Thanks, Fred. While I love watching him sleeping in the garden, I'm fine with our current relationship. It's not that I want to get closer to him, such as that I'm afraid he might be in pain and needs our help.

As I said, he's usually an apathetic cat, so this behavior brings up a tiny red light with it. If he'll be more friendly, I might try to get closer. I just want to know this behavior doesn't scream "help me".

Edit: I'm in awe of erika now. Just FTR, you know, but I am.

Thanks, everyone. Yesterday did suck but today has been way better and you guys are a huge part of that.

Shir, he may or may not be in pain. Cats are very good at hiding pain and illness. It's a way to keep those big predators from taking an unhealthy interest in them.

Sigh. I'm tired of caring for creatures, humans and non-humans alike, who may or may not be sick, and not being able to do much about it.

I don't think it's a control issue. Sometimes, I just want to know, not to waste all this energy into useless caring.

It's all smoke, mirrors and expletives, really, Shir. And it's not all that hard to get Robert Cox to hate you either. Being a "Countdown" viewer with tits is about what it takes. Although I still don't know why his hate site entitles him to be a "media expert" while I'm a girly blogger. Sexism: let me show you it.

Sigh. I'm tired of caring for creatures, humans and non-humans alike, who may or may not be sick, and not being able to do much about it.

I don't think it's a control issue. Sometimes, I just want to know, not to waste all this energy into useless caring.

Oh, yes, yes, yes. If you just knew all of the angst was doing some *good*! Like there was a huge pit somewhere that all the tears were going into that could someday actually be filled in.

Sexism: let me show you it.

You're familiar with Tiger Beatdown, aren't you? (a smiling emoticon).

Yeah.

I just spent the afternoon with my cousin with lung cancer, because he was supposed to be having lunch with his wife for their 37th anniversary but she was too sick from chemo to come. Of course, she was too sick because she went back to her old evil self of not doing what anyone tells her to do and had not drunk enough fluids and taken medication the doctor told her not to take. Now my nerves are shot and I have much stuff to do. (A few kind thoughts towards her granddaughter, who is bucking for sainthood, would be in order.)

The rehab place where he is is part of an elaborate gated retirement community, and I couldn't help thinking that the retirement community would be a great place to survive the zombie apocalypse.

Skipping ahead to say, I'm going to give blood today.

It wasn't planned. There is a blood drive going on across the way from where I just did some grocery shopping. I made myself go in there to find out how long they would be there, to say I had to run home and put cold groceries away, but I would be back. Now I'm here, putting my commitment in Bitches, because it occurs to me that it would be wise to drink some water and bring the laundry in off the line before doing so. It would be so easy to "forget" and just not go back.