(no subject)

The Kaiser really is not doing well. I don't think he's *sick* per se because he's walking around and going onto the balcony and eating, but the poor thing cannot breathe. americanstd thinks that the vet's given up trying to figure out what's wrong. Steve thinks that the litter we've been using is doing it; we changed litters because the old one was making Steve sick and that's when the Kaiser started sneezing and coughing so it's back to the wheat-based litter again.

Our vet is also over-extended, does anyone have a recommendation for another one?

I really miss our nutty old lady vet in Montreal. She was a feline homeopath who was also fantastically on the ball with the latest feline conventional medicine. And let me tell you, her homeopathic anti-arthritis remedy WORKED.

I guess the interview went well. It was short and I can do everything they want, plus I'm a mass-transit nut. We'll find out. Isn't it sad I've learned not to be optimistic?

LATER EDIT: I was right. I didn't get the job. I asked the placement person if it was anything I did wrong at the interview and she said no, the interview was just fine and that it was a "difficult decision" to go with the other person.

I really want to know what Steve and I are doing wrong. We should NOT be having our lives going so wholesale horribly. I mean, nothing is going right and at this point whenever there's the chance of something positive happening we're totally unexcited because we know it won't. And don't give us the "Oh, you need to think more positively" routine because we've DONE that and this is where it's gotten us.

I'm starting to think I should hunt down a unit going to Iraq, insure myself for a million dollars, and take a bullet. Then again, it'll probably only cripple me horribly and leave me begging in a wheelchair.

Crock Pot Beef Stew

1 lb stew beef
3 carrots
1 large potato
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1/2 cup red wine of choice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper (preferably fresh-ground)

Take all of the above and load it into a Crock-Pot. Simmer on low for 8 hours or high for 4 to 6. (I actually haven't used it on high, so experiment.)

This is a variant on the beef stew Steve used to cook for himself when I was away at Forts Jackson and Lee. He made it for me and my reaction was "Nice, but it needs something." This includes the critical "somethings" of dry onion soup mix, which should be a valuable weapon in any cooking arsenal, and the red wine.

(no subject)

As for the Kaiser, besides getting the wheat-based cat litter (which has improved the atmosphere in here a lot; I had been griping about smelling the catbox for the past few days even though I'd been cleaning it regularly) we had a surprise in the mail: the chamber and mask Dr. Jeremy ordered so the Kaiser could use my Ventolin.

Yes, you read that right.

Steve cleaned up the mask and chamber, we attached my inhaler and put his face in it. As you can imagine, the beastie wasn't too thrilled about that, but he was remarkably good about it, considering we held the mask on for the 15 seconds I know I always need to hold it in. It worked too; he is breathing much more easily now, so we hope that between new, no-dust litter and all his meds he'll recover. So far so good.