Sorry for the relative blog silence. I feel like I had things to tell you but I've forgotten.
Lately, we are feeling just a teensy bit overwhelmed over at Chez Bloggez Moi (a.k.a. "Medieval Woman HQ" or "The Dutchman's House of Pancakes"). TD is only one step down from a full on nervous breakdown about his paper and the 17 core exams he has to grade (this will determine whether the baby economists will be able to continue on in the Ph.D. program!). We are also leaving tomorrow at the butt-crack of dawn to drive to a far away airport and get on a plane and go to Dream Academy City. Once we land in DAC, we will rent a car, drive an hour and a half and go directly to Human Resources at DA to fill out paperwork. We will also hopefully stop by the department before they close and see my new office, get all the stuff lined up (course enrollments, desk copy orders, etc.), perhaps chew the fat a bit.
Then the next day solid will be spent looking at apartments. I'm renting in one of those new complexes (I'm spoiling myself with central air and a pool...), so I've printed out floorplans, directions, etc.
The move itself will be interesting - it will involve crossing an international border, probably having our U-Haul examined with a fine-toothed comb, the Furballs poked and prodded, the Dutchman scrutinized before he can get a travel visa, etc. Then we still have a two-day drive to get to DAC.
In the midst of all this, I am planning my syllabi for next semester (I've given up on trying to get that article started before we go) and we're also trying to find a one-year car lease for TD to take over.
Yesterday, I took the Furballs into the vet to get their yearly vaccines and to get a print out of a health certificate and their medical records for the trip. They were pissy as usual when they go there and I had them sitting on a bench in their respective carriers in the waiting room while I got all the records and paid the people. A woman came in with a great big, stupid-looking black lab* on a leash and waited to be helped. I looked over and saw that the dog was sniffing around the waiting room and wagging its tail. I looked away for a few seconds and when I looked back, I saw the dog standing a foot away from the furballs and then he instantly lunged at the carriers, barking, snarling, clawing, biting....! I screamed at the woman to get her dog back and she pulled him away and looked a little miffed at me, saying, "I didn't even know there was anything in those!" - I was so shaken and furious I actually said, "Well, lady, it's a vet's office, the chances are a pet carrier is going to have PETS in it - keep your damn dog away from my cats!!!" The vet techs didn't ask her to sit down and hold her dog's collar or anything - all they said was "the cats are fine" and everyone in the office looked at me like I was a crazy over-reactor! These were those flimsy little mesh carriers - if the woman hadn't pulled that frickin' dog off, I could have easily torn through it and killed one of them! A pox on that woman...
I've already found a nice, quiet little cat hospital in Dream Academy City, so I'll be happier to take them there.
I won't be blogging much until we get back this weekend!
*Quick PSA: I actually like dogs and labs in particular, but this one was a brute!
7 comments:
You know, I'm finding that many vet techs are not actually "animal people" but "dog people" -- the kind who hate cats, or at least don't give a crap about them and don't understand that people and cats bond as closely as dogs and cats. Sounds like your vet techs were those kind. As were the vet techs who looked at me blankly and failed to offer me Kleenex as I sat in the waiting room sobbing while I waited for the vet to finish putting my beloved cat to sleep, and *yet* got all baby-talky over a sick wittle doggy. Ugh. Bastards!
Sorry, just had to get that off my chest. In your case, I blame the owner *and* the techs. WTF? For a lab to act that evil, I bet the owner was mistreating it in some way. You know something's wrong when a Lab acts like that.
On another note..."butt-crack of dawn"!! Hee hee! I've only ever heard one other person use that phrase, so now I'm starting to wonder if you could possibly know each other!
Er, I meant "people and cats bond as closely as people and dogs." That was a weird slip!
Ya know, Dr. V - I think you're absolutely right about vet techs being mostly "dog people" - not that there's anything wrong with that. But they don't seem to understand how close people and cats can get (at least many of vet techs that I've known). I'm so sorry about your experience with your little kitty! That's just horrible.
Another thing I just remembered, when I got Furball #2's medical history, the vet had made some comments on her previous visit when they were trying to get a urine sample and she got scared and upset and jumped away from the vet and *unintentionally* scratched her (pretty badly). The vet wrote that F2 had become "aggressive" when they were trying to get a sample and actually noted: "I was really trying to put her down. Bit and scratched: 11 punctures."
?!?
I posted on this before (and said that getting scratched is part of the territory for a vet, yeah?), but I can't believe the vet was so anal-spiteful as to put it in F2's MEDICAL HISTORY! I feel like she's been smeared and she's the loviest ball of fluff in the world.
Oh, I'm sorry about the vet incident...It may be true that vet techs are all about the dogs, for sure...I have my own reasons for being suspicious of vet techs - well, one in particular - about whom I will tell you over drinks!
Best, best best of luck in DA City!!
Ooooo! A boozy story with Hilaire!! FUN!!!! :)
I agree with Dr. V; it seems most vet places are populated with dog people that just don't understand cats. I now take my cats to a cat-only vet and it is so much better! My cat had always been labelled aggressive or difficult - it took them three hours to get a blood sample at my last vet. The new one took only five minutes! They said that you just have to know how to deal with cats, and I believe it.
Welcome, Lili - thanks for stopping by! Yup - I've found the same thing. I've always taken them (before this latest one) to an all-cat vet and they get any sample they need within 30 seconds - my old vet (who is canonized in our hearts) said once, "I just know the way cats wiggle..."
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