JEKYLL - The Happy Thread

[Marie-Cris]

"Sucks to be you!"

That should be awesome Tori!

And honey, don't fret so much! I like what you've written so far, you just need to keep pushing yourself. Think of the T-Shirt!

[mazza]

I do check the site most days but just haven't had anything of value, interest or whatever to post. I've been feeling a bit sorry for myself. Anyway hopefully I'm on the mends now and will start taking part more.

[Injeanious]

Aww Mazza, that's no good. I think we all have times like that. This weekend I was really wondering if I am doing the right thing moving down to the farm where I will be near my two daughters, as it seems that no matter what I say it is the wrong thing! Perhaps I would be better over the other side of the city. But it is too late to change my mind now.

[Fredus]

@ Mazza and Injeanious - I'm sorry you're both going through a bad streak! It'll all come good again though, and I hope it does so quickly!

@ Marie-Cris - at this point, that t-shirt is about the only reason I'm still going! Plus the fact that if I reach the end of the month and I stopped halfway, I'll regret it until next November and that is just way too much regret. *sigh*

[tori2210]

Today I bought either the most awesome percussion instrument ever, or the most expensive hollow wood box ever; a cajon. I've only got two exams left and my friends and I plan to go busking. Really excited.

[Marie-Cris]

@ Mazz and Inj: Sorry to hear things are going a little roughly! If it's any help, you're not alone; I was recently diagnosed with Asthma when my hayfever went haywire, and my lack of breathing sometimes leaves me somewhat depressed. I know it may not be as severe as what you're going through though, but chin up! Everything happens for a reason, and good times are bound to come back to you.

@ Tori: Cajon? Sounds spicey. I'd been thinking recently that I want to seriously take up a percussion instrument, and all I have is something that looks like half a bongo set ((it ... probably is)). I looked it up and that sounds like such a great instrument! So simple too, I'll have to remember that. I hope you and your friends have fun busking!

[tori2210]

Sorry to hear about the asthma Mar. And I hope everyone else is feeling better too. Is it safe to say that the Jekyll thread has now become the anything and everything thread? xD

If you're looking into a percussion instrument, definitely consider a cajon. Especially if you intend on taking part in the annual summer barbecue season. I got sick of people only bringing guitars, and hey, you'll always have a seat. Cajons are great because they're simple and easy to play, but can also do some crazy complex stuff.

[Marie-Cris]

Yeah, it does seem to be going a little off-topic, so I'll dip into this brief interlude before bringing it back up.

It's definitely an option; although, so is bass guitar, like my dad's been asking me to take up for years ((and yet never seriously considered getting me a bass guitar when I was younger)). If I got every instrument people keep telling me to pick up on, I'll turn into a 1-girl band!

Although, mum and dad called last night to ask me what I wanted for my b-day/Christmas pressie, as they'll funnel the funds through for whatever I decide ((my family's like that)). I'd be more inclined to say a proffessional mic so I can properly record the songs I've been dumping on your guys, but I think a cajon or a mic might be asking for a bit much, considering they bought us a washing machine and paid for my laptop.

So I have no idea what I want for my birthday.

ONTO HAPPY NEWS ((with a brief stop-over at rant-land))

On an FB cat rescue page sometime last week, a girl posted asking people to take away a stray cat she had been feeding for the past 10 months, because she suspects the cat may be carrying. The FB group told asked her if she could bring the cat indoors and continue to look after her ((as she has been)), with all vet bills being charged to the ACR ((that's the cat group)).

The girl said she didn't want to because she didn't want to handle the bills.

SPOILER: Click to show

I'm sorry, but if you're feeding a stray for 10 months, you've somewhat issued yourself with the responsibility of looking after it. Fobbing it off because you think she's gotten knocked up and you don't want to pay the bills - even though it's been stated that YOU WON'T HAVE TO PAY THE VET BILLS - seems to be to be a tad on the side of the MORONIC.

Appalled by what we were witnessing, Fred and I stepped in and we now have a queen making herself comfortable in our spare bedroom. She'll be taken to the vet tomorrow ((I finally get a day off!)) to check properly if she's chipped ((as the pound rangers do a sucky, quick, once-over the back swipe and don't consider the fact that mc's can MOVE)) and pregnant. If she is, depending on how far along she is, there'll either be an abortion and desexing, followed by adoption ((not our choice, but we have to think of what's best for her)), or an explosion of mucusy kitten sacks, followed by weeks of feeding and nurturing, followed by kitten re-homing, followed by mother-desexing, followed by adoption.

She's a beautiful, friendly girl, but so difficult to take a picture of as she keeps rolling around and such, so below is one of the pics I managed to snap on her first night here.

We took her to the vet on Tuesday to confirm how far along she was ((there were some who speculated that she was just fat, so we had to double check)), and it turns out our little queen will be a mother in about 1-2 weeks! Or ... sooner, as she's getting a bit moody and almost looks like she's nesting, or considering it ...

SPOILER: Click to show

So long as she doesn't do it behind / in front of / on my keyboard, as she loves lying on the table it's on!

It's a bit odd, because the daughter of the cat lady who runs the ACR had a feel of her the other day and couldn't feel any sacks. Here's hoping all is well within her!

Oh, and Fred's dubbed her Tansy Patch. I'll try to upload some more pics onto FB under a Foster folder or something, so keep an eye out for those!

Attachments:

[Injeanious]

Bit confused Marie-Cris - are you going to adopt her to add to your menagarie? She looks very pretty.

My daughter is getting a lot of animals on the farm. She has three dogs (including my gorgeous Harvey), two cats, a pet lamb (the one she had to bottle feed), two pet goats and 25 other sheep, and there are chickens arriving pretty soon. Plus millions of baby rabbits that run around everywhere. The rabbit population has exploded and is becoming a problem.

[tori2210]

Nov 28, 2012 18:44:50 GMT 9.5 Marie-Cris said:

Yeah, it does seem to be going a little off-topic, so I'll dip into this brief interlude before bringing it back up.

It's definitely an option; although, so is bass guitar, like my dad's been asking me to take up for years ((and yet never seriously considered getting me a bass guitar when I was younger)). If I got every instrument people keep telling me to pick up on, I'll turn into a 1-girl band!

Although, mum and dad called last night to ask me what I wanted for my b-day/Christmas pressie, as they'll funnel the funds through for whatever I decide ((my family's like that)). I'd be more inclined to say a professional mic so I can properly record the songs I've been dumping on your guys, but I think a cajon or a mic might be asking for a bit much, considering they bought us a washing machine and paid for my laptop.

So I have no idea what I want for my birthday.

Looks like you're definitely spoiled for choice. I'd say go for what you think you'll get the most use out of. I really need to buy a tambourine to go with my Cajon.

Right now the best gift I can get is donations towards me University/Travel fund. Can't wait to get off this island.

Also, yesterday I sat my last exam and therefore Year 12 is over! YAY! Only one more year to go now. I'm finding my high school to be intellectually stagnant, and I think that after four years I've got the gist of the social experience and have come to the realisation that most of my peers are horrible. So bring on University.

But I'm not leaving High School until I've worked on my last major production, which for next year has just been announced as Grease. Not my fave musical, but should be great fun.

[Marie-Cris]

Bit of an update concerning my Birthda/Christmas thing ... I told them I couldn't choose unless I knew what kind of amount they were willing to send, so they sent $100.

I used $19.90 of that on sit-up mat.

Tomorrow we're heading to Beechworth, so I suspect I'll use the rest of it there. Possibly on a few tubs of honey, some ice cream, and a beesting from the bakery.

Not thrilling for Birthday/Christmas, but I really can't think of what to get.

((Plus the mic I have my eye on - which, funnily enough, is cheaper to get in a kit from America than buying just the mic here - is more than $100, so Fred says we can think about getting one after Christmas and such is over and we've recovered from all the spending.))

Oh, and Inj, we're not going to keep her - at least, we'll try not to keep her. Once the kitties are born and old / heavy enough, we'll adopt them out, and we'll adopt her out thereafter.

I can just imagine a tidal wave of bunnies descending on your farm

And yay for the end of - wait, what? One more year? Tori, you have a year 13?

[Fredus]

Ooh, I beat Marie-Cris here!

Warning - this may be long and overly detailed. I may still be a tad over excited.

Anyway, happiness has happened. Last night, after a day out for Marie-Cris's birthday, we noticed Tansy Patch was displaying some of the signs we were told to watch out for that are supposed to indicate that the birthing is near. Namely, she didn't eat her dinner (for Tansy, that's just completely stunning), she was restless enough to completely trash the enormous dog crate she's currently living in - twice, and when we were cleaning the crate the second time, she skedaddled under the spare bed and it took quite a lot of time and me physically coaxing her (That can be translated as, crawling under the bed, putting my arms around her and slowly crawling back) before she would go back in the crate. We figured that it would be best to keep checking on her, so started setting the alarm for every hour.

We got up once. She was okay, but when she saw us, she desperately begged to be let out (at the top of her voice) and continued to do so until after the next alarm, which I didn't quite sleep through, but didn't wake up enough to do anything about other than whack the off button. I am a really bad night nurse. So about half an hour after that, which brings it to about 3:30am (we went to bed very late. Oops.), Tansy's wailing suddenly changed. I snapped awake, thinking that when she'd been pawing at the door, she must have gotten her foot stuck or something. I quickly woke up Marie-Cris and we both charged in, expecting pain and despair.

What we found was Tansy, quietly lying all tucked up in her kitty litter box with an absolutely appalled look on her face while, next to the box, was a very wet, extremely loud kitten, all white and dark tabby patches. We managed to coax her into half heartedly licking the kitten, but she stopped when she decided that having the next kitten in the middle of the kitty litter was a really desirable thing to do. She'd started getting the idea by then so the second one, a little tabby, was licked thoroughly and immediately went in search of food. Unfortunately, we were starting to get quite concerned about the first baby who was still wet and getting colder, despite the blanket we'd put him on. Rather reluctant, for some reason, to put a new born kitten into a kitty litter box, we put gloves on and transferred the three onto the towel bed where Tansy was supposed to have been all along...

We tucked the first boy under Tansy's leg and it didn't take too long before he started to warm up and join the other little chap in a search for food. By then though, it had started to become obvious that Tansy Patch was having trouble with the third. She strained and strained and we could see paws, that were moving, but after awhile they stopped moving. Having done a lot of research, and reaching the conclusion that, in times of that particular trouble, it was probably best to try to help a little, Marie-Cris did so while I rang the vet. (By this time, it was 5am. Who'd be a vet, hey?) Between the two of them, Tansy and Marie-Cris managed to deliver the third little chap, who is mostly white with a couple of tabby spots and a tabby tail. He wasn't breathing and Tansy had no further interest in him so Marie-Cris leapt into action (Anyone else notice that I wasn't really much use here? I mostly just panicked and woke up poor innocent vets), and broke him out of the sac and then started rubbing him with a towel. By this time, we were both almost in tears - we knew they might not all survive, but it doesn't make it any less sad, so it was rather a miracle when he gasped a breath. She kept rubbing and he finally decided to give this breathing thing a proper go and we, sadly, tucked him under Tansy's paw like we did with the other and glumly decided he probably wouldn't make it. He wasn't moving, just breathing.

Somewhere after this point, we decided that was probably an end to it and staggered off to bed. I was exhausted and completely crashed while Marie-Cris couldn't switch her brain off and ended up going back to the cats to keep watch over them. By the time I woke up, some three and a half hours later, the kittens had all started moving, they had all had a meal and were all incredibly gorgeously cute. On the downside, Tansy had started straining again.

Which is pretty much where we are now. The kittens are lovely, Tansy looks like she'll be a half decent mother, but she's still having contractions and straining. We talked to the cat rescue woman we're fostering for and she's organised a vet appointment, so in a couple of hours, the entire new family will be tucked into a cat cage and taken off to be poked and prodded. I'm a bit worried about Tansy, but it's a comfort that her eyes are still bright and alert, and she was willing to tuck into her breakfast. I agree with the cat lady's theory that probably there's still afterbirth in there, or possibly a kitten that died before he could be born. The vet should sort it all out, and all will be well.

And, as a reward to anyone who actually plowed through this entire story, and for those who didn't, a picture!


There's obviously Tansy Patch in the background, but the kittens are, from left to right, Patchy, Spotty and Tabby. Obviously those aren't their permanent names, but it was just easier than describing them every time we were trying to point out a single kitten! We actually have plans for the names, but can't work them out until we know genders. Hopefully the vet will tell us that too!

[tori2210]

I read it all Fred! Glad to hear all of the kittens and mother cat are okay. They're so cute. :3 I'd be more than happy to take one off your hands and give our Ninja a little friend if the ocean wasn't in the way.

Dec 8, 2012 20:37:05 GMT 9.5 Marie-Cris said:

And yay for the end of - wait, what? One more year? Tori, you have a year 13?

I've had this discussion with my friend from Brisbane before. I can't remember the exact details but we figured it was because you guys had some extra year of kindergarten or something and didn't start counting numbers til later? So your year 11 is equivalent to our year 12. I really have no idea. XD If it helps I turn 17 in February.

Today was such a good day. One of my best friends lives in Canada and since it's still her weekend and I'm off school, we spent the day on Skype. I downloaded some live streaming software and we were able to watch a movie from my laptop together. It was really, really nice. It's crazy how much you miss something as simple as watching a movie with a friend.

[Fredus]

@ Tori - it gets even more complicated than that. Marie-Cris, having gone to school in South Australia, has a different system than i went through going to school in New South Wales. So if our states can't line themselves together, where's the hope with different countries!
You're probably right though, I think most of Australia gives the first year of school a name rather than a number (what name depends on where you live). At least you don't have to do extra school then.

I'm really glad you had a nice day! And I understand how much you can miss something so simple with a friend because I feel much the same way about my family.

And the kittens are rather lovely. Hopefully, it won't be too hard to find them loving homes when they're so pretty!
As a not-so-pleasant add on to the earlier spiel though, after some hours of straining, Tansy delivered a fourth baby that was dead when he arrived. We've buried him in our front garden, underneath the lavender, which seems like a nice place to sleep.
We have taken Tansy and the kittens to the vet now and apparently there's nothing left inside of her, which is a relief, and now we can all just settle down to keeping the kittens safe and healthy.

[tori2210]

Yeah, I'm not repeating a year or anything. Technically I could have left at the end of this year because the level of certificate I achieved this year qualifies me for diploma level courses and other forms of vocational training... so like TAFE I guess? But I've got my eyes set on University so I need to go back next year to get my University Entrance qualification. So that's the next 4-5 years of my life sorted.

Another one of my really close friends is moving down to Dunedin (I live in Auckland) to study medicine at Otago University. I'm extremely happy for her but at the same time I'm sad I wont get to see her as often. Looks like I'll have to become a pro at long distance friendships.

[Injeanious]

What gorgeous little kittens - and such long tails. I think you will find it really hard to give them up Fredus.

Can you or Marie-Cris tell me how to upload a photo. I would love for you all to see my gorgeous Harvey.

[Fredus]

Inj, what you need to do is get an account at either TinyPic or photobucket. You upload the photos there and then they give you a list of links that attach to the photo (or TinyPic does. I'm not quite sure how photobucket does that because I don't use it) and then you just copy the link and stick it in your post.

... if that's a bad description of how to do it, everyone is welcome to leap in and explain things better!

And I'd like to see your Harvey! I'm always a fan of seeing other people's pets.

I actually think the kitten that will be hardest to give up will be Spotty; we actually saved his life, so he's kind of special... but then, I do love a tabby cat. And Patchy was the first new-born kitten I'd ever seen.... I wish we had the money to adopt all three of them plus Tansy Patch! Of course, then we're heading towards being borderline cat ladies, so maybe it's better we don't. I'm going to be so picky about who they get adopted to though!

[tori2210]

Don't worry, you guys aren't as bad as my friend who has >115 photos of just his cat on Facebook.

Have you guys seen my cat Ninja? I'll find a link to her soon.

I agree with Fred. Though I do have a Photobucket account, TinyPic is very handy and easy to use. You don't even need to create an account for the one off upload. Once you've uploaded your photo simply copy the link under the 'IMG code for Forums & Message Boards' to here and you're done.

[Injeanious]

Okay, lets see if this works



Yay it does but sorry it is so huge. This is Harvey after he had a bath and wasn't allowed inside till he was completely dry. So he decided to try and get in through the window.

[Fredus]

Oh, Inj, Harvey is gorgeous! Absolutely stunningly gorgeous and not at all what I was expecting in a dog! What a beautiful colour and he looks so velvety soft!

... we should have a pets thread somewhere.

Also, Tori, I have a fair few cat photos on Facebook! And I haven't seen Ninja, but awesome name.

And, we've caved. The kitten currently known as Spotty will be staying with us for all eternity. And we're not-so-secretly hoping that Tansy settles in really well with Minstrel and Blossom and nobody ever wants to adopt her... three cats wouldn't be too bad, right?

[tori2210]

My friend has three cats and a dog so you're fine. xD

Harvey is just beautiful, Inj.



This is Ninja. These pics are about a year and a bit old, when she was just a kitten. Though she hasn't grown too much since then.

[Fredus]

Ninja is rather pretty! A bit fluffy, but not over the top. I love that brown splodge on her nose.

[tori2210]

She has the biggest tail too! She's a rather small cat and then there's this massive tail coming off her. Quite amusing.

We've had quite the wet Christmas here in NZ and it looks like it'll still be wet until new years. Ah well. Hasn't actually been too bad, I've been able to get a fair bit of reading done. Going on holiday soon.

I also noticed it's chimaera's birthday, I wonder how she is? One of the few members I remember talking to in my past life here.

[Fredus]

... I've forgotten what name you went by in your past US life.

I've never actually owned a cat with a fluffy tail. Cricket had a fine tail (he had Siamese in him, so he was all fine lines and grace), Minstrel and Tansy Patch both have thin tails and it's looking like the kittens aren't going to be fluffy either. Not that I really mind; I do love running a slinky cat tail through my hand.

We haven't had rain here but we were lucky enough to have a cool(ish) Christmas Day but it's warmed up since then. I hate summer...

[Injeanious]

Tori Ninja is so cute. I love how cats hide under couches! We had a stinkingly hot day for Christmas. Officially it was 29 but down in Makara at the farm it was about 35. When I got home late afternoon I just lay on my couch with the windows and doors open and nothing made any difference. I had my head on a cushion and it got soaked and my hair looked as though I had just got out of the shower. I hate hot weather - anything more than 18 or 19 is too hot for me. Couldn't sleep because of the heat. Luckily it cooled down a bit boxing day evening and today has been cool and now it has just started pouring - which is fine as the lawn is yellow and the garden was so dry.

Tori was Chimaera the member who was training to be a doctor at Wellington Hospital? I have often wondered if she had finished her training and where she is now. Also think about Nick and Son and the member with the long waist length black hair who was a doctor in Surfers. Anyone remember who I am talking about?

[tori2210]

Our first cat, Rosy, was a shorthair tabby, so Ninja is our first ball of fluff. I've been sleeping with my bedroom windows open lately and she thought it'd be fun to wake me at five this morning by landing on my face.

It's not so much the hot weather that gets me, it's the humidity. Auckland is so damp and muggy. Tomorrow we're driving down to Palmerston North to stay in my Aunt and Uncles place. We'll be using it as a base for day trips to Wellington and whatnot. I haven't properly been to Wellington since I was a young child. In recent years we've only passed through, catching the Interislander to Picton, so it'll be good.

Fred, I went by kiwiphanatic I believe. I was 12-13 at the time (was Phantom really that long ago???) and remember getting a number of double post warnings from Marie-Cris Though I'd prefer not to remember a lot of my early adventures here.
And Inj, I can't quite remember about her... she was from Dunedin originally I believe but then moved. For some reason I think it was to Auckland, but heck, it could have been to Wellington. If she was training to be a doctor I suppose she could have started her medical degree in Otago and then have her practical training in Wellington? Maybe one day she'll appear again and tell us.

[Fredus]

I'm sorry you had such a hot Christmas, Inj! It's the worst day of the year to get extreme heat, especially if you're trying to pull off a baked dinner without heating up the house so much that everyone dies. I'm glad I was at my parent's this year, their house stays cool inside whatever's going on outside.

Ah, I remember you as kiwiphanatic, Tori. And it ... kind of explains a lot that you were so young. You're much more sensible now! :XD

And, so, did I mention that we'll be keeping one of the kittens from our spare room? We'll be keeping Spotty, whom we still haven't managed to give a real name, mainly because s/he was the one that wasn't breathing when born and we had to do some work to get the whole living thing started. We decided that we'd be so picky about going to the best family ever, that we may as well just keep him.
Also, Marie-Cris has fallen in love with Tansy Patch so, assuming everyone gets along, which seems likely, we'll probably have three cats and a dog by the end of the fostering adventure. Worst foster parents ever!