Fuck! More plaster just fell, and chunks are hanging down. No chunks better land on any of my animals, dammit.

More plaster just fell, and chunks are hanging down.

Shit- you calling J tomorrow? You're gonna want to get someone looking at that, possible issues with water in roof/ceiling. Ugh.

Oh, we're on it. Neighbor handyman came and looked at it today; he's going to replace with drywall, replace the whole bathroom ceiling with drywall (big new crack, no leak) and repoint the chimneys. I will send her a pic via email, so she knows it's fairly urgent.

Medical question. My left shoulder has been aching a bit for about a week or two now. Today, I'm noticing that if I press down a bit on it, just inside of the collar bone forward of the muscle, it rather enhances the pain in a strange way. Is that a strange Vulcan pressure point or something?

Probably a myofascial trigger point. Try massaging it a little bit -- but don't use as hard of pressure as it took to enhance the pain.

Oh yes, definitely; when I go away for a long time I have a petsitter who is really good, and also my neighbor will come over every couple days. But he wants me to be there. Which is endearing and sweet, but not actually very good for him. This time, I was only gone from Saturday morning to Sunday evening; I figured he'd just sleep through my absence. I can't see hiring a petsitter for just one day.

I will say that I have noticed that when I have someone come Every Single Day, Puppycat is much better. I mean, you can leave food and water and cats will survive but some don't realize that the world isn't ending and they aren't the only creature left alive.

I've tried having people come every couple of days and she was still a neurotic mess when I got home. Which, honestly, she can't read a calendar and doesn't actually understand when I tell her I will be home in a couple of days. So she freaks.

It's one data point, not science, but I am resigned to knowing that I am now always making sure that a known (to the cat) friend or pet sitter is there every fricking day. It's not as convenient but it's cheaper than a vet bill and she seems way calmer when I get home. As something to think about.

O_a, yeah, that's a trigger point. I think it's the attachment point for some cluster of muscles...gentle massage or maybe visit to masseuse/chiro if you do that.

Zen- feliway diffusers can be the best thing every. Spendy, but I notice a distinct difference in my cats' anxiety levels when the resevoirs run out (cat acting insane and needy and jumpy? time to put in a new feliway!) and it doesn't have any of the side effects of prozac.

Smonster- Ukrainian guy sounds like a definite prospect!

Well, from now on, for any trip longer than 24 hours I will get a petsitter to reassure Percy he hasn't been entirely abandoned. He's the calmest cat ever when I'm home. When I'm gone I suspect he just hides. I might try the Feliway, just to see what effect it has on all three of them. Science!

smonster, let me know when/if you want me to start calling you in the am again.

So hivemind, has anyone here dealt with a hoarder? For several years my sister's house has been in decline for the debris field. A couple years ago she let me clean her back porch since it was visible to the public. She has kept that clean. I haven't been all the way in her house this year, just far enough to grab a soda from the fridge and go to the bathroom. It is a horror. Every surface piled with stuff except for a narrow path. Her dishes were done, but no counter not piled with crap. Even her fridge didn't have a spare inch. She obviously doesn't use her bed since it and the bedroom floor and piled high. Just one spot on her loveseat where she sits is free. Her bathroom sink and floor piled with stuff except a path. She has a shepherd mix dog so corners are clogged with fur too.

It is very upsetting. My mother hasn't been in the house in years because it was our house and she cried for days the last time she saw it. Her grandson is 2 and lives a mile away. At some point he will want to go to Nana's house. I guess I need to ask her son and DIL if they have discussed it with her.

I just don't know how to approach her on it. I have been indirect in a number of ways with no luck. She is the oldest sibling and has always been the boss of us so that adds to the complex dynamic.

Not sure how I can help her. I can't really claim to have time to help because she knows better. But I would make the time!

Laura,

have you seen the tv show Hoarders? I do not know anyone personally who is a Hoarder, but the early eps of that show really opened my eyes. I can't watch any more eps now because it seems to me that most of the people on the tv show have a serious mental illness and I feel like the show wants us to "gawk at all the disturbing people!"

This is all to say that if your sister is a serious hoarder, I don't think a conversation is going to do it. I think she needs an intervention and professional, medical assistance.

And you are going to be frustrated.