• It seems that the kitty stomach flu has spread to Angelo because he didn’t eat his breakfast. However, he did eat his second meal today, including the dregs of Hopper and Basil’s leftovers. Hee Seop didn’t eat the special “bad tummy” food, but ate half of his regular food. Hopper seems fine and no one has vomited (that I’ve found).
• I’m feeling a little less exhausted today. I dragged my upstairs neighbor to Starbucks before returning home for my therapist session, so at least I got out of the apartment. Maybe the extra .5mg of Klonopin is easing my anxiety, after all. It’s still too early to tell, though.
• My therapist agreed to a phone session this morning because I was all up in arms about the cats. Anyway, she advised me to let go of the incident yesterday morning, when the desk clerk at the new gym gave me all kinds of bullshit when I canceled my fitness test. I was ready to cancel my membership, but I actually had the insight to ask myself (and my therapist) today: what is rash and what is rational? So I’m letting it go. My therapist said that if it happens again, however, that’s a different story.

  I’m not going to totally go into it but let’s just say that the desk clerk gave me very poor customer service, and I was already upset because of the sick cats and from being absolutely exhausted. If I’m unable to reschedule the fitness test due to their cancellation policy (that the desk clerk was unclear about), then whatever. It’s a free service anyway. But OK, part of me still wants that girl fired.

• I’m looking forward to having a quiet Thanksgiving with Brian, which is our little tradition. He cooks, we eat, we watch football. And probably I’ll play Mafia Wars and lurk on Twitter. And hopefully catch up on blog reading and poem writing.

Wow. What an utterly boring post this is!

My first bullet post!

THE CATS

• We’re still waiting for Hee Seop’s lab results, but his appetite has improved. It isn’t normal, but he’s been eating. Apparently, he has something like the stomach flu. The vet sent us home with i/d, which is easily digestible. When he wasn’t interested in that last night, we gave him some of his usual food but he didn’t care for that either. This morning he ate all of his i/d. Instead of 2 meals a day we’re spreading them out to 4 — same amount as usual, though: a 6-oz. can a day. His stool is still loose but better.
• Unfortunately, Basil had loose stool today and his appetite was down this morning. When Hee Seop showed no interest in his second helping of i/d today (nor in his regular food), Basil ate the i/d. He vomited a little bit late in the afternoon, but that’s not unusual for him. Hopper also vomited a bit, but that isn’t unusual for her, either.
• When we returned home just now someone had diarrhea and didn’t bother to bury it. My first thought was that it belonged to Hopper or Angelo because they have this alpha thing going between them and neither one buries his/her poop. Well, the vet will hear all about it when she calls this evening.

ME

• Meanwhile, I’ve been utterly exhausted all day. I didn’t sleep well. Again. I wonder, too, how much of it has to do with recuperating from vacation. Why is it that Brian, my sister, my brother-in-law — all can go out of town for a weekend and return to work just fine? I really hope that I’m not coming down with anything because I absolutely can’t stand being sick. I’m a baby as it is, but I’m worse when I’m sick.
• Needless to say, I didn’t make it to my fitness test, but I at least made it to my pdoc appointment a little while ago. He thinks that my anxiety is what’s affecting the depression, rather than the other way around, or that the anxiety is a symptom of the depression, during the past few weeks, anyway. So he’s increased my Klonopin from 2mg a night by adding .5mg in the morning. We’ll see how that goes. I’m going to lie down now.

What does that even mean for me? I don’t work and my days consist mainly of being on the computer sending and answering e-mail; Twittering; reading blogs; blogging sometimes (NaBloPoMo doesn’t count); posting silly (and a few not so silly) things on my Tumblr blog, The Insane and Mundane (shameless plug); playing Mafia Wars on FB. When I’m not on the computer I’m reading or watching TV. Once a week I go to therapy. Every 3 or 4 weeks I see my pdoc and there are various other appointments in between.

When I started working out again, I’ve had to rearrange my schedule and that still isn’t ironed out. I’m one of those people who needs routine. I need to know what to do next or at least have an idea or I’m completely lost. Do you have any idea how hard this is when most of what you do is stay home all day?

When we returned from vacation, I dreaded today. It meant that I should have gone back to the gym. All weekend I worried about whether or not I would, though I tried really hard not to. I wish I could just take things in stride. I told myself that I wouldn’t beat myself up if I didn’t make it to the gym today, that I’m still exhausted from our trip and that it’s OK to take a day to relax. Besides, I have a fitness test tomorrow so I’ll be at the gym, then.

But in the middle of the night, Hee Seop threw up, then immediately headed for the litter box and had a bout of diarrhea. This is very unlike him. He rarely throws up, not even hairballs. We were worried, of course, but I’m glad I was able to fall back asleep. Then he didn’t eat his breakfast, which is also not like him. He inhales his food. Something was definitely wrong, so I called the vet and luckily they had openings this morning. It was also an “excuse” not to go to the gym.

He’s still being held for observation and treatment (fluids for dehydration and some anti-nausea meds), though his abdominal x-rays were clear. His labs won’t be back until tomorrow. The vet said that he was the third cat she’d seen today presenting with those symptoms, and that one of the other vets saw 2 others. It could be that something’s going around in the kitty world, which the vet says can happen, but she said it definitely isn’t swine flu, so that’s good. OK, she called it H1N1, but come on, it’s swine flu.

In the meantime, I’m still waiting to hear back from them and trying not to be too anxious. I’m sure he’s fine. He rarely has to go to the v-e-t except for his annual check-up.

In the meantime, I’m worried about whether or not I’ll make it to my fitness test tomorrow.

In the meantime, I still don’t know why I’m so exhausted even though I’m getting plenty of sleep.

In the meantime, I’m worried about how I’m going to fit working out into my daily schedule.

Good thing I see the pdoc tomorrow and my therapist on Wednesday.

Sorry, folks, but I got nothing else. My mind is mush, I’m hungry for dinner, and the Bears game is on soon, though I don’t know how much of that Brian and I will be able to watch, depending on how well (pfft) they play tonight. So here it is. A stupid quiz. But you know you’re going to click right on that link and find out which book you are! You might not post it on your blog, but you know you’ll do it! Mwahahahaha! By the way, you have no idea how hard I had to search the Internet just for a stupid quiz! Quizilla just ain’t what it used to be.

You’re Les Miserables!
by Victor Hugo
One of the best known people in your community, you have become something of a phenomenon. People have sung about you, danced in your honor, created all manner of art in your name. And yet your story is one of failure and despair, with a few brief exceptions. A hopeless romantic, you’ll never stop hoping that more good will come from your failings than is ever possible. Beware detectives and prison guards bearing vendettas.

Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

The rivalry between the Ohio State and Michigan football teams is a HUGE one. Although we’re already slated to go to the Rose Bowl after beating Iowa last week, this is still a HUGE game. As I said, it’s a HUGE rivalry. Some even say that it’s the biggest rivalry in college football, perhaps even in all of North American sports. And today, we beat Michigan 21 – 10. Their quarterback threw several interceptions, one of which I’ve started calling a “Jay Cutler,” named after the current Bears QB. The throw is one that would be a touchdown pass but is intercepted in the end zone. In Cutler’s case, it was the last play of the game last Thursday against the 49ers. Barf, Jay Cutler. Barf.

I have never been a sports fanatic. (When it comes to hockey, to be honest, I’d rather play than watch.) Before grad school, I watched the Bears occasionally because I liked football OK, but was never a fan of college football. Plus, DePaul, where I went for undergrad, doesn’t have a football team. When I chose to go to Ohio State, I had no idea how HUGE the culture surrounding Buckeye football really is. When I received an option to buy student season tickets, I just figured what the hell, why not?

According to GQ magazine’s list of America’s 25 Douchiest Colleges, Ohio State comes in at #19 for having “excessive school pride.” And according to SPIKE, Ohio State is among The Top 10 Teams With the Most Annoying Fans. Yes, Ohio State fans are fanatic. And now, this former non-fan of college football is a die-hard, Ohio State fanatic, though I draw the line at painting my face. However, I wear my buckeye beads to games (yes, they’re made of buckeyes, poisonous nuts that grow on the state tree) and own all sorts of Ohio State gear, and most importantly, the Official Ring, which my parents gave me when I graduated. Oh, and Brian and I are lifetime members of the Ohio State Alumni Association.

Going to Ohio State was like being converted into…almost a religion! And I’ve embraced it. The school is steeped in tradition and I’m all about tradition. I think it’s because I always felt like a loner as a child and needed a sense of belonging. Maybe I still do. I think that playing Women’s Club Hockey, even though it was during the team’s lean years, sealed the deal for me as a Buckeye.

Brian and I even did “The Long Walk,” which, according to the The Oval Walking Tour, states:

Rumor has it that if you walk hand-in-hand with your significant other across the length of the Oval, you’ll be together forever. Start on the Oval’s east side and walk west to the Main Library.

Yet another tradition is that of the Gold Pants that began in 1934: after beating Michigan, the players and coaches are awarded a pendant of a pair of football pants made of gold. So, to this year’s Buckeyes, Coach Tressel, and staff, wear those pants well! Congratulations!

And if anyone wants to buy me a pair of tickets to the upcoming Rose Bowl, they go on sale December 8! Thanks!