d-day

so i scheduled (tentatively) the home vet visit for next tuesday (the 8th). scheduling the euthanasia of a cat...it felt very very weird talking to the vet on the phone.

i'm still a little torn. should i wait until jester seems sicker? is it ok to let him go now? what if he puts up a fight when he sees the needle? even if he doesn't, what will it be like to watch the death of an alert, mentally aware animal? what if i'm racked with guilt afterward? should i spend the next week completely spoiling him?

what i need is a dose of resolve. i also need to reassure myself (or be reassured) that i'm doing the right thing.

this is perhaps one of my most annoying traits, as far as i'm concerned. i'm not always indecisive (in fact, i'm not *usually* indecisive)...only when guilt is involved. or death--me having to make a decision to end the life of a fellow creature. even (um...especially?) one i find particularly difficult to live with. i just hate that i am so susceptible to guilt, that it is so paralyzing or anxiety-producing--particularly guilt about some other person or creature's needs that i'm not willing or able to meet. i just imagine this cat looking at me and thinking, "why is she abandoning me?"

here's a funny joke

i can't get myself a hug tonight, which i sorely need, so i went online in search of jokes so i could get a laugh instead. here's one i liked:

A vacationing penguin is driving through Arizona when he notices that the oil-pressure light is on. He gets out to look and sees oil dripping out of the motor. He drives to the nearest town and stops at the first gas station. After dropping the car off, the penguin goes for a walk around town. He sees an ice-cream shop and, being a penguin in Arizona, decides that something cold would really hit the spot. He gets a big bowl of vanilla ice cream and sits down to eat. Having no hands, he makes a real mess trying to eat with his little flippers. After finishing his ice cream, he goes back to the gas station and asks the mechanic if he’s found the problem. The mechanic looks up and says, “It looks like you blew a seal.” “No, no,” the penguin replies, “it’s just ice cream."

now i gotta eat some dinner...