war

Friday is drawing to a close.  It’s been a killer work week, for sure.  There’s just way too much stuff going on at work lately, with all sorts of special projects in addition to all the ongoing maintenance sort of stuff.  I’m damn lucky to have a job, but the place is sucking the life right out of me.  Priorities are constantly being changed for me – managers negotiating to get more of my time.  It seems like a lot of people spend too much time jerking me around.  It’s just not an efficient way to work either – drop this, pick up that, take a look at this, we need you on that, when are you starting this....UGH!  And everyone wants status updates, but when I have 30 things going on, status updates take at least 20% of my time every week.  
  

I took Molly and Gracie to the vet yesterday for annual shots and parasite testing.  They are relatively easy to take places.  Molly is not the brightest crayon in the box.  She is easy to lure into a cage with a bit of chicken or bite of cheese.  Jack is another story, and that's why I scheduled to take him tonight by himself.  After several failed attempts and lots of blood-letting, the girls helped me trap him in the laundry room.  Erin held the cage upright with the door open, Emily stood by with oven mitts on over a thick long-sleeved jacket, and I finally caught him and wrapped him tightly in a towel.  Quickly, I shoved him hard head-first into the cage while Emily guided his back legs in through the cage door opening.  All the while he was yowling like a rabid lion.  He was not happy and complained loudly all the way to the vet’s office and while we waited. 

unhappy Jack

The vet called us back and prepared for a battle after all the commotion in the waiting room, but poor Jack was so tired he didn’t put up a fuss at all.  He stepped out of the cage as soon as I opened the door.  They checked him out, gave him shots, cleaned out his ears, and clipped his nails.  He hardly moved through any of it.  As soon as they were done, I opened the cage door and he walked in like it was no big deal.  The vet saw the scratches on my hands and offered to come to our house next time rather than have me bring them all in.  I might take her up on it.  I’m happy to say all our animals are healthy – thank heavens.  It’s expensive enough going when they’re well.