My Apartment Has Been Spared
Jan. 14th, 2011 09:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rusty_armourI came home tonight to hear the most wonderful news on my answering machine: my friend won't be dropping off her cat for a few days. Don't get me wrong. I love cats. However, I know that cats aren't good at handling change. Of any kind. This cat, in particular, has a tendency to freak out when faced with something new, which is perfectly understandable but a little frightening if you're her potential host. I had pictured the cat either refusing to come out from under my bed for the next few days or trashing the place. My biggest fear was that she would pee on my Sherlockiana collection. It's happened before, though it was several years ago and a different cat. I also wasn't looking forward to coordinating a meeting with my friend as she is one of the most disorganized people I've ever met. For those of you who have suffered through previous posts about my high school friends, she's the one who has no concept of time, so planning anything with her is a hassle. Oh, and I can only imagine what it would have been like having to move all that stuff up to my apartment. We're talking the cat, the litter box, the litter to go inside the box, and cat food at the very least. Anywaaaaaay, my friend originally wanted me to look after her cat because she was going to clean her carpets and was afraid that Kala would lick them and get sick. Then my friend decided to do something radical and actually talk to someone at Home Depot about it. Turns out the carpet cleaner isn't harmful to pets, though the guy at Home Depot said that my friend could put her cat in the bathroom for a few hours if she had concerns.
I realize this probably doesn't seem like a big deal, but I've got PMS (Yes, again. I'm beginning to think my mom is right and there are only three days a month when I don't have it.) so I've lost the ability to cope with pretty much everything. And I've been fretting about the cat-sitting since Sunday when my friend dumped this on me. Although I was still having issues with her, I accepted an invitation to lunch at her place. It was going surprisingly well until I sat on the floor to play with the cat, and S mentioned to us that she would need someone to look after Kala. Although I knew it would end up being me, I kept my mouth shut while my two other friends said they couldn't take the cat. Then S turned to me and said, "What about you, Aunty C?" Well, really. What was I supposed to do? I had no excuse for why I couldn't take the cat. To make matters worse, S wanted me to take Kala on Wednesday. I asked if she meant the next Wednesday as surely this Wednesday was a little short notice, even for her. No, she meant this Wednesday. To make a long story a tiny bit shorter, S postponed the drop-off until Thursday. Then she cancelled on Thursday because she had a migraine. Tonight's excuse has already been covered. *g*
I have to confess that S almost managed to trap me a second time. I was so happy and relieved that I wouldn't have to take Kala that I almost let my guard down. It was only when S mentioned that she was trying to take apart her desk and would need help moving it (and other boxes) down to storage that I went on the alert. I immediately told her that I wasn't at all mechanical and would be even more hopeless at taking the desk apart, which is actually the truth -- more or less. When she mentioned the other boxes she would need to move, I returned to the subject of the desk and her need to find someone who could figure it out. She said that what she needed was a boy -- or a female friend who was mechanical. In case, she hadn't got the hint, I wished her good luck with moving everything and cleaning the carpet. Then I ended the call. I figure she can bug those other two friends who couldn't take her cat.
I'm sure that won't be the end of it, but it's not as if she'll be able to reach me because I have no intention of answering the phone when she calls. Oh, she has tried to thwart those of us with caller ID because she's withheld her number. However, she's the only person I know who has gone to this kind of trouble, so whenever I see "Withheld" I know it's her.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-01-15 08:32 am (UTC)Good to hear you managed to avoid the cat while feeling crappy. You might enjoy reading my blog the next few days as I have not managed to escape taking Astor in for two days...
no subject
Date: 2011-01-15 01:45 pm (UTC)Seriosuly if I was having to use withheld caller ID bc I knew my friends would ignore my call-I'd start asking myself some serious questions!!
no subject
Date: 2011-01-15 02:04 pm (UTC)As for PMS, I believe the P stands for permanent.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-15 04:22 pm (UTC)Well, apparently there's one part she can't figure out, though she thought she might have a solution last night. She's a bit disaster prone, so I can only imagine what might happen to the desk when she tries it -- not that I can throw stones. I've been known to break something when I haven't even been in the same room with the object in question. *g*
Good to hear you managed to avoid the cat while feeling crappy. You might enjoy reading my blog the next few days as I have not managed to escape taking Astor in for two days...
Yes, I was extremely lucky to avoid cat-sitting. I hope things go well with Astor. I'll be reading your blog with interest. :-)
no subject
Date: 2011-01-15 04:35 pm (UTC)I totally agree. And I would have understood if the cat freaked out under the circumstances. She's only had the one owner and known the one home. She knows me and will sometimes come to see me if she feels like it, but she's pretty skittish by nature.
Seriosuly if I was having to use withheld caller ID bc I knew my friends would ignore my call-I'd start asking myself some serious questions!!
LOL! Well, to be honest, I'm not sure if that's the reason why she got it. I was mean enough to think just that when I first realized she was withholding her caller ID. Actually, it pissed me off because one of the reasons why I signed up for call display was to avoid phone calls from people like her. Uh, she's what a friend of mine refers to as "an emotional vampire". She basically calls when she needs something, has a problem, or wants to vent, though I have to say that she will ask me about myself, which is more than my other "emotional vampire" friend will do. However, I usually don't want to share a lot of details because a) she's a psychologist and b) she isn't a geek so my interests wouldn't mean much to her.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-15 04:38 pm (UTC)If my friend hadn't talked to that guy at Home Depot, I'd have the cat right now. It was a very close call. Same goes for the desk debacle. My brain has been mushy all week, but, thankfully, it came through when my friend was trying to wheedle me into helping her.
As for PMS, I believe the P stands for permanent.
LOL! That makes a lot of sense! *g*
no subject
Date: 2011-01-16 07:02 am (UTC)I can see why you call her an "emotional vulture." I'm surprised she's a psychologist.
That's funny that you know when she phones you because she's withheld her number.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-16 02:30 pm (UTC)Yes, it was just a bad situation all round. It wasn't ideal for any of us, especially poor Kala.
I can see why you call her an "emotional vulture." I'm surprised she's a psychologist.
I shouldn't say this, but I've heard that psychologists are some of the most screwed up people around. My mom once theorized that people get into psychology in the first place because they're looking for solutions to their own problems. *g*
That's funny that you know when she phones you because she's withheld her number.
I know. Pretty ironic, eh? *g*
no subject
Date: 2011-01-23 06:29 am (UTC)However, having a friend like that who seems to be more take than give (I have a similar friend) can be quite draining. So, congrats on avoiding the cat and the possible physical and emotional mindfield of her moving issues.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-23 05:51 pm (UTC)I'm sorry you've been so out of sorts lately. I know weather can have an effect on me. I'm pretty sure I suffer from SAD in the winter (especially in February) because of the lack of sunlight. I also get quite moody when the barometric pressure is low, especially if a thunderstorm is looming. If it isn't the weather that's causing your mood then it could be stress or lack of sleep (if that's an issue). In any case, I hope you feel more like your usual self soon. :-)
However, having a friend like that who seems to be more take than give (I have a similar friend) can be quite draining. So, congrats on avoiding the cat and the possible physical and emotional mindfield of her moving issues.
Friends like that can be extremely draining, especially if you've already got other things on your plate. I was very happy and relieved to avoid the cat-sitting and moving issues. I've received two other calls from her. She left a message earlier in the week asking me what she could use to get the smell of cat urine out of her carpets. I called and left a message on her machine the next day at work (in order to avoid having to speak to her). I told her to call a pet store or visit a grocery store and check out the cleaning products there. Yesterday, she called when I was out grocery shopping (ironically enough). She didn't leave a message, but my phone keeps a record of numbers even when someone doesn't leave a message, so I knew, once again, that "Withheld" was her. *g*