Got Cool Cats? I Do.

Finch Fest

This what it's like outside my house every morning. Total finch fest! It's like a fast food thistle seed drive-thru. I got birds eating at the feeders, birds zipping back and forth eating on the fly, birds waiting for a turn, and birds being flutter-pushy to cut in line.

There are 13 birds in this pic, see if you can find them all. I was going to post the one with 14 but this pic is more clear and nicer.

Who Knew Chickadees...

liked False Indigo seeds?

I certainly did not.

While getting dressed this morning, I heard a commotion outside one of my bedroom windows. So I investigated and found a plethora of chickadees fluttering like hummingbirds around the False Indigo plant and vying for the seed pods of choice, poking holes in the pods, and chomping like crazy. I must have had about 10 chickadees on the plant at at time. Then they all flew off.

When I got home from work today, I cut the seed pod stems off and made four bundles, tied each of them tightly, and affixed them to the bird feeder garden hooks on my deck. This way they don't have to try so hard and I can watch them better.

A Day

My neighborhood had their 2nd annual yard sale today. Mom had brought over stuff throughout the week and stored it in my garage - like we did last year. I got outside by 7am - my goal - to starting to set up after calling to make sure Mom was on her way (she was a bit late last year - their phone was off the hook and I got a little panicked and had my neighbor watch our stuff and drove over to see if they are alright as I couldn't get thru phone-wise) as we had a lot to get up and out. My neighbor told us she put her porch light on at 6am to get ready to set up and she had customers at 6:30am!! Waiting for her, not letting her finish setting up, and it was still practically dark out. And they were rather rude to her too because she still in the process of getting things ready. The sale started at 8am. I had one guy tapping his foot while I was setting up, following me when I put things out, and then my mom came and he stalked us both. We had everything out and ready before 8am and were pooped by 9:44am - we had no idea what time it was, it was cloudy so no sun to gauge by and when I went in to check the time, we were both a bit blindsided it was still so early! We managed to go from three tarps, stuff lining one side of the driveway, and two tables (stuff on and under) to just a small pickup truck of remainders that ended their day at Goodwill courtesy of my dad.

My friend called me after the sale to let me know the "gang" was going out for dinner and drinks so I took a nap. When I woke up, I rolled over and looked out my window and was enjoying the wind rushing thru the trees (we've got MAJOR wind right now - awesome, but still humid) when I spied a hummingbird zoom up to my roses. He tried his very hardest to get his little beak in the rose bud which was tightly closed, then zoomed to an open one but still no luck. I was sending him mental messages to go to the other side of the forsythia where the newly planted Bee Balm (courtesy of my mom, thank you Mom) was. He tried the bud again and zipped around the azaela a bit but then took off to the left which is what I was suggesting. I hightailed it quietly into my spare room and looked out the window and there he was dipping his busy beak in the Bee Balm blossoms. I think Moomin sent him because about a month ago I had talked to Mom about wanting bright red Bee Balm to attract hummers so he and I could watch them. The Bee Balm was planted before he died but he never got to see them so I think he sent this little green hummer to me today, very sweet. So now I will be hummer-watching myself.

Out with friends - we had fun, lots of laughs, everyone had a coupon for dinner, one person got their dinner for free because the kitchen forgot it and it came to the table late, and then we tried out the new "tavern" in town (well it's been there about a year but we've never been). I was a tad late getting to the tavern because I had to get the gunk off the inside of my windshield that the humidity accentuated and when I walked in/got directions/looked in the tavern for my friends who I didn't see, I noticed the entire place smelled like fish/seafood dishes. My gag reflex really wanted to kick in so I asked the hostess if a bunch of people had come and she said they had and were all outside. Thank God! I would not have been able to stay if we were all inside as the place just reeked of seafood specials/chowder/fish soup/god knows what other seafood delights. YUCK! I got outside to a nice back deck area, rocking chairs and such, but the all the drinks were in the double digits - I can't drink coz of the pain meds and even if I could I'm not spending that kind of money on a drink, so I got a nice hot cocoa which I counted as my dessert. The wind and humidity made my hair some kind of wonderful curly/wavy mass so I looked good with very little effort - just the way I like it.

Rib Schmib

Okay, how many of you think about your ribs? How many of you really think about your innards?

Be honest, you never do unless something goes very wrong.

I never thought about my ribs. I've thought about and mentally dissected/ lipo-ed the padding on them but not actually thought about the ribs themselves.

Well now I'm forced to think about them 24/7 every damn day!

August 27, 2012, a day of suckage of MAJOR proportions... before Moomin passed away later that day, Doodle decided to jerk me awake before my 5am alarm by attempting to vomit on me in my bed. 

Disoriented coz I'm not even close to fully awake, I tried shoving her off me and she strongly resisted. I sat up and tried shoving her off again which she strongly resisted again while making yarfing motions/sounds. So I ripped the covers off me and tried shoving her off the bed which she again resisted all the while attempting to heave her guts up.

It was still very dark so I reached for the light switch to assist me with seeing how to get the damned cat off my bed and no switch, so I reached a bit farther, still no switch, has to be there so I reached for a third farther time and 

BANG!

I'd fallen out of bed flat on my right side with my arm out straight onto hard wood floors. And Doodle is no longer such an important issue and I. AM. NOW. AWAKE.

Holy shit I thought I was going to pass out and vomit myself. I'd knocked the wind out of me which made things all that much more fun. I got myself upright, cuddling my right side/arm, trying not to panic/vomit, and trying so hard to stay calm to take strained strange sounding breaths. My alarm went off. And it wasn't stopping.

I crawled up on my bed, stopped the alarm, continued trying to take breaths but the pain in my right side was making me feel alternatingly cold and really REALLY warm, clammy and sweaty, my lips would be cold while my cheeks were hot and then my lips would get hot and my cheeks would get cold, and I was very nauseated. And I had to frickin' pee.

Which was a TMI experience not going to go into.

Afterwards I made the executive decision to go to the ER so I medicated Moo and Doo before I left because I did not know how long I was going to be away and saw that Moo was having a hard time breathing so I tried to comfort him and gave him a double dose. Getting in my car, driving to the hospital around the corner, and getting out of my car - yeah not an adventure you see advertised on TV.

Checked in, X-rayed (almost passed out twice while they took 4 of 'em, tech said my lips were white), told I had a fracture in my 6th rib, shot in the butt of "rib medicine", and back home with pain med prescription and the deep breathing exerciser. 

Back home to completely not think about myself but about Moo. The Universe chose the most direct and painful way it knew to make sure I stayed home that day. And I did need to be home. What an awful day. I know he's no longer suffering but I am, I wasn't ready for him to go.

And this Tuesday I found, after reading over my doctor's shoulder, that I actually have multiple fractures in my 6th and 7th ribs. No wonder it hurts so damn much. 

Seriously folks, your frickin' ribs are involved in everything thing - big/little - you do. Everything! And I can attest to that. Still have not sneezed since last Monday and am so NOT looking forward to when I do. God is that going to hurt.