Midweek frustrations

[altivo]

I will get through this week.

Very shorthanded at work, which is bad enough. Mate is on jury duty, which complicates matters further. They're stringing him along, holding him for half the day then sending him home but telling him to come back again the next day... He's not allowed to take anything useful, like his hand work (crochet hook, you see, might be a lethal weapon) into the courthouse. He can take his MP3 player but isn't allowed to carry it (even in a pocket) into the courtroom if he is put on a jury, so he doesn't want to do that. In the end, all he can do is take a book with him. He's not sleeping well, and if they empanel him he'll probably fall asleep in court. ;P

So each day we don't know if the animal chores will be done on time or not. With my work staff down to usually only two people, myself and one other, I can't leave early or come in late. I've got to be here. Fortunately there are more hours of light now, so we can do some things early in the morning or after I get home. Goddess help us if they sequester him for a murder trial or something. I don't know how I'd manage my work plus the animal chores he usually does. I do my share on weekends and Thursdays (when I work a half day) but it's hard to do it and work a full day as well.

My pooch, Simon, goes in for surgery tomorrow morning, too. Nothing threatening, just a large fatty tumor under the skin that the vet and I decided is going to be a problem if not removed. They'll check it for malignancy, of course, but that's unlikely. Simon is ten years old, and I'm not happy about putting him under general anesthesia, but this lump is getting big enough that I'm afraid he'll injure it and get it infected if it isn't removed. Poor puppy. Oh, and his vet is leaving the clinic where we've been going for the last five years and starting his own practice. All he could say was that he would be in Belvidere, which is accessible to us, just four miles farther than Woodstock, but because of his non-competition agreement with the current clinic he isn't allowed to say more than that. We'll have to hunt him out ourselves I guess.

Oh, and for anyone interested, I did post another review to The Clydesdale Librarian site today, in spite of all that.

Comments

[songdogmi.livejournal.com]

What doesn't kill us makes us stranger stronger. Good luck -- I'm sure everything will be fine. Easy for me to say, of course, but it sounds like you know the worst of it now. I hope Simon has a terribly uneventful surgery.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

It should be OK. My last beardie had a similar problem but his was under the ear and could have gotten very messy. This one should be quick and simple, I hope.

Oh, and Gary just e-mailed that they've let him off the jury for the rest of the week, so that won't be a problem any more.

[songdogmi.livejournal.com]

Yay for Gary! And for you too. Now, can he come to the library to work with you? :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Simon or Gary? ;p

I've often wanted to take Simon to work with me but never did it. The library cat probably wouldn't like it at my present workplace. I've been working on Gary about it. We are in need of more part time help and the boss seems interested in hiring a semi-retired adult instead of another unreliable high school student. He doesn't want to answer phones or work the desk, but that would be all right. We really need someone reliable to shelve books and do techie things like putting labels and covers onto new books after they are cataloged.

[heavens-steed.livejournal.com]

*holds you in his firm embrace* Awww, poor old Clydesdale. So much at one time. I know what it's like to suffer at work because of being short-handed. It happens quite frequently at my job, although not as much as it use to. I'm sorry your mate is on jury duty, that's no fun. Nor is taking your dog in for surgery I gather. You have my sympathies. I hope and pray that your dog will be okay and that you'll get through this. You're strong, so I'm sure you will.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Oh I've survived much worse, that's true. It's the shorthands at work that bugs me because it isn't necessary, it's just poor planning. That and the crazy grandmother thing that I've mentioned before.

Hugs appreciated though. Thanks.

[goldenstallion.livejournal.com]

From one who has done three Grand Jurys and one Petit over the past ten years...

What seems strange to me is talking with other jury members who have NEVER been called and yet, here I am every two years (soonest possible legal date they can call on me again in spite is it supposed to be totally indiscrimitory like a drawing luck of the draw type thing I do not believe that for a second any more)...

It has cost me a lot of money and time but I always try to do my best when doing jury duty except that one Petit case involving an elderly couple being accused (with all the proper legal evidence obviously in order) of growing POT I stood up and told the judge I could not, in good conscience(sp) judge this couple since I strongly feel this entire war on drugs is filled with lies and stupidity how could I, in good conscience, put this couple in a situation wherein they might lose their home, their freedom, and just about everything for growing a plant, particularly since the FDA does not consider it a drug but a herb, etc. etc. etc.... I am very knowledgable about this subject btw and am NOT a stoner...

I regress. Needless to say both attourneys literally RAN to the bench and whispered and I was excused.

Stick up for what you believe, it can get you in trouble but it can also set you free.

Max, er, Steed

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Well, yes, that is what I'd do, and probably be excused from almost any jury for one reason or another. But Gary would probably not make objection like that. I've lost track of the number of times he has been called. Many, many times when we lived in Chicago and he would have to go to a very bad neighborhood where the criminal court is located and public transportation is slow and roundabout, but you don't dare drive there and park either.

I've only been called once ever and was immediately excused.

[vimsig.livejournal.com]

Thoughts for Simon
:O)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Thanks. He should be OK, and I'll post news here when I have it.

[kamodragon.livejournal.com]

Things always seem to crash together at a million miles an hour when it happens... when the dust settles it will be okay

*hugs a 'Tivo*

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the hugs, they are much appreciated.

Yeah, now the jury duty thing has ended early, so that's one nuisance eliminated. I just have to get past the double hump day of working late tomorrow, which I absolutely hate, and worrying about Simon. I'll be ok after that.

[flaredragon.livejournal.com]

*shire snugs for ya*

Hurr, good to hear the jury duty things over with. You're a strong horse, you'll get through it. You can borrow strength from me any day if ya feel it helps ya =)

Nice review on the website as usual, neigh. Have you ever seen Miyazaki's "The Cat Returns"?

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yeah, having the jury duty thing ended is real helpful. I didn't know what I was going to do tomorrow 'cuz Simon goes to the vet for his surgery at 8 am and can come home that afternoon. But I work from noon to 8pm, too late to pick him up. I didn't want to leave him there overnight if it could be helped, and now Gary will be able to get him whenever they say he's OK.

I've seen several Miyazaki films, but not that one. Generally the Japanese stuff just leaves me cold. It's probably generational, since I didn't grow up on it or on the video games that are so closely tied to it. Even with my younger brother (who has a master's in Japanese history from Johns Hopkins) on hand to explain the exotic bits, I generally don't appreciate them very much. And yet I can get into some awfully obtuse German and French films from the silent film era... So it's certainly a question of background and what you're used to I suppose.

[flaredragon.livejournal.com]

*nodnods* I ask only because for the most part, it seems a lot more "furry" than some of his other films, like Spirited Away. In this case, Cats have a world where they can walk and talk (but oddly enough, are -not- anthromorphic in most cases, some of the characters are though) and the main heroine Haru is kidnapped to be forced to marry the cat prince. However, she contacts the "Cat Bureau" for help and we meet our main heroes/helpers, an anthromorphic cat, a gargoyle-inspired crow, and an incredibly fat normal cat.

The movie is certainly fun to watch... but if miyazaki's other films didn't do anything for you, this one might not either. I don't think it's a "generational" thing though.. I've always liked Studio Ghibli over Disney however. I think Hayao's storylines are a lot more involved than you'll ever see in a Disney movie (at least these days).

*hoss hugs for ya*

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I generally prefer Dreamworks to Disney these days anyway, though as I mentioned I thought Treasure Planet was very well done (of course, they didn't write that, they just adapted it cleverly) and I really, really like Brother Bear.

I did like Kiki's Delivery Service so not all Miyazaki has gone over my head. Spirited Away was quite incomprehensible and bizarre, though, and Castle in the Sky made no sense at all. I was particularly bothered by the unacknowledged thefts from Jonathan Swift. Nonetheless, I actually had Howl's Moving Castle next on my Netflix queue. I've just moved The Cat Returns ahead of it. The Lion in Winter is on its way back so I should have the next one by the weekend.

The Cat Returns

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Saw it tonight. I agree it had some good moments, but on the whole my reaction was the same as it has been to other Japanese anime type films. Yawn. The artwork is great... as still pictures. The animation is poor.
The story line always appears to have been created by inventing a series of cute or curious situations, and then finding a way to string them all together, rather than someone writing a coherent and consistent story before anything else.

Re: The Cat Returns

[flaredragon.livejournal.com]

Hurr...

[marzolan.livejournal.com]

Hope all goes well with the puppy! And hopefully your mate'll get off easy with the jury duty and it won't be too much of an inconvenience... But if it comes down to it, is there a way you can trim the chores to what -has- to be done and get by until he gets home?

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Jury duty at least is resolved, see comments above. Chores can be trimmed somewhat, but my mate is particular about them and it's hard to get him to agree to changes. I would leave the horses outside at night in good weather, for instance, but he seems to be sure that coyotes will eat them or something. ;p

Bringing them in at night is no big deal, except that it means that every day you have three stalls to clean out. And of course they are used to coming in after years of it, and get nervous if you alter the routine.

[marzolan.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes, I guess that would make things difficult to alter...

[quickcasey.livejournal.com]

All will be well with Simon. But the boatload of concern that occurs anyway can be overwhelming. The best to both of you.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I've been through it before, of course, and it will work out however it has to.

OT hello

[cloverr.livejournal.com]

bopped over here from beerhorse's lj.

Saw where your said on your webpage that you are a "A furry librarian? Well, why not? I'm just enough older than most of the techie, online generation to still have a deep appreciation for real printed books and artwork that you can touch."

Know what, that describes me too!!

Re: OT hello

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Hey hi again! animist introduced us at MFF 2004 and I think we at least passed in the flurry a couple of times at 2005 as well. :)

Re: OT hello

[cloverr.livejournal.com]

Ah...nods... :)

[pioneer11.livejournal.com]

This spate of "MIGOD! I'M WORKING MY TAIL OFF!" seems to be going
around. c.c