Pie and Politics

Is there ever a better time for discussing various socio-political situations as when one is eating pie? I certainly don't think so. Especially when one is accompanied by a fellow-pie lover with similar political views. This particular pastry purchaser (as she is wonderful and bought for me!) has increased my awareness, scope, and brain-span wildly and continously since the day we met over six years ago. I don't get to see her a lot which is a ridiculous shame. However, any time we get together is a good time; a smart time. And, of course, a delicious time.

The last few get-togethers have been at this wonderful spot in Kensington Market called Wanda's Pie in the Sky. If you live in the city and have not yet visited, you should.

Anyway, this most recent occurance of pie and conversation led into discussions (as it usually does) about gender politics, racism, institutional "isms", the hightened Uber-Individualism of our North American (Industrialized) culture, Canadian Apathy, the Tamil protests on University Ave and a great variety of personal stories (including china pattern shopping and "meet the parents"). Subsequently I have been invited to attend a five week course in social political feminist topics, full of ritual, yoga, medicine, and other professionals from myriad fields of study bringing together their experiences and perspectives on the world at large.

I am suffering stupid amounts of excitement over this. I'm bouncing and itching to get started.

Yesterday I also rode my 14 year old bicycle for the first time in many months. I've had this bike since I was 12 years old. It is my first and only multi-speed bike. It's fuschia, somewhat rusted-looking, out of date, and completely awesome. It's 12 year old girl sized, which is perfect for me both because it fits and because it really deters theft. No one else would fit on it but other 12 year old girls. And really, the rate of theft in 12 year old girl bikes is rather miniscule at last check.

I miss my bike when I'm not on it. Well, that's not fair. I miss having been on it once I'm back on it again. Cycling is so freeing; no ttc, no sidewalk etiquette, no boxy surroundings, no insurance! Just me and the wind (which admittedly sucks when it's against me, but I'm choosing to ignore this for now). I even bought a little bell last year to prevent being "doored." What I really want now is a basket for the back, into which I can place larger things, such as groceries or a heavy bag so my back doesn't get sweaty.

I almost got a new bike this year and was actually mildly disappointed that I didn't. However, when it was initially proposed to me that I might get a new one I panicked. What about the old one? I so love it; what would I do with it? It seems silly to have TWO bikes, considering you can only ride one at a time. I suppose I could have donated it, or given it to a kid who needs a bike. I'm so very attached to it (I know I know....) that I was more relieved than disappointed when I was told I have to use this one for at least another season.

One day it will break completely and I will be left with no recourse but to get a new bike. Until then, this one makes me happy and is perfect for me.

Kitties

Thank you to everyone who expressed concern for Kumari.

We brought her to the vet as scheduled on Monday morning. The receptionist couldn't seem to find the appointment slot, but the time had been kept open so they took her anyway. The technician spoke with us briefly, explaining that there were no notes in Kumari's file so she wasn't precisely sure what she was taking rads of... she said she was going to take the usual two once I told her about what has been going on with her. They took her into the back and said they'd call us in the afternoon.

I got a call back from the doctor herself, saying that there were definitely some "formations" in Kumari's bladder, but they weren't too large and, depending on the type, may be broken up through a special diet or removed surgically. She wanted a urine sample to determine the type, so they were holding on to her a bit longer. We should call at 4pm.

That we did. And we were told that she hadn't peed yet. Now, I know my cat. She hadn't peed at 9am when we left, and she still hadn't peed by 4... this cat was NOT going to pee without a fight. They ended up keeping her over night to get the sample (and I HATE sleeping without my cat). When we called at 10am Tuesday, they told us they STILL hadn't gotten a sample; we could probably come get her at 1pm.

When we arrived, we were greeted with a hefty bill and a giant bag of cat food. While the bill was a bit of a choker (but not nearly as bad as a friend's quote for treating her sick rat... yikes), the food was a sigh of relief; it's the diet crystals (tri-phosphate). We spoke with the vet, who confirmed that yes, they are probably (probably?) the phosphate crystals, but there was no way to tell for sure (then why the dire need for a pee sample?). She is to eat NOTHING but this food for the next four weeks; no Wellness food, no Spot's Stew, no TREATS of any kind. She has to go back in four weeks for more x-rays. If they're gone, she stays on the food for two more weeks then it's back to normal. If they're still there, they're calcium and she needs surgery. Then they brought out Kumari and we took her home.

Of course, I checked with the doc about Sophie, the other cat who REALLY likes to eat. It's totally fine for her to eat this food as well, which is really the only way it would work seeing as Kumari can't have anything else. Through all this, Sophie has been a good trouper. She's been cuddly to Kumari, doesn't mind pee on the mat or in the tub, didn't complain about the sudden appearance of blood. When we took her away for the day two weeks ago for the initial urinalysis, she was unimpressed with me and SO excited when she got home. When Kumari was gone overnight, Sophie didn't come to bed, but kept vigil in the cat tree. Once Kumari got home, Sophie bathed her with cat kisses and much pouncing and exitement ensued.

And then we busted out the new food.

Kumari LOVES this food. I don't know if it tastes good to her (as it is actually just higher in sodium so it makes her thirsty and therefore need to drink more to bust up the crystals... and Kumari LOVES salt. For any homeopathy friends out there reading this, she's a total Nat-Mur), or if she is just smart and likes things that are good for her, but she's ALL over this stuff.

Sophie is pissed. And I don't mean regular cat "I'm gonna complain until you fix this problem" pissed, but riotously, spoiled child pissed. She whined. She complained. She howled. Then she started climbing on surfaces she knows she's not to be on. Then she yowled. Then she opened the kitchen cupboards and began snuggling the food bags. Repeatedly. While yowling. She started batting at the cupboard doors, bumping them loudly until she would get our attention. She paced around the house, complaining the entire time. She jumped on Jim's keyboard while he was working. Several times. He eventually locked her out of the office, and I was left with repeated cupboard banging. Finally, I got annoyed and tied the cupboards shut together with a long piece of bright orange yarn. Sophie then spent a hillarious 40 minutes attemting to wedge herself through the tiny opening to get into the food bags. It was youtube material, watching this chubby cat trying to fit through a space that barely fit her nose.

In the end, I busted out some "prescription" wet food, which both of them ate happily. Sophie still refused to come to bed and slept in the cat tree all night. She's not quite over it this morning. We've got four weeks of this to get through. I'm looking at this as a weight-loss opportunity for Sophie, as it really is out of control. We had her tested for diabetes a while back, which came up negative. She's not sick; just tubby. And for no reason I can divine. Her diet seemed good, although now I wonder about it... she's still fat, and the other got crystals.... maybe Wellness food (the bag with the sunshine on it) isn't as good as we think it is. They don't get a lot of treats, they're fairly active...

Anyway, this is as good a time as any for her to start eating a bit less (if only because she finds the food gross). I think once per week we might let her have some "special food" alone in the bathroom as a treat. She's normally a very good cat, and her behavior during Kumari's illness has been stellar outside of yesterday's freak out. She's just a fat cat who likes her foods. It's hard to fight with that.

Kumari

My kitty is ill.
When Jim and I moved nearly three weeks ago, we noticed bright red blood in the bathtub. I initially panicked and started looking for sources. Both cats enjoy spending time in the empty tub, drinking water from the slightly drippy tap or rolling in the condensation leftover from previous showers. Upon closer investigation I found a stick-pin near the drain of the tub. I assumed someone had stepped on it, bled initially, then quickly got better being as there was only one slightly bloody paw print on the side of the tub, and a half print on the floor. Later that same day, it happened again, but this time there was a small amount of bright yellow urine around it. I wondered briefly, but assumed the injury had reopened slightly when Kumari hopped into the tub to pee (as she is the only one who pees outside the box EVER). We had narrowed down the source. Same day, but somewhat later, I discovered bloody urine on the litter mat. Consequently, I freaked out. I called the vet and made an appointment for the next morning.
I brought her in, met the vet, explained the situation. He was extremely unconcerned about it, insisting that it was probably "stress cystitis," but he would keep her for the day to get a urine sample, then call me in the morning with the test results. I told him that I study and practice homeopathic medicine and would prefer to treat her homeopathically. He gave me a disgusted and slightly horrified look and said, "I don't know what that is, I don't know what that means, I don't know what you're going to give her, you can't do that." Thus when he called the next evening (yup, evening, not morning) and told me she had "slightly elevated WBC in the urine and a few crystals" I felt compelled and obligated to fork over the money for a fourteen day course of antibiotics.
She hated the pills. I hated the pills. She had diarrhea for days and continued to pee blood with at least every alternate visit to the mat or tub (she no longer pees in the box, but continues to crap there thank god). Her two week course was up two days ago and she still pees blood (no more diarrhea though. That was ALL antibiotic). I've given her a few homeopathic remedies, one of which seems to maybe be working, as the amount of blood has decreased since yesterday (when I started her on Cantharis 12c). However, she has spent most of yesterday and today in the bedroom closet. She is generally a very social cuddly cat who loves company, her cat tree and her sister, Sophie.
I hope that her recent reticence is because she is healing, but I cannot but worry. Jim called the vet earlier today, but is waiting for a response from the doctor. Her ears and feet are of average temperature, so she has no fever and doesn't seem to be fighting an infection (unless she's doing this by hiding?).
I'm unbelievably glad that I got called off from work tonight. I need to go home and snuggle her until she's well.

Beautiful Weather

I'm sure many Torontonians out there are writing all over the interweb about his gorgeous day we are having, and I've never been one to sidestep a bandwagon...

Who am I kidding; I've never been on a bandwagon in my life.

It is, however, the most lovely of days we have seen yet this year, clearly since the past few months were January, February and March. I've been sleeping in patches of sunshine, walking to and from the farthest grocery stores laden with fruits and vegetables (local greenhouse grown is available now!). I've even been presented with new working opportunities to start bringing home some extra (but more different) green.

My feet are dirty. But they're bare.

I'm stuck inside tonight instead of out on a patio, or even on my own balcony drinking something with bubbles and enjoying the weather (one of those aforementioned green opportunities). Even though the building is over-air-conditioned I feel warm. I am afflicted with psychological sunshine.

Today I saw a friend to a departure. I hadn't seen him in over a year and was unfortunately not available but for this brief period to see him off to his sister's show. I journeyed home to freshly roasted coffee with my fabulous friend and spent the afternoon lounging in the sun, buying juice, and collecting homeopathic remedies for the cat.

Tonight I sleep away from home and tomorrow it's back to school for a long weekend of studying, working, and dancing.

I want everything to be this beautiful.

Guest List and Presents

I can hardly believe I've made a wedding spreadsheet. I got the idea from a book, and my Virgotic mind went *ping*.... how come I didn't think of it?? So now I have a shared document with my sister and wedding planner consisting of the guest list (which is not quite finished yet); their names, their replies, their choices of entree, and even a space to record their gift if it is applicable (as we simply aren't registered, and if you're not registered then you can't expect people to go on a wing and a prayer, right?.... Right?)

On the subject of presents I really don't know what to do here. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy presents and appreciate the thought and gesture behind them. However, I can never think of anything I really WANT, or at least anything that would be appropriate. Things that I need are not what one usually asks for in this type of situation, and are too expensive to expect anyone to actually consider (IE: the $5000 homeopathic program that will be useful in my practise... not really a wedding gift. And it's $5000). I spent most of last week looking at china patterns (much to my dismay, although the actual experience with Grandma and Mom was pretty fun), visited this crazy place in my hometown run by the world's crankiest woman with discontinued patterns... it's been a bit surreal. So surreal, in fact, that I've been rendered unable to make any decisions at all and so have not registered for anything. Ever. Likely we will end up registering somewhere, even if it is with an independent local artisan who can be comissioned to make all of our fine "china" as one of a kind art pieces.

I'm told I have to register. I'm told that I'm supposed to treat this event as a sort of "gift grab." I'm told it's expected, customary even, to demand presents from everyone I know. I really hope that the people who know me realize that it isn't me doing most of this. Information being passed down family vines does not necessarily come from this root. Somehow, this vine developed many branches, and they really like to rustle their leaves. I feel at this point it may be time to make an official statement about this, so here goes:

I like presents. But not nearly as much as I love seeing you.
I need for nothing, I want for little.
If inside you there is a great desire, or nagging etiquette guilt that insist that you must gift a bride, I welcome your contribution.
There is no obligation but to arrive, smile, and celebrate.

And now...

I would like to begin today's blog entry with a great big "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" to my friend Jessica who rocks the most and deserves all the happiness that can be mustered.

I spent the past week at my mother's house and have, along with my grandmother, spent an inordinate amount of time looking at bone china, fine silverware, fluffy towels, bed linens, and crystal goblets. I am now the proud owner of an actual china cabinet, two sets of flatware, exciting new pots and pans, and am in the process of selecting a pattern. I am, officially, in full fledged bride mode.

I'm not sure how I feel about that.

I've actually managed to get quite a bit done (which is good considering we're just over 5 months away from the actual service). We have a place, a menu, a cake, a time-frame, a dress, a guest book, a wedding party, materials for centre-pieces and the materials to create invitations.

We still need:
A finalized guest list.
A headpiece for me.
A suit/tuxedo for Jim and his party.
Dresses for my party (but they get to pick their own within the colour scheme... shopping trip!!)
Music and a DJ.
Flowers/arrangements (sunflowers, orange gerbera daisies and redwood).
A registry.
An appointment with our proposed minister.
Legal paperwork (although this cannot be obtained until July anyway).

I finished reading Offbeat Bride and found it supremely helpful and enjoyable. I'm off to make a spreadsheet for RSVPs, cuz I hear that's helpful.

Tomorrow Jim and I are heading to his mother's for Easter after having SUNDAY BREAKFAST with our friend Lisa (my unofficial, unpaid, but greatly appreciated wedding planner). I expect to have invitations mailed before the end of this month, hell or high water.

Whatever happened to a pagan handfasting in the woods? Can I do that illegally before the actual wedding? Will anyone come to that? Please?

XO