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22:39 - 15.12.07
Marathon
I'm sorry (click on the penguin then the yeti) it took so long to continue my story, dear dairy, but I have been preoccupied with milking cats the past few days.

You see, we picked Mel up Tuesday night and had to return to the vet in my community - who is only open on weekdays - to have him checked over early Wednesday morning. The clinic hadn't wanted to release Mel because he was still having trouble peeing. We couldn't afford another $500 or more for another night of monitoring, so he was released to me on the condition I spend the night expressing his urine. Very much like milking a cow, at which I was never very successful any time I had tried. Milk smells much better though. I grew used to all-nighters when the boys were small, but after four straight nights of it now I admit I can't sustain that pace anymore. I think it's fortunate - for the animals' sake - that I've haven't tried applying for work on a farm or ranch or vet clinic either.

During the afternoon on Tuesday I had that one meeting at the one agency I had interviewed at a few weeks ago. It was really cold, so I was grateful for the presence of a train at the station when our feeder bus arrived there. I noticed a woman of East Indian descent standing in front of the closed doors dressed only in a summer sari and a shawl. She retreated to the shelter on the platform when the doors didn't open automatically. She could have been waiting to meet someone arriving at our station from further south but my guess was that she didn't realize that the train doors didn't open automatically. I went to the door and opened it calling to her to enter. She came and sat by me commenting on how cold she was. I hadn't brought an extra hat or pair of gloves with me and regretted that fact, since I would have happily provided them to her if I had. Often I do carry extras just because it is so dangerously cold here in winter and people new to this climate just don't realize how careful they have to be. I always seem to give away a few bits and pieces of winter gear each year as a result. A dollar for a pair of gloves isn't that big of an investment, but it can save someone from losing digits to frostbite. Closer to downtown she showed me a letter directing her to report to a specific address for language lessons. She wasn't certain where to go. I had been wondering what I was going to do with the extra 15 minutes I would have before my own appointment. The building she had to go to was within easy walking distance of where I had to be so I walked with her until she was within sight of her appointed place. Took the edge off the usual nervousness I feel when going to interviews since I was otherwise occupied.

As it turned out my interview was very short. There had been a new woman hired at the agency and my file had been one of the ones passed on to her. When I walked in, I was greeted by the receptionist and one of the two interviewers from the last meeting. The one interviewer was joking about the length of time since our last meeting. It wasn't that long ago really, but the big change was that I had been in summer clothing then. My appearance - like everyone else's in the city - changes radically in the winter simply out of neccessity. As I had entered the office another woman was walking out. Tall and very striking in appearance. I smiled at her as we passed each other and got a grin back in return. I was working hard at not being envious of her youth or good looks. As I was chatting with the receptionist that woman made a u-turn and came back to greet me. Turns out she was the new person on board that I was supposed to meet. We visited for about 15 minutes and then I was free to return home. It was my youngest's birthday so I appreciated having the extra time to complete the preparations for his evening. Nothing much to speak of mind you since I haven't any money left for much but I had already found some cufflinks for him - remember he had wanted those last Christmas - and some socks. A card, some lottery tickets (that didn't win) and subs with a side of homemade cheesecake was all I could offer. My one son and his girlfriend came by around supper to take me back to the animal hospital to pick up Mr Melchizedek. We arrived back home just after my youngest arrived so we lit candles quickly then sent a good portion of the cake off with number five son to share with his girlfriend. I apologized to my youngest for not having much to offer him. I had been hoping to get him tickets to either George Carlin's or Bill Cosby's shows when they were in town, but just not possible under the current circumstances. He said that Mel's life was his gift this year and he was more than happy with that. He turned out so well, my youngest and I was really proud that he had already absorbed that lesson about what matters. "Whatsoever ye do to the least of these, my bretheren, so you do it also to me." Think I've heard that somewhere before, eh?

Arrived in the local vet's office - two blocks from our home - early Wednesday morning. Mel still wasn't doing very well and so the day was spent trying to remember when each of four different pills was supposedly to be administered - cats have exceptionl muscles in their mouths to facilitate projectile spitting out of such foreign bodies by the way. He may have been a very sick boy, but he hadn't lost any of his attitude - nuh uh. He had learned that getting in a vehicle was not in his best interest so I carried all of his 15 or so lbs plus his kitty bed both wrapped around with a cosy car blanket from vet to home. He thought that was an adventure - I thought my arms might not hold out. More milking - excuse me expressing - work for me for the balance of the day. I have to confess that even when I was breast feeding the boys I found using a breast pump to express milk for them nearly impossible. Just don't have the strength or versatility in my hands. Besides it was just easier to stay close by and feed them directly or take them with me wherever I went. In some of the volunteer meetings I attended that did seem to clear the room of males in a hurry and shortened the meetings considerably as a result. I remember ... um well anyway sometimes when bargaining with some of the bureaucrats became testy we found that they would agree to just about anything if I showed signs of being about to nurse. One does what it takes when one is trying to serve one's community, eh? But I digress.

Thursday I did a piecework assignment for the second quality assurance company that I've signed up with. It had been scheduled for Tuesday, but my contact there had been very understanding about my circumstances. They said they had five cats and two dogs. My kind of person. It was quite an enjoyable experience so I think I'll be signing up for more of the same. Finished up the paperwork in one of the food courts with just enough time to spare so that I could go for another job interview at another agency. More testing of skills confirmed that my scores from previous sessions were accurate. I really enjoyed the two women who would be looking after my file. They said - as have a number of other agencies - that my requested wage was a little on the high end but that they wanted to put my resume forward for one employer immediately. Good enough. It would be working in marketing but with material that I am very familiar with. New skills would make me quite happy thank you very much. Better not get too excited before I find out if they even want to interview me though.

Arrived home in the early afternoon to find Ms Wildfire out of sorts. She had been stepping into Mr Mel's absent pawprints as a more dominant member of the cat clew and wasn't fussed about being sent back to the minor leagues. Ms Kitty and Mr Boots had stood in as mediators while I was gone but they were pleased to have me take over when I arrived. A particularly extended temper tantrum just before bed saw Ms Wildfire exiled to the computer room all by her lonesome. Some how in the middle of the night she managed to pull the cover off the air vent register. She was able to climb in to the vents but then found she couldn't get back out. The noise of her mewling and Mr Boots valiant efforts to pull the securely affixed outer vent cover woke me up. I cleared the way for said Ms-chief to exit her self-made prison and she emerged a much humbler and thoroughly chastened cat. At least for the short term. She hasn't so much as hissed - at least not very loudly - at Mr Mel since.

Friday I spent the day emailing out more resumes. The one agency said they wouldn't consider me for positions they had if I did that, but so far none of the agencies have come up with anything substantial and I can't wait on them to do so. Catch 22. However I did get a call late in the afternoon from another employer who had received my application earlier in the day. Set an interview for Monday. One of these interviews has to turn into a job offer - right? The caller had asked why I was aiming so low in my applications. She said she didn't want me for the one job I had applied for but had three other senior positions which she did want to discuss. Catch 22 again - first I am asking for too much, but then I'm not asking for enough. The headache really was from the chinook blowing in from the south - right? Could be that last night Mr Mel regressed again showing a great deal of trouble relieving himself. Back to milking again.

At the end of my son's work day I met him and one of his financial planner buddies to discuss the finacial difficulties the animal hospital was creating by demanding all their fees paid up in such an incredibly short time period. As I suspected, there wasn't much assistance that he could offer because the casual work I am doing now is not considered employment by creditors or lenders although it is counted as such when the employment rate is announced by government. I think that there should only be one definition applied that works for both sides of the equation. Casual and temporary work is really not full employment and should not be added into that number. Employment should only be counted when it means that a person is making an adequate wage to feed, shelter and clothe themselves and their families. If one is struggling to survive living under the poverty line then one shouldn't be used to shore up the government's boasts of good financial management. They're not managing they are just exploiting those of us who can't fight back after all.

I arrived at the community vet's office again this morning as soon as they opened. The vet was surprised but said that Mr Mel was physically clear of obstruction. Could be that wily cat has just realized he can milk - pun intended - the situation for maximum attention. I carried him partway home when one of the families I have volunteered with for decades drove by and stopped to offer me a ride the rest of the way home. Mel charmed them while we exchanged news about our children. When I walked in the door of my home he jumped out of his blanket wrapped bed and trotted up the stairs with his tail waving jauntily as he greeted his playmates. Uh huh. I don't recall this much drama with any one of my sons but I suspect that was because I was so sleep deprived that I didn't really feel the impact so much. My youngest had delayed his departure to work so that he could hear the news so it wasn't just me that had been taken in by the act.

This evening my sister and her hubby came by for the visit that had been delayed a few weeks back. They drove me back over to the further away animal hospital so that I could make that payment the office manager had insisted on when I had met her on the Monday morning. Last thing I need right now is for someone to cause even more financial grief for me. I still haven't been able to find all the cash demanded but it seemed that the amount I could pay made the attendant I dealt with happy enough. She just said to bring in the balance when I could. Far cry from the office manager threatening to destroy my credit rating. Could be the circumstances too. I had explained to the vet that paying all the fees for Mel immediately meant I couldn't afford to buy food nor could I buy the meds that I have to take for my health - you know like the inhaler for my asthma that is a critical piece of equipment for me this time of year. Breathing is a necessity not a luxury, thank you very much. Secondly there were two families in line before me - one had brought in his beloved dog who had just died of a heart attack and the other couple had brought in a critically ill pet. Both sets were crying and devastated by their losses. It was very hard to stand there and listen to their pain. I felt guilty about having five live and active pets at that moment and I felt grateful that I had the option to pay for the care to keep them that way. It is all relative after all. Once my transaction was complete my sister, my brother-in-law and I headed off to do some Christmas shopping for one of their sons then they took me out to dinner. Very tender pot roast with a side of Yorkshire pudding and crunchy, well-steamed veggies. Made me want to dig out my own yorkshire pudding recipe on the spot. I'd forgotten how much I like them. Bad for the diet, I know, but it is a Christmas tradition after all.

My sister gave me a recycling zen water fountain that she was tired of herself. Set it up as soon as I arrived back home. Ms Wildfire thinks I brought it home especially for her. Her own, personal, aerated water bowl, you see. It's all in how one holds one's head that determines what one perceives, I guess. So now to finish up the last of the Silver on The Tree book for those cats. Good night dear diary.

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