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Yep, been there…
cat & mouse
05 Monday Sep 2011
Posted in animals & pets, cats, video
Category Archives: animals & pets
pretty good for his age
22 Monday Aug 2011
Posted in animals & pets, cats, health & happiness
Azar finally got to see the vet today, and it turned out better that I was there so I’m glad he didn’t have to go while I was in Málaga. Of course it’s always so traumatic taking cats to the vet’s and so I woke up at 5am and started fretting. Idiot. And Azar, being the clever thing that he is, knew as soon as he wasn’t given any breakfast that Something Was Up and immediately hid under the bed. Anyhow, Nog came over to help around 9 o’clock and somehow I got Azar into the carrier, and off we went.
From the second he was put inside the carrier Azar started screaming his head off and, once out of the apartment, it got so bad that everyone we passed in the street, whole groups of people, stopped to see what was making such a racket. We were lucky to find a taxi driver to used to have cats and didn’t mind, and he also got us to Yolanda’s in record time.
This photo was taken on the way there, with me stroking Azar under the chin in an effort to try and get him to shut the fuck up… awww.
Anyhow, once at the vet’s he was good as gold, let Yolanda poke and prod him pretty much everywhere, and didn’t even put up too much fuss about getting blood drawn. Won’t get the test results back for a couple of days, but the general impression is that Azar is doing pretty well for his age. I thought his last check-up had been about a year ago but I’d completely forgotten about his visit last January when he also had a blood test done. Well, at least we’ll see if much has changed in the last eight months.
Azar was a lot calmer on the way home and, once there, had a nice late breakfast, a big drink of water and got straight back “on the job” doing typical cat stuff, as you can see (if it had been dark laundry then it would have been a job for Loki).
So he’s going to need extra care, and help with his digestion/elimination problems. But otherwise he seems to be doing just fine.
string game
15 Monday Aug 2011
Posted in animals & pets, cats, fun stuff, home, video
This is for serious Loki fans only (you know who you are) – the string game! Loki first toy was an old shoe string, which the woman from the cat shelter put in with his blanky the day he moved in. Since then he’s had a variety of different strings and cords to play with. He also likes ping pong and rubber balls, but seems to prefer toys that he can drag around the house in his mouth. At first I tried getting him to chase balls by tossing them up the stairs, but they went too fast for him to have much fun with. Then I tried throwing the string…
happy toes 2011
10 Wednesday Aug 2011
This morning I took my first beach walk, leaving my sandals with a group of elderly women who were hanging out under a massive colourful umbrella, and it felt great. Though at the water’s edge it’s quite slopey, which makes walking in the waves extra difficult. Will have to go out again tomorrow morning as I won’t have time on Friday.
I still don’t know what’s going on in terms of meeting with Victoria and getting some work done, but as we’d only have this afternoon/evening it’s not looking very promising. Ah well, I’m getting lots of other stuff done.
Meanwhile, I got some great news this morning when Nog called to tell me that Azar had had a BM, which meant he didn’t have to be taken to the vet’s for an enema. And as I’ll be back on Friday, I can “do the honours” then if need be. As for the blood test, it’ll be easier for everyone concerned if I’m there too, so that can also wait until I’m back. I was really starting to feel badly because of leaving Azar all week when it turned out I could’ve come out today and saved a lot of worry, but now that it’s turned out okay I can go back to enjoying myself.
Had a nice day yesterday. Went to a new place for lunch called La Cosmopolitana, which had been recommended by Agustín, and it was great! Then I came home to do a bit of work, thinking I’d go to the cinema in the evening. Well, an extra long siesta took care of that plan, so I decided to just keep on sleeping.
The friends I invited to the vineyard tour are coming in to Málaga tomorrow. Still might nip over to Mijas in the morning as I’ve been invited by cookbook author and personal hero Janet Mendel to have a few tapas with her, so may be able to do lunch there and then have dinner out with the gang. Busy, busy, busy…
What have you guys been up to this week?
made it!
08 Monday Aug 2011
But I almost didn’t! I mean, just look at this little guy…
That was Azar last night. He clearly knew this wasn’t just laundry being sorted and that I was getting ready to GO AWAY. And with his continuing health issues (this past weekend was a bit dodgy) I seriously considered postponing until at least Tuesday. But in the end I decided to go this morning because the real issue wasn’t that he’d be okay today and tomorrow, but for the rest of the week. I had to leave at 10.15 to catch my train and – bless that little sweetheart – at 10 o’clock Azar went to the box and had a very healthy looking BM, which made me almost weep with joy and relief. And so I was able to leave with a light heart and feeling very optimistic that Azar is going to be just fine this week, under the care of Nog and vet Yolanda.
As usual I was a nervous wreck about packing and leaving, and not just because of Azar. Personally, I think I need to travel more so I get over this “leaving anxiety” thing. And if I did travel more often I’d have a selection of small travel toiletries and whatnots always ready to go, so that I didn’t have to ransack the bathroom and then still end up having to buy stuff when I arrived.
The other thing about staying at Manolo’s is that I always bring my own sheets and towels, which really fills up a suitcase! So even though I’m only going to be gone for four nights, it looks like I’m going away for a month. Anyhow, Nog came to the train station with me this morning and saw me off. The plan was that Manolo had left a set of keys inside the apartment and I was to ask the doorman to let me in, but Manolo warned me that he might be gone for lunch when I arrived. Well, the train got in at 1.35 and I got to the apartment just before 2 o’clock, so thought I would surely catch the doorman before I left. No such luck. Turns out his break is from 1-5pm! So I went upstairs and luckily the neighbours were in and were happy to look after my luggage while I went out for lunch.
After that I had quite a long wait at this total dive of a place on the beach, as you can see…
La Moraga
Afterwards I stopped at the supermarket for a few supplies, got the doorman to let me in, picked up my bags from next door…and got settled in! Made the bed, hung up my clothes, got my kitchen stuff organised, took a shower, set up my “office”, and I have been happily ensconced here ever since. Feet up, sea breeze blowing in through the balcony doors and windows, listening to music on my “travel iPod deck”. And dammit, I feel happy. I really really really needed to do this.
More mañana. Manolo’s place looks amazing! It’s been renovated since last time I was here and is so light and fresh looking. Not sure what I’ll do this evening, though I’m thinking I’ll just stay in and have an early night as I only got about 3 hours sleep last night worrying about Azar. Oh, and that massive mofo cockroach that Loki cornered at 3am also didn’t do any wonders for the ol’ sleep department. Really looking forward to falling asleep to the sound of the waves tonight, which is the next best sound to a cat purring…
casa azahar 