First off …

Happy Thanksgiving, America!

And …

Happy Birthday, Kenno! Though probably a little late due to all those time zones between here and there.

Now on to the usual whining and griping:

Mom has left her house. Kenny has already been by to visit. I got the rest of my housework list done, and all I still have to do is swoosh the toilet and take out the trash. And I guess when Lin finishes “doing something” about his side of the den, I’ll vacuum in here. Everything else is just the way it is … like it or lump it. Oh, and the food is here. So far, the day is going on track.

How am I feeling? Better. Not great by a long shot, but the fever seems to have maxed out last night, and my stomach is more settled today. I also don’t ache all over quite as badly, though I do still have an outrageous headache. I think I may be able to enjoy the day.

It’s a beautiful day today too. Bright blue, cloudless sky and wonderful fall temperatures. A perfect day for a holiday!

I suppose I should go get dressed and get ready to go meet Mom across town. The house looks pretty good. Here’s hoping I can make myself look human in the next 20 minutes.

Have a good one everyone!

I spent all day yesterday in bed sick. Yup … the week of Thanksgiving, the first we are having in our own home, and I am sick with the same crap I have had four times this year already. I called Mom. She’s not feeling well either. We are still doing this thing, sick or not. Only difference is … I won’t be cooking. Nope, this year, Thanksgiving will be a catered event. I’m giving thanks that is an option for us. Why did I have to get sick THIS week?!

I have a million things to do around the house today to make it presentable by tomorrow. I don’t know how I am going to get it all done. I guess I’ll just start with one thing and keep at it until it’s done. Besides, it’s my mom. She’ll forgive me if my floors haven’t been mopped and my ceiling fans are dusty. I’m just going to focus on the big things, like cleaning the bathroom, clean sheets on the bed, and having no dirty dishes in the sink.

I’m just really upset, because I had it all planned out how I was going to do this whole huge meal, and it was going to be fantastic, and everyone was going to love it, and I was going to be a hero. Best laid plans of mice and men, eh?

Here’s where I was today! Didn’t get to take the tour or even walk through the Museum, because I was riding shotgun with Lin on a business excursion. But I did get to go into the gift shop where we bought a case of REAL Dr Pepper, so I’m happy.

I am really tired, and I have to be up in a few hours, but I had to post this.

Not going to proofread. Too tired, and I don’t want my blood pressure going up again. Pretty much a train-of-thought rant. Sorry.

Behind the cut, because I ranted a looooooong time.
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I think I am declaring it finished, but I’m going to sleep on it first. I’ll exchange this photo for a better lit one tomorrow. There is just NO decent lighting in this house for photographs of paintings.

Fecal floats and microscopic examination of my kittens’ feces, plus a clean bill of health on intestinal parasites aside, one of them still has a tapeworm. I have already ordered more pills. I only had two left, and I crumbled them up in their canned food today. Then spent the rest of the day trying to get them to eat it. I have almost completely succeeded. Myu still has some to eat. Next time, the pills get shoved down their throats, no matter how traumatic it is for everyone concerned. I will not be mentioning the tapeworm to the vet. I’m a little peeved that she a) questioned the pills I used (the same thing the vet give but charges FAR more for — I do my research) and b) I don’t feel like paying whatever outrageous amount she would want to give me the same damn medicine.

Yeah, at the last visit, things soured a little with the vet. I still think she’s a great vet, but she is going to have to learn that I am not stupid. The reason I told her to tell me everything she is going to do to my pets in explicit detail before doing it wasn’t because I didn’t understand what was going on. No, it’s because I wanted to be certain she wasn’t just doing things to DO them. I wouldn’t let a doctor run tests or give me drugs without a thorough explanation of why and how, so why would I do any less for my cats? Sorry, babe … don’t trust you quite THAT much.

And if she doesn’t agree to neuter them at our next visit, I will be taking them elsewhere. Kittens as young as 8 weeks and as small as two pounds are being neutered all over the place, and I don’t especially want to wait until they reach the age of sexuality. Ronin is already starting to show signs of interest in Myu that I wouldn’t call brotherly. Kittens as young as four months can have kittens. I don’t need that right now, no matter how much “fun” it would be. I’d also like to see a cut in his aggression level. He really goes overboard sometimes. Less testosterone would be a blessing.

Don’t mind me bitching about the vet. It’s just that I was sitting here waiting for paint to dry and looking over the list of vet appointments that are lined up for the next two months and adding up the costs and weighing the risks and such. She is a great vet, but we are going to have to sit her down and inform her that we aren’t stupid, because she seems to be under the impression that we are. Lin was even more put off than I was. I can’t say I really blame him. She was pretty snooty and “holier than thou” at the last visit. She’s also going to have to realize that our decision on things is the final matter of it whether she agrees or not.

And no, these kittens will not be going to the vet every 6 months, just “because.” Once they get their kitten shots, their rabies shots, and get fixed. Unless something happens, she likely won’t be seeing us again until the next time we need the rabies shot, and maybe not even then. It depends on how I feel about paying an arm and a leg for a shot that can be gotten elsewhere easily and cheaply. I mean, every time we take the two of them in, it’s an automatic $86 for the office visit. Ouch, right? They also won’t be getting tested every year for AIDS/Leukemia, nor will they be getting the annual booster shots. They won’t be going outside, and on the off chance they run out the door, they will not be outside long enough to contract anything. Not like I’d shrug my shoulders and go “Oh well, they ran out” and leave them out there for hours or overnight! It’s a risk I am willing to take, and since they are my children, I get to decide that.

OK, back to painting, or maybe feeding the household. I’m getting hungry.

Went with my gut instinct of what colors to make the flowers. Still more paint to apply, but I like the choice. Behind the cut, another in progress photo.
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Today I slept, called Mom to make arrangements for Thanksgiving, and then went back to work on that painting. I’m agonizing now about what color the flowers should be. My knowledge of color theory dictates they should be in the blue/violet spectrum. Lin says to be an artist and stop thinking about theories and how things should be. He’s probably right. I should go with the red/orange/yellow my mind suggests and to hell with color theory. Anyway, I am not hating it as much as I did this morning. I think I’d just exceeded my energy level and was getting tired of looking at it. Eight hours of staring at the same thing will do that to you.

It’s been a typical lazy Sunday around here. Probably more lazy than usual seeing as I was up all night slopping paint around. I had intended to start getting the house ready for Mom’s visit today, but painting has seemed more important. Mom lived with Dad’s creative messes (and her own), so it’s not like she’s going to hold it against me if the house isn’t perfect … though I do need to mom-proof the place. Everyone has things in their home that would offend their relatives, right?

It’s funny. I was sitting here trying to remember what I did yesterday, and I can’t recall anything. I know I was awake. I think I did some housework and then sat around contemplating a blank canvas and then painting. I’m sure there was more to the day than that, but maybe not. Oh, I did get the pecans from Wildman, and boy are they good. They are going to make some excellent pralines. Thanks, Wildman! I so appreciate them!

I guess I’ll go make that major decision on what color the flowers on that painting are going to be. There’s really no going back once I decide. So onward into the fog, I say! Maybe when I am done there will be a painting sitting there that I like. If not, maybe it’ll make a great Xmas gift.

For those who are interested, behind the cut is a photo of the current work in progress. I’m still not happy with the way it is going, and I am mortified by how much paint has already been used and how long I have been working on it, considering how very little appears to have been done. Ugh.
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This painting I have been working on tonight … not going well. In my head it was a masterpiece. I have not been able to replicate it on canvas. It just gets worse and worse. Sucks when that happens. Such is life … and art.

Not going to give up on it just yet.

And while I am waiting for the latest layer of hideous color to dry completely, I think I’ll go play some FFVII. Maybe after I don’t look at it or think about it for a while it will look better to me.

I don’t know why I felt the need to post this, but well … there you have it.