Nano-what-now?

[garnigal]

I haven't signed up yet. I've been functioning on the assumption that I was going to do it, but I haven't really... done anything to facilitate the process. I haven't signed up, hell, I haven't even been on the site to check out what's going on locally. One of last year's locals is on my flist - apparently the kick off was last weekend. :)

Work has been insane. I even missed book club (for the first time since I started it about three? years ago) because of it. I'm not feeling motivated to do anything - not write, not read, not even watch TV, and I love TV.

AJ has been acting weird lately. At first we thought he was just an asshole :) He started peeing in weird places, including on me while I was in bed. Unpleasant to say the least. But in the past couple of weeks he's gotten worse and then he got really quiet and withdrawn. So I took him to the vet and he's got crystals, so now we've got to do the expensive food. I've been bragging for years about how our cats are so healthy and prefer the cheap food, so I suppose this is Karma. He should be better soon, though, and that's all that matters.

So that's a brief update on my life. Still haven't decided about Nano, still burnt out, still worried about my cat. Life can only get better, right?

Comments

[minor-ramblings.livejournal.com]

Urinary crystals seem to be something that every male cat in the Guelph area develops at least once in their lives -- I think it has to do with how hard our water is. They're what was behind the Max-cat's $2000 adventure in veterinary medicine, two years back, since he didn't stop using the litter box until he was entirely stopped up.

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

AJ was apparently pretty close to that. As soon as they (finally) got a sample, they could see the sand settling to the bottom. Our other male cat, Trippy, never had a problem, so we weren't prepared for him to get them.

I really hope the food helps quickly. I want my jerky kitten back.

[minor-ramblings.livejournal.com]

Oh, ouch. Good on you for catching it, then!

Some cats seem more predisposed to it than others. On the upside, Max has been fine, once he was through the special diet, with just regular Purina low pH cat chow, so it's not been too bad on the bank account. We've got Tam on it just as a preventative.

Also because Tam is a little pig and would nose in and get some anyways.

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

That's really good to hear. The case of wet food for AJ was 32$, and the vet said he'd likely eat 2 cans a day. He hasn't been up to that yet (I'm getting worried again, since he hasn't used his box since we brought him home... of course, he was catheterized and otherwise manhandled at the vet), but if we have to keep all three of them on the prescription low pH stuff... we'lll do it, but we won't be happy about it.

Where do you get your cat food?

[minor-ramblings.livejournal.com]

Oh, just from the grocery store when I get my own food. Once they're through the run of the expensive crystal-clearing stuff, it's more just a case of preventative maintenance, which the Purina stuff appears to be well up to, if Max's repeated follow-up urinalyses have anything to say about it.

If you're worried about AJ's lack of pee, you could probably get your vet or vet tech to show you how to palpate and find the bladder, so that you can check and see if it's getting full.

[sunnyd-lite.livejournal.com]

If you're not sure about Nano, why not play at tamingthemuse for a month? Prompts on Sunday, must post story (500-7000 words) by Saturday and nifty icons to 'earn'. If your muse needs deadlines (like mine does) it really works. Stories can be ANY fandom or original...come play with me!!

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

My muse scoffs in the face of deadlines. :) She's kind of a bitch.

I was actually thinking about using the muse prompts as inspiration for the nano. Seeing what some of the prompts are, that'll make for an appropriately schizophrenic Na-novel.

[ares132006.livejournal.com]

*Hugs* you for looking after your kitty. I am so pleased that he will be okay soon. I luuuurve cats.

As for nano what? I have never dared...it's too intimidating for me. Besides, when do I have time?

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

He's my Turkish Van lookalike I was telling you about. He's rather like the rest of my family - I think he's uncomfortable (the vet says he is), but he's very stoic. Since I brought him home yesterday, he's been wandering around, sleeping a lot and sitting on his favourite windowsill. No signs of discomfort at all.

[baensidhe.livejournal.com]

Yep, the KW kickoff was on Sunday. I'm trying to pull together a Guelph meeting this coming Sunday at the little coffee shop we were at last year; you would of course be welcome to join in, even if you end up not participating this year.

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

That would rock. I'll keep an eye on the forums.

[married-n-mich.livejournal.com]

Good news on AJ. *Phew* What's considered cheap food nowadays anyway?

In regards to NaNo? I signed up. If I can do it you can do it, missy!

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

I usually get the Purina indoor cat kibble for about $5.50 for a small bag (which feed the three cats for just under a week). This new stuff is 32$ a case for wet and 16$ for a small bag of kibble.

As for Nano... I'll probably sign up. Maybe I'll use the Taming the Muse prompts to lead my story in unusual directions. :)

[married-n-mich.livejournal.com]

Hey! That's the dry cat food I use!! And come to think of it the cats have been peeing in places they shouldn't be. Why kind of dry food should I give them?

I have a couple or ten thoughts flying around my head for NaNo. Nothing concrete. This'll be VERY interesting.

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

My friend minor_ramblings suggested the Purina low pH food (one of the comments above). She had problems with one of her cats, and that's what she uses as maintenence. She says she can get it at her grocery store here in Guelph. She did have Max on the prescription diet until his crystals cleared up though.

[married-n-mich.livejournal.com]

I'll take a look - and no, I didn't read comments. I'm lazy that way *g*

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

Hey, good news. I have an idea for my nano.

[married-n-mich.livejournal.com]

Sign up!

Sign up!!

I have an idea as well.

The 'novel' I wrote last year I finished, but it needs rewrites up the wazoo. I'm not sure where to start or what to do, so I've done nada.

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

I'm all signed up and ready to write. I'm going to go to bed early tonight and try and get up early tomorrow to put in a couple hours before work.

[married-n-mich.livejournal.com]

Good luck!

I'm here if you need me.

[jemaba.livejournal.com]

Owchie. Poor AJ.

I'm right there with you on the burned-outedness. I'm just beginning to get my writing mojo back after two months of not even being able to bring myself to think about it.

I'm not doing NaNo this year, mainly because I'm still working on last year's NaNo project, and also because I had to pretty much scrap everything I wrote for NaNo last year and re-write a much tighter, less wordy version. I'm not sure NaNo is really for me. I'll be hanging out in the forums, though.

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

Nano has never worked for me either, but nothing has worked for me in terms of completing a novel. I might as well keep trying this - at least I'm writing (or feeling guilty if I'm not writing.)

[spiralleds.livejournal.com]

::waves:: I'm sure MiM would love the Nano company, but I hear you on the insane life.

I'm glad AJ is on the mend.

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm feeling much better now that the fuzzybutt is diagnosed with something fixable. Much better than just being a jerk.

We've got our product out the door, so my weekends are my own again. I worked an extra 71.5 hours to get it released, so I'm very happy to have my life back.

[spiralleds.livejournal.com]

Ouch. That's like an extra two weeks of work. Blurg.

[scarletmote.livejournal.com]

I am glad to hear that AJ is going to be okay, poor little guy...

If you decide you can't do Nano this month, maybe another month you could do a pseudo Nano? I would attempt to do that along with you, I have absolutely no free time this month to even consider doing Nano, and that makes me sad... If you had someone else doing it along with you that would give you the deadline motivation to keep writing. Also, if you're feeling burnt out, more stress is probably not the answer, eh?

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

Besides, I want to learn to knit lace! Not spinning though; spinning makes me dizzy.

[scarletmote.livejournal.com]

yay, that's awesome! I am so looking forward to teaching... I am pretty sure I have decided on the pattern, it's really pretty and quite simple. I'll show you at SnB on thursday, if you're coming?

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

I'll be there.

[jerusha]

*hugs you tight* I know those blah times all too well.

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I have a kitty sleeping on me now, which is always comforting.

[whatawookie.livejournal.com]

I hate to tell you this but because I'm an asshole, I will anyway.
Of COURSE your life could get worse. You could be on fire.

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for that.

AJ has crystals, but we caught it before it totally blocked, so we should be able to treat it with diet. It still cost a couple of hundred for diagnoses and prescription food, but it could be worse.

It could always be worse. He could be on fire, instead of just feeling like it when he tried to pee.

[whatawookie.livejournal.com]

I do truly feel bad for AJ. I nearly passed out when Todd had a bladder infection, cocked a leg and peed blood all over my computer, so believe me, I do feel your pain vet-wise :-)

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

Nearly passed out? I'd be on the ground for that one. I'm far more compassionate to pet pain and suffering that that of humans, as evidenced by my stories about Dad.

Hey, it apparently wasn't malaria after all, speaking of Dad. They don't know what it was, but not malaria. Another perfectly good story down the drain.