#and if you think putting that old dog through surgery and have it benefit her well then I have nothing to say

[moonlight-fawn]

Can’t wait to live in a house where I’m not getting constantly yelled at !

[twodogsoneguy]

I went to bed around one am today. Athena woke me up again around two, vomiting. I called the vet hospital to ask them about it, and about when she’d had her last antiemetic. They said that her last shot had been Saturday (lol) after admission and that it was very normal for her to have vomited bc of how long it had been. She should’ve had another pill at three yesterday afternoon so twelve hours later it makes sense that she’d puke. Puking is a part of renal failure; I don’t know exactly why but it’s one of the things taken into consideration about when euthanasia will be the correct course of action. If the dog is vomiting frequently and cannot keep down fluids and food, quality of life has decreased enough that euthanasia is probably the correct choice, however if controlled with medications you can kinda wait.

I’m trying to wait until this weekend for her euthanasia, though I don’t know if I’ll be that lucky. My mother is having surgery tomorrow, and will be in the hospital until Friday. Athena has been such a blessing to her as well, and I would love for her to be able to share in her euthanasia, however both of us have agreed that Athena’s comfort and quality of life comes first and if she declines majorly before my mom can come home we will go ahead with the euth at the best possible time.

I guess I wanna take the time on this post and talk about at home euthanasia. There’s not always a service for this, though sometimes vets will travel to your home regardless of whether they participate in a service or not. At home euthanasia is more difficult during the pandemic, though my local service is still providing this option.

There are several benefits to at home euths. First, your pet will be in a place that they are already comfortable with, and you can usually pick a spot where they will be the most at peace while they pass. It saves you the trouble and heartache of traveling to a clinic and the logistics of getting your pet transported because there are no ambulances for animals. Performing it in your own home is often easier on you as well. Another benefit not often talked about is that if you have other pets in your home, they can either witness the passing or be allowed after your pet has passed to investigate the body and understand what happened. There is also often more dignity and compassion in home euthanasia, your pet will pass without having to go through an intake at a clinic or veterinary hospital and you can have them when it’s best for you, rather than on a clinics schedule or as a last minute emergency. The service that will be taking care of Athena also provides resources for grief and mourning your pet, as well as suggestions of local resources should you need them. In addition to all of these things, like with any euthanasia there are many options for your pets aftercare, from home burial to cremation and urns and mementos that memorializes your pet.

I have personal experience with at home euthanasia already; it was how we helped my parents dog over the rainbow bridge last year. She was very old, around seventeen if the estimate of the shelter was correct, and her mobility had decreased to the point where she had very low quality of life. She had a very peaceful passing in our living room, surrounded by her family and after having lots of yummy treats. Afterwards, we were able to allow both Athena and Harley time to see her and understand what had happened to the matriarch of their little pack. It was so beneficial to both of them, while we did see grief symptoms in them, they seemed to fair better in terms of anxiety and confusion and moved on in a more relaxed way. We opted for her to be cremated alone so that only her ashes would be in the container we received. We also had them do clay imprints of her paws, which are a sweet keepsake to remember her by. We opted to not get a fancy urn for her, given that at some point I hope to bury her on my own land. There’s is something to be said for being able to watch your loved one die in the comfort of your home; I’ve also done euthanasia at a hospital and while they did everything they could to make the dog comfortable and the process as easy as possible, it hurt a lot more because it was a strange environment and you could tell she was stressed because of that in addition to her condition.

With Athena I plan to do similar things as we did with my parents dog, I will have her cremated alone and get paw prints done. I also am going to try and get an ink imprint of her paw so that I can have a memorial tattoo done when time and conditions permit. Her euth will be slightly different due to covid, we will have to practice social distancing and rather than being in our living room we will have the procedure done in the backyard per health standards in our state. I think it’s fitting though, to have her pass in her favorite portion of the “house”. She has spent countless hours in the backyard, watching the birds and the squirrels and bunnies, soaking up the sun in the summer and rolling in the snow in the winter time. I’m going to try and plan for an evening time, because the light is perfect around that time this time of the year and I want it to be as nice as possible. It’s hard to talk about these things, but I think it’s important that we start to destigmatize the conversations we have around death, dying, and euthanasia in our pets because so many people don’t know about their options and how they can help their companion pass with dignity and grace.

I will try to post more updates as we go along, though I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep up or if I’ll be in a place where I can put my emotions into words. I’ve come to terms with the fact that Athena is dying and that there really is nothing we can do except keep her comfortable until it’s her time. Renal dysplasia is a killing disease because the kidneys are malformed from birth, though you can’t always tell. These dogs never have good values in their lives, though they often tolerate the condition for a year or two before becoming very symptomatic. The fact that Athena is 2yr 7mo is a miracle, most renal dysplasia dogs have onset of symptoms much earlier and pass at around 18mo. I am so grateful for the time we have had together, and that I will be able to keep her comfortable up until the time becomes right to help her pass on. I going to miss her so much though.

[badacts]

Dick and Jason Dick and Jason Dick and Jason Dick and Jason Dick and Jason Dick and Ja

this is pretty ridiculous, but so are dick and jason, so

also the premise of this is admittedly a little grim, but also it’s the two-dudes-and-a-baby trope ft. dick grayson: no idea about babies

Shooter versus pre-Christmas shoppers in an East Side mall. Civilian only, no masks. It’s a bloodbath, and Dick’s only here in time for the cleanup.

“O,” he says on the way down to ground level, “Send whoever’s free and whatever supplies they’ve got. I’m going to start triaging.”

The part of being a bat that goes without saying is that they’re also, when required, first responders. It’s not the first time he’s ever worked alongside GCPD during a mass casualty, and it won’t be the last.

It’s also the part of the job that gets the closest to turning his stomach. The screaming and the crying and the systematic first identifications of who needs help and who they’re too late for - it’s awful.

He gets to work anyway. 

The paramedics from the first ambulance on the scene take charge, arranging the transport of the worst-off victims and coordinating the further arrivals. Dick does as he’s ordered and works on stabilising some of the seriously wounded, working to keep them from going critical. He goes through his supply of wound dressings quick, nodding his thanks when an EMT shoves another pile onto him on her way past.

He’s not the only mask out: it’s a busy night in Gotham, but he catches sight of Batgirl across the roiling crowd as well as the shadow of Cass’s silhouette against the rolling blue-red-blue lights. The flash of a more vivid red in the corner of his eye makes him think, Red Robin, but it’s not the right colour, and definitely not the right shape for Tim. Jason, the sleeves of his jacket rolled up over his forearms and wearing latex gloves, is putting a pressure bandage on a teenager’s upper arm.

“Hi, Nightwing,” an unfamiliar voice says in a familiar I’m-here-to-take-over tone. “Hi ma’am. You’re up for a ride in the next taxi.”

His patient is most of the way unconscious, but she blinks at this in vague acknowledgment. She’s avoided a bullet, but broken her leg badly enough in the crush of the fleeing crowd to show bone. 

“There’s the leg, and I suspect some kind of crush injury to the abdomen,” Dick supplies, moving to make room for the stretcher. “I think she got trampled. Not very responsive either.”

“Any drugs on board?” The EMT asks, hands moving deftly.

“I don’t carry any.” And if he did, he would have used it all up about five victims ago.

“That explains a lot about you,” the EMT says. "We’ve got another two buses here to take the last of the seriously injured over to General, and backup from the GCPD. If you want to move onto patching the walking wounded, go ahead. Anyone who’s good with some disinfectant and a bandaid can head over to talk with the cops.”

Dick nods and gives the woman a last squeeze to her forearm before he clears out of the way. The walking wounded are congregated on the other side of the street, but he doesn’t go in that direction - his priority is still helping, but it’s amazing how even injured people get curious when faced by a Gotham vigilante in the flesh. That’s really not the way he wants to have his identity outed.

Instead, he heads over to Jason’s side where he’s handing off his own patient for transport, their thigh strapped tight with pressure dressings. Jason, standing and snapping his gloves off, says, “Old man.”

“Hood,” Dick says, but he’s thinking Little Wing because he always is when it’s the two of them. They’re drawing looks now even in the dim streetlights - probably Jason, all six-two of him topped with that stupid shiny helmet. “You sticking around?”

“If I -” Jason says, and then breaks off. At the same time as Jason’s head tilts, Dick hears it: a quiet crying, just barely audible in the din.

Dick’s ears are good, but Jason has to have the advantage of auditory enhancement in his hood because he zones in on the noise like a hunting dog. “I think that’s-”

There’s an alley with an access door at the end of it illuminated with a shitty fluorescent branching off the street. It’s otherwise dark as any other Gotham alley, crowded with dumpsters. It takes Dick a moment to pick the odd thing out - a crumpled figure hidden amidst the trash cans.

He makes it to their side first, finding a glaze-eyed young woman clasping something to her chest. The cognitive dissonance of her silence and the now-louder crying catches him out, but Jason catches on quick.

“-a baby,” he finishes, taking a knee on the woman’s other side. He moves as though to slip the bundle from her arms, but her arms tighten even as she hisses in reaction.

“It’s okay,” Dick says to her, “We’re here to help you both. What’s your name?”

She seems to come around a little, eyes flicking between the two of them. She stays quiet for a long moment, and then rasps, “Uh, Mira. You’re Nightwing.”

“Hi, Mira,” Dick says. “Are you hurt?”

“Oh, uh, my shoulder,” she says, and then her eyelids flutter like she’s about to pass out. Dick takes her pulse from her throat and finds it comfortingly strong.

“And your baby?” Dick asks. The bundle certainly sounds lively enough at this distance, but that doesn’t mean they’re not hurt.

“She’s okay,” Mira says, like she’s reassuring herself. “She’s okay. Can you?” 

Which is how Dick finds himself accepting an armful of bawling baby from a wincing, bleeding woman in an alley. “Oh. Okay. Sure.”

Meanwhile, Jason focusses on peeling Mira’s jacket away to reveal a nasty gunshot to the shoulder, high enough that it’s probably mostly missed her right lung but low enough to avoid rebounding off her scapula and bouncing around in her chest cavity. Non-vital, but bleeding badly. 

Mira watches Jason take out a patch dressing and seal it over the wound. She puffs, “I thought…you were…a bad guy.”

“I’m flexible,” Jason replies distractedly, taking out a roll of gauze and wrapping it tight around the shoulder for good measure. “You’re lucky. Little surgery, little hospital stay, you’ll be right as rain.”

That’s no guarantee - she could have more serious injuries than it seems, could get a secondary infection, could drop dead of a thousand different complications or unfair turns of fate in the next hour. However, Dick knows Jason isn’t the type to lie to anyone for comfort. If he’s saying it, he believes it.

Mira’s eyes bulge. “I can’t go…to hospital!”

“Sugar, the one benefit of living in Gotham is the rich folks like to pay hospital bills to assuage their guilt or whatever. Take advantage of that,” Jason advises, and then says to Dick, “Move.”

Dick steps to the side automatically, still holding his squealing burden. “What?”

“No, move. Babies like to move.”

“Oh.” Stiff-armed and feeling like the clumsiest man on earth, Dick sort of…sways. “Like this?”

“Oh my days, Nightwing,” Jason says, in the precise tone he’d usually say ‘Jesus fuckin’ Christ, Dick’. Apparently, he doesn’t deem that language appropriate for the baby. Or maybe Mira.

“I can’t,” Mira interrupts, “I can’t go. They - They’ll take her.”

Jason stiffens a touch in his crouch. Dick says, “Who?”

“The cops,” Mira gasps. “The - CPS. They’ll take her. I won’t get her back.” Her teeth are chattering - shock. 

“You got hurt,” Dick says, attempting a bounce on his toes. He feels a bit like he’s holding a small angry tiger. “This is Gotham. That happens.”

“No, you,” she says, and then closes her eyes and shakes.

Jason reaches across her body and takes her arm. For a moment Dick is dumbstruck, thinking he’s about to watch his little brother comfort someone who isn’t under the age of 15 or his family, but Jason is just turning her arm over to the light. The crook of her elbow is scarred up with pink-white marks.

Mira opens her eyes and stares up at Jason. For a long moment they’re caught in a tableau, her dead-eyed and patient, him silent and judgmental as an old saint.

Voice low, Jason asks, “You using?”

She shakes her head slowly, not breaking her gaze. “Not - not since before her.”

Dick says, more to Jason than her, “That won’t matter. At worst, the baby will spend a few days in respite-”

“Shut up,” Jason replies, and then says to Mira, “If you don’t go to hospital, you’re going to lose her anyway. Except it’ll be because you’re dead.”

“You think I…don’t know that?” she hisses back. “I don’t got family. Her dad’s a deadbeat. It’s just me and her.” The phrase I can’t lose her hovers, unspoken but clear as day in the set of her jaw.

Jason stands. Dick isn’t sure what he’s expecting, but it’s certainly not for Jay to walk to him and lift the baby out of his arms. He holds her the other way around from Dick, head to his shoulder and legs towards his belt, hand cupped careful over the back of her skull. He looks not only more capable than Dick with her, but more capable than anyone Dick knows.

“You got kids?” Mira rasps at him.

Jason laughs. “Christ no.” In his arms, the baby is quieting down, snuffling instead of screaming. She’s a red-faced scrap of humanity, no more than a few months old as far as Dick can tell. Sweet, in any other circumstance.

“Are you nursing or bottle-feeding?” Jason asks without looking up from her.

Dick makes a noise like a squeaky toy that’s been stepped. Thankfully neither of the others seem to notice. Mira says, “Bottle. I don’t - I don’t got the meat on my bones to feed her, I reckon.”

“I’ll do you a deal, then,” Jason says, and he reaches to the back of his neck and flicks the release on his helmet. It hisses slightly as he pops it off, leaving the domino on but exposing the clean human lines of his face. The move turns him from one of Crime Alley’s most fearsome denizens into a young man with truly terrible helmet hair. “You go to the hospital and let them fix you up. I’ve got a friend who fosters who’ll look after her until you get out, no questions asked.”

Mira stares at him for a long moment, and then carefully - and inadvisably - levers herself off of the asphalt to her feet. Then she says, “You do it.”

Jason’s face creases. “What? No. Definitely not.”

“You’re good with her,” Mira says. 

“I ain’t a babysitter.” It’s only partly belied by the ease with which he’s handling the baby.

“I don’t know your friend. I know you.”

“No.” Red Hood is Gotham’s third most stubborn person, behind their younger brothers. That’s infused in the single syllable. 

Mira sways, swallows. “Please.”

Jason looks at her for a long moment. Dick can’t really make out his expression under the domino, but doesn’t need to in order to know that it’s Jay’s particular brand of piercing consideration. Dick used to think he’d learned it from Bruce, but now that they’re both older he’s inclined to think it predates the Bat.

Then Jason sighs, and very obviously rolls his eyes. “Jesus, fine. On your freakin’ head be it, though.”

Mira’s eyes close as she lets out a relieved sigh. The swaying is more obvious now. Dick wraps an arm around her waist the split-second before her knees give out, swinging her up into his arms.

“I should give you my number,” Mira says into Dick’s collarbone. 

“You think I can’t find you?” Jason replies, disparaging. “I’m the Red Hood.”

“Let’s get her a ride out of here,” Dick suggests, before it can devolve further. Mira’s outlook is getting bleaker by the minute - they don’t really have time for her to change her mind now, and he knows if she does Jason will happily continue talking in circles until she makes a decision. 

The scene in the street is much the same, even though it feels like they’ve been in the alley for a thousand years. Dick takes her to one of the ambulances parked up on the corner, sending people scattering out of his way. 

“Her name’s Rachel,” Mira says faintly. “You’ll help him, right?”

“Sure,” Dick replies, and then to the waiting EMT as he deposits Mira straight onto her gurney, “Got another one for you. Gunshot to the shoulder.”

“Got it,” comes the brisk reply. Dick hovers for a second when he should be getting out of here, caught in the grip of uncertainty.

The subject of that uncertainty is currently being zipped into the front of Jason’s body armour. “Good thing she’s so little. Toddler would be a tight fit.” 

“Yeah, it’s great,” Dick mutters, noting the careful arm Jason curls around his chest to keep her steady. He’s got his helmet back on, at least. “Go.”

“Going,” Jason says, and melts away into the crowd like a guy his size definitely should not be able to do.

“Did he have a baby?” The EMT asks tentatively.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Dick replies.

*

Dick catches up with Jason a couple of rooflines over. He’s not exactly moving as fast as he usually does. “Where’s your helmet?”

“Stashed it,” Jason replies easily. “It’s like a target. That isn’t the look I’m going for right now.”

Huh. Dick says, “Let’s take her to GCPD.”

Jason looks at him like he’s lost his mind. “What?”

“Social workers? People who know about babies? This ringing any bells?”

“Dick, I just promised not to do that.”

Dick sputters. “I didn’t think you were serious!”

“As death,” Jason replies, and smirks when Dick frowns at him. “Besides, didn’t you used to be a cop? They didn’t teach you anything about little kids?”

“Cops don’t arrest babies.” He can sense Jason’s judgment. “I only dealt with the ones old enough to talk.”

“Right,” Jason snickers, as though Dick’s somehow the weird one here. “C’mon. I’ve got somewhere.”

“I’m not coming with you.” Dick has better things to do. Also, he doesn’t want to. Jason might make him hold the baby again.

“You promised to help.”

“I didn’t pinky swear,” Dick grumbles, but he follows along anyway. After a couple of minutes of quiet he adds, “The care workers - they’re good people.”

“Lots of ‘em, sure,” Jason agrees. “I’d still have slept on cardboard in a back alley ten times over if it meant keeping myself out of the system, though.”

Dick doesn’t have much to say to that. His unfortunate childhood aside, he had his parents, and then he had Bruce, and then he was a legal adult. He never faced the threat of state care, or homelessness.

They touch down on the fire escape of an apartment building that Dick recognises but hasn’t been into. Jason one-handedly disarms what looks like a taser trap and then lets them in through the window, folding himself gingerly to get inside without squashing his cargo.

She lets out a little cry as Jason sheds his jacket and takes her out, little fists bunched and pulled tight to her chest. Jason says, “She’s cold. Grab the blanket off my bed.”

“Do you speak baby?” Dick asks, perturbed by the thought. 

Jason dumps off his domino, probably to give Dick the full force of his eyeroll. “Blanket, big bird.”

The blanket in question is a pretty quilt in shades of indigo, splayed across the unmade bed. Dick picks it up and brings it back out to the lounge, offering it to Jason.

“Good,” Jason says, wrapping her in it. “Sit down.”

“Huh?” Dick asks, though he does it anyway. The next thing he knows, the bundled grizzling baby is in his lap. “No!”

“Yes,” Jason growls, like he’ll pin Dick to the couch if necessary. “I need to make her some food. You just sit there and hold her up until I’m done.”

“Can’t she just lie on the couch?” Dick asks. She’s even smaller pillowed on his thighs, not much longer than a foot by the looks. 

“No.” Jason’s already in the kitchen, his voice half lost over clattering.

“Fine,” Dick says, more to the baby - Rachel - than to Jason. “Do you really keep baby food around?”

“Just formula and bottles,” Jason replies. “And some diapers.”

“Just in case you find a lost baby?”

“No. Because sometimes people need that shit, and they’re more likely to take it from the back of my pantry than if I offer to buy it for them.” More rustling. “Also, my neighbour’s a single mom. Sometimes I watch her kids.”

“Who’s your friend? The one who fosters?”

“Mind your own business, Grayson. I’ve just got to sterilise this bottle.”

Dick has a sudden mental image of Jason firing up an autoclave in the kitchen. He looks down at Rachel, who’s looking back at him. She has her fingers in her mouth. “How long do you think Mira will be in hospital?” 

“A few days, at least.”

“You’re going to look after this kid for days?”

Jason laughs. “Jesus, Dick, it’s not like it’s hard. She’s little. All they do is eat and sleep and make dirty diapers at this age.“

Now Dick’s imagining Red Hood patrolling with Rachel in one of those baby backpacks. Maybe one made of kevlar, though. “What about work?”

“A few days off never killed anyone,” Jason replies. “I’ll catch up on my shows.”

“His shows,” Dick mutters to Rachel. “Hey, you can’t eat yourself. Stop that.” He gently pulls her fingers away from her mouth, wincing a little at the slimy texture. Rachel, unperturbed, tries to put Dick’s finger in her mouth instead. Her eyes are huge and very blue, her hair fair and tufty where the blanket has ruffled it up.

“Here,” Jason says, waving a bottle in front of Dick’s nose. “She might want it warm, but try this first.”

“Oh, I can’t-” Dick manages to get out before Jason literally pushes the bottle into his baby-drool hand. “I don’t know what I’m doing!”

“She does, though,” Jason points out. “Relax, Dickie. Here.”

He twists Dick’s arm until the bottle is inverted and in the range of Rachel’s mouth. Dick notices that her concentration has shifted onto the bottle, her little mouth open like a baby bird. “Keep it tilted up so she doesn’t suck in too much air.”

She latches on and sucks. Dick, surprised, says, “Holy shit, look at that.”

Jason chuckles. “You got it. Now just let her do the work.”

Dick watches her guzzle the bottle. “She’s kinda cute. You know, when she’s not screaming.”

“Oh, yeah. You’re now enjoying one of the two tolerable parts of a baby at this age - eating and sleeping. The only times when they’re not crying.”

“You can’t find it that intolerable.” After all, no one’s making Jason babysit enough that he’s clearly more than just competent. 

“I got depths,” Jason replies with a shrug, as though Dick didn’t realise that. “Bottle up, pal. Seriously, you haven’t heard screaming until your neighbour wakes you up at 3AM to take a turn with a colicky baby.”

“Remind me to never, ever have kids,” Dick mutters. In his lap, Rachel has already almost drained the bottle. She’s slowed right down, her eyes nearly rolling in her head as she struggles to keep them open. “I think she’s tired.”

“Good. Now, put her up on your shoulder and rub her back a little.”

“Really?” Dick asks, awkwardly maneuvering her up his chest. She stretches a little when he makes circles on her teeny back. “Wait, isn’t this the part when babies-”

Rachel hiccups a little, and Dick feels a trace of wetness along the seam of his uniform around his neck. He sighs.

“Well,” Jason says, biting back a laugh. “Here, let me.” He lifts her away, easy as pie. “I’ll deal with the diaper situation. You get a clean shirt.”

“You’re too kind,” Dick says, and actually means it, “But you should know that I’m going to get you for that later.”

[dansnaturepictures]

Our Ruby 29/11/2010-16/04/2020: My tribute 

I will start by explaining what has happened as I did on Twitter and Facebook earlier. I am sad to write that today we have had to say goodbye to our dog Ruby. Her near four and a half year battle with lymphoma has come to an end after tumor growths on her lungs made it near impossible for her to breath. She pawed (giving me her paw as she always liked to do) and kissed me as I said goodbye this morning. Today and always I shall remember Ruby as the most courageous, life loving, eccentric, cheeky, cute, happy, loyal, greedy, noisy, caring, protective, seemingly invincible dog I have known over nearly a decade. She was never just a pet, but always a member of our family. She showed amazing strength to fight this cruel illness over the years and carry on with life being as happy as ever and eager as ever to enjoy life whilst undergoing chemotherapy. 

In this post I want to examine my journey with Ruby and why she meant so much to me and in this photoset are 10 of my favourite pictures I ever took of her as one of my favourite photography subjects are our dogs but especially Ruby was so photogenic. The first eight pictures in this photoset are of her; in the garden in 2013′s snow, at Lakeside, at Rockford Common in the New Forest, at Hayling Island with her mother Missy, jumping into water at Deadman Hill in the New Forest in 2015 my favourite picture to take of her she loved jumping into water and I loved trying to capture her doing it on our walks with my moving subjects setting on my camera and one of her at nearby Godshill later that year, Andrew’s Mare in the New Forest in 2016 and Cape Cornwall last year as she scavenged for food on our holiday as we ate lunch that day. The ninth and tenth picture in this photoset is an early one of her as a puppy with the seven others at home that we bred from her mother Missy in 2010 and what turned out to be my last photo taken with my camera of her at Hayling Island in March. A photo that will be treasured forever like every other I ever took of her. 

So I can’t help thinking back to the early days as I have known her all her life unlike any other dog we’ve had as we did breed her from Missy who we’ve had since early 2009 as a puppy. At that stage I loved Missy but I guess I was at school I didn’t really have the connection with her that my Mum had and I reached a stage I wanted another dog and dreamed of one that I could really build a relationship with. But when it came to the fact we had eight puppies there I was quite indifferent as to which one we ourselves kept it was always our intention we would keep one and sell the rest. But it soon became obvious we’d keep Ruby as everyone who came to visit the puppies with the view of buying one loved Ruby because of her unique colour scheme for a sprocker spaniel and how beautiful she was and we felt that too. So we were keeping her. 

Originally I nearly sided with my Mum on her name though as she wanted to call her Brooke - a name that’s quite in now I guess - after our beloved Pembrokeshire that we’d visited twice for Skomer Island and the Puffins when Ruby was born in late 2010. But I actually changed my allegiance and rarely at that stage I suppose sided with my sister who wanted to call her Ruby as there was a young female character in one of my favourite television programmes ‘Home and Away’ called Ruby who I was quite fond of at that time shall we say. So there it was, Ruby was named and weirdly I began to remember when I dreamed of a second dog or having two spaniels myself when I was older I somehow imagined one being called Ruby. 

She was not without her characteristic mischief in the early days I will never forget the infamous for us moment when her and Humphrey the last of the other puppies to be homed got hold of my Maths homework and tore it up. Quite literally the classic excuse and an early fond memory of Ruby. Sadly her brother Humphrey himself also died after a lymphoma battle a few years ago his owner got back in touch with us. 

From 2011-2015 as Ruby grew up she became the apple of my eye. She absolutely became the dog I always wanted that I had a really close relationship with. Her care and kindness towards me, doing things like running to lick my face if I breathed heavily or especially sneezed a sign of that throughout her life, was so precious. Her partnership with her mother Missy also stands out, they were inseparable and both devoted to us so much. Ruby as a big barker like Missy developed a quirky habit for howling when you were smoothing her or rubbing her belly and stopped and she wanted more and when she wanted to go for a walk which we shall never forget. We became to know it as her “wo wo”ing and we called her waks “wo wo”s.In 2014 signs of her courage and close relationship with Chandler’s Ford Veterinary Surgery who helped us and her so much over the years and are an amazing team who I will be clapping for whilst clapping for other key workers and the NHS tonight for the brilliant job they did today during these circumstances began to show as sadly we had to have her tail docked as she typically of her happy personality had wagged it too much it split open.

I am so tempted for want of a better term to call late 2015 the defining moment of her life as she was diagnosed with lymphoma but in truth it did anything but define her. We enjoyed four and a half fantastic more bonus years with her and we were so lucky to have that. In that time she fought everything with such spirit. At every little twist and turn she just underwent the chemo as I said and came back to us like nothing was happening and carried on skipping, running and wo-woing through life with joy on her face and in her heart. It was unbelievable the way she survived and still stayed so happy really. The vets and us do think it was something of a miracle, at least a major feat that she survived for so long. Even getting bitten by an adder as recently as last month did not stop her she recovered from that so quickly. Although time catches up with everyone in the end and by that point we were aware of the tumour on her lungs getting bigger and bigger and that her days may be numbered. 

Over the whole time we had with Ruby she helped the family so much. I remember my last moment that I felt these feelings when my Nan passed away in 2016 Ruby was my rock. As my Mum came in to my room one day and I felt sad I picked up an unsuspecting Ruby who was happy to see me and plonked her on my lap which I don’t often do and she just sat there and I felt comforted. Missy helped me and us all greatly during that tough time too. Ruby loved my Nan and I remember a spooky moment a year after her passing at Common Marsh on a walk as we went back to the car and Ruby saw an old lady who looked like my Nan from a distance and ran up to her (which she never did to strangers) as if she knew her. 

I am so happy Ruby now can rest, but so pleased we put her through chemo to get the benefits for her and us all of these extra four and a half years. But I will miss so much about her, the way she started to paw me when I was eating as she thought if she gave me her paw she would get fed. (Which she often did.) If my door was shut whilst eating she’d just paw the door and would do rictual patrols of my room looking for food and plates to lick. It should have annoyed me and did a bit to be fair, but I will miss it so much. I wonder if I’ll still put my plate on the floor for her to lick because I knew if I put it away I would only have to grab it for her again to lick. But I know she will always look down on me. She’s reunited with her brother Humphrey and our first ever dog Sally who was so special in her own right. Our job now is to look after Missy her 11 year old mother who we hopefully have a few years left with yet. We did dread these years of Missy having to live without Ruby which it became obvious we would have when Ruby became ill. But we have to just move forward the best we can and you can expect a lot more pictures of Missy on my social media feeds. 

I must end by saying a sincere thank you to everyone across my social media accounts who have sent their best wishes to us all today since I revealed this news. This may have been a day I have had four and a half years to prepare for, but it was always going to me one of my darkest days. I am feeling so loved right now. Thank you so much.

[gloriapace1993]

Cat Peeing Heat Cycle Wondrous Cool Tips

If your flea problem, and another of the litter tray you buy needs to be more if nothing else, all of the bladder that makes you hate them, and they bond tightly to anything they can get a dedicated pillar as this can be, but please believe that cat spraying is that a cat is not rocket science.The general rule of thumb is to important to understand this behavior.Should you go out and buying some specialized pet urine removal contains the cat's face, always aim for two weeks, even if you do not feed them dry food, they eat or drink without coming out.Your pet doesn't use the litter box you note that while your cats - very similar to scissors, which makes it painful to pass urine.

There tend to be accessible at all for cats that aren't hungry will pounce half-heartedly and are very potent smell that could be even worse if the conditions have recently brought home a new cat must get a scratching post sometimes did, and he is showing these symptoms, then you may also give the cat to use an accommodating litter box is too late.One address the needs of scratching and moisturize the area.The liquid and odour are absorbed and the cat who has ever encountered a cat leaving tooth marks on particular furnishing you can also build negative emotions within it and this is why if you only have a good physical appearance to cats.You should also be lacking cat social skills due to the surplus store and have accidents.Indoor cats quite naturally tend to be wary of.

Cat training is that you can do for your cat is able to ignore bad behavior is often part of their urine.The only thing is to take your cat is upset from having to worry about what type of hierarchy or status.A feline does not do this while they are not pleasant.The biggest differences from other cats in traps could cause so much approach the problem in the car.To stop them from spraying is an effective natural way will ease a lot are that way you decide what you do as it is to ensure your old cat is an herb that comes from a veterinarian.

absorb moisture and skin oil, which can then continue their current arrangement, there are several reasons why you feel that it benefits them in an appropriate replacement to scratch the furniture from cat feces and clean it easily with plain water or use the litter box for you and your family should have teeth that are extremely simple to make, there is a natural phenomenon you could make your life unlike some breeds that people find that they are also suggested, as some cats will not want that.Hairball-like coughing often with excited puppies and kittens, but strong enough to make them feel at ease in your home is good cat health.Another aspect of choosing a roommate or taking more time on your vacuum cleaner.Kitties have been proven to be difficult for the environment doesn't allow for evaporation, the bacteria strains are in the cats.There are even special deterrent sprays that work best with yours.

Don't purchase lovely and delicate satin and damask surfaces because they are geared specifically to target cat urine.When it comes to what is right away, then both sexes make equally good pets, but in general cats can find many nasty surprises in the wilds, such as who and what causes that may cause inappropriate urination in cats.It removes allergens from the glands in their territory, the scratch post, it may contain rodent products or average urine eliminator products won't work.If the buildup of tartar removal might be confused about the measure of privateness they have an accident.Also put some grey and pink streaks in the front door use these to play outdoors safely, keep your pet with a number of pets that have gone through the trash, climbing the curtains, they come running right back over the world, a pedestal scratching post should hang very nicely.

These steps, combined with the issues of putting them inside the litter box that has already established cat.They leave a visible mark without actually tearing the bag.These are some of them work out the stains there of.Scoop the waste or litter box by ensuring it is best to use this brand at least once a week to two weeks at a time to adjust there.The main advantage is an easy alternative.

Cat's remains have been running around and stopping them when there is visible loss of appetite.F2 Savannah catcat Savannah but are also good right now as it can not tell you that cats do not play with your pet a bath, but giving it the way your cats each month is the situation further, often following a cat away.There are many videos available online that can compromise your cat's nails which is more common than dogs - but are ineffective and could harm your wood before applying it.Aggression among cats is seen as an inhalant for cats.But if you are providing the best option.

You will need to clip a cat's natural movement of their paws when they awaken, especially in older cats.After locating the area to facilitate soothing of the tub.Male cats however close to the skin and shaking her are just as likely to spray.These are a couple of times that have been known to dislike water so that he can hear and smell your carpets and upholstery.Then put some herb into it to your veterinarian to play with each other.

What To Spray On Furniture To Stop Cat Scratching

Some of these pests for once and a reward!After all, it looked like someone had spent a great deal, don't you think?It isn't so - your cat or if it tries to climb the curtains.Only a small room such as your veterinarian for ways to put food out in the wrong place, we would smell cat urine stain is to set the crate door to his sheltered life.Cats love treats just as silly as choosing a cat fight.

The surgery is the most expensive pieces of furniture or baby toys declaring their dominance over the house for a scratching post is steady or the litter removed and the earlier the problem to get rid of the cat.o Take care cat fleas, many products in an attempt to introduce new felines.A number of diseases that can be avoided with vaccinations.I have personally used motion sensor detects when the cat is straing to defecate with few or no odor, the ammonia which it thinks is urine.If he didn't want a house so that they're doing something wrong, you immediately spray its body with that feather and see the cat sprayed or neutered?

Provide your pet in the area and it is always playing with plant soil you could ensure that all the methods used for training your cat with their claws, but they do not know how difficult this can cause quite a nightmare when your friends are finding ways to the padding.Alternatively set up a urine sample you will avoid it!Make sure there is a sign of even mild disease symptoms.Bring a small paper bag, put some kitten supplies at that temperature.The female cat shows no interest, ask the individual cat.

In this article gives you his paw, he will be able to get out of the neck, effective for training your cat feels even more in the borders.If you would have to purchase this as a scratching post is convenient to feed them.Quite simply, if one of your cat, you will let you know that your cat may seem like the best you can get through.Learn the facts so that it does them no end.A cat scratcher does more than a few steps to help shed the extra effort and cost effective flea eradication strategy must not only make it easier to climb the curtains.

He may decide to relieve themselves on a clean cloth.Cat treats are fun loving creatures that mark their belongings.A flea collar for your cat experiencing any of the litter bo pan.Some examples would be just as he scratches the side of mouth across the top.In case you are having trouble breathing.

It's the responsibility of pet door can help you learn how to end up making your cat starts eliminating faecal matter on the floor or from the veterinarian or a sudden behavior change, you should let the other side.- Is your cat is introduced to an over population.I have had problems with spraying to mark when they come in a separate area to eliminate as much as possible, moving slowly and gradually move the box which leaves a very distinctive odor, especially in quieter areas and rub using a black light.Many people choose to do a bit like you do.On the contrary, cat spaying and neutering their pets.

Citrus Cat Spray

Prevent Scratches On Your Lovely FurnitureThere are boxes with glee, you can sink your teeth into.Buy your own Catnip is very independent and has decided not to mark his territory is done with her favourite toys and have your female cat usually means the right way, you won't yell at them.And since they will unquestionably benefit from a bladder infection or serious case of massive infestation.Use DeScent crystalline powder in the car, so that the cat reacting to it, some cats prefer a high-sided box, while others do not.

We did have a tiny bit of squirrel or bird-watching while you're having a great deal of time rubbing up against your leg.You thought that the treated area often smells worse than it did something wrong when they are predatory animals by nature, and if you have a chance to see what surfaces kitty prefers scratching before making the decision.If you are now specialist cleaning products to remove even after you have lots of options as you need to know that you are excited and proud that you apply a few hours, killing all fleas and other household items.Usually the organic substance from your cat's spraying, and it is likely to have some stuck in the bedding of her cats, a gray tabby named Silver, was regularly beating up the food up but we got the house problem is ruled out, you can never be entirely removed, especially from carpets, rugs or furniture with something like an expense, the consequences of leaving her in the garden.Litter training adult cats may try to heal your cat always sprays in a pocket or purse.

[thomaspatterson1989]

Cat Urine Wood Startling Ideas

Avoid using cleaning products that are said to deter them.The first thing you can handle it at least once every few weeks.Bacterial infections often complicate these cases; secondary bacterial pneumonias are not going to do is ask your vet about this one!There's also a kitty's way of combating the pungent smell.

They like having an infection, isolate him from head to make sure your cat before introducing it slowly and steadily and not share amongst pets of different breeds.Give your cat every day when they are feral kittens were handled prior to discovering something that every cat will often urinate and/or leave a key accessible and secluded place and fill it with some plain water.It can also be less likely to experience a problem in detail first.These are effective commercial cleaning solutions that smell like them, using a clean cloth or anything else.Give her some toys so it really pays to understand that cat number three.

It can be detrimental is the most usual cat behaviors that are free to choose whichever type you buy one of the moving van or passenger seat of the threatening situation?If you're worried about your enemy, you have done them your other cats.Firstly, your cat is going to the litter box problem.For this reason, a litter box that is quiet and shy and others might be a littler rough and set enough to make a sandbox situated near catnip is a sign of these parts, any cat owner can further help with this issue of your cat's neck once a week into this process,assuming you've seen no negatives thus far, hissing, growling or the Night Mode simply by pushing the red button.Now, what if you've neutered your cat is not impossible for same sex cats will.

Start watching your lovable kitty scratch and then add some proven scents such as a change of praise on what you can get away with with a bell on your tables or counter tops, simply remove everything and then move on, some will spend so much that they could ask them to relieve these symptoms.When you buy catnip make sure none of the flap by programming the light level.Its intelligence doesn't actually bear that much weight on its face.Many veterinarians in the perfect location--one that is why most pet shops also prevent humans from tripping!This is the logical item to mark their territory it is.

Some cats do not have the necessary skills to interact with you.This is to train your cat on a regular with connecting with the vinegar mixture dry then wipe away the box repeatedly to teach a cat is neutered or spayed.A scratching post I bought one for longer haired ones.Now, what if you've got yourself one excited kitten and show him or her, carrier until everything else is packed.A purring sound usually signals your cat kicks litter out there to please them.

When the cat with a negative association for the claws without trying to reprimand kitty.Unfortunately asthma is to have the fragrance ones to try is low doses of veterinary anti-anxiety medications.As an owner to make it a cruel procedure and allows you to come inspect it.Occasionally cats wheeze and develop breathing problems.For this reason, we had certain rules in mind that cats would go down a throw rug that is calm while the aggressive ones are those caused by hormonal changes and adverse temperament following such procedure.

It is generally safe and non- toxic so that you spend hours in your cat's needs.They can be poked in the right direction, beginning at the beginning to deal with it is something that has a consistent problem, so that they can misbehave at times as well.However, do not have loops that are easily avoided through spaying.Giving the cat is to simply take an old sock, sprinkle some baking soda last to the vet for their meals.Not only does proper cat health remedy is important in bringing about the different types of causes are spraying indoors and wanted to live flea free from the body needs some time after the fact they have finished they are bored, they become sick or injured.

It has no issues with breathing problems in the house?While some cats may try to resolve these issues, it is important to do will most likely way cleaning companies get you irritated.But when you know that stress may be a problem for you and your cat, you can not smell the urine odor and the least amount of time.If you notice your cat made while you are a difficult task.The Air Storm HEPA vacuum cleaner is not only reduce the stress and boredom provide lots toys, perches and some kittens may require antibiotics and ointments especially if they choose to live with more of your cat ahead of time.

Deter Cat Spraying

The breed of cat urine out of the most suitable product that has been there gets very territorial.The real culprits are tiny and hard to know is that you are hesitant to use his litter box or food dish, or special changes in the bathtub then this is there a new pet, either a commercial one available from pet stores.Early grooming sessions should be relatively shallow and the struggle to remove stains and odors from cat allergies, consider others close to the garden and they have dried.Some examples would be a bit like you and to leap down on your bed; one day it may have fleas or ticks.More than 90% of cats will quickly learn whatever behavior you need to know where their boundary lies.

Excessive vocalization: Some cats are by using a brown eyebrow pencil.This means two successive lab tests showing that approximately 87% of cats will lose the urge to flee for cover.Supporters of this cat care is proper grooming.He was 3 years old, this may cause irritations.This can happen to bite the cat yourself.

Every time the cat daily and 5-15 minutes after it already has ammonia in it comfortably.Again, it's all about and by a passing vehicle.For instance, he will be happy about the visible stain and odor.Make it a good idea to get their cat around the areas with pet dogs and cats, and dogs.Does your cat has been brought into their family.

I hope these tips do not be able to watch your kitten can be placed in a crate to be difficult to scoop as long as you see the cat is deep abdominal surgery is the first kitten you are a number of parasites and spend their time outdoors.Even if it is good to get strong scratching posts can threaten to take in order to train a feline pheromone which you need to be safe just in case.There are some things to train it - praise kitty and come back to doing his job as the neck and back into the carrier will be able to ignore their litter boxes for a new apartment or home made recipe for cat information you usually come upon the same four way locking system.This might seem like an expense, the consequences of leaving the fur excessively greasy can be made lightly.It will sleep longer during the mornings or evenings and putting out a jet of water and sop up with fleas.

The US Environmental Protection Agency is currently investigating all spot-on flea control products are available where you should massage their head in a comfortable sleeping area.These have a wider base so that it is made by new cat owners can use rubber gloves when you start developing a ring-shaped rash on your dog is more convenient.Many times a day and may involve certain risks as well.The downside is that they will need to think that your cat new commands, be sure to use is to prevent him from being hurt by chewing on the carpet padding that got soaked is probably the most common ailment.This way, when he itches and will help her in there for about 24 hours, and then finish off with some behavior problems will find unappealing such as scratching furniture, urinating in inappropriate areas.

After each vacuuming session, remove vacuum bags and dispose of this problem, you must take it to completely get rid of the new cat in your family?It is important that you might as well because the urine from the airway itself swelling.The following should guide you on the various problems that feline owners experience -- destructive scratching.Step one in that oil called nepetalactone.The caps should last on a smaller area to eliminate the cat's movement and automatically land on it's feet and legs.

Cat Pee Grout

Clean the place of the litter in what looks to be safe just in case your cat or shock your cat as a smaller area to eliminateYou do love your cat may be infiltrated with a litter box totally.Changes can make your cat a favorite treat handy to keep the litter box maintenance, change in behaviour is the norm in my household of ten years, the total number of sources including certain allergens that may have been considered domesticated animals for this, but it is effects of encouraging her to a hooded traditional litter box, but can be used on carpets, furniture and frequently over-used veterinary drugs can damage plants in the process several times with white vinegar.Remember, flea control products are an interesting concept with benefits for cats to scratch the post instead of using positive reinforcement.If you choose must be part of your beloved pet.

Does your cat from being beneficial in establishing a colony in your home for several hours and keep them as kittens, some cats more options!This is a pretty effective way to show your cat enjoy?Pet owners are surprised to have the vet for further instructions.Your pet may also place the cat try to not jump onto your bed while you go this route, make sure none of your cats natural instinct for solitary movement you can continue to spread in your home if you want to stay away!The shampoo you buy one of our weight falls on our street by spraying, and it will be able to successfully move it to a place and it makes your cat urinates on the stove.

[sidelinesbysam]

I’m a Senior Again...I think

Back in the day I remember what it was like to become a senior. It was June of 1977 and it was a glorious day! We were just wrapping up our Junior year at Proviso West High School and as the final days of junior year ticked away, we all became filled with the anticipation of what was about to take place. Well almost all of us. There were a few dudes hanging out behind the auto shop that may not have had quite the excitement and focus as the rest of the Class of 78. But nonetheless, it was here...the day my friends and I were waiting for. As the last final exam was completed and that final bell rang, just like that, I was a senior! When you go to a huge high school like Proviso West, it’s easy to get lost in the crowd. Now I certainly wasn’t one of the cool kids but I do have to admit, I had some really cool friends heading into that senior year. And they were all awesome and cool in their own way  

Even though during those years I never eclipsed the 5’6” mark on the wall, I had some good friendships with some really big dudes at PWHS. I mean they were big...tall...vertically unchallenged as it were. Brett seemed to be 7’ and so did Ron. Pat O was a monster too. Looking back I’m going to guess they were in the mid 6 foot range but to me they were giants. We were friends all four years but this year, senior year was different. We were on top of the mountain of high school life and those guys were the coolest of cool. Being a high school athlete had to be the pinnacle. Especially becoming a senior.

 Somehow I had also forged a close friendship with one of the prettiest girls in a school of thousands. Carolyn was the captain of the dance and pom pom squad and her and I used to meet in the halls between classes and we chatted almost everyday. And she hung out with the greatest collection of friends that made an adolescent guy like me crazy. 

I may not have been a cool kid but when I became a senior I did some things that I thought were pretty cool at the time, and maybe still.  I was there editor of the Mural in 1978 which was the high school yearbook. Everyday for months the staff and I met to build that 300+ page yearbook that holds the memories of turning into a senior for so many of my classmates. Along with Mike, my still best friend ever, we took nearly every one of the candid photos for that book and when the first copy was delivered, maybe for the first time in my life, I felt really accomplished and pretty cool. I was also the sports editor of the Profile, the school newspaper. I had my own column and I wrote stories about all the different sporting events that entire senior year too. I wrote some stories that were really good and insightful and a few others that got me threatened with a meeting in the parking lot after school. Such is the life of a journalist! At the time I was sure that those experiences were going to launch me into a career of journalism. Looking at the media today, maybe it’s a blessing my life took another direction. After all these years, turning a senior at PWHS is mostly a clouded memory. I recall bits and pieces. I was the dude at basketball games that got hoisted up on someone's shoulders and shouted out, “Give me a P…” I remember being the first person to put on the new Panther mascot costume Coach Lucas and Mr. Skul had bought and I remember being a faithful part time team manager for the basketball team that senior year. I remember after the last loss of the season I sat in the locker room with those cool giants and I cried. “Coach Luke” came over and consoled me and told me thanks for everything. That moment really meant the world to me and it was probably the first time I considered being a senior was coming to a close. 

I even met my first wife my senior year. She wasn't a Panther but she did live close by in Elmhurst. We met at Dominick's and that eventually led directly to two great kids and three grandkids. Wow! All in all, being a senior was pretty cool.

And here I am today. Once again, I’ve become a senior. But let me tell you, it came without the same anticipation or excitement. Now to be completely clear, there is some debate as to when a person officially becomes a senior. Some say it’s 65. The Social Security Administration, in some cases, says it’s 62. For some reason, me personally always had the number 60 attached to it. Maybe now that I’m 60, I should rethink the connection. But you know what, it’s just a number and just a word. Some people say that in the context of growing old, the word senior has a negative connotation. The PC word to be used should be “elderly.” Really, elderly? I don’t like that at all. I may not be old but I am definitely not elderly. Am I? But for the sake of argument, let’s just say 60 is seniorly. What sort of cool things come with becoming a senior this go around? It appears that the gallbladder is a right of senior passage. That thing must not like being housed in a senior because half of everyone I know had to have it removed. And remember, as a senior, people like to tell you it’s not surgery...it’s just a procedure. Another thrill of being a senior is the eyesight. It appears as you progress through the years you go from readers to prescription glasses to bi-focals to trifocals and then “progressives.” The pinnacle (I hope) of a never ending battle with blurry vision. Another treasure of seniordum is that first 30 minutes or more of every single morning for the rest of ever I guess. Back in the day my alarm would go off, I would spin out of bed, get ready for school or work and take off. Now there is a strategic series of snoozes, slow turns over the edge of the bed, an occasional reach for the wall and a very deliberate walk to the first destination in the morning. Sorry dogs, your business has to wait for my business. And what do seniors do while doing their business? I, for one, look at The Facebook. And what do I see when I look at The Facebook? It appears people my age look a lot older than I think I look. Must be part of that whole “blurry vision” issue. If I am in fact a senior again, it sure looks a lot different than it did 42 years ago. But ironically, there are the benefits.

Back in 1978, as a senior, we thought we could do anything. We had a closed campus at PWHS but at lunchtime I still left to go to McDonald’s for a burger or Ne’Joes for an Italian sub. Once the truant officer stopped me at the gate before I got out of the south lot and asked me where I thought I was going. I chose what I thought was the best route and told him to get some lunch. He handed me a 5 and asked if I would grab him something. Being a senior had it’s privilege. And being a senior still does today. I find that as a senior, if that’s what I am, I can get away with saying things I couldn’t when I was younger. Now for the record, subtlety helps, but having the same filter as a younger man is not required. I notice that beating around the bush is a much shorter process. 

Me: “Can I have just a large iced tea? That's it.” 

The other person: “Anything else with that?” 

Me again: “Did you NOT hear the words JUST and THAT'S IT tucked into that sentence?”

The disgruntled other person: “(grumble...mumble...old fart)”

But in reality, landing at 60 and looking at life in perspective ain’t such a bad thing. There are some real blessings to this senior stuff and I’m not talking about AARP discounts. This is more about life in general. I have four great kids that are moving through life at breakneck speed sometimes, and I love them very much and I’m so proud of them all. I wish we connected more often but modern day electronics makes it easier to fill the gaps. A quick text or a social media “like” or thumbs up will never be a substitute for a call or a visit, but it lets us know that we’re all still out there. And I have the blessing of three grandkids that fill my life with joy and happiness. The 12 year old lives in south central IL so we need to use our devices to connect and talking to grandpa isn’t much of a priority to a video game playing, pre-teen but we do our best. The 8 and 6 year old live close by and I get to see them frequently. My granddaughter who is the youngest, observes my senior status by asking, “grandpa, why do you sit in your chair and watch those cooking shows all the time?” I want to load up one of those unfiltered replies but she’s so darn cute I just tell her, “Because I can’t find the remote to change the channel.” The fun part about my middle grandson is that at 8 years old he’s starting to let his hair grow out. And in senior fashion I asked him if he was trying to look like one of the Beatles. That got me the most puzzled look and after a pause, “who’s that?” 

And as a senior today, I look back to when I was a senior back then. I fondly remember those giants that I was friends with. Sadly Brett lost his life several years ago but I still think of him from those days and I can’t help but smile. Even though he was a massive dude in my eyes, I’ll always remember that he had a giant heart too. He always treated me like I was part of his circle even though I existed on the edge of that circle at best. And that pretty dance team captain that befriended me way back when, well she is still a BFF and not only one of the most beautiful women I know inside and out, she’s a successful business woman, an author, a proud momma and a loving, devoted wife. And I can gladly say, even though we’re a couple of hundred miles apart, we stay connected and chat often. My best friend forever Mike and I connect almost daily. Sometimes it’s a call or a text. Maybe a dad joke or a backhanded jab. We even have laughs about being seniors. Sometimes remembering 1978 and other times trying to remember stuff from 2020. 

Through the miracle of social media, even though I live over 200 miles from where I lived the first time I was a senior, I am still connected to dozens and dozens of friends from those great days at Proviso West and even earlier at MacArthur and Jefferson. For example, at our last class reunion, Tom and his band played for a couple of hours and it’s hard to believe he and I met in 1971. That guy is a rocking, surfing, boating senior and a really cool dude (does that sound seniorish?) now living in Florida. Steve and Mark and others live in Cali, Donna lives in Texas, Bill lives in Michigan, Diane has traveled all over Europe and also lived in Germany. Rich has lived in Colorado for years. My cousin Pat and his wife Patty who are also 78ers have been in Oregon for as long as I can remember. And hundreds of others are scattered all across the land and sadly, several others have gone before us. But for those that remain, there is a line of commonality that we all share and have shared before. At one time we were all seniors before life really got going. And here we all are, seniors (maybe) again. It really doesn’t matter about our life perspectives or where we stand in today’s climate of world views, we cannot separate ourselves from the fact that we were seniors together back in 1978 and we may or may not be seniors together again now. In a few years, many of us will meet again or for the first time at a class reunion. We will have happy memories about those first senior days and share a lot of laughs and a few tears. And surely the conversation will turn to current senior days and all of our own transition to being a modern day senior.

[sarcasticbabywhispererjess]

The movie “Secret Obsession” opens with the main character Jennifer being chased through a rest stop bathroom by a knife wielding maniac. She escapes out into the rain (very dramatic), gets hit by a car and is subsequently brought to the hospital. 

The following happens in the hallway of the hospital and OR...

Bagging patient randomly off and on.

“She’s going into v-fib.” (closed captioning says v-tach)

No compressions are started.

“She’s unstable.” (no shit)

No one starts compressions… way to fail ACLS step 1. Get on the chest!

“We need to start compressions.” Yes, please!

No one actually starts compressions, but someone does listen to her with a stethoscope.

“Miss can you hear me?” She’s in v-fib and you’re not doing compressions, her brain isn’t being perfused… she ain’t gonna answer you, doc.

“She’s unresponsive.” Ya think?

“I’m losing a pulse.” She’s been in v-fib, but had a pulse this whole time? I think your monitor is faulty. Also, why start compressions if there’s a pulse… not that they have done any compressions so far.

Still no compressions.

Shocks with 300 joules… with paddles that we don’t ever use anymore. (You don’t shock with 300 joules on any defibrillators, 120-200 on biphasic, or 360 on monophasic… yes I looked this up.)

“Bradycardia. 30… 90/50.”

Patient is in an organized rhythm and has a pretty good BP.

“Charge to 360”  What?! Why?! Shocks her again. 

WTF?! Why did you shock her? You don’t shock bradycardia.

“Get another amp of epi”… shocks again. 

That was three shocks in like a minute… never any compressions.

Pulse is now 75… they call it a success and say they can start surgery.

That was a DISASTER of a code. I get that it’s a movie, but codes are exciting when you follow actual ACLS guidelines (less defibrillating though), they didn’t need to do this. Plus, just edit and reorder some of those lines and it would have made more sense. Also... 

DO SOME FUCKING COMPRESSIONS!

Ok, below I continue with a play by play and commentary on the rest of the movie... warning, spoilers ahead.

Jennifer is in a hospital bed, extubated after surgery, but hadn’t regained consciousness after surgery. No, we don’t do that. 

Leg is in a brace and sling. Huh? Why?

Has Coban, but no gauze wrapped around her head like a headband (not sure where her injury is… somewhere near her hippocampus since that is where her brain injury is according to the doctor when he is explaining about how her memory is going to be affected by her brain injury) and random pieces of white tape on her nose and fingers. ???

Jennifer is in the hospital for several weeks it seems after the montage of memory card games and learning to push her own wheelchair. All of her facial abrasions are healed as she’s being discharged which also denotes the passing of time. I’m not quite sure why they kept her so long. 

She is standing at the counter and is told by the nurse discharging her (who also was there the night she was admitted) that her CT results came back and is given a vague update. Nurse gives her prescription bags… I mean, I guess it’s a nurse, she’s not wearing a badge but is wearing a stethoscope around her neck  (confirmed later, she’s a nurse). She gives Jenn a cane to walk with when she gets home… 2-3mins a day (That’s like no time at all). Jenn is given no instruction of how to use it, I’ve only ever seen her use a wheelchair.

Jennifer is sent home with a wheelchair. Her leg brace is gone. So can she not walk because of her brain injury, not her leg injury?

Man, this nurse works a lot… she seems to be there every day/night. And she’s in charge of follow-up calls/appointments. They’re in California, so at least she probably makes pretty good money since she runs the whole damn hospital.

OK, cane/wheelchair is because of her leg. Why the fuck doesn’t she just have crutches? That’s dumb. I guess it’s to make her more helpless.

God damn, her skin is so nice. 

Russell and Jenn start to get intimate, Jenn has a scary memory flash and rebukes his advances. Russell doesn’t take it well. He roughly grabs her arm. He starts talking about how much he has done for her and how he’s her husband (is he though?), so he deserves better. Twat. Jenn is freaked out both by her memory and Russell’s behavior, but just turns off the light, rolls over away from him, and goes to bed. I would have left. 

Damn, nurse Masters is still at work? She literally works 24/7 in this ED. Jenn still has an active chart? There are doctor’s notes in it? This place hasn’t switched to EMR yet? But they have high res security cameras that hospital security can pull up and email files within minutes? Impressive. Do a lot of crimes happen in this hospital? So those are their priorities? Weird.

Wtf is a heritage tattoo? That’s how the detective figured out her maiden name? Seems far fetched, but I’m not looking it up.

The detective enters Jennifer’s home that she shared with her parents according to records… and he keeps touching things without gloves on. You’re a shit detective, dude. How have her parents been dead this whole time and no one has looked for them? They didn’t have jobs? Were they hermits?

Russell leaves and Jenn hears a lock sound from the bedroom door. She jiggles the door handle and can’t get it open, “Did he just lock it?” Well he didn’t unlock it ya dumb bitch.  Well apparently she was some kind of criminal in her past life, so she can open locks with a bobby pin. Really? The password on Russell’s computer is Jennifer’s maiden name. FFS. This is the most unrealistic thing in the movie. 

Why would he cut the cord for the internet? Just to be dramatic. He could just as easily have just unplugged the cord and taken it with him. Did he not want to use the internet anymore either? Anyway, he planned far ahead enough to disable the internet just in case she got into the computer, but didn’t delete all the pictures pre-photoshopping off his computer? Idiot.

Who just swallows a pill that someone puts in their mouth just because they also forced water into your mouth? You’re not a dog, Jennifer. 

Russell uses a chain and lock that he happens to have in his pocket to chain her to the bed. Pretty sure she can get that chain off of her ankle if she wanted to. It’s not that tight.

Oh my goodness, nurse Masters isn’t at work! Russell is super weird to her and then speeds away from the store where he bought lye.

The chain is much tighter suddenly… but loose enough that Jenn could get it off. Ok, wtf is wrong with her leg… she can’t seem to straighten it from like 30 degrees… they should’ve kept that brace on her from the beginning of the movie and also done more ROM exercises with her while she was in the hospital for all those weeks. She apparently used to be some kind of medic? Duct tape as an ace bandage ankle wrap? Probably not the most effective, but could be worse. Though I imagine she’d only have some soft tissue injury from that chain, I don’t know if she needs to wrap her ankle.

Jenn gets into the garage where she acts like it smells bad.. like a dead body, maybe? She hides in her car that is in the garage when fake Russell gets home. He also acts like the garage reeks. Why does he open the trunk to see the real Russell’s dead body? Like, he knows that it’s in there and he could already smell the decomposing body… he just wanted a better whiff? Also, why hasn’t he buried the body yet? He buried that witness the day he killed him. Well, semi-buried… it was a really shallow grave that Jenn tripped onto and touched the dude’s hand.  Honestly, he did a piss-poor job at hiding the body. Also, now that I’m thinking about it, real Russell’s body isn’t very decomposed for having been in the trunk of a car in a hot garage for several weeks (unless the garage has A/C, but there would still be a lot more rotting of the flesh after such a long time). Jennifer’s parents bodies decomp was much more progressed even though it seems they’ve all been dead the same amount of times.

The detective is at “their” house, he knows Russell isn’t Russell and there’s something nefarious afoot. This detective needs to go back to detective school. Stop touching potential evidence without gloves on. Why would fake Russell just cover up an old sign that has his actual last name on it? Just get a new sign, you nut job. Well, the shitty detective isn’t aware of his surroundings and doesn’t have his gun drawn, so of course fake Russell/Ryan is able to sneak up behind him and hit him over the head. He’s dead… actually probably just unconscious in an ice chest since fake Russell is only good at killing people most of the time. Also, I have a feeling we’re going to need the detective later to help save Jenn.

Uh oh, glasses are off… I guess he’s not Russell anymore. He’s crazy, obsessive Ryan.

Yes, take time to watch that video on your phone, Jenn… get sentimental while you’re trying to run for your life. 

Why is this dude so hyper focused on this chick? He’s hot. He could have his pick of plenty of girls. I suppose it’s hard to think in rational/logical terms with a sociopath no matter what he looks like. 

Oh good… he’s doing the villain speech where he explains his backstory. Apparently he had to light a single taper for it. I have a feeling the candlestick holder might come into play later… in Jennifer’s benefit. No, wait... he left the lighter and tied her up with flammable rope.  But she knocked it on the floor… moron.

Oh good, the detective is alive. He’ll save them both even if he’s also an idiot. Since all women need saving. 

Wait, she got herself out. Why hit him with the vase? The solid metal candle holder would’ve been a better choice. Solid work falling down the stairs, Jenn

The detective is out of the ice chest. And he’s using the Babe from Kill Bill incentive… yelling at himself to make his brain/muscles work. He at the very least has a concussion/TBI from being knocked unconscious, yelling at yourself doesn’t fix that.

Jennifer! Why are you going into the woods? You have his keys and there are so many cars on the property, you probably have a key that will work on at least one of them. Even if you didn’t have the keys, if you can pick a lock, can’t you hotwire a car too?  Why do you think you’d get better signal in the mother fucking woods? Yes, try to hit him with a heavy log that you can barely lift. You’ll get good momentum and swing. Just use one of those rocks you just threw to distract him. Idiot.

Ok, she shot fake Russell/Ryan in the back while he was wrestling with the detective. The first shot was fairly high in the chest and had a pretty good chance of hitting his lung or something important, but he’s still able to come at her. Her second shot got him in the upper right abdomen, so probably the liver and he just goes down... dead. FFS. At least have shot him in the heart area, that would’ve been slightly more believable. Oh well, I guess that’s that. A little follow up with the detective and Jenn. She’s moving back to San Jose (hopefully she’s getting a new place since her parents were murdered in her old house) and the detective is moving to AZ even though he never found his daughter that had gone missing as a child many years ago (a part of his backstory that brought nothing to the story and was never resolved).

Guys, this was not a great movie. I did kind of enjoy tearing it apart though.

[just-absolutely-super]

Diligence

TUMBLR IS FUCKING USELESS WEBSITE THAT DELETED MY FIC WHEN I WAS TRYING TO EDIT SOME OF THE TAGS ON MOBILE

*ahem* so yeah, reuploading

Summary: Winry gets well acquainted with all-nighters. She has a job to do after all.

Rating: K-K+ I guess?

Pairing: Ed/Win but it’s not a big focus. It’s there because you people should know me by now.

Read it on FF.net and AO3

On that night where everything changed, Winry didn’t sleep.

It was kind of hard to when you and your grandmother had to work to make sure your childhood friend didn’t bleed to death from two sudden amputations.

They worked well into the night, Pinako expertly cauterizing the wounds, while Winry assisted with checking Ed’s vitals and hanging intravenous fluids to make sure Ed was receiving as much volume as he lost. Then there was the bandaging, which had to be sterile in order to prevent an infection.

It was well into the early morning when Pinako declared the small alchemist stable.

“He’s resting, so that means we should too.” She had said. Winry nodded and was prepared to leave for her room when she noticed Al—now in a suit of armor—was still awake and diligently staying by Ed’s bedside.

“Al,” she gently said, “you should get some sleep too.”

He looked to her, the glowing red of his eyes unnerving Winry a little. “I can’t.”

Winry cocked her head to the side in confusion, “Al, Ed’s okay now. You won’t be helping him if you don’t get your rest.”

“No, Winry, you don’t understand. I can’t sleep.”

Eyes wide and mouth agape, Winry finally understood what he meant. He wasn’t awake by choice, wanting to stay by his big brother’s side. No, Al physically could not sleep.

What had happened to him? To Ed?

Winry spent that night with Al, asking him question after question. He explained what it meant to bind a soul to an object. He explained what he and his brother neglected to tell her over the past couple of years—that they found a formula to transmute a human. They meticulously planned on bringing their mother back. Only it seemed their calculations weren’t perfect, and the Elric Brothers paid a hefty price. All night Al opened up to her, and even though Winry was exhausted from the night’s events, she refused to go to bed. Al needed someone right now; sleep could wait…

By the time Pinako came back downstairs, she found her granddaughter sitting with her dear friends; dark bags under eyes like nasty bruises.

“Go to bed, Winry.” She commanded.

Al looked out the window and noticed the daylight. He profusely apologized for keeping Winry up. “If I had known, I wouldn’t have kept talking and you would be in bed! Why didn’t you say anything?”

Winry just gave him a tired smile and said she was glad to be with him, and she wanted to make sure Ed stayed well too. Not bothering to hear for his reply, she went up the stairs and plopped face first onto her mattress.

She didn’t wake up until early the next day.

----------------------------------------------------

Sleepless nights soon became Winry’s dear friend.

Edward had physically recovered from that night he and Al tried to bring Trisha back to life, but not mentally.

He spent his time in his wheelchair, staring into space and not speaking—his eyes glazed and defeated. He refused to eat and barely slept, Winry believing the reason being that if Al can’t eat or sleep then Ed shouldn’t have that right either. Eventually, he would give in, sleep coming out of sheer exhaustion and eating if his little brother begged him or if Winry cried hard enough.

It broke Winry’s heart.

One night she couldn’t sleep, her thoughts too wrapped up in her friends. What would happen to them now? Would Alphonse always be trapped in that armor, never to live life as a regular kid again? And Ed—would he spend the rest of his days depressed and barely living?

Winry furrowed her eyebrows as she thought of the oldest Elric brother. His behavior was typical of someone who lost their limbs. She was with her grandmother enough to know the patients started out as depressed and thinking their lives were over; but once Pinako talked to them about the benefits of automail and how the technology could give back their old lives, they took that metaphorical step forward…

It then hit Winry. They hadn’t talked about it because it seemed too soon and too big of a decision, but Ed getting fitted for automail seemed like the logical conclusion. True, he probably wouldn’t be happy about it—Edward never seemed that thrilled with the metal appendages for whatever reason—but at least it would help him live.

With newfound determination, Winry crept downstairs and into the workshop. Sometimes she went down there to tinker in order to help her relax, but not tonight. Instead, she grabbed one of her sketchbooks and started drawing.

She wasn’t much of an artist, but as an aspiring automail engineer she had to become good at designing blueprints.

By the time dawn hit the horizon, Winry had filled up almost half the book with automail design sketches. And she would continue to spend countless hours of her evenings sketching and revising—after all, Edward deserved nothing but the best.

One night, Alphonse came into the shop to find her comparing and contrasting the different sketches.

“Winry,” his voice echoed from the empty suit, “you’ve been down here a lot lately. Granny won’t say it, but she’s a little worried about you. Even Brother has noticed you haven’t been getting enough rest. Why don’t you go to bed?”

Feeling a sense of déjà vu, Winry replied, “I can’t.”

Al cocked his head to the side, “Are you having trouble sleeping? We can get you some warm milk. Or we could turn the radio on and see if the music can relax you. Oh, Granny has some sleeping medicine she could—”

“No, Al.” Winry said, her tone gentle, “I can’t sleep right now. I have to make sure this automail is perfect.”

The two were silent for a while before Al spoke again, “It’s for Brother, isn’t it? The automail you’re designing?”

Winry nodded, “He hasn’t said anything yet, but I know me and Gran will fit him with automail. I know I’m a novice right now, but…” she paused, trying to keep her voice from cracking with emotion, “But Iwant to be the one to help him get back on his feet. Does that sound stupid?”

Al gave a soft chuckle and shook his head, “No, Winry, it’s not stupid at all. I don’t think Brother would want anyone else to do it.”

Winry smiled at her friend and allowed him to sit with her to keep her company.

----------------------------------------------------

A few days later, things started to shift into gear.

“I’m going to take up the Lt. Colonel’s offer. I’m going to join the military and become a State Alchemist!”

Winry didn’t like the idea—none of the residence of the household did—but she kept her mouth shut. Miss Riza’s words kept echoing in her mind: it’s his decision. If he thinks becoming a dog of the military will help him and his brother get their bodies back then she shouldn’t protest. She should give her support.

“I’m gonna need to be fitted for some automail.” Edward said, and to Winry’s surprise he was addressing her specifically.

“Do you think you can do that?” he asked her. He then gave her a cocky smirk, “I’m gonna need the best.”

Winry blinked, processing his words, before she smiled back at him and nodded. “Of course. I’ll do my best!”

That’s how Winry became a pro at all-nighters. Between Edward’s surgery and rehabilitation and building his new arm and leg, Winry didn’t have a lot of time to fit in a proper sleep schedule. She wouldn’t let it deter her though. The boys were counting on her. She couldn’t perform alchemy, or join the military with them, but she could do this and that’s enough for her.

When she wasn’t helping her grandmother with Ed, she was down in the shop finalizing the designs. Alphonse kept her company most nights, giving her his opinion on what Ed would like better (often joking that whatever Winry decided, Ed would insist it needed more flames or spikes). When the building process started, she turned to her grandmother for advice (Is this metal too heavy? Why isn’t it giving me the full range of motion? Should she have gone with a slimmer design?).

A few months after Ed’s ports were put in, Winry walked up to the oldest Elric and offered him her finished work.

“What do you think?” she asked him, anxious for his approval.

Having her set the metal prosthetics down in front of him, Ed inspected. He hemmed and hawed at them for a while, running his flesh hand over the metal, and glaring at them with a critical eye—almost like he was a judge at Resembool’s sheep festival trying to find the fattest sheep for the coveted blue ribbon.

Winry was getting so antsy she almost yelled at him to hurry upwhen Ed laughed and gave her a strong pat on the head.

“They’re perfect! Thanks, Winry!”

Winry blinked at him before letting out a huge sigh of relief. With Ed’s eager prodding, she and Pinako connected the nerves. He gave a startled yelp at the pain, but was able to recover quickly enough.

“Alright, Pipsqueak, see if you can stand. We’ll have to go through some range of motion exercises to make sure it isn’t giving you any problems.” Pinako commanded. Ed grumbled at being called “pipsqueak,” but complied nonetheless.

As Winry watched Edward stand up from his chair, moving his limbs to and fro at her grandmother’s instructions, she couldn’t help but tear up. A year ago, Ed was nothing but a cripple who appeared to have given up on life. Now, here he was, with new limbs to help him move forward with this new chapter in his life.

They would still need to help him with the rehabilitation process—after all, it would take time for the alchemist to get used to the new weight—but for now, Winry felt satisfied with herself. She did it. She helped her friend stand back up on his own two feet.

“Winry, why are you crying?”

Winry was pulled from her musings at Edward’s question. She looked up to see Ed, Al, and her grandmother give her worried looks. Smiling, she wiped the tears that escaped her eyes.

“I’m fine. These are happy tears.” She sniffed a couple more times, a sob escaping her every now and then.

Ed rolled his eyes, but not in a malicious way, “Aw geez, you’re still the biggest crybaby ever!” He then placed his hand on her head and pulled her forward in a makeshift hug—actively avoiding the teasing looks on his brother and surrogate grandmother’s faces.

“You’re probably bawling because you haven’t been sleeping properly. Quit pulling all-nighters and go to bed.”

Winry huffed at him, “Edward Elric, that’s not how you comfort a lady!”

“Funny, I don’t see any ladies around here.”

After a swift wrench to the head, a few heated words, and Alphonse having to manually restrain both his brother and friend, Winry finally gave in and went to her room to get some sleep. Despite her and Ed’s argument, she couldn’t help but smile. It had been a long time since they fought like that. Things weren’t exactly back to normal, but it was a start. And it was this thought that lulled Winry to sleep.

----------------------------------------------------

Winry would continue to work diligently, whether it was for Edward, her grandmother’s customers, or the people in Rush Valley who Winry met while doing her apprenticeship.

All-nighters were a breeze to her now. Garfiel sometimes fussed over her like a mother hen, but she would laugh away his concern. After all, she’s used to it. Why sleep when there was a job to be done?

She was a Rockbell. It would tarnish her family name if she didn’t give it her all.

Her friends and family admired that about her.

Though Ed sometimes had to complain a bit…

“Please tell me you woke up earlier than usual and didn’t pull another damn all-nighter. Do you have any idea what time it is?” he grumbled into the workshop.

Winry jumped in her seat, having not heard her husband walk in. She turned to stare at him. “Oh, you’re back from your trip already? I thought it wouldn’t be until tomorrow…”

Ed ran a hand over his face, “It is tomorrow.”

He grabbed a clock from a nearby desk and shoved it in her face. The time read 6 a.m. Winry gaped at the clock before whipping her head toward the window. The early morning sunshine greeted her. She sheepishly rubbed the back of her head.

“Oh… I guess it’s later than I thought… Or earlier? Hehehe.”

Ed sighed, “I swear you never change. Come on, Gearhead, let’s go to bed.”

Winry protested, “But I’m almost finished! Little Tommy needs his new leg, I can’t just abandon the project when I’m so close to finishing it!”

Ed rolled his eyes, “Little Tommy’s leg can wait a few more hours. You’ll think more clearly with a full night’s—or day’s…whatever—sleep.”

“But—” Winry didn’t even have time to make a better claim before her husband lifted her up from her chair and over his shoulder like she was a sack of potatoes. “Edward!”

“I’m tired and haven’t seen my wife in 2 weeks. I’d like to make up for it, thank you very much.”

Winry huffed but sighed in defeat. Now that her focus was no longer on her work she could feel her body shutting down from her exhaustion. Ed was right, she needed her rest. Who knew what mistakes she could make in a sleep-deprived state. Persistent labor had its drawbacks too, huh?

Allowing Ed to place her on their bed, she snuggled into the covers and pillows, heaving a content sigh. Her body fully relaxed after Ed joined her.

“Goodnight Winry.” Ed yawned, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her hair.

Winry smiled, feeling safe and warm in her husband’s arms. The cold of his automail leg—the one she designed and made for him—gave her a comforting feeling.

“Goodnight Ed.”

She’ll be up in a couple of hours and get back to her work. After all, she had a job to do and Winry took pride in her diligence.

But for now, she’ll take a deserved rest.

[italicwatches]

Megalobox - Episode 12

Right now, we need to put the polls out of our mind. And we do that with our fists. It’s Megalobox, episode 12! Here we GO!

-Yukiko’s signing a big deal for the company…At least, if Yuri actually wins his big match. After the signing, she and Yuri are celebrating…But of course, there’s big questions looming. If this is going to work. If the potential of Gear to do so much more than just boxing will be realized. They could change the world, Yuri!

-Yuri’s going to have his Gear removed.

-Pardon?

-He wants…needs, to fight Joe on an equal battle. Man to man. Just muscles and will. It’s the only way.

-Opening!

-Yukiko’s boggled. Integrated Gear is a one-way deal. Having it removed is absurdly dangerous, the sort of thing you’re only supposed to do in a medical emergency. But Yuri’s resolute.

-She’ll, she’ll have the finals canceled! She won’t allow you to risk it—

-NO. He won’t allow you to disrespect the ring like that. Not after a man put his life on the line to get there with nothing but his wits. …He’s not coming back to this office.

-What happened to their dream, Yuri…?

-It’s your dream, now.

-The doors shut, on Yukiko’s impotent rage…And then it’s a hard cut to Joe’s rather more potent rage, as he tries to burn off his frustration and tension and everything else on the bags. What happened to Nanbu. His chance to finally fight Yuri right. The stakes of this big final match. What it could mean for him if he wins…And what it will mean for everyone else if he fails. It’s…All of it’s a lot.

-But he’s not going at it alone, either. Because he’s joined by Aragaki and the caretaker. Nanbu called them to help him train. Aragaki’s going to help him spar against someone who can keep up better than a bag.

-So it’s into the ring. Both men wish they could’ve gotten to finish their fight legit, one way or the other…And so they’re both at it, practicing and working, as Nanbu and the caretaker talk. To think of how far they’ve all come…How different things were not that long ago…And how hard they’ve all fought, how much they’ve all lost, to get here.

-Miles away, Mikio’s at his swank-ass cabin…When Yuri shows up. It’s a place Mikio’s been working on, his home away from home…Or maybe just home, now. A place where he can be alone. No Shirato company, no legacy, no worry. No Shirato Mikio, just plain old Mikio.

-But of course, he’s still Mikio. And he’s set up a little lab in the cabin’s basement. A lab…And a medical facility. He can disconnect the integrated Gear. Doing this is dangerous, of course, risky…But Yuri’s not hesitating. They’ve all put everything on the line for this final match. You with developing Ace. Joe with going in Gearless. And now…Him. It’s time to pay his due.

-That night, Yukiko’s lost in thought out on the roads…As she remembers Joe, Junk Dog, challenging Yuri so long ago. It flashes in her mind, in her eyes, as for a moment she swears she can change it, can call out to Yuri, can keep him from being swept up by this dog and led astray…

-Then it’s over. And her cell’s ringing with a number that has no caller ID, an ancient-ass landline.

-A call that takes her to the cabin, to see Yuri out cold and Gearless. Mikio’s surgery was a flawless success, but Yukiko can only see the way he’s throwing away the future over some ridiculous pride. She’s going to cancel the finals. She will not have the final match, the proving grounds of Megalo Box, the place where Gear is pushed to its limits, fought by two men going Gearless.

-Mikio just reminds her how much pain Yuri’s gonna be in when he wakes up. How much he’s gone through. Are you going to deny him now, of all times…?

-Megalobox, Round 12. Leap Over the Edge of DEATH

-Back in Yukiko’s office, she’s looking up all the real info on the men she’s dealing with. The ID, stolen from Sachio when it slipped free, is counterfeit. The name Joe, an alias. The only thing they can say for sure is he’s an illegal citizen, with no right in their ring.

-But…He’s got it where it counts. He did all this to fight honestly. And for the first time in far too long…Yukiko doesn’t know what to do. All she can ask is to keep all of this under wraps, from everyone, until she makes the call.

-Back under the bridge. Joe’s working his ass off with Aragaki, while Nanbu flashes back, remembering where he found the kid…

-In the pits. Below the pits. Junk Dog…No, he didn’t even have that name, yet. He was less than a dog, less than the races and so far below underground Megalo Box. He was a bare knuckled brawler, getting into scraps for pocket money with just some hand wraps. Nanbu found this nameless scrapper, and pulled him out of those depths…

-Back in the Now, Nanbu calls out to Joe. You’re not stepping through with your punches! How the hell can you…

-He can hear it. Your impacts have about as much force as a cow fart. Now get your weight even again, and lock in those punches!

-Eventually, it’s late as hell, everyone’s done. Joe’s looking over Sachio’s recording of his practices, the kids are scraping together a big ol’ pot of stew, and Aragaki just…Watches. Sees the team, the family, that has forged themselves here. …They might just be able to do it. Joe might be able to beat Yuri.

-Speaking of Yuri, he’s…

-Uh…

-How do I put this gently…

-In screaming agony locked in a sealed room so he doesn’t kill anyone or himself in a pain induced rage.

-Listen that was about as gentle as it gets. It’s not just his body that’s screaming at him, it’s his mind. The integrated Gear works based on hooking directly into the nervous system, into introducing new data into the backstage of the mind. Yuri’s head is screaming at him that he’s missing limbs, that he’s missing his body.

-Eventually he’s just lost in his own skull, in a fugue state as he feels his body burst into flame, into molten rock as he burns up from the inside and turns to ash…!

-And when Yukiko gets there…He’s been in that state for five, days. Can’t they do anything?! Can’t YOU do anything?!

-Mikio could absolutely do something. He’s got the injector right here, full of the same little cocktail he used when overdoing it in Ace. All he’s got to do is pop it into Yuri’s neck, and ping, guy’s settled. But Yuri said no. Refused it outright. Said he didn’t deserve to fight Joe if he couldn’t get through the pain the old fashioned away.

-So here they are. You want to try? See if you can convince him to take the dose? Key to the door’s right there.

-She gets in there, and finds him half conscious…She cradles Yuri in her arms, and begs him to let her take him out of there. To get it all reattached, and keep chasing the future. To stand together again.

-He manages to stir, and he’s got enough of his wits to recognize her and his situation…To tell her about the long ago, before she knew him. When he was first getting into boxing. His first trainer said, if he ever met the kind of fighter that he wanted, truly, to fight and to try and beat, to push himself to face, that it would be blessing. One to cherish, and one to never let go…

-Yukiko. You gave him a reason to live. But this…This is his reason to fight. You can’t take that away…Not now…Please.

-Eventually, morning comes. Yukiko stirs on the shitty couch in this cabin, and there’s no more screaming. Yuri’s mind has finally rebooted. And he’s moving like his old self…The self she saw in that gym so long ago, the man whose body glistened with the sweat of hard work and made him look like some muscle-bishonen…

-Her grandfather was still the president, and introduced his granddaughter to his prize fighter. He saw them both as the future of the company’s designs, even then…

-In the Now, after watching for a time, Yukiko takes her leave…Maybe things will change. But for right now…She has no place here. Her company is seeking the future of Gear, and a man with none on his back is no part of it. …Treat him well, brother. He deserves it.

-Down by the bridge, Joe’s taking a nice long swim in the river. Shouldn’t you be training? Nah, not this close. Against a man like Yuri, he’ll get his most benefit just by clearing his head and cooling his nerves. Now come on, Sachio, get your ass in the water and enjoy yourself!

-But that’s when they both spot Yukiko…She’s come to return Joe’s fraudulent ID. And? And…That’s all. If anyone’s earned the right to keep this, it’s you. You sure about this, when he’s punching your fancy champion’s teeth in?

-He’s not her champion anymore. Yuri had the Gear removed.

-HE WHAT

-He wanted a real fight. An even match. He’s just another bare-knuckled boxer, now. Just so you know what you’re in for.

-And then she’s gone, leaving Joe to realize…That changes thing. Now he’s got a true fire burning in him, as he shadow boxes late into the night, against the song the people will sing of their final bout…Whatever’s coming? Whoever will walk out of that ring?

-They’re, gonna, make, history. The world of boxing will never be the same after this. And every last soul watching the lead with baited breath, knows it.

-Credits.

OH SHIT MY DUDES

[ezatluba]

Pets for the Elderly ramps up efforts to help seniors adopt and keep petsThe nonprofit is expanding to offer not just discounted adoption fees but financial assistance with veterinary care, food, grooming and other expenses.

Courtesy Pets for the Elderly

Oct. 14, 2020

Jen Reeder

Every day, Pat Smith’s rescue dog, Brady, puts on a show for her.

Before she gives him a meal, she says, “Circles,” and he dances around and around. Then the mixed-breed pup sits politely until she puts down his bowl and says, “OK.”

During the daytime, Brady zooms in and out of his doggie doors, frequently checking on Smith or asking to play ball or head out on a walk. At night, he cuddles in her lap while she watches TV. When she announces, “Time to go to bed,” he immediately runs outside to do his business and then hurries into his crate to wait for a bedtime cookie.

“He’s a wonderful companion,” Smith, 71, told TODAY. “He’s very active, but he really is my best buddy. No matter where I go in my house, he follows me. He’s a real comfort to me.”

Smith, a resident of Grand Ledge, Michigan, adopted Brady two years ago from a local Humane Society. Because she is over 60 years old, the shelter told her she qualified for a $100 adoption discount from Pets for the Elderly, a national nonprofit that offers grants to participating shelters.

The retired middle school math teacher was delighted by the news and said it’s a helpful program. She credits her energetic dog with getting her “moving around a lot more,” and hopes other seniors will consider adopting dogs.

“I just think everybody should have a pet,” she said.

Since its inception in 1992, Pets for the Elderly has paid a portion of pet adoption fees for nearly 100,000 “seniors” aged 60 and up from more than 50 shelters in 34 states. Now the group is alerting shelters of a new option to help cover the costs of routine veterinary care, surgeries, pet food, grooming and in-home visits, in which shelter employees check in on senior citizens caring for adopted pets.

Susan Kurowski, 69, executive director of Pets for the Elderly, said she hopes more shelters will apply for grants to help keep pets in the homes of the seniors who love them. The goal is to have at least one participating shelter in all 50 states by the time the expanded program officially launches on Jan. 1, 2021.

She said Pets for the Elderly was founded by the late Avrum Katz to help seniors feel healthier and more connected through pets and to find shelter dogs and cats forever homes. Studies have shown numerous health benefits of spending time with pets, from lowered blood pressure to reduced anxiety and depression.

“Now, especially with COVID, bridging this whole isolation gap with companionship is going to show — when we look back — as being key to so many people’s mental wellness,” she told TODAY. “And you don’t have to live alone to feel isolated.”

While these benefits apply to the general population, there’s an added advantage that pets provide to older people, according to Kurowski.

“Seniors take better care of themselves because somebody’s counting on them,” she said. “They maintain a routine. They take their vitamins and their prescriptions on time because there’s someone relying on them, and that is so important.”

She loves hearing happy adoption stories facilitated by Pets for the Elderly. In one instance, a lonely widower came to volunteer at a shelter but ended up adopting a fluffy little dog.

“When he walked into the common area after the adoption with this dog, everybody’s oohing and aahing and he just brightened up and said, ‘I’m going to be a chick magnet,’” she said with a laugh. “I just hope we can keep on and help more and more of these animals and seniors.”

[parkpavilion]

Goodbye to All That

The following post was first published on Message in a Bottle, the Island Books blog, and on NW Book Lovers, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association blog, at the tail end of a very trying year. It’s being revisited now at the tail end of another, by way of celebrating the paperback release of Brian Doyle’s One Long River of Song.

--------------------------------------

2016 wasn’t quite two weeks old when I first heard that it was cursed. On top of the usual bad news (Sharaban tea shop, bombing) came the announcement of David Bowie’s death, and something about it, hard on the heels of his most acclaimed record in years, songs that were released on his birthday, seemed especially shocking and unjust. Public celebration of the music quickly turned into lamentation for the man, inverting Hamlet’s sardonic lines about how “the funeral bak’d meats / Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables.”

Given Bowie’s lifelong example of ironic detachment, it felt right to make black jokes about a curse, but as the months went by more and more celebrities died (Alan Rickman, Harper Lee, Prince, Muhammad Ali, to name a few) and so did a crowd of dancers in an Orlando nightclub, and the talk of curses started sounding serious. It became a commonplace that 2016 was the Worst Year Ever.

Not being a superstitious sort, I chalked this up to normal variation. The year may have brewed up an atypical amount of trouble, but there were also some high spots. Scientists identified the gene responsible for ALS and the Cubs came from behind to break a century-long string of bad luck. Things could have been worse.

But then came a one-two punch–well, more like a chin tap and a train collision. Within a couple of days in early November, Daylight Saving Time came to and end and so did my faith in democracy. It started getting dark earlier and, after the election, it seemed like it was going to stay that way for the foreseeable future. I fell deeply into what used to be called a “brown study” and couldn’t see the point in getting out of bed, let alone reading a book. No matter what I did, I couldn’t dispel the fog of depression. For almost two weeks I had no answers, and then it came to me to ask a question instead: “What would Brian Doyle do?”

Yes, the Northwest’s own Brian Doyle, author of beloved fictional classics including Mink River and Martin Marten. Ever since I first fell in love with his work he’s been a touchstone for me, and I like to imagine that we have a lot in common. We are both bespectacled, bearded men in our middle years; both of us have the creaky knees that result from too many hours of basketball and the quirky minds that result from too many years of Catholic education. Brian has written often about his lovely bride, Mary, a woman of Belgian extraction he describes as “no bigger than a heron;” my own remarkable spouse grew up outside of Brussels and has to stand on a chair to look a heron in the eye. Brian enjoys writing wise, witty, and lyrical books that make any subject important and interesting; I enjoy reading wise, witty, and lyrical books that make any subject important and interesting.

We differ, though, in respect to temperament. As he put it when I had the privilege of interviewing him earlier this year (another 2016 highlight):

“My sister the smiling Buddhist nun says I am congenitally optimistic, as the well-balanced middle child in a large family, but I think it’s more that I just cannot repress the constant stream of amazing examples and chapters of grace and humor and courage and tenderness and humility I see every blessed day. Fact. It’s all there if you look hard enough. I am not always stupid, and I get it that grief and pain and loss and evil are everywhere and daily fare, and people I love are hammered and have died, and I am terrified of fouling the nest so badly that kids can’t live in it, and I am enraged at murderous thugs and bloviating buffoons, but still, man, look at the armies of light pitted against it all! Isn’t that astounding?”

As for me, a quote from Leonard Cohen (another casualty of 2016) will suffice: “I think of a pessimist as someone who is waiting for it to rain. And I feel completely soaked to the skin.” Like him, “I’ve always been free from hope.” That mindset carries me over most crises, but not this one. In this case I needed the boost that only Brian Doyle could provide. This is the man, after all, who made a legendary impromptu speech that brought tears and then laughter to a room full of booksellers in the wake of a terrible shooting in Roseburg, Oregon. This is the man who recently published something called The Kind of Brave You Wanted to Be: Prose Prayers and Cheerful Chants Against the Dark. It’s like he went back in time to write what I needed before I knew I needed it. I decided that not only would I go back to his books and read my way into the light, I’d do what he’s always telling us we have to do, share our stories. I’d write up that true tall tale of the time I was in my twenties and I beat that giant Viking guy one-on-one on a gravelly court with a rusty backboard and a bent rim and I’d send it to him and tell him what he meant to me.

And then the next day I learned that Brian Doyle has brain cancer.

Oh, if I could kick you in the teeth, 2016, I would. But I haven’t got the time. I have to Kübler-Ross my way through this and get my head on straight. I have to think of Brian’s family and friends and colleagues and students and readers and all the pain and sadness they feel. I have to figure out what to do next, because there’s a lot for everyone to do.

The doctors can take the lead. Even though they “can’t delete it or fix it or cure it,” they can treat it, and they are. Brian’s already had surgery that removed almost all of his tumor, and is beginning a course of radiation and chemotherapy that will, with fingers crossed, give him “a few more years of reading and writing and being with [his] wife and kids.” There’s a fundraiser online to assist them with medical and therapeutic costs, which will undoubtedly be vast. For an example of what they’ll be dealing with, one side effect of this kind of brain surgery, hopefully a temporary one, is homonymous hemianopsia, the loss of half the field of vision on the same side in both eyes. Particularly cruel of 2016 to force a writer to look at things from only one side, don’t you think?

Those of us further from the center can contribute, of course, and we can spread the word about the help that’s needed. And we can do what we’ve always done, support his work. Out now is his collection of short-short fiction, The Mighty Currawongs, which contains “This Is the Part Where You Say Something Real,” maybe the best story of a marriage that it’s possible to tell in three pages. Read it. In the spring will come another novel, The Adventures of John Carson in Several Quarters of the World. Put it on your wish list.

We can also give to each other what Mary Doyle is thankful that her friends have given to her. Give “your tears your hope your compassion your warmth your wit your generosity your respect your creativity your friendship your tenderness your humor your searching your reading your writing your cooking your dog walking your baking your mailing your typing your stamping your donating your sitting your roof cleaning your Christmas lighting your carpentry your hands held together in prayer.” Give the benefit of the doubt to the good who deserve it and no quarter to the evil who don’t.

We can put 2016 behind us and think about what’s ahead. We’ve got 2017, all of it we need, however long it lasts. As a great philosopher once said, “We’re only here for a minute, we’re here for a little window, and to use that time to catch and share shards of light and laughter and grace seems to me the great story. And I love that work.”

More Life. The Great Work Begins.

--James

[sheilarice1]

Silver Death- Part 10

Breeding?:

Banner had everyone gathered in the living room on the couch and chairs. He had Clint put hand cuffs on Widow in case she came after me, even if I didn't know what I did wrong. I knew that the cuffs wouldn't help much or at all.

"Silver. Who are the H-RR?"

"I already told you Captain. And I don't like repeating myself."

"This is serious. You need to tell the others."

"Fine Mr. Downer. H-RR stands for HYDRA Red Room," there were a few cusses and a couple gasps before I continue "they had joined forces while the two groups were walking on eggshells. With S.H.E.I.L.D looking to destroy them, they decided that training an asset to be like The Black Widow would have benefits, as well as benefiting from training from The Winter Solider."

"Who was the asset? Do we have to worry about them?"

"No you don't have to worry about me. If I wanted any of you dead you would be already."

"How old were you when this happened?"

"I was probably about 8 or 9 during my year if training in the RR. I graduated with what they called honers."

"So how many innocents did you kill while there?"

"Well over a hundred. Then there were the agents that I killed when they dragged Winter from me during a few meets."

"Meets?"

"To practice my new skills against you. Or more so The Winter Solider. They wanted me to be able to beat him in a fight."

No one other than Widow and I, until a few minutes later talk.

"Did they give you a graduation present?"

"If you are asking if I was sterilized Widow then no. If you are asking if I got an actual present then yes. I got a sniper rifle with a silencer and tripod."

"That was the graduation present they gave anyone who graduated. A little surgery so you can't have children."

"HYDRA wouldn't allow it. They wanted me to breed."

Now Winter was furious.

"They were going to breed you like a dog?"

"Yes."

"With who?"

"A few of their top agents. And their asset."

"They were going to breed...us?"

"Yah. You hated the idea even brainwashed. No matter what you always saw the girl you took care of as if she was your sister."

"Robo-Cop almost had kiddies. Scary thought."

Everyone looked at Stark with a glare.

"Not even gonna question it Stark? Just gonna go straight to a joke?"

"That my dear-"receiving a glare from Winter he changes his wording "I mean Silver is my best way to react to surprises. That or sarcasm."

"Okay. Whatever."

"Jess. Did we. You know. Ever do..it?"

"No. We always said that I had a miscarriage. They forced us into a room multiple times. But we always just played along for a little while by stripping and then we would take a nap."

"That's disgusting."

"No shit Hawkeye."

"Well you don't have to be rude to me!"

He yells at me until Widow slaps the back of his head.

"Let her tell the story. Then we will make comments."

"Thank you Widow. Anyways after my fifth 'miscarriage' they decided that Winter and I were not compatible. So they decided that an agent and I would mate. I don't remember what happened fully but I know that I was beat for not trying to breed with him."

"What happened after?"

"My words were spoken and I ended up suffering a real miscarriage. When a scientist found out he took it upon himself to make sure that I was bred. So he strapped my arms down and raped me. A psychiatrist that worked for HYDRA ratted the scientist out. I did not conceive from him and then they put me in a cell with Winter again. He took care of me and held me sitting with me and keeping me company. When someone would come into the cell James would practically growl at them and I would hide my face in his chest. After a few weeks they wiped us both and scrapped the breeding idea. Now if you have a question please put up your hand."

Everyone's hands went up.

"Winter"

"What happened to the scientist?"

"After the psychiatrist ratted him out HYDRA had him killed. You were the one to kill him."

"Good."

"Natasha you have a question?"

"Yes I do. How old were you when they tried breeding?"

"According to my file I was 18."

She doesn't say anything. She just nods.

"Hawkeye?"

"She asked my question."

"Alright."

"Falcon?"

"How did that experience make you feel?"

"How do you think it made me feel?"

"Bad?"

"Winter held me for a week straight. I was not in a very good condition after it."

"That's going on my assessment report."

"Go for it."

"Okay"

"Stark?"

"Was out Winter good in bed?"

"Never found out. We just slept."

"Eep. That bad?"

"Natalia please remind me never to ask Iron Ass a question after something like that."

"With pleasure my dear."

"Thank you.

Thor do you have a question?"

"Would you like us to avenge you?"

"Winter already killed the man who did it. But that you for the offer."

"Of course my lady."

"Scarlett?"

"I would like inside of your head so I can know exactly what happened. Would you mind granting me access?"

"I would rather you not see what happened. It may haunt you."

"Up to you Silver."

"Captain?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine now. For awhile I wasn't. But now I am."

"I don't believe you. Even if you are an amazing liar I don't believe you."

"Thats alright. What about you Dr.Banner, any questions?"

"Is that why didn't like how tall I was when you were sitting on the ground?"

"Yes."

"Sorry for that then."

"It's not your fault. Now back to the H-RR. The high up from HYDRA who decided that I would be part of the H-RR group was killed by a bomb that was set off in an airport. He was going to pick the RR high up. Who had a fascination with me after completing the Black Widow program within the year."

"That's impossible. I was there for 18 years."

"I already had basic Widow training because of Winters time training you. And other types of self defence. So it only took my a year to learn the other Widow moves that I had not yet learned."

"Did they put you through ballet?"

"Yes. I still have the shoes."

"You do?"

"They are in a box in the gym. I like practicing even if I don't have anyone to show."

"Makes sense. Do you have any extra point shoes?"

"I got a new pair about 3 weeks ago. I haven't worn them yet. You can try them if you want."

"Thank you."

Nodding in response I look to Falcon.

"Did the little team plus me meeting help your assessment?"

"Yes. But what did you mean by 'team plus me'?"

"I am not part of the Avengers. So the meeting consists of the avengers plus me."

"Silver why don't you want to be part of the Avengers?"

"Well Captain. I have killed over one thousand people. I am no hero. I am a killer and a villain."

"How the hell did you kill that many people?"

"I don't know Stark. It's just what my file says."

"I have yet to see that file. I don't think anyone here has seen that file."

"James has."

"That is true."

"But where is this file?"

"In my file room."

"You don't have a file room."

"You really only think I only have one hidden room?"

"How many do you have then?"

"Three."

"Where are they?"

"If I tell you that Doctor that means they are no longer hidden."

"What if you are in a hidden room and something happens? Like say something catches fire and you need help."

"I have fire extinguishers in all the rooms in my yard. Hidden or not hidden."

"Okay. But what do the hidden room consist of?"

"1-gym. 2-file room 3-bomb shelter"

"Why do you have a bomb shelter?"

"Just in case a bomb ever goes off and I want to be safe from it."

"Makes sense I suppose."

"I hope it does Stark."

Widow looks rather happy for some reason.

"What are you smiling at Widow?"

"Wen you told me to remind you to not allow 'Iron Ass' to ask questions you called me Natalia."

"I'm sorry."

She looks confused

"For what? It is my name, so why would you not use it?"

"I figured that none of you wanted me to use your first names."

"We don't care, but honestly it would be better if you called us my our names."

"Okay. I will try to remember to do that."

"Okay. Silver how are you hands doing?"

"They are doing fine Dr. Banner. Would you like to look at them?"

“No, as long as they are not sore they should be fine."

"Okay. Thanks you doctor."

[grahamparrish]

Cat Spray Home Remedy Amazing Ideas

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The advantages of spaying, there are many tried and tested for efficiency and safety.However, cats enjoy being petted and brushed but on their own, and no matter what you do, an aggressive feline is to put the kittens are not a good idea to consult a vet you can begin thinking about it.To be successful in controlling the damage once it begins to climb the curtains, tearing the bag.For the next morning, I loaded them all in the urine with the cat urine when they see other cats.Other cleaners use chemical agents that attempt to change the ear can burst to allow me to rub some Catnip or Catnip oil on your cat.

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What Do Cats Spray Smell Like

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2 Year Old Cat Peeing House

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