Tuesday, March 21, 2006

updates...

Life has become hectic in a very subtle since picking a date for my wedding. I may be putting undue pressure on myself to get this thing planned, but I don't think so. But, just in case anyone is wondering, here's a recap...

Auggie (cat): I took her back to the vet last week and they seem to think her leg will continue to show improvement. She's in excellent spirits and has started chasing things and jumping more, but the leg is still weak. I stopped dwelling over my cat once I saw her jump up on the forbidden dining table. I figured that if she's well enough to get on furniture she's not allowed on, she must be doing A-OK. The vet also wants me to get a sonogram of her heart to see if her vaccinations brought out a pre-existing condition. I will probably see how things look in another week and think about getting a second opinion.

Knitting: I have another finished object, my Retro rib Socks. They're not the most spectacular looking project, but I'm glad I finished something. I also ripped out the 2nd piece of Butterfly. I strung the beads, and picked up stitches again. I'm about halfway through the body decreases, and hope to have this project finished by the end of the month.

Yarn diet: I cheated! I'm not ending the diet..I just made a calculated addition to the stash. Last week Elann released some of their Peruvian Collection Baby Silk, and I wanted to make sure I got some before they sold out. This will most likely be used to knit a shawl to wear at the wedding. Although DC is still warm in late-Sept, it can cool off at night.

Wedding: I am thinking of starting another blog, where I blab about wedding planning...

Monday, March 13, 2006

not so restful weekend...

Everything started out alright. Friday, I joined a friend and her roommates for drinks and dinner. I made it an early night because I had to get up the next morning and take Auggie to the vet. I've had my cat for a little over a year. She's been to the vet twice. Both times have been fairly routine. She does surprisingly well riding in the car. She's even really calm while in the vet's office. She gets her temperature taken, a shot, and she's done...So, I had no reason to think that this time would be any different.

Boy was I wrong! I guess my vet automatically adds expressing anal glands to the yearly routine. (If you don't know, I'm not gonna tell you.) This procedure made Auggie very nervous. Then came the three shots that she needed. She's never had problems before, so when the doctor warned of side effects, I thought nothing of it. But, it's a very good thing that I was listening.

When we got back home, I gave Auggie a couple treats and sat down to play with her a bit. She wasn't very keen on that idea. Then, she started itching her ears like mad. Then she would get up an walk a bit, but she'd kind of weave back and forth. Within 10 minutes of getting home she threw up. So, we rushed back to the vet...Thankfully, it's only 5 blocks away. Right as we pulled up, she got sick in the back of AF's car.

I rushed in while he parked. They took her out of the carrier and cleaned up a little. Then took her downstairs, where I wasn't allowed to follow, and gave her a shot of benedryl and a steroid. The kept her downstairs for about 30 minutes, while AF and I stood in one of the exam rooms wondering what to do. Finally, they brought her upstairs, drugged up and WET! Yup, my poor kitty dirtied herself so much they felt she needed a cleaning. Then, they had me sit with her for 15 minutes so she would calm down, then released her. We took our wet, stoned cat home and let he hang out for most of the afternoon. Try as she might, she really could walk anywhere. And, since the vet said she would be groggy, we didn't pay her too much attention.

Later in the afternoon, she got up and tried moving around again. This time, I noticed that she wasn't using one of her rear legs. It would literally drag behind her, paw facing upward...This is when I began to freak out. No one mentioned loss feeling in limbs. No one warned me that one of the side effects of vaccination could be paralysis! Thankfully, by the time I went to bed, the leg looked a more live...she was at least able to lift it enough to not completely drag it behind her.

On Sunday, I would pick Auggie up every once and again to try to get her to walk for a bit. She was still sluggish and unresponsive. At one point, I picked her up and she was like a dead weight in my arms. She truly was a sad sight. That afternoon, she started eating again and got some of her strength up.

This morning, when I got up, she came and met me at the bedroom door. It was a much slower walk than usual, but I was glad to see that she was responsive and alert again. I called my vets office as soon as they opened. I was told that the feeling will continue to turn in her leg, but if she's not better by Wednesday, I should bring her in. I was very relieved...Another one of the doctors even called back an hour later to re-affirm the advice.

Oh well, that was my weekend...hope yours was better!

Friday, March 10, 2006

another new project...

Last Friday, I started another big endeavor. But,this one is a bit different, and not really knitting-related. I've started planning my wedding.

AF and I got engaged last July, and have taken our sweet time about setting a date. At first, wanted to wait until we had attended the three weddings to which we were invited. Next thing you know, we decided to move into another apartment. That was quickly followed by the holiday season...See how this goes!?

Along the way, we managed to look at one site that would accommodate a small ceremony and reception. Both AF and I fell in love with the site, but put it on the back burner. Well, last Friday morning, I took my dad to take a look at it. He was also quite impressed with the space and flexibility that the it afforded. So, with his blessing, we put down a deposit.

The phrase of the week..."It's on!"

Thursday, March 02, 2006

current obsession...

Well, there are two actually. The first, socks! That's right, I'm pretty sure I've been bitten by the bug. I finished the first of my Retro Rib socks and cast on for the second one right away. Finally, a project that will fit in nearly every bag I own. All I need to do now is get over the funny looks that I get on the bus in the morning...What? You never seen double-pointed needles before?

My second obsession is the one of the Knitty surprises, Starsky. At first I was turned off by the belt. This one is 60+ inches long...But, I might be able to get over that since the rest of the sweater looks pretty rockin'. I will have to take a dive into the stash to see if I have anything appropriate. If I find anything, I might have to switch up my 1st 6 of '06...This one could bump Crinkle!