aurelia's link should not be looked at if you're super-tired enough to think you might be hallucinating. Srsly.

agreed. I have never been that flexible. And I do not have that kind of core strength

Just got back from taking Frank to the emergency vet after one of his back legs seemed to go out. Very nice vet there diagnosed it right away as being neurological, which goes along with what my vet said last week. I'll call my regular vet tomorrow to see if they can see him. And do what, I don't know. He was pacing around like crazy but he's settled down now. Emergency vet said basically that he is probably declining pretty rapidly now and it may be a week or a month. He's still interested in food though and walks. I'm freaking out some because i'm supposed to go to Chicago for a long weekend thursday. I have a petsitter coming but I'll probably see if I can board him at the vet but what if he gets worse while I'm gone?

You know, I can finally forgive Science for not bringing us flying cars and jet packs and hotels on the moon. Now that it has produced this: Rocket Scientists Shoot Down Mosquitoes With Lasers

Demonstrating the technology recently, Dr. Kare, Mr. Myhrvold and other researchers stood below a small shelf mounted on the wall about 10 feet off the ground. On the shelf were five Maglite flashlights, a zoom lens from a 35mm camera, and the laser itself -- a little black box with an assortment of small lenses and mirrors. On the floor below sat a Dell personal computer that is the laser's brain.

The glass box of mosquitoes across the room is an old 10-gallon fish tank. Each time a beam strikes a bug, the computer makes a gunshot sound to signal a direct hit.

To locate individual mosquitoes, light from the flashlights hits the tank across the room, creating tiny mosquito silhouettes on reflective material behind it. The zoom lens picks up the shadows and feeds the data to the computer, which controls the laser and fires it at the bug.

In a video, researchers showed what happens when they deploy deadly rays.

A mosquito hovers into view. Suddenly, it bursts into flame. A thin plume of smoke rises as the mosquito falls. At the bottom of the screen, the carcass smolders.

Now that is hot....

Oh, lisah, my sympathies and thoughts are with you and Frank. It's hard to realize that our pets are mortal. I am in total fucking denial as much as I can be. And I say that as a pet owner who freaks out leaving her cat at the cattery when I leave town.

I wish the best for Frank and for you.

Oh lisah, I am so sorry. I worry about that whenever I leave with MK, because his weird badness has always come on at random. I worry about that for this summer. Can you (we) do a sort of advanced directive with our vet? I hope so. At least leave your cc with the vet while you are out of town. At least you'll be able to call them while away.

Can you (we) do a sort of advanced directive with our vet? I hope so. At least leave your cc with the vet while you are out of town. At least you'll be able to call them while away.

Yeah I think so. I'm feeling guilty in advance about going away. I guess I should just see how the next couple of days go and see what the vet says if I can get him in tomorrow.

I'm happy to be a backup/go-to person pet wise while you're away.

Same for me. But I think it'd be wise for me to sit down with you prior to my going incommunicado and work stuff out. I don't want to put that on the petsitters, And you have the same issues I do, and same vet, so there is an accord of sorts.

lisah, I'm so sorry, doll.

Sarameg, there are lots of free places online that you can layout rooms.

Wasn't that the original idea of The Sims? All I know is that it helped me with my anxiety about moving in here. I drew up the floor plan, arranged stuff, and let it run. (Too bad I couldn't have added in the cats that hate each other.)

I'm sorry lisah

But I think it'd be wise for me to sit down with you prior to my going incommunicado and work stuff out.

yup absolutely.

He's sleeping pretty soundly now and I'm wondering if I should carry him upstairs and try to go to bed or just try to sleep down here.