update

[sanpaku_backup]

I decided to leave the driving to someone else and took the bus down from Bangor yesterday, in preparation for my LA trip tomorrow. The bus was not bad. Hardly anyone was on it, and, amazingly, it was on time. The bus station and the commuter rail station in Boston were right next to each other. So for about $30 more than the cost of gas-and-tolls, I saved myself a long, pointless drive.

I read a lot of Joe Ellis's Founding Brothers on the road, and it is an extremely fascinating and persuasive book. It clarifies a lot of things I have contemplated in my own teaching. What a pity that the guy permanently disgraced himself with the whole Vietnam Vet thing. The scholarship of this book seems to be sound, at least.

Other recent reads: AHWOSG, which I liked a great deal, and The Nanny Diaries -- piffle, but it was OK fun.

The apartment is not as hot as I was afraid it would be, although there is cat litter everywhere. Also, after two successive nights of the baby waking up around midnight for no reason, apparently last night she woke up at 3:30, 5:00, 6:00, etc... This will be a really hard week on S. I am worried about her. I miss waking up with the baby, too. I slept really badly last night.

Comments

[librarygrrl.livejournal.com]

what the heck are you doing with your cat(s?) while you are away all summer? We are going to give our young neighbor his first paying job ever. Probably his first look at my lacy underthings ever too...

Re:

[sanpaku.livejournal.com]

Ah, the eternal question. We wanted to take him up there with us, but my father in law put the kibosh on that. I found a guy to come in and scoop the box and check on food and water twice a week, for only $10 a visit, which ain't bad. My landlord would probably have done it if I'd asked him (in fact he offered, but I would feel a little awkward about that).

Probably shouldn't be too big of a deal for you -- leaving the cat alone for about 4-5 days at a time should probably be OK, so you only need him to come in once or twice.

Re:

[librarygrrl.livejournal.com]

Ohno my friend. every day. We used to go 3 maybe 4 days but now Otis gets loved up every day. (food, water, brush her till she begs for mercy) She's about 12 now, and she gets really despondent when left alone. How can we tell? She miaows herself hoarse when left alone for more than a day. Also cats tend to uh, find another litter box when theirs isn't scooped for a few days, and I would really like to avoid that. So that's why the young kid at about 3 bucks a day. We can't afford our other cat sitters for three weeks!

Re:

[sanpaku.livejournal.com]

We used to be very nervous about all this, and 3 bucks a day is pretty good, so have him come in every day, sure. (That sets you back, what, a whole 21 bucks? I'm writing this guy a check for 50 or so, and the summer's only half over!)

But I do think you're spoiling the cat. If the kid comes in twice a week the box should be OK. As far as kitty feelings, Felix meows like crazy when I come home, but he's a right ornery bastard and he goes back to his typical swatting within a few hours. He's curled up in my computer case, shedding and ignoring me as usual. So: they can handle it. Really!

Re:

[librarygrrl.livejournal.com]

Twice a week? The cat would be shitting on our pillows.

But really, let's talk about cat shit some more. It is one of my favorite topics.