Friday, March 20, 2020

A Day in the Life of Ivan Bellenovich

Every day I usually find something interesting when I go home. Bear in mind that ‘interesting’ is a description, not a compliment or a desideratum. World War One is interesting to me. I wish it hadn’t been fought and hate the idea of humans killing each other, but it’s interesting. Every day I usually find something interesting when I go home.

Some days are a convergence of various interests. For instance, yesterday, I arrived home and was greeted as I usually am by Tucker, Raleigh and Josie. The others are more blasé about my return. The first thing I noticed that was out of sorts was that someone had vomited on the linoleum floor. That wasn’t too bad; it’s easy to clean up. Then I found where they had thrown up on the fitted carpet, just inches from the edge of one of the rugs I’d placed to prevent vomit landing on the fitted carpet. In the bathroom, someone had managed to throw up on the wall. That was a new one. I suspect these various-coloured patches were due to Josie, who was unwell in the morning. (She was better in the evening.)

Cammie had of course wet on the soaker pad in front of her litter-box in the bedroom, where she is sequestered during the day. She always does this. She doesn’t need to; she wets in the box at other times. That meant laundry to do.

Renn’s cold has returned and he was sneezing up a storm, often against window panes (more Lysine will be administered for him) and I observed that Raleigh was squinting in his left eye, something he hasn’t done for a long time: that eye was bothering him again. Fortunately, I still have some Tobramycin that hasn’t expired. He would have to be caught twice a day for that.

Someone missed the litter-box in the store-room and wet on the floor there. That was probably my Chubs. She normally puts her bum toward the rear of the box, but now and then she faces the other way and overshoots the box. I place a towel there to catch her residue, but it means laundry has to be done. Luckily, I already have to do it (see above.)

After the litter-boxes are scooped, the store-room floor washed and swept, the vomit treated and the rugs vacuumed, I went to the kitchen to prepare everyone’s dinner. There I noticed that someone had wet on the floor. That was extraordinary. Almost no one goes into the kitchen, except to chivvy me into hurrying with their food. But the urine looked odd. I sniffed it, but it had no smell; it was very diluted, apparently. It was all liquid, so it was very unlikely to be vomit. I wiped it up and started the food.

Then I saw that there were drips coming from the cabinet under my kitchen sink. Not urine: leaking tap-water. I had a leak. After dinner - the cats’, not mine; that comes much later - I removed everything from under the sink, wiped up the water, re-laid tin foil on the floor of the cabinet (I do that to reduce stains and wear on the floor’s wood), found the leak and put a bowl under it.

At last, I was able to prepare food for myself, eat and have a cup of tea. Then I started the evening’s chores.

Every day I usually find something interesting when I go home. Yesterday was just another day.

17 comments:

  1. HeHe! Brilliant John..Brilliant..!
    You wrote all this without any adverts..! :).
    Reminds me back in the 80's when l was coming
    home to three cats..for about 14yrs in all!
    I always had to prepare their food, before
    going upstairs to get my suit etc off..Then
    they'd run upstairs jump onto the bed..all
    wanting the be made a fuss off..! :). So
    for the next 10~15mins it was a free for all..
    Then they'd flake out and sleep, funny how
    cats tire very easily..and yet you have to
    exercise a dog at least twice a day, but it
    only lives half the life of a cat..! Bless!x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Never a dull moment with our feline friends.

    I'm sorry to hear Renn's cold is back.

    ReplyDelete
  3. OH Renn...the lysine will help, little friend. John, you really had an evening of it. It's like any family with kids, and you have quite a few kids.

    ReplyDelete
  4. you don't have to post this comment {though anyone following my blog knows the tabbies don't mince words, and they hate the pie} but I have to be honest and say I chuckled at this. not at your predicament(s], but how your word usage turned a basically crap azz day into a one that was looked at with "interest"

    here's hoping dinner was before the dawn of a new day and everyone's issues, including the sinks, are resolved ~~ ☺☺♥♥

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That’s all right; I’m sure others chuckled, too. I hope so, as I wrote the entry hoping to make light of all the problems. And I usually manage to relax for half an hour before going to bed. That’s when all the cats are resting up for bedtime, and I have a cup of tea. Everything works out. Usually.

      Delete
  5. I'd burn out, I really would. My thoughts to you all; I hope everyone who needs to feel better is or will be very soon.

    As for your leak, I hope your superintendent has this on the priority repair list. (Mom's building is really good about repairs, and she's had more water "adventures" that I ever would want to have.)

    Take care, stay well.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Are you sure one or more of the cats didn't loosen something, to create that under the counter drip, just to throw you off the scent of the other mishaps?
    Reminds me of the years that I put up puppy pee pads around each litter box, since Chuck got into the habit of standing up as he was going. Our knotty pine wainscotting wouldn't have been happy to be 'sprinkled' upon!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Normal really is in the paw of the beholder!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I will admit that things are never dull at the Cozy Inn. Being the pet parent of 6 cats myself I can relate. But gee, John, what do you do in your spare time?? :-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I know it's not funny, but loved how the liquid in the kitchen wasn't the cats! You have an interesting life.

    ReplyDelete
  10. The TITLE! I meant to tell you I love the title of the story!!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Heavens, that photo of Neville makes it look like he is the one who
    did the clean up and the work and the worry, instead of you, John!
    A long day at work, bike ride home in the cold and then get warmed up
    with non stop cleaning. You've got the life! Stay healthy.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love the fact that when you found the liquid on the kitchen floor you immediately thought one of the cats did it. Not surprising though, since they left you so many more gifts throughout the day. Hope the sink leak is taken care of quickly!

    Have a good weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  13. It would seem to some that there is quite a bit of cat going on at your home but then we have the same. It is the price of fostering and having those who need a bit more due to age, illness or adversity. We have the same little presents around and the days there are none are now the ones interesting. Hope that sink is nothing serious and that you are able to get what you need in these times where people hoard toilet paper and frozen pizza (at our stores anyhow)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, life in a multi-cat home is routinely busy. I know you have Rumpy to look after, and Buddy Budd gave you a lot of resposnibility at his age - but when the cleaning and fuss is over - for a while - we are glad to do what we can for these little ones.

      Delete