@Argenti, sadly, Skype is not an option where Mr. AK is. It’s a long story and he has an unusual job (basically, his career is making sure that other people don’t blow themselves up), but email is about our only option on these work trips.
@Dalet, I’m glad my experience could help. One other thing I’d like to add is that I gave up some luxuries (I was working at a restaurant at the time, and mine was a daily meal at work–I brought one from home instead–and even with my employee discount that was $4-5 a day) and funneled that money directly into a pet emergency savings account. They were such minor luxuries that my parents couldn’t complain about me having them, so I was able to argue that it was basically extra money I was able to funnel into pet care. If I didn’t have my doggie, I’d just go back to eating restaurant meals on my breaks, you know? So basically I was able to argue that I was sacrificing for him (even though it totally didn’t feel like a sacrifice) rather than taking money out of my normal savings for him.
Again, not sure how applicable it is to your situation but it worked a charm for me. 🙂
Yoyo
11 years ago
@leftwingfox and dalet, the Lost Dogs Home or equivalent has the cheapest and best vets in my area. It is usually worth chasing up shelter related vets because they are usually very good and will do payment plans x
AK
11 years ago
Oh and Kitteh, my dog is absolutely a superdog! Seriously, ya’ll don’t know the half of it…he’s also an honest-to-god union rep (AFSCME) and saved someone from drowning–and that’s just the stuff he did when I wasn’t around to supervise. And I have photos/documentation to prove it. A friend of mine who is an author has been bugging me for several years to write out the story of this dog’s life. 😀
Wow! You going to let them write that book eventually, AK? 😀
Yoyo
11 years ago
Hey AKdoes super dog have kelpie by any chance? My kelpie cross was incredibly Coll and clever in a surfy swimming save the babies from a fire manner. My new dog also know as poopiehead is very pretty but somewhat challenged. In a hyperbolie and a half manner.
Hello, Argenti! It’s so, so nice to meet everybody! I’m agender, and I go by they/them pronouns, thanks for asking!
Potential Kitty is, if I recall, around two years old, and you’re absolutely right that a calmer, more mature cat (which she sounds to be) will help her feel better. I’m torn between wanting Kitty to smooth things over by being friendly, and wanting her to hiss my mom out of the apartment, haha.
Neo-Nazis, for real? I’m German-Canadian; I will fight people like that tooth and nail, I swear. That’s absolutely unacceptable.
@leftwingfox: As Yoyo mentioned, most, if not all, vets in my city seem to do payment plans, which really helps to make me feel better about a potentially disastrous vet bill, though it is still my biggest fear about pet ownership.
@Kitteh: My mother likes animals fine as long as they’re not too near her. My dad loves dogs especially, and if it weren’t for my mom we would’ve had at least a couple growing up, I’m sure. He’ll take this much better than she will, but he’s not very involved with me anymore and never ever argues with her opinion since she “knows better.” Basically, he’ll be ambivalent at best.
Hmm, so if Potential Kitty just keeps out of your mother’s way, at least until mother’s accustomed to her, that doesn’t sound too bad, I hope. At least they’re not anti-animal, which is a relief.
One of my clients (no, it was not sex related) died this past week. FD Reeve (aka Superman’s dad). A truly decent man. Against war (not like these, “feminist should fight for the right to sign up for selective service” types). I don’t know A LOT about him, other than that he was pleasant to talk to and he really enjoyed topics surrounding literature/art, he REALLY appreciated my art (even though I don’t consider my work very artistic). That’s my news for the week. I guess a little homage to a good man in the comment section of manboobz might be a breath of fresh air 🙂
Basically, although I expect an initial explosion, and a VERY difficult couple of weeks, I’m hoping to get an explanation in, and then hoping Potential Kitty makes a good impression. If I can get both, I THINK this will work out, especially once my birthday rolls around and I put the money aside as planned. Money talks loudest to my parents; once they see that, they’ll calm down. Again, it’s still another three months, though.
AK, I would buy the hell out of that book. A dog as a union rep? I WISH I could have trained dogs as union stewards back when I was doing that work.
AK
11 years ago
@Kittehs: Haha I don’t know…I feel like that kinda kills the mystery, you know? The stories are still awesome but I think they lose something when you know all the details.
But on the other hand, there’s that immortality aspect… I’m a bit history buff and my puppy is named Abutiu after the first recorded named dog in history who died sometime before 2280 BCE (also transcribed as Abuwtiyuw but try getting the vet to spell that properly) and I feel like Scooter (the dog I’ve been talking about) is at least as worthy of lasting fame as the historic Abutiu. 😉
@Yoyo: No Kelpie, but he is an Australian herding breed…cattle dog to be exact. He looks mostly blue heeler, I think he looks like a heeler/border collie cross (having lots of experience with both breeds), but I also have had a lot of people say he looks pure Australian cattle dog/Queensland blue. Since he was a stray adopted from the humane society, we’ll probably never know.
I’ve worked with 3 Kelpies so far (they’re not super popular here, but they’re gaining…) and I adore them. Amazing dogs.
I just realised, if she’s Potential Kitty, she must be …
…
SCHROEDINGER’S CAT
Kim
11 years ago
So, I had the meeting about the “Broadband for Seniors” thing, but it seems she is as disorganised as the rest of them. They are only going to do it during work hours, and I only just found this out. So scratch that off the list. Was looking forward to it too, since I think internet access could make a huge difference to people.
And all this talk of difficult parents and pets makes me feel sorry for my nephews. My brother dislikes pets and will never allow one in his house. They make too much mess for him. So my nephews will never have a dog or cat as they’re growing up. I guess he never really had pets when we were kids… they were always mine, or family pets and I was always the one who looked after them. So maybe he doesn’t think his kids are missing anything. But, if he did relent and let them get a dog, it’d be a strictly outdoor dog, so I guess potential dog is better off waiting til my nephews leave home.
@cloudiah, I worked as a union organizer as well (far prior to my dog getting involved in the work…seriously, it was totally unrelated) and I know where you’re coming from. 😉
My friend the author actually wanted me to write the book. I do a lot of editing but I’m not much of a writer and I think that’s part of it…I’m not sure I can tell the story well. Someone could write his story amazingly well, but I’m not sure it’s me.
Ak, if your picture is him, he’s definitely blue heeler, great dogs but the do tend to be piggy for food. My friend heeler, Halva, had a whole round of schools, butchers and backyards he visited each day until too full to move.:-)
“… it’d be a strictly outdoor dog, so I guess potential dog is better off waiting til my nephews leave home.”
I went into the office with my mother today to get some survey work done SINCE YOU GUYS DISTRACT ME and her and her boss where discussing some new law that makes it illegal to leave dogs out in “extreme weather”. Promptly the pair of republicans asked wtf the gov’n would consider extreme weather, at which point I chimed in with “probably official weather warnings”…guess who was right? Cuz hey look, some things we do have standard definitions for that work! (And fuck, we need to be told that dogs don’t stay out in severe storms?)
Oh, I posted CPR and heimlich charts over on the Zed thread, the pet one is there too (Falconer, if you’re around, they include the info for infants, may you never need to know it)
An, um, the charts include infant info, not the pet chart. Obviously.
I should be working on the data, my sentencing skills are fail (sentencing, yes, that’s what I said)
AK
11 years ago
@Yoyo, my picture is actually my puppy, Abutiu, my SAR dog and definitely a pig for food. We’re currently debating whether to switch her to toy rewards or food rewards in her SAR training, because we generally prefer toys as they’re cheaper/easier to carry/reusable, but her passion for food verges on an eating disorder. On the other hand she’ll also play fetch until she literally cannot carry the toy back because she’s so overheated and panting too hard…
I have 5 heelers though, she’s my only red one, the rest are blue. I adore the breed, and yeah, they’re all nuts about food. One of mine in particular, Bandit, will get into any cabinet if given half a chance. I spent years thinking it was separation anxiety until I set up webcams and realized…he’s not anxious, he’s just a glutton and knows how to get into cabinets! They’re a wonderful combination of independent, driven and so clever. Great working dogs, but you’ve got to keep your eye on them constantly! 😉
We Hunted The Mammoth
@Argenti, sadly, Skype is not an option where Mr. AK is. It’s a long story and he has an unusual job (basically, his career is making sure that other people don’t blow themselves up), but email is about our only option on these work trips.
@Dalet, I’m glad my experience could help. One other thing I’d like to add is that I gave up some luxuries (I was working at a restaurant at the time, and mine was a daily meal at work–I brought one from home instead–and even with my employee discount that was $4-5 a day) and funneled that money directly into a pet emergency savings account. They were such minor luxuries that my parents couldn’t complain about me having them, so I was able to argue that it was basically extra money I was able to funnel into pet care. If I didn’t have my doggie, I’d just go back to eating restaurant meals on my breaks, you know? So basically I was able to argue that I was sacrificing for him (even though it totally didn’t feel like a sacrifice) rather than taking money out of my normal savings for him.
Again, not sure how applicable it is to your situation but it worked a charm for me. 🙂
@leftwingfox and dalet, the Lost Dogs Home or equivalent has the cheapest and best vets in my area. It is usually worth chasing up shelter related vets because they are usually very good and will do payment plans x
Oh and Kitteh, my dog is absolutely a superdog! Seriously, ya’ll don’t know the half of it…he’s also an honest-to-god union rep (AFSCME) and saved someone from drowning–and that’s just the stuff he did when I wasn’t around to supervise. And I have photos/documentation to prove it. A friend of mine who is an author has been bugging me for several years to write out the story of this dog’s life. 😀
Wow! You going to let them write that book eventually, AK? 😀
Hey AKdoes super dog have kelpie by any chance? My kelpie cross was incredibly Coll and clever in a surfy swimming save the babies from a fire manner. My new dog also know as poopiehead is very pretty but somewhat challenged. In a hyperbolie and a half manner.
Hello, Argenti! It’s so, so nice to meet everybody! I’m agender, and I go by they/them pronouns, thanks for asking!
Potential Kitty is, if I recall, around two years old, and you’re absolutely right that a calmer, more mature cat (which she sounds to be) will help her feel better. I’m torn between wanting Kitty to smooth things over by being friendly, and wanting her to hiss my mom out of the apartment, haha.
Neo-Nazis, for real? I’m German-Canadian; I will fight people like that tooth and nail, I swear. That’s absolutely unacceptable.
@leftwingfox: As Yoyo mentioned, most, if not all, vets in my city seem to do payment plans, which really helps to make me feel better about a potentially disastrous vet bill, though it is still my biggest fear about pet ownership.
@Kitteh: My mother likes animals fine as long as they’re not too near her. My dad loves dogs especially, and if it weren’t for my mom we would’ve had at least a couple growing up, I’m sure. He’ll take this much better than she will, but he’s not very involved with me anymore and never ever argues with her opinion since she “knows better.” Basically, he’ll be ambivalent at best.
Hmm, so if Potential Kitty just keeps out of your mother’s way, at least until mother’s accustomed to her, that doesn’t sound too bad, I hope. At least they’re not anti-animal, which is a relief.
One of my clients (no, it was not sex related) died this past week. FD Reeve (aka Superman’s dad). A truly decent man. Against war (not like these, “feminist should fight for the right to sign up for selective service” types). I don’t know A LOT about him, other than that he was pleasant to talk to and he really enjoyed topics surrounding literature/art, he REALLY appreciated my art (even though I don’t consider my work very artistic). That’s my news for the week. I guess a little homage to a good man in the comment section of manboobz might be a breath of fresh air 🙂
Dalet: Oh good. If the vets in your area offer payment plans,then you’re much better off dropping that $50 into a savings account each month.
Basically, although I expect an initial explosion, and a VERY difficult couple of weeks, I’m hoping to get an explanation in, and then hoping Potential Kitty makes a good impression. If I can get both, I THINK this will work out, especially once my birthday rolls around and I put the money aside as planned. Money talks loudest to my parents; once they see that, they’ll calm down. Again, it’s still another three months, though.
AK, I would buy the hell out of that book. A dog as a union rep? I WISH I could have trained dogs as union stewards back when I was doing that work.
@Kittehs: Haha I don’t know…I feel like that kinda kills the mystery, you know? The stories are still awesome but I think they lose something when you know all the details.
But on the other hand, there’s that immortality aspect… I’m a bit history buff and my puppy is named Abutiu after the first recorded named dog in history who died sometime before 2280 BCE (also transcribed as Abuwtiyuw but try getting the vet to spell that properly) and I feel like Scooter (the dog I’ve been talking about) is at least as worthy of lasting fame as the historic Abutiu. 😉
@Yoyo: No Kelpie, but he is an Australian herding breed…cattle dog to be exact. He looks mostly blue heeler, I think he looks like a heeler/border collie cross (having lots of experience with both breeds), but I also have had a lot of people say he looks pure Australian cattle dog/Queensland blue. Since he was a stray adopted from the humane society, we’ll probably never know.
I’ve worked with 3 Kelpies so far (they’re not super popular here, but they’re gaining…) and I adore them. Amazing dogs.
::gasp::
I just realised, if she’s Potential Kitty, she must be …
…
SCHROEDINGER’S CAT
So, I had the meeting about the “Broadband for Seniors” thing, but it seems she is as disorganised as the rest of them. They are only going to do it during work hours, and I only just found this out. So scratch that off the list. Was looking forward to it too, since I think internet access could make a huge difference to people.
And all this talk of difficult parents and pets makes me feel sorry for my nephews. My brother dislikes pets and will never allow one in his house. They make too much mess for him. So my nephews will never have a dog or cat as they’re growing up. I guess he never really had pets when we were kids… they were always mine, or family pets and I was always the one who looked after them. So maybe he doesn’t think his kids are missing anything. But, if he did relent and let them get a dog, it’d be a strictly outdoor dog, so I guess potential dog is better off waiting til my nephews leave home.
OH MY GOD.
@Dalet
That’s unfortunate. I hope things get better for you soon somehow. =[
At the very least, I’ll share this fantastic Calvin & Hobbes comic strip with you.
You’re too good to me, Aaliyah!
@cloudiah, I worked as a union organizer as well (far prior to my dog getting involved in the work…seriously, it was totally unrelated) and I know where you’re coming from. 😉
My friend the author actually wanted me to write the book. I do a lot of editing but I’m not much of a writer and I think that’s part of it…I’m not sure I can tell the story well. Someone could write his story amazingly well, but I’m not sure it’s me.
Oops, wrong nym. X_X Please work this time…
Ak, if your picture is him, he’s definitely blue heeler, great dogs but the do tend to be piggy for food. My friend heeler, Halva, had a whole round of schools, butchers and backyards he visited each day until too full to move.:-)
OMG IT’S GREEBO
That cat could just as easily be Horse.
“… it’d be a strictly outdoor dog, so I guess potential dog is better off waiting til my nephews leave home.”
I went into the office with my mother today to get some survey work done SINCE YOU GUYS DISTRACT ME and her and her boss where discussing some new law that makes it illegal to leave dogs out in “extreme weather”. Promptly the pair of republicans asked wtf the gov’n would consider extreme weather, at which point I chimed in with “probably official weather warnings”…guess who was right? Cuz hey look, some things we do have standard definitions for that work! (And fuck, we need to be told that dogs don’t stay out in severe storms?)
Oh, I posted CPR and heimlich charts over on the Zed thread, the pet one is there too (Falconer, if you’re around, they include the info for infants, may you never need to know it)
An, um, the charts include infant info, not the pet chart. Obviously.
I should be working on the data, my sentencing skills are fail (sentencing, yes, that’s what I said)
@Yoyo, my picture is actually my puppy, Abutiu, my SAR dog and definitely a pig for food. We’re currently debating whether to switch her to toy rewards or food rewards in her SAR training, because we generally prefer toys as they’re cheaper/easier to carry/reusable, but her passion for food verges on an eating disorder. On the other hand she’ll also play fetch until she literally cannot carry the toy back because she’s so overheated and panting too hard…
I have 5 heelers though, she’s my only red one, the rest are blue. I adore the breed, and yeah, they’re all nuts about food. One of mine in particular, Bandit, will get into any cabinet if given half a chance. I spent years thinking it was separation anxiety until I set up webcams and realized…he’s not anxious, he’s just a glutton and knows how to get into cabinets! They’re a wonderful combination of independent, driven and so clever. Great working dogs, but you’ve got to keep your eye on them constantly! 😉