Still Alive

For those who are wondering, no, I have not fallen off the face of the Earth.  I have, however, been suffering through the worst sinus infection I've ever had.  I didn't know sinuses could hurt this much, that one's whole face could swell when one has a sinus infection, or that I could love antibiotics as much as I do right now.  It's been 20 hours since I started antibiotics and I'm starting to feel a little more human.  But what a wretched way to waste a perfectly good long weekend.

The only one who's feeling worse than I am right now is Pippin, who just came back from the vet without the family jewels.  He's grouchy and disoriented and whiny.  Buddy, I sympathize.  I'm grouchy and disoriented and whiny too.

The vet told me to keep him quiet, and not let him jump up on things for 7 days.  I love instructions like that from the vet.  Have they never met a rambunctious 9 month old cat before?  He's currently walking around the attic circling my feet, YOWLING.  My God, clearly his lungs weren't affected by the surgery.

This little guy does not like to be enclosed anywhere, and has now twice trashed our downstairs bathroom when we've locked him in there before vet visits.  He knocked over the lamp, smashed the mirror, and pried up the floor vent so he could escape into the heating ducts.  No, really.  He weighs 9 lbs, and even I have trouble lifting up the floor vent.  Yet he managed, apparently effortlessly.  Extricating him from the heating ducts involved many tools and a massive duct deconstruction project in the basement, of course all at a furious pace since we were late for the vet when we discovered he'd escaped.  There's no leaving this fellow in a prison with a spoon - he'd tunnel out in a heartbeat.

I guess what with having been born and lived his whole life in the great outdoors, being confined makes Pip a titch edgy.

It could be a long 48 hours with this fellow locked in the attic.  I just resorted to catnip.  I'm not sure how long that will keep him entertained.

Until then, he and I shall hang out up here in the air conditioning, watching old episodes of Xena, Warrior Princess on the computer.  I'll blow my nose and cough, and he'll yowl and pace.  We make a great pair.