Time crunch

2020-11-26

Okay peeps,

So here we go… this will be the last contact until the evening of December 20th. I hope you are all prepared. Until then I am going to take a page from my sister’s book, and be dead to the world. On that day though (or maybe the next day – that’s my last exam), you’ll get your big Christmas edition. 🙂

Luckily Jason arrives on the 11th, so hopefully I won’t be dead in real life – he might deign to cook and clean for me, while I ignore him completely, other than using him as a bed warmer. I really need to get out and buy myself either a) a new temperature controlled blanket, or b) a hot water bottle. Maybe I’m keeping my house too cold… the cats have started sleeping in the bathroom (which is the warmest room in the house). Either that or they’re tired of me coaxing them onto the bed, only to stuff them under the bedcovers (you know – to heat them up). 🙂

Speaking of whom – I am going to write a book on neurotic companion animals. I’ll make a mint. I bought new kitty litter – I had been doing some light reading on litter (my entertainment knows no bounds!) and how the really fine grained clumping stuff can actually be bad for your cats because they don’t manage to get it all off their paws and then they lick their paws and it gets into their intestinal tract, etc, etc. The problem is the other stuff is bigger (I know – that’s the point right?). So we did the whole 10%, 
25%, 50%, etc gradual weekly change… Apparently Echo likes to feel that he’s at the beach when he goes to the washroom. He has stopped burying all materials, AND to make matters worse, he is taking out his displeasure on me. Previously the only time we ever had a problem with either of the boys having an ‘accident’ was when Jay would go several days without doing the litter box. Echo would get mad, pee on Jay’s stuff, Jay would do the litter and the world would be right again. I do the litter every day, so we know that isn’t the issue. The other day I came home and something wasn’t quite right… I have a cold, so it took me a few breaths to realise that it was the smell. My bedroom smelled like male cat. I groaned before I looked because some 6th sense told me – I had brought up the basket of clean laundry that morning – a full, clean basket (and it goes to my hip!)… when I lifted it up, it was dripping. He must have saved every drop and peed in there every time he had to go. I ended up throwing it all into the old-fashioned soaking laundry tub for 2 days to try and break the disulfide bridges (it’s kind of complicated, but once cats or dogs pee in one area they are more likely to pee over and over in the same area because the smell remains unless you can break all of the chemical bonds).
The clean laundry came back upstairs today… and I watched as I was putting it away. Echo gets in the litter box, hops around, refuses to do anything, and gets out. I turn around and he’s urinating on the freshly folded laundry. He’s lucky he’s not dead. :{

So I finished my big BChem presentation. I don’t know what I got… but it’s over. And I answered all the questions. Did I mention that somehow instead of being my group’s weak link I ended up knowing stuff? It was really weird… and my tutor continues to be reassuring. Of course every now and then he bangs his head on the table, but I think that’s for dramatic effect. 🙂

I think I mentioned my stupid genetics assignment last week. I’ve attached it just so y’all can become more informed about Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis in sheep too. I know that it’s been a burning question in your minds since I mentioned it. I can tell. 🙂

So my neighbours… Have I mentioned that my neighbours across the alley are insane? Because they are. Especially when it comes to football. And Grey Cup was last week.
 But the Riders weren’t even in it! Yet they were all outside watching the game, honking and playing drums everytime there was some sort of exciting play. It was annoying – I ended up reading the same paragraph for 2 hours I think. I tried different places in the house… I tried earplugs, music, riding the bike. I finally gave up – and they were done. But by then my concentration was shot. I think I’ve figured out why they’re relegated to the back yard – despite the fact that it was -20. 🙂

This week we got to dissect the male reproductive system… :)And my professor got to play with the male reproductive system of a dog, a ram and a bull. In the interests of professionalism I will refrain from mentioning the comments that the students made about how much Dr Adams seemed to be enjoying himself.

I also arm-wrestled one of the guys in class. Any bets on who won? 😉

That’s all for now! lots of love to everyone!

j ox

ps just a reminder that we’re having a silent auction in March, so if you have anything to donate it would be hugely appreciated!