I have several "canned answers" saved. I use them in various pet care forums, as so many times similar questions crop up.

Are you any good with cats that don't eat, Andi? Milo isn't a tiny cat, so I'm not *too* worried yet, but he doesn't eat much. Then Pythagoras, the big fat blob, comes and eats the remainders. Milo likes to 'graze' and Py likes to wolf his food down, which isn't really working as a combination. We're currently trying sprinkling cat milk on the food, which is helping a bit. Running out of ideas though! (Ah, being a catmummy. It is new and lovely but too stressful and this is why I'm never having kids.)

It is your solemn duty to have as much fun as possible while in Scotland! With SHIR! And The Girl. To make up for all the fun I'm not getting to have there. In Scotland! With SHIR! And SESKA! And The Girl!

There will be fun! And updates! And Shir and The Girl and Seska! Yes.

I'm sorry to hear you didn't get the awesome job, MFNlaw.

No, Maria!! I'm sorry! I'm so disappointed for you.

I'm sorry, Maria. I hope the rest of 2011 treats you better.

erikaj, I'm glad there's a diagnosis, at least.

{{{Maria}}} I'm sorry this year has been so difficult for you. I hope things improve soon. You deserve better.

I just had a panic attack when I didn't see my monthly check deposited into my account, until I realized that the 1st is Monday, not Sunday. The check gets deposited on the 1st, unless the first is on the weekend in which case it is deposited the Friday before. This debt ceiling thing has me seriously on edge.

Tea:

Also, word is that TPTB will begin phasing out group homes for developmentally disabled adults. The projected strategy is to simply not fill beds that become vacant. I'm sure that will take years to do, but whether it takes five years or fifteen, I still don't really have a plan that I can do anything else. If they go back to large state-run facilities, I'm not sure I could handle that environment

WS, that really sucks both for you and for the people you help. I hope you have enough time to figure out what your next move is going to be.

erika, ~ma for your brother. I'm so sorry.

Hivemind, how should I discuss the layoff in a cover letter? Normally, I'd say something like "My current position is X", but should I just say "My position as X has been eliminated" Also, technically, I'm on administrative leave for the next 4 weeks, so it is still my current position.

The one thing I'd be concerned about is what your (soon-to-be) former employer would say to a potential employer, given that whether a person is/was employed somewhere or not is one of the few questions former employers will answer these days.

For the next month, you are employed there, Vortex, and, as I understand it, your employer is obliged to say that. After that, I don't know that I'd say much if anything about it in the cover letter. I would write something like, "As a [job title], I have coordinated projects that...."

Lameness, Maria.

In Raq's Head news, apparently I am stacking conditions. The sinus infection has been in place since the spring, due to allergies. The severe current headache is a migraine, triggered by skipping my SSRI for three days.

It turns out that I've had migraines since puberty, I just didn't know it. Stupid high pain tolerance coming into play again.

However, when I mentioned to one friend that it wasn't just a sinus infection, she said "It's a ferret?" And when I mentioned to another, he said, "I was going with brain weasels."

I guess I'm an ideal candidate for cephalomustilidae.

The sinus infection has been in place since the spring, due to allergies.

I'm on my last day of the second antibiotic for the sinus infection (total antibiotic time combined = 20 days, woo). I feel 95% better, energy-wise, but my sinuses still hurt somewhat, though I'm not producing green snot any more. I'm just going to continue enthusiastically using the neti pot until things calm down.

I guess I'm an ideal candidate for cephalomustilidae.

I got a marten up my nose once. Had to flush it out.