Week 2209 — Cats, Costumes, Rum Tum Tiddy
Calisi Virus or Cat Herpes
I took Digs to the vet for his annual wellness checkup. He hates going to the vet so much and he’s figured out what the cat carrier is for. As soon as he saw it he ran from me, and ran from me, and ran from me. When we got into the exam room, he flattened out and laid on the table like he didn’t think life was worth living anymore. The whole exam he just looked completely despondent.
I marched in there determined to get some kind of answer to his repeating upper respiratory infections. We’ve had him for 2.5 years and I think he’s had at least 5 infections that I’ve consulted the vet about. We were getting frustrated because it felt like they were just treating the symptoms on a case by case basis and not the overall issue.
I was sure it was cat allergies and they were just trying to save me money on cat allergy shots. But the vet explained that he might either have a kind of feline herpes, or something called calisi virus. Neither is curable so it’s all about managing symptoms. We can expect snot rockets on and off for his cute booger laden lifetime.
Now I am supposed to give Digs nose drops whenever he’s snuffly to keep his snot from getting too viscous. Pilling him has been so traumatic in the past that the first day, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. The second day I was brave and persistent and got both nostrils. The third day I got one nostril and called it a day. I’ll get better at it. I’ll have to. And he’ll get used to it too.
Rum Tum Tiddy Follow Up
We had the Rum Tum Tiddy cook off. There were 4 kinds of tiddy. One had beef jerky, one had pesto and feta, one had bacon, mine ended up being “currywurst” tiddy. Sprinkle curry powder on top of the crackers and red orange ooze.
What did we learn?
The tomato soup is powerful and you can chock it full of all kinds of stuff and it won’t taste all that different. The tiddy will assimilate all of your ingredients, no matter how diverse.
Also we learned that we have some awesome costume makers in my family. I can’t believe I didn’t get a picture of C3PO.
Fire
I woke up to the news this morning that my aunt and uncle’s studio burned down over night. No one was hurt but I can’t imagine. Fifty years of evolving it into the space it was, and all the work that was lost... The spaces we inhabit become almost living entities, parts of our families over time, and their loss is devastating and destabilizing.
And there’s the other side. It’s their workplace. Commissions were lost. How do you even cope with this stuff?
Podcasts and whatnot
The Disaster Artist
I mostly listened to The Disaster Artist all week. I was pretty addicted. By the end of it, my inner monologue was voiced by Greg Sestero’s Tommy Wiseau impression. If you’re going to consume this book in any way, it should be the audio book, because I think, without the voice it wouldn’t be the same. Now I’m pretty excited for movie that’s coming out, and I may need to rewatch the room too.
Dirty John
This podcast was recommended to me by multiple people within days of each other so as soon as I finished The Disaster Artist I started listening to Dirty John. Dirty John is a very dark but well told and compelling story. If you like true crime or becoming a more suspicious human being, then this is for you. I do recommend it unless you’re internet dating.
I think I would have been even more shocked by it all if I hadn’t been mainlining podcasts on evil human beings for weeks already, first a three-parter on the Oklahoma City Bombing from Last Podcast on the Left and then a three-parter on Jonestown from Casefile. Really, I’m a person that believes other people are good. I just think it’s important to challenge your own beliefs.
