It's so hard, Sara. I never called my grandmother when she was in the hospital last year. She got better, but still.

And, um, meara, hope your week gets better and brenda, the progress is great. I thought I'd made some tonight... Neighbor cat has issues and tonight when I went over, she wanted pets right away and to play! (Normally, she must inhale food before she wants that) and I was congratulating myself on what a good petsitter I must be when I noticed she's knocked over and unscrewed the catfood container (that is barricaded in a stool and I put that lid on TIGHT) and so had probably eaten kibbles until she couldn't anymore. Petsitter FAIL!

But I made her run around a lot and rubbed her belly.

I'm 45. Do I round up or down??

The rule is, round to the even number. Sorry 35-year olds.

Some what the fuck political news:

David Vitter, Louisiana senator, supports birther lawsuits against Obama. [link]

Newt Gingrich considering presidential run. [link]

What the fuck?

She really is progressing. You have to be so careful to avoid sending her into a defensive crouch (I accidentally did it today a time or two). But left on her own, and not feeling threatened, she is very gradually pushing a tiny bit further and further.

(One of her quirks - everything I've read or know about dogs says get down on their level rather than coming down from on high. No. No no. She is okay mostly, and getting better, with me or sometimes others reaching down from a standing position. If you crouch, it's game over. She just goes into this half crouched, frozen position. Awful. I know Bonnie says not to think too much about what's in their past. But it is very clear that anything that smacks of being restrained or boxed in puts her into total lizard brain territory.)

Also, meara, being pushed out of that room for a few days totally has her moving around the apartment more. She alternates sleeping between that room (mostly at night) and my room (mostly during the day) but she's not so quick to retreat to the second bedroom now that's she's learned it's not the end of the world not to have that refuge all the time.

In animal news that I don't even know what to do with, the cat appears to be going vegetarian. @@.

Yeah, my aunt is not gonna get better. I just have to call and squelch my reflexive "So how are you?" I'll go with inappropriate humor, she does that too. So much I want to ask and to tell, and there's no knowing how much oomph she'll have at any given time, due to the pain meds. I need to talk to John, as well, but how many ways do you say this fucking sucks?

OK, have to get off this topic or I'm going to be a complete mess.

Puppies and kittens, anyone?

Puppies and kittens, anyone?

Dogs! [link]

Kitties! [link]

Here's a happier story for everyone. This morning my bus driver slammed on the brakes in the middle of the highway. When I looked out the window to see what was going on, a mother duck and her ducklings were crossing the highway and all the traffic had stopped until they crossed.

Surf dog: [link]

Aw.

Here's my latest pic of Darbilicious, the first time she sat down on the deck (instead of standing in place and looking anxious.): [link]