

Man, sucky week for you!! I'm so sorry. If it makes you feel any better, the last time our Manx cat got constipated (caused by tryiing a new type of cat food that was supposed to be good for all body types, fat and thin -- ha, ha, maybe not), it cost me $200 to get him un-constipated. (Money well spent, I decided, when the vet told me how he had to give Boomer not one but *two* enemas, and massage his rectum to get, ah, everything out. Better him than me.)

Sorry the trip to NY sucked so royally. I've learned not to travel with my marathoner husband (he's up to #19) unless the trip is sweetened by time doing other stuff. But the 24 hrs before and the 24 hrs after a marathon are ALWAYS swallowed by the race. Depend on it.

[sneakyg]

A few months ago, I took one of our cats to the vet because his right eye had gone all cloudy and squinty, and it cost $180 to find out that ... wait for it ... he'd bumped into something. Veterinary wisdom comes at a high price.

I'm sorry to hear about the crappy trip, not to mention the peeing. (Tip: Line the carrier with an old towel, because they always pee inappropriately at some point during the vet-going experience.) Here's to better times next week.

[cce]

God, I hate taking the cats to the vet. One of our felines tore my hand open while I tried to shove her into the carrier. While I bled all over my clothes, I shouted, "I hope you die of Feline Leukemia or Distemper because you are a thankless little bitch. So there. And then I felt better and took the nice, mild cat to the vet and had him vaccinated, hoping he'd live longer than his female counterpart who bites and scratches and eats my heart out.

[Kate]

Our puppy had a rash that I told the vet I thought was food-allergy related. EIGHT WEEKS and several expensive tests and six straight weeks of three daily pills, the vet told me, hey, you know what, I think it is food-allergy related. And then she sold us a bottle of Special Dog Shampoo. My husband and I call it the $500 bottle of shampoo.

I hope your week perks up soon.

[sharonh]

Sorry you had such a terrible time here. If you give it a chance when a major event is not happening you might love it. New York and New Jersey have some great things to offer too.

[arandall]

Nature's Miracle will take care of the cat pee. When we evacuated with Hurricane Rita, my cat peed in my fiance's beloved Audi. (And we still got married!) I cleaned it up with ample amounts of Nature's Mirable - worked like a charm. Available at Petsmart and online.

[Geeky Mom]

So sorry to hear about your weekend/start of the week!
If it makes you feel any better, I got peed on 3 times in 2 days, by 3 different cats on trips to the vet. I began to think they had it in for me! To add insult to injury, I was the only one brave enough to clean and medicate a ruptured abscess my in-laws' cat had.. you don't even want to know what that entailed.. makes me gag just thinking bout it!
It sounds like it's time for a Momtini!

[Account Deleted]

Sorry about the cat pee. Here is a new holiday that will let you get back at your cat: http://www.livelikeacatday.com

[Strizz]

That really sucks. Have a margarita or 7.

[TeriLynn]

My neighbor's puppy likes to try to follow our dog into our house, and the occasional times she slips past us, she's so excited that she runs through the whole first floor, peeing all the way. The first time it happened was the morning we left for the wedding. Sets a tone, I'm just saying.

That explains why I didn't see Gary the other day. He was in the litterbox, giving himself hemorrhoids.

[tara]

I feel for you! Your life sounds just like mine. If you clean the car (your clothes, the cat, etc.) with hydrogen peroxide, the smell and any staining will "magically" come out. Our vet shared this tidbit with us and it honestly removes all traces of ANY bodily fluid, no questions asked! Good luck and remember, Friday is just around the corner!

[witchypoo]

Try to let go of the bitterness. It will only poison your life. Focus your energies on something you can accomplish and feel good about, like payback. Silent, seething anger does nothing constructive. You need a plan.
And margaritas. Yes, and margarita-induced plans are the best.
I'll bet being home helps you decompress :-)

[Mary Koch]

Ewww, sorry to hear about the unfortunate incident with the cat. I had that same experience with my two, (yes two pee-soaked cats) last winter. My car still smells funky when it sits in the sun for too long.

[Crouching Hamster]

Aww, too bad about the marathon trip. It would be kind of a drag to spend a weekend watching someone run through the five boroughs. May I suggest skydiving instead?

[Jenn]

Cat pee.

Trying to think of something worse smelling, but I'm at a loss.

I've heard, though, that margarita's help eliminate the odor.

[Monica]

Try having your city smell like this strangely putrid stink. No lie... I walked out one morning and euuuuw, I thought a cat had sprayed around the front of our house. Then, went to the gym and same smell. We have recently move to Fresno, CA and while I knew there wasn't as much culture as our former communities (San Francisco and most recently Portland, OR), I didn't think I would be dealing with this. Again, euuuw. Anyway, it passed...

AND, no more more going to marathons and calling it vacation!!! A vaca must be a mutually enjoyable break.

I wish you lived on my stinky street. You're a riot.

[Chris]

Sorry the trip stunk - I hate spending money on something to be terribly disappointed.

And I hope you've had success in the cat poop arena.

[The Domestic Goddess]

You are one of the few people on the internets that makes me feel like a normal human being. Wanna know why? Because you are soooooo normal. At least you write yourself sooooo normally. Makes me feel good, because I would have a very similar reaction to your trip to New York. Although I have to tell you that New York isn't so bad when there isn't a freaking marathon going on.
Cat pee. Eeeeewwww. Good luck with that.

[Strizz]

This comment is to the latest post....

Why do you pull you're jeans out before they are all the way dry? the dryer the are the more ass-tastic they become. Anyhoo your husband is hot, I think I may have even mentioned this before, but I know all men are morons who at some point get skids in their draws and THEY are lucky we keep them around. Na mean, yo.

[Antonia]

I once had a constipated cat. Every morning, hangover or not, I had to hold its tail in one hand and in the other, a tube of mineral oil with a long, long nozzle. You can guess the rest. It was a bonding experience I hope you don't have to go through.

[doobleh-vay]

Hiya there
I am just saying hello and thank you
thank you for always keeping it real
Regarding yr above post...Dooblehvay to them!
I think yr great
and real
and I would so drink wine with you
and complain about any old thing
Yr fresh and I love it
amy

[Bass Princess]

"I hate it when we go through this tunnel slowly. I hate seeing how badly they're crumbling. It's like eating shellfish, if you think too hard about it, you really don't want to eat it."

Strangely beautiful and soulful. Who knew such tenderness lurked within these crabby sort of folks?

I concur with Ms. encorelady - "...yr fresh and I love it."

Indeed, u r.

[Bass Princess]

"I hate it when we go through this tunnel slowly. I hate seeing how badly they're crumbling. It's like eating shellfish, if you think too hard about it, you really don't want to eat it."

Strangely beautiful and soulful. Who knew such tenderness lurked within these crabby sort of folks?

I concur with Ms. encorelady - "...yr fresh and I love it."

Indeed, u r.

[FlippyO]

Ugh, cat pee. Except it getting on the seats of the car, I had the same experience last week when rescuing two older cats that their owner dumped unceremoniously at animal control. As if I didn't have enough reasons to hate people. I had to spend money to rescue HER cats, and to drive 70 miles roundtrip in rush hour traffic. People, oftentimes, suck total ass.

Anyway, the real reason I'm writing this comment is to recommend Wild Kitty Cat Food. You mix your own meat in, raw or cooked. We use raw for our cats, and it's made a huge difference in their lives. It's slimmed down the fat ones, given silky shiny coats to all of them, but best of all, no more poopy probems and no more UTIs for any of them. No, no, wait, that's not the best part, the best thing about Wild Kitty is that the cats' poop no longer stinks and they poop a whole LOT less than they did when they ate kibble or other cat food. Believe me, when you have 14 cats (it was 12 for one day, after we'd found two of the fosters a new home, but then we had to bring the crate pee'ers home to foster), you can immediately tell the difference between the stench of their poop with other cat food and the lack of it with Wild Kitty.

It also cured our tiny foster kitten's IBD. We thought he was going to die because he couldn't digest other cat food, even the prescription stuff. It would cause horrible cramping (imagine a tiny kitten rippling with cramps and crying - it was heartbreaking) and he couldn't control where he pooped. When we changed his food, it eventually stopped the cramping, he used the litterbox all the time, and he's gone from the tiniest little guy to being bigger than his sister. I kind of miss my little guinea pig sized cat, as I was hoping he'd stay kitten-sized forever, but he's so healthy now that it's hard to begrudge him some ginormous growth.

I haven't commented here in a long time (too busy for daily blog reading, which I hate), so considered this all of those other comments in one. I apologize for the length, but Wild Kitty has been a miracle food in our household and I can't help talking about it. It's also a nice company - we met the owners at SuperZoo and they're awesome.