We finally got our plane tickets to Japan! This is very, very good news because it will allow us to do a lot of things we had previously been unable to do, like schedule our housing check-out date, the final pick-up dates for the things we plan to keep in long term storage, and make plans to see family and friends now that we know our leave/arrival dates!
We are flying on the military flight (called AMC) from Seattle to Japn. It's a red-eye flight that technically leaves on October 8th around 1:30 a.m. But we have to check in on the night of the 7th around 10 p.m. Instead of flying to Seattle on the 7th and having a really long layover in Sea-Tac, we decided to make a vacation of it and fly in on the 6th. Neither of us have been anywhere near Seattle so we booked a hotel near the airport and are looking forward to checking out the Space Needle and Pike Place Market! Plus, this will give Wyatt a break from being strapped in his car seat, which will break up the trip a little for him.
So, our itinerary looks like this:
Oct. 6th - Richmond to Seattle
Oct. 7th - Seattle sight-seeing!
Oct 8th - Seattle to Japan
Oct. 9th - arrive in Japan!
We are very excited and as soon as we know if the cats will be accompanying us, I will feel much better. My list of things to do is still long, but I finally feel like the pieces are falling into place, and we can quit playing guessing games and having "exceptions to policy" made because we now have our dates.
The movers are coming Wednesday & Thursday to take our stuff that goes to Japan, and Wyatt and I leave Friday for our "Tour de U.S." for the next month! I'll post more later this week on our planned stops!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
ETA
Just a brief update, since I haven't updated the blog in awhile. Many of you have been asking what our ETA is for Japan. If I knew, I would gladly share, but it seems the powers that be are keeping that their little secret for now. Of course, this is not going over well with me because we have things to take care of! Lots and lots of things!
There is a whole long convoluted story about this, but the bottom line is we are still waiting to hear whether we'll be leaving for Seattle (and then onto Okinawa) on September 23, or a couple weeks after that. Because Tommy doesn't finish his class in California until September 11 (and then has to drive back cross country), we would like a little more time.
I am doing the pack-out with the three (yes, I said THREE) different moving companies in two weeks. But there are many things we can't do until Tommy returns to Virginia - sell cars, get Wyatt's passport, check out of housing, certifications for the cats, etc. So you see my dilemma. 8 days just isn't going to cut it! Not to mention, there are things we have to take care of yet from his dad's passing. We just need more time, and we're hoping they'll give it to us. Soon. :)
There is a whole long convoluted story about this, but the bottom line is we are still waiting to hear whether we'll be leaving for Seattle (and then onto Okinawa) on September 23, or a couple weeks after that. Because Tommy doesn't finish his class in California until September 11 (and then has to drive back cross country), we would like a little more time.
I am doing the pack-out with the three (yes, I said THREE) different moving companies in two weeks. But there are many things we can't do until Tommy returns to Virginia - sell cars, get Wyatt's passport, check out of housing, certifications for the cats, etc. So you see my dilemma. 8 days just isn't going to cut it! Not to mention, there are things we have to take care of yet from his dad's passing. We just need more time, and we're hoping they'll give it to us. Soon. :)
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Do You Like Wyatt's New Shirt?
Here's a picture of Wyatt making our big announcement! I know most of you are already aware (via Facebook), but the Parker family is expecting another new addition in mid-February!If you ask Wyatt if he wants a brother baby or a sister baby, he'll say, "I'm the baby!" If you ask him what his new shirt means, he'll say, "I'm the big boy now." :)
Here's an ultrasound picture of our new little bean taken a few weeks ago at my 10-week dr's appointment:
Of course we are super excited, but I will admit I am slightly terrified. Namely, because I can barely handle the one kid I do have, let alone another one. But it's also because we've got so much going on right now. Tommy's in California. I'm here, working, taking care of Wyatt, trying to make all the moving arrangements and do the pack-out with three different moving companies, booking plane tickets and making arrangements to see as many people as possible before we move half-way around the world. We're working on things from my father-in-law's passing, and are still grieving his loss. Dealing with passports, cat requirements, housing regulations and weight restrictions. And I only have about 3 1/2 weeks left before I leave on my Tour de United States! Yeesh.
So, I am becoming a little overwhelmed, but still positive and excited about the move. I know it will all fall into place, and I've got a list made - I just need to start crossing some things off it! The good news is, I don't have time to feel like crap and be nauseous all day like I did when I was pregnant with Wyatt. I am exhausted, but that is unavoidable. Otherwise, I am feeling great and excited that I have not yet had to face the reality of maternity clothes!!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
My Cat is Stressed Out
One of my cats, Peaches, has been peeing outside her litter box. Mostly on the linoleum floor, but twice in the laundry basket, which is a problem. She did this one other time a few years ago, and it was because she had a urinary tract infection, so I knew I had to take a urine sample to the vet. Collecting that urine, however, turned out to be a problem.
So on Friday night I separated her from the other cat, which meant putting her upstairs in our bathroom. Then I took these crystal-looking things that are the size/shape of cat litter and put them in this box to make her “think” it was her litter box, and of course put food and water there too.
I checked several times before I went to sleep, but no urine sample. So then I tried to go to bed. Only I couldn’t, because she was in there meowing because she wanted out. “Meow! Meow!” And then my other cat, Tenga, started clawing the carpet by the bathroom door and harassing me because I wouldn’t let Peaches out. So I got up out of bed and threw Tenga out of my bedroom and closed the door. But again, all I heard was, “Meow! Meow!” followed by scratching and clawing at the carpet outside the bedroom.
I got back up and took Tenga downstairs and put her in the big storage room, where her litter and food are located, and went back upstairs to bed. But all I heard was, "Meow! Meow!" coming from the bathroom.
I slept fitfully and woke up at 5 a.m. to go to the bathroom, and discovered that Peaches had, in fact, peed. Not in the fake litter box, mind you, but on the linoleum. Hmm… how to collect a urine sample from the linoleum… Think, Megan, think. Aha! There’s a medicine dropper right here on the dresser. I’ll use that! I took the plastic wrapper off and pushed the dropper down, feeling rather smart.
I push the dropper down, and all of a sudden, stuff is shooting out all over the place. What the…?? Oh crap. The dropper was a dropper that had tooth whitening liquid in it that came in a free sample of something Tommy ordered. Double Crap! I now had tooth whitening gel all over me, all over Peaches, and all over the carpet. Sweet.
I wipe it up to the best of my abilities and go downstairs to get a new dropper (the suction kind) and a plastic cup. I then proceeded to suction up cat urine off the floor for a good five minutes. Little by little, I suck it up and squeeze it into the plastic cup. I have plastic gloves on, but the smell is making me want to puke. I start gagging. Then I throw up. Then I knock over the plastic cup with the cat pee in it.
God Bless America!
For the love of all things holy! Why is this so complicated????
I try again, exhausted. I hold my breath and resume suctioning cat pee off the floor. I stop for a minute and think how ridiculous this scenario is. It is 5:16 a.m. in the morning and I am suctioning cat pee off of my floor. For the love.
For the second time, I gather what I think to be an acceptable amount of cat pee and put the lid on and take it downstairs, along with the fake litter box. I put all the rugs back in my bathroom and crawl back in bed. I am just nodding off and Wyatt wakes up. Of course! It is almost the crack of dawn, mind you!
Fast forward to 8:30 a.m., when I start calling veterinary clinics (the one we use on base isn’t open on Saturdays). The one I call says they are accepting new cat patients. Swell. I tell her the problem and tell her I have a urine sample and can they please test it?
Her response?
Did you refrigerate the sample after collecting it?
Um, no. I did not.
Did you capture the sample within an hour of the cat urinating?
I have no idea. Probably not, because I was sleeping.
Oh, well we can’t test the urine unless those conditions have been met.
So you’re telling me that I just sucked up cat urine off my floor for no reason?
I’m sorry, ma’am. You can try to get another sample and bring her in on Monday.
Oh, yes, because this is something I absolutely want to repeat again! Aaarrrgggghhhh!
Whatever. I made the appointment. I had no choice.
So, I repeat the Friday night scenario on Monday morning. I actually managed to see the pee and suck it up off the floor within an hour and refrigerate it. I was so proud! I went to work and came home and picked up the pee, the cat, and her records and went to the clinic.
Only to be told that despite my efforts, they were just going to go in and take a sample from her bladder directly. It was more reliable.
Well by all means, then… take the freakin’ sample! But could you at least tell me that's what you're going to do anyway before I spend half my sleeping hours trying to collect cat urine from the floor?????
And all for naught. $300, an ultrasound and a urinalysis later, the official diagnosis? She is stressed out. No UTI. Just stress.
I can see where sitting around licking yourself all day, watching cars go by could be stressful.
For the love. I’m stressed out too, but I still pee in the toilet!!!
She is soooooo lucky I like her.
So on Friday night I separated her from the other cat, which meant putting her upstairs in our bathroom. Then I took these crystal-looking things that are the size/shape of cat litter and put them in this box to make her “think” it was her litter box, and of course put food and water there too.
I checked several times before I went to sleep, but no urine sample. So then I tried to go to bed. Only I couldn’t, because she was in there meowing because she wanted out. “Meow! Meow!” And then my other cat, Tenga, started clawing the carpet by the bathroom door and harassing me because I wouldn’t let Peaches out. So I got up out of bed and threw Tenga out of my bedroom and closed the door. But again, all I heard was, “Meow! Meow!” followed by scratching and clawing at the carpet outside the bedroom.
I got back up and took Tenga downstairs and put her in the big storage room, where her litter and food are located, and went back upstairs to bed. But all I heard was, "Meow! Meow!" coming from the bathroom.
I slept fitfully and woke up at 5 a.m. to go to the bathroom, and discovered that Peaches had, in fact, peed. Not in the fake litter box, mind you, but on the linoleum. Hmm… how to collect a urine sample from the linoleum… Think, Megan, think. Aha! There’s a medicine dropper right here on the dresser. I’ll use that! I took the plastic wrapper off and pushed the dropper down, feeling rather smart.
I push the dropper down, and all of a sudden, stuff is shooting out all over the place. What the…?? Oh crap. The dropper was a dropper that had tooth whitening liquid in it that came in a free sample of something Tommy ordered. Double Crap! I now had tooth whitening gel all over me, all over Peaches, and all over the carpet. Sweet.
I wipe it up to the best of my abilities and go downstairs to get a new dropper (the suction kind) and a plastic cup. I then proceeded to suction up cat urine off the floor for a good five minutes. Little by little, I suck it up and squeeze it into the plastic cup. I have plastic gloves on, but the smell is making me want to puke. I start gagging. Then I throw up. Then I knock over the plastic cup with the cat pee in it.
God Bless America!
For the love of all things holy! Why is this so complicated????
I try again, exhausted. I hold my breath and resume suctioning cat pee off the floor. I stop for a minute and think how ridiculous this scenario is. It is 5:16 a.m. in the morning and I am suctioning cat pee off of my floor. For the love.
For the second time, I gather what I think to be an acceptable amount of cat pee and put the lid on and take it downstairs, along with the fake litter box. I put all the rugs back in my bathroom and crawl back in bed. I am just nodding off and Wyatt wakes up. Of course! It is almost the crack of dawn, mind you!
Fast forward to 8:30 a.m., when I start calling veterinary clinics (the one we use on base isn’t open on Saturdays). The one I call says they are accepting new cat patients. Swell. I tell her the problem and tell her I have a urine sample and can they please test it?
Her response?
Did you refrigerate the sample after collecting it?
Um, no. I did not.
Did you capture the sample within an hour of the cat urinating?
I have no idea. Probably not, because I was sleeping.
Oh, well we can’t test the urine unless those conditions have been met.
So you’re telling me that I just sucked up cat urine off my floor for no reason?
I’m sorry, ma’am. You can try to get another sample and bring her in on Monday.
Oh, yes, because this is something I absolutely want to repeat again! Aaarrrgggghhhh!
Whatever. I made the appointment. I had no choice.
So, I repeat the Friday night scenario on Monday morning. I actually managed to see the pee and suck it up off the floor within an hour and refrigerate it. I was so proud! I went to work and came home and picked up the pee, the cat, and her records and went to the clinic.
Only to be told that despite my efforts, they were just going to go in and take a sample from her bladder directly. It was more reliable.
Well by all means, then… take the freakin’ sample! But could you at least tell me that's what you're going to do anyway before I spend half my sleeping hours trying to collect cat urine from the floor?????
And all for naught. $300, an ultrasound and a urinalysis later, the official diagnosis? She is stressed out. No UTI. Just stress.
I can see where sitting around licking yourself all day, watching cars go by could be stressful.
For the love. I’m stressed out too, but I still pee in the toilet!!!
She is soooooo lucky I like her.
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