IT'S 9 A.M. AND MY DAY ALREADY STINKS....

Edited to add: Boomer (the sick bloody cat) is in pretty bad shape. He had developed a severe infection in his back teeth which worked itself up his jaw bone into his eye socket, causing his eye to bleed profusely. After four days on antibiotics he will have his back teeth extracted. The vet assured me that with a cat so young (5 years old) I would never be expected to predict something like this. It is very rare for a cat this age to have such problems. This reassurance came after I repeatedly said I felt so bad for allowing this to happen. It is frightening and astounding how quickly this infection became so severe. Here's the amazing thing: this sweet young vet offered to take Boomer to her home and care for him while we are gone and until his surgery is over. By the time I got back to pick him up today, she had already called her husband and he was preparing their spare bedroom for him. She is charging me a daily fee, but it is so worth it. I was speechless with gratitude at her offer. God does indeed answer prayers. Now I can go on vacation with my family and rest easy.
Of course we can't make our mortgage payment next month.....


So I'm standing in the exam room at the vet HOSPITAL while they examine my cat's swollen bloody eye. I am near tears because my cat looks as though he's had his head shut in a car door, and he's suffering. We are leaving town tomorrow for 5 days and I have absolutely no idea who will take care of my cat while we're gone.

So I ask the vet "Do you do any sort of medical boarding?" and she says "No. We don't board at all." And I glanced up at the big sign on the wall that says PET HOSPITAL and I wanted to scream "Then how can you call yourselves a hospital if you don't keep your furry little patients overnight!!!" But I didn't because I was upset enough. Instead I asked if she had any suggestions for his care since we were leaving town and she said to wait and see what the results of his x-rays show. Somehow I don't think waiting will provide the answer.

Plus I looked really dumb because I was standing there in my prescription sunglasses because I had left my regular glasses in the van because my cat weighs 25 pounds and I couldn't carry him, his carrier and my purse at the same time. And I think the fact that I was in sunglasses interfered with my comprehension because I could not understand one thing she was saying. I don't know what she said is probably wrong with my cat and why his condition has worsened so much since she saw him 3 days ago. All I know is he is a bloody mess, he's in pain, and we are leaving town tomorrow and I don't know who in the world I can ask to come and administer medicine to a sick bloody cat.

THEN. My cell phone rang and it was my daughter's school. The secretary said "Hi, I'm calling to check on Kayla....she's absent today?" And I screeched "Kayla's not in school?!!! Because she left with her brother at 7:40." And in my mind I'm screaming "OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD...." So she put me on hold and found out that the substitute teacher didn't realize that student council was meeting this morning. She double checked with the student council advisor and Kayla was with them. She apologized Profusely for "making me answer the worst phone call a parent can receive....." By then my heart had worked it's way onto the vet's floor.

My house is a wreck. I need to pack. I need to do laundry. And run to the store. And run a key to the neighbor girl who agreed to feed the cats (that is, before one became so ill) I need to have lunch with my two friends. I need to pick the cat up after lunch. I need to figure out who's going to take care of this sick bloody cat. I need to figure out how they can call themselves a PET HOSPITAL if they don't board pets. I need to figure out how to avoid spending our whole stimulus check on cat care.

And I need to open a bottle of tequila.