Rats, Gardens, and Warmth

[greenstorm]

Took the babies in to the vet today - Sweetie's been sneezing, and I guess has one of those very-common bronchial infections. The vet gave me some antibiotics (man, does she ever *scream* when I give them to her) and a bunch of really sensible and cost-effective advice on being nice to her lungs in the future so that even with this possibly-chronic infection she'll be in good shape.

I met a small dog at the vet with a spotted eye that had white, brown, and blue in it. It was a very friendly dog, and revised my opinion entirely of small dogs. I think I could own one now someday.

The Juggler helped me get going on double-digging the back garden the other day, which was really nice. There were enormous chunks of concrete in it, but now it's a really good bed, or the part we dug is at least. There's a patch with lots of small gravel that irritates me (I might put potatoes in straw on top of the turf, and just not dig it this year).

I came back from the grafting class at VanDusen with a very small York Imperial apple on M9 rootstock, so it'll be a very small tree (if the graft takes). Grafting is hard and requires lots of skill, unlike bonsai which to my knowledge just requires aesthetic appreciation.

Mom and the brother are leaving for Japan the day after tomorrow, where they'll be for four months. I'm going over there tonight with the babies, to visit them, and then heading out to work tomorrow from there. I sort of need a baby diaper bag, with clean bedding, food, antibiotics... I definitely feel like a mom.

The vet's was expensive, on the same note (well, not really, but it was an unanticipated cost on top of an impulse buy). I realise I like to feel slightly stressed about doing things to help people, to stretch myself slightly to help people. I've been doing that in my relationships and it ends up getting taken for granted a lot, so maybe I can do it instead with my rats and know they'll live safely and happily, and not direct it where it isn't making me happy.

On a related note, we had our scheduling talk on Sunday. We're off the two-day-per-week thing, where I'd go over there two days a week, and back onto an ad-hoc just-ask sort of system. We've decided that having another place to ask people to (so we don't have to coordinate a switch, and can just coordinate a date) is important. I'm scared, because I've discovered that time *alone* with people is important to me, and to my relationships' health. That's a rare commodity nowadays, though perhaps it'll be less so with another sleeping area in my apartment so I can ask people here rather than having to arrange that switch.

It's really warm today -- I'm in shorts and a t-shirt with all the windows open, and it's nice. This apartment is going to be brutally hot in the summer, I think.

I've still got to put together my VanDusen presentation for Thursday, which I think I'll do tomorrow (bah!) or Wednesday. It's only a ten-minute presentation, but the area I can do it in is limited. I need to get into the garden and think.

After that the classroom part of guide trainign is over, and VanDusen switches to Tuesdays 1-4pm for me. That frees up some more of my time -- I'm going to take on the Horticultural Zone Coordinator hat for VanDusen's Garden Show, which is intermittent kind of business, after that.

Still taking the occasional VanDusen couse - a fruit-growing one's comin gup this weekend, I think, and there's an organic veggie one in a bit.

I'm also considering a birth control switch to a non-hormonal method. That might be something I go in to consult with a doctor on tomorrow, as well. Everything has sucky side effects, it seems, but I think I'm willing to risk some physical ones in exchange for the mental distress I'm getting right now.

I think that about sums it up. Take care, and I'll post pictures of the rats eventually. :) Their names are, if I haven't said already, Sweetie and Small Rat. Not my fault, they maned themselves. Birthday Feb. 11th. Sweetie weighs 90 grams right now, and Small Rat just a touch more I think.

Comments

[polypagangirl.livejournal.com]

*smile* Wow. Now THAT's a post!

Your babies are so cute, and look just like my "kitty" did years ago. Gah! Sweetie "screams" when you give her her medicine? Geez. And it sounds like you are a mom too. Cute. :)

We had OUR scheduling meeting too this weekend. Just 2 weeks at a time though. Too many things can come up and screw things up if we do too far in advance. It's not easy coordinating 6 people. I guess that also means we're going to have to do this every 2 weeks. Which is cool though, cause it gives us an excuse to get together and eat. :)
Anyway, i hope you can get things all worked out in a way that is suitable for you and everyone else.

Well, good luck with the presentation. What is it going to be about? Wow, you are really going head on at VanDusen. Horticultural Zone Coordinator? cool

My brain is swimming. So much information to go through. :D

Btw, just HOW did they name themselves?

[greenstorm.livejournal.com]

We sort of decided not to have scheduling meetings, but just to schedule as we go, each date on a different day sort of thing. Scary scary. Might work though, you never know until you try. I kind of like the once (or once every two weeks) meeting over brunch, like you described, but everyone else seemed to agree that it was too much scheduling work to get together once a week. :/

I'm just the hort. zone coordinator for thegarden show, so a whole bunch of companies and groups and people come and bring their pretties for the show and I deal with the hort. clubs. So that's not too bad, and it means I get to hang around the pretty garden show. :)

They named themselves by... well, I talked to them, and what I called them were their names.

Sweetie's getting *so much* better at taking her medication. I'm so prooud of her. Brave baby rat. :)

Pets

[http://users.livejournal.com/_greenwitch_/]

As much as I often complain that Karma complicates my schedule, I do believe that pets can have a grounding and beneficial effect on their people. I look back fondly on my two rats in Ottawa - Oliver and Twist, and realize just how special they were to me at that point in my life. Congratulations on becomin a mom - I wanna meet the kids! Lesson from the learned - get them adjusted to being handled and turned over on their backs now, cause they'll struggle like you couldn't possibly imagine when they're older, and you'll need to be checking their tummies, teeth, nails and such with their cooperation.

I miss my two red-eared slider turtles, Skittles and Jones, who despite creating a lot of waste (like wow!), were fascinating to watch and provided me with more peace than I later found with a fishtank.

Re: Pets

[greenstorm.livejournal.com]

I think self-sacrifice in return for enthusiasm is a trade-off people like to make, so yeah, pets are very important that way -- and *we* get to choose the level of sacrifice often, or something. Something like that, anyhow. :)

Sweetie is getting *so* much better at taking her medication, she just sniffs disgustedly at me a bit on the icky-tasting one. They're both learning to (but aren't quite at the point where) come when I call. I handle them twice a day minimum, more with Sweetie because I don't want to give her medication every time I handle her. They're quite a handful, very tiny and energetic!

I've had a lot of pets that I miss -- my first was a white netherland dwarf rabbit named Cotton, and then a bunch of rabbits and some dogs followed. I really like dogs, but they need more room than I've got here, and aren't as mobile as the rats. I need mobile right now!

I've half a mind to do something simple along the lines of freshwater fish, but am not financially able to right now. They're calming. I've never spent much time with turtles, though. How are their personalities?

Turtle personalities

[http://users.livejournal.com/_greenwitch_/]

In the sense that your two babies named themselves, Skittles was 'skittish,' (and during University Skittles helped me to stay awake - and jittery) "Jones" was the adventurous one (short for Indiana Jones). The red-eared sliders are partial aquatics, so they need access to water and dry surfaces. Though they were both males, I enjoyed watching them try to convince each other to mate. They're not nearly as active as fish, but they're totally laid back, they love sunning on a rock, and they take their time about everything. I had to be careful because Jones always tried to walk off table edges, but in general they helped to remind me to chill out :)

That said, they do make a whole lot of waste, and tank cleaning was why I stopped keeping fish as well. I found I spent more time cleaning the aquarium than I actually did enjoying the fish!

[estrellada.livejournal.com]

Guin says 'hello' (she just came up and engagedin some Incredibly Cute antics)

I forgot to tell you: Planned Parenthood!
They're much more willing to give you ALL the info on ALL the options, so much more than 90% of doctors I know. (eg: most doctors want you on the pill, won't mention diaphragms, etc etc.)
There's a Planned Parenthood clinic at VGH...
www.plannedparenthoodbc.org

their phone # is: 604-731-4252

[greenstorm.livejournal.com]

Hi Guin! Don't eat my babies! :)

I've read up on the planned parenthood site, but they seem relentlessly cheerful about the possible bad side effects of *anything*. Perhaps a visit to the office is needed, then. What was the cost associated with the IUD, do you know?

[estrellada.livejournal.com]

They're cheerful, but realistic. I found my visit really great, because they helped me with the stuff I wanted, accepted my limits, and acknowledged that what I knew about my sitch was right and a good basis for making decisions. yay!

I believe my (copper, non hormonal) IUD costs about 70$. Babboo and Breklor were wonderful and split the cost between the two of them. I suggest you be shameless and hit up your boys for contributions; it IS more cost effective over time, and it's for their best interest as well.

[greenstorm.livejournal.com]

Well, the alternative to being shameless *is* being shameful. :)

[estrellada.livejournal.com]

Exactly ;) and what's wrong with getting male contributions towards birth control? (barring non-con castration, of course.)

[greenstorm.livejournal.com]

Well, the alternative to being shameless *is* being shameful. :)