Zen's vet is looking for more fees, less concerned with the animals health (still concerned, but $$$$).

There is a vet in my neighborhood who would be so convenient for my non-car having self, but whenever anyone asks 'the doggy lama' about local services, I tell them that I would not go to that guy if I was gut-shot myself. He is ALL about commerce over care...in so obvious a way as to be offensive. Can't even bother to be subtle about it.

Where I not completely bummed that his building has been bought by yet another restaurant, I'd throw a parade on his move out date.

Some vets, I think, just don't bother to be educated about what is really necessary for good care, so they go along with the med-school program. Others? Consciously exploitative. And that burns me up.

As a nice balance, we have a vet in Anacostia who is the modern embodiment of the practical, country doctor. Charges a third less than anyone else around here and will laugh you out of the office if you request anything 'foofy.'

There is a King of The Hill episode on this topic.

Bonny, I'm sorry people are being stupid.

Aw. Thanks Beverly. I could just cry.

The group talks this talk about how vibrant and sassy and professional and cutting edge we are...and I spent a lot of money to join them in order to make contacts and expand my network (their stated mission). But, when the rubber meets the damn road, they just want to make money off their members and make a splash in the media with their events. Since this one is about cutting edge stuff, but associated with women's health, they can't seem to be bothered to promote it.

The worst part? I could have said no when the president of the org roped me into participating. I just thought it would be a great way for a new member to contribute, AND to learn some great new stuff.

One of the speakers is going to talk about pelvic floor health, which, it turns out, is a MUCH bigger issue than ever I realized. Leaking when sneezing and pain during sex, two things a lot of women consider normal, can be totally eliminated, according to this speaker. I was really looking forward to learning about it!

Good luck, Hil!

Thank you all with your tattoo recommendations. Feel free to add. Just to make it clear: it won't be the same as the traditional henna tattoo: as in, it won't "stick out". I'm literally using it as a dye. And as for what omnis said: yes, tattoo is a personal thing. That's why I'm asking you, after spilling my guts here in public for the past 2-3 years. I count on (part of your) taste, and you know me well enough by now.

ION, a moment of shameless pride: we got our Ancient Rome papers back today, with the nicest execution lecture of "that's not what we meant" (no, really. They could have done it so. much. worse. They consider to be the pettiest and harshest paper checkers, and that's why I took this class). If you wrote something decent, you'd get a grade (around 80, from what I've heard). If not - you didn't get a grade on it, just remarks, (so that most or all of the consideration in grading will be taken on the final paper). I didn't get a grade on mine, but I got a remark that my writing is wonderful, and later have been told in person that I'm "one level above anyone else in this class in when it comes to writing", and that it was an absolute pleasure to read my paper. If I'd answer differently (apparently they want the things to be spelled out All Over The Paper, and my structure is good for 30 pages long papers, and not 15), my paper would have been (grammar?) "flawless".

Considering it was a sheer torture to write the fucking thing, and that my final grade doesn't depend on it, yay!

And, dear God, bonny. Hang in there.

That sucks, bonny. My motto: Never Volunteer, and people like that are the reason why.

Leaking when sneezing and pain during sex

Don't know about the second, but the first? Kegels. Yep. Doin' em right now. /Samantha

kegels

This was the first thing the speaker mentioned when we talked...that most women who do them are doing them incorrectly and not getting the results they need. If the event happens, she is going to do some demonstrating. I'll happily report whatever I learn!

ALL about commerce over care...

I had a PCP like that. And...much as I hate to admit it, he's not a native of this country, and his behavior has jaundiced my view of his countrymen. Which of course means I'll bend over backward to avoid thinking poorly should I have dealings with others of them in future, and probably get rooked again.

Simpler! Life and humans should be simpler!

The cats eat dry food out of little metal bowls that we clean maybe every couple of months. My cat Ashton develops little bumps or zits on his chin when we use plastic food dishes, for some reason. For wet food, I use paper plates since they rarely finish it all and refuse to eat leftovers. The water dish is a hard plastic thing that gets thrown in the washer maybe once a week.

As for teeth cleaning, I think animals have the same issues that humans do - some teeth are just better than others. What I will say is that if your cat meows in your face and their breath is atrocious, have their teeth checked. Ashton had horrible breath a few years ago so I took him to the vet and they had to pull 6 teeth due to a bad infection. And his breath hasn't smelled like that ever since. In fact, it usually doesn't smell at all.

I better get this new job, because my current HoS is a raging bitch.