I firmly believe nobody should feel/be obligated to write thank-you notes after a funeral. I have never expected a thank-you card for a sympathy note, or even for flowers or a donation in someone's memory.

THIS. Yes. Exactly.

So. Facebook server crash for 100, Alex?

I have almost made peace with the fact that I am never going to do thank you notes from Mom's memorial. I just ... no. Can't.

Just don't. Really, anyone who expects a thank you at the moment is wrong. You probably thanked them for coming at the time. Or Plei did. Or I did. Or dad did. Probably all of us. They were thanked. And you know what, that was just being gracious because you are under no obligation to do that when you are the one in such pain and needing comfort.

That said, I thanked my mom for sending me flowers for Kittenish. Mostly because it made me cry but in a less painful way than everything else did that day. I've loved my pets and treated them all well, but Kittenish and one cat, Spooky (never let other people name your pets, people), before her were really just special companions. She was with me over seventeen years. And she was doing well before I boarded her and left for San Diego. She was old and I wouldn't have been surprised if this was her last year but I never expected to lose her so suddenly and while I was away until the last moments.

Dad starts radiation tomorrow (along with the steroids he's been getting since the biopsy). Probably five days a week for three weeks. His age is a factor in the no chemo but if the tumors don't respond, it is still possible. Just not preferable.

I don't know if he gets any tattoos for aiming purposes. I do know his scar from the biopsy is apparently healing beautifully and once the stitches came out, you could hardly see it. So he shouldn't look like Frankenstein but maybe the radiation will give him superpowers.

{{{{{Cass}}}}} I've been thinking about you.

I agree that thank you notes for funerals shouldn't be considered necessary. You have enough to deal with.

Yeah I don't think anyone should be expected to write thank you notes for funerals.

So the little hummingbird I rescued didn't make it. The lady I spoke to said in the 4 years she's worked at the rehab place only 1 has made it. They are tiny and fragile. But I was able to give the little bird a few days of comfort.

Dean, I think might have a UTI. Which would explain some of the peeing. I can't get him into the vet's until June 2. Or, rather, the vet won't allow me drop him off and the only appointments available were middle of the day and it would mean leaving at noon and possibly having to take the whole afternoon off. I may try to find a vet in Burlington that will allow me to drop him off, even for a first visit.

Cass, all my brackets are belong to you. And yeah, forget those stupid cards.

askye, I saw that on fb. Poor wee birdie, you took good care of her. I hope you can get an appt for Dean pronto, that whole peeing on things thing is no fun. Unless you can arrange him peeing on Ginger's insurance conference.

I am bleeding a bit. My fault, I tried to sit in the chair below which Bella was occupying space. She didn't even screech, just clawed the shit out of me.

Today was a long and frustrating day. Or, to look at it positively, I got to problem-solve some interesting situations today! SMILEY FACE. So I'm eating a fried egg with bubble and squeak, which is quickly becoming a favorite comfort food.

Oh, I am so sorry, askye. But comfort is important. Especially if it was the last thing the poor little bird knew. There is some huge plant in bloom at my parents' house that feeds hummingbirds and they were all around. Loud wings.

I hope you can get Dean in soon. It'll be a relief for both of you.

smonster, I have a hip pain question for you. I don't remember what muscles are the big culprit for you, but do you think there's iliopsoas involvement? And do you stretch your iliopsoas?

I ask because I started doing a new-to-me iliopsoas stretch the other night (basically an extreme version of the kneeling iliopsoas stretch), and it seems to be helping my hips. The pain isn't gone, but it's better, especially when I wake up.

It's this stretch: [link] It's kind of brutal, but I'm serious, the first night I did it was Monday night, and I woke up Tuesday morning with much less pain and much more mobility.

Dean seems to have stopped peeing on things. But he was in the litter box and he seemed to be in there a while and didn't have much to show for it.

I get that they want the owners there during the visit. But the vet in Tallahassee was really good about understanding about how people have jobs and can't always take time to be there with their pet. Plus the fact that a lot of people around here work in Burlington, which takes me 40 minutes to get to work. You would think the vet could make some kind of arrangements. Or be flexible.

And then Penny is due for some shots and when I was talking to receptionist she made it sound like it might be July before I could get a Saturday appointment for Penny.