Picking up the pieces or one hell of a week
So, last week was interesting as in “may you live in interesting times.” I want to say something witty here but I think a simple recounting shall suffice.
Tuesday morning, we send old white cat off to the vet for a shave and checkup. She’s been having issues using the bathroom so we’re hoping for a quick medical fix.
Tuesday afternoon we get her back. She’s treating her left-front leg as if it’s a piece of wood stapled to her shoulder. She’s in terrible shape, pulling herself around with her one good front paw. I’m still not in great mental shape from last week. This is not good. We’ve had Winter for 14+ years. The cat doesn’t seem to care. The brunette and I are almost in tears it is so pitiful. We set up a cat house that was supposed to be a present so that she has somewhere to rest that doesn’t require her to climb furniture.
I run a game for my group because I promised and because if I don’t do something, I don’t know what I’m going to do.
I wake up the next day and the cat is better…sort of. She’s more with it, probably because the sedative the vet gave her is worn off. She’s still acting as if her left front leg isn’t part of her body but the vet said she might get use of it again if we let her rest.
Positive thoughts…I go and make coffee. I start putting clean dishes away. I pick up one of our nice wine glasses to return it to our china cabinet. I try to open one of the louvered doors and I’m not exactly sure what happens next.
Objects start pelting me in the head. There’s a continuous sound of shattering glass. I’m fairly sure the china cabinet has dumped its upper load all over me and the floor. I’m barefoot, freaked the fuck out, and standing in the middle of a field of shattered glass…and stuff keeps falling and breaking. Oh, and I can hear our other cat heading right for me and the symphony of destruction. Did I mention I’m freaked the fuck out?
The brunette said later that it was the longest most magnificent glass breaking event she’s ever heard.
Anyway, the brunette comes in and does exactly what I need her to do. She stays calm, even though she’s barefoot too and can’t be in a much better mental place than I am. She helps hold the upper cabinet upright and closed…because if we let it go, the entire assembly is going to fall on us, our dining room table, possibly our cat, and is going to blast glass shards like a grenade.
I need the help because I’m pretty sure I’m cut and I need someone to free me up to start solving problems…which is how I deal with crisis.
I come up with a plan which I narrate so the brunette can correct me in case I’m too freaked out to plan rationally.
1. Grab curious cat and throw in closed room-make sure to close door.
2. Get slip on sandals so can walk on broken glass.
3. Get packing tape and secure cabinet front doors.
4. Stabilize cabinet.
5. Check for injuries and treat accordingly.
The brunette says this makes sense. Execute…don’t think about fields of broken glass…
It turns out the china cabinet’s upper half was free-standing on the lower part and was displaced enough that the left most buttress was pushed out past the edge of the lower component. I must have set it off when I tried to open the upper door. All the stuff on top and the stuff not stopped by the door I was holding shut took a dive. I ended up with a 4-inch gash in my heal but otherwise avoid serious injury.
The brunette remembers we have liquid bandage…which I needed at this point because I desperately have to deal with this situation. I scramble through one of our booboo kits, clean the gash, use liquid bandage, cover it in gauze, strap it down, and get some god dammed steel toed boots on. The Brunette has the first virtual class of her program’s Covid model coming up in less than an hour and has already gone above and beyond. At some point, the apartment management company is supposed to be sending people to clean our apartment ducts today.
I let the building management know that they should hold off sending anyone for a couple hours. I text my boss and say work is not happening. I call the lady we pay to clean and help us with odd jobs. She drops everything and agrees to come over.
She finds me with my heaviest pair of work gloves gently sweeping broken glass into a pile while dropping the biggest pieces into a trash can I’ve lined with a 3mm contractor bag. I’m not in a great place. The week wasn’t going well before this and now I’m picking up pieces of our wedding gifts and various trinkets we had on display.
Helper lady comes and has everything fixed within 2 hours. She said she was worried I had a concussion I sounded so bad…fortunately no. Side note, glass was everywhere. There are some things you really want sighted help to complete. Between her and the Brunette I am incredibly grateful
She helps us read through yesterday’s mail…which says the brunette’s mammogram has to be redone…figures.
Our curious younger cat has been crying to be let out for hours. We finally let him free.
We are still freaked out but start to slowly put the place back in order.
We keep calling the apartment complex as it gets later to figure out what’s going on with their contractor.
At five o’clock I give up on the idea because it’s obvious nobody is coming.
At 5:45pm we get a call that the contractors are coming…great…and we have to put any energetic animals in a room without a vent with the door closed. The brunette loses it this time with good reason. The only rooms in our apartment without vents are the closets and what’s this we have to leave our apartment crap? The rental office can’t say other than its policy. Can we wear masks and stay out of their way? Nope. I compromise with the office and tell them we can leave but the contractors are just going to have to be aware that the young cat is in the bathroom-for the second time today. I make it crystal clear that 15 minutes is not adequate notice to evacuate our home in the middle of a pandemic.
K comes and takes us to eat outside at a local Mexican joint. They have margaritas. I have water because I don’t like drinking when I’m upset. K mocks me about walking on broken glass:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y25stK5ymlA
It’s not funny…but it kind of is…
I really needed that hour of human contact even if we’re socially distancing at the table.
We’re just done at this point and go to bed after checking on the animals.
Next morning goes ok. Helper lady says she can’t come today to help remove the upper cabinet (I want it out of the apartment at this point.) Various relatives don’t want the family china…so we’re stuck with the lower half but she’ll come Friday.
The brunette is in the middle of her shower and the complex turns off the building water for an emergency repair…WTF?
We get that settled, build a safe place for the old white cat in the back bathroom and close her in with a heated kitty house and a puppy pad covered in litter. She acts like we should have done this 14 years ago…and why isn’t the room bigger? She’s still not using her leg but at least someone around here is happy. I continue tossing various pieces of trash and prepare for various furniture removals for Friday.
Next morning, we discuss the situation and decide that the white cat, who has been using our old cloth sofa as a litter box until we put her in the back, has made the comfy couch unusable. Wednesday night she even peed into the material under where our head would rest and that smell will-not-quit.
I call “800gotjunk” and have them come over to remove the sofa. It’s not cost effective for them to take the upper cabinet half but at least the sofa will be gone.
They come and…the sofa won’t fit through the door. They take off the legs…still won’t fit. Are you guys going to be reselling this or something? Nope. Ok, walk calmly over to the door, pass them a 10-pound sledge hammer. This is clearly the best moment of their day. They go to town. They need a knife to cut apart the fabric. I get them a knife…they dismantle the sofa far beyond what’s probably required…but who am I to stop their fun. I tell them they can keep the knife and the sofa-they are so happy I wonder if they should be paying me?
I start cleaning up the wreckage. Why are there pieces of broken wood and glass? Ah, the picture frame that was leaning against the sofa because young cat tore it off the wall weeks ago, has broken and is slowly shedding pieces of the frame and glass cover. I don’t even remember resting it there…but clearly glass is on the warpath this week.
Good news, I have experience disposing of wreckage. I put the gloves on, sweep it up, and run the wet/dry vac over every inch of the area by hand.
Helper lady shows up. She couldn’t bring her truck so we’re going to have to take the cabinet apart and leave it at the dumpsters. Fine. I grab tools. She unscrews the fixtures. I tap the structural elements out with the sledge. I start carrying loads out to the dumpster. Wife and helper lady begin going through our kitchen cabinets to clear some space for the survivors of the great china crash. I start carrying out unwanted glasses and mugs. It got so bad that the local neighbor youths started offering to carry the bags to the dumpster after my sixth trip…man I must have looked bad.
So…interesting times.
Things I’ve learned:
1. I am way better prepared than I used to be. I have tools to solve most basic problems. I have first aid components. I have protective gear.
2. Despite the fact I was freaked out, I handled the crisis well. It’s good to know that when things get ruff my reaction is to make a plan. I’d known that before when dealing with some kitchen fires but it’s good to have it confirmed even if I wish the circumstances didn’t make it necessary.
3. My neighbors don’t care or weren’t home for most of this. A massive crash and screaming followed by days of smashing and breaking…crickets.
4. I have good friends and support structures. I can fix my own problems but when I need help, I can get it on short notice. That’s seriously comforting.
So, for now the apartment is clean. Old cat is not in a good place but she’s comfortable…we’re going to have to make a decision on that soon but the vet said to give her a couple weeks. I have no idea what we are going to do there but we’ll make it right even if we have to say goodbye.
Tuesday morning, we send old white cat off to the vet for a shave and checkup. She’s been having issues using the bathroom so we’re hoping for a quick medical fix.
Tuesday afternoon we get her back. She’s treating her left-front leg as if it’s a piece of wood stapled to her shoulder. She’s in terrible shape, pulling herself around with her one good front paw. I’m still not in great mental shape from last week. This is not good. We’ve had Winter for 14+ years. The cat doesn’t seem to care. The brunette and I are almost in tears it is so pitiful. We set up a cat house that was supposed to be a present so that she has somewhere to rest that doesn’t require her to climb furniture.
I run a game for my group because I promised and because if I don’t do something, I don’t know what I’m going to do.
I wake up the next day and the cat is better…sort of. She’s more with it, probably because the sedative the vet gave her is worn off. She’s still acting as if her left front leg isn’t part of her body but the vet said she might get use of it again if we let her rest.
Positive thoughts…I go and make coffee. I start putting clean dishes away. I pick up one of our nice wine glasses to return it to our china cabinet. I try to open one of the louvered doors and I’m not exactly sure what happens next.
Objects start pelting me in the head. There’s a continuous sound of shattering glass. I’m fairly sure the china cabinet has dumped its upper load all over me and the floor. I’m barefoot, freaked the fuck out, and standing in the middle of a field of shattered glass…and stuff keeps falling and breaking. Oh, and I can hear our other cat heading right for me and the symphony of destruction. Did I mention I’m freaked the fuck out?
The brunette said later that it was the longest most magnificent glass breaking event she’s ever heard.
Anyway, the brunette comes in and does exactly what I need her to do. She stays calm, even though she’s barefoot too and can’t be in a much better mental place than I am. She helps hold the upper cabinet upright and closed…because if we let it go, the entire assembly is going to fall on us, our dining room table, possibly our cat, and is going to blast glass shards like a grenade.
I need the help because I’m pretty sure I’m cut and I need someone to free me up to start solving problems…which is how I deal with crisis.
I come up with a plan which I narrate so the brunette can correct me in case I’m too freaked out to plan rationally.
1. Grab curious cat and throw in closed room-make sure to close door.
2. Get slip on sandals so can walk on broken glass.
3. Get packing tape and secure cabinet front doors.
4. Stabilize cabinet.
5. Check for injuries and treat accordingly.
The brunette says this makes sense. Execute…don’t think about fields of broken glass…
It turns out the china cabinet’s upper half was free-standing on the lower part and was displaced enough that the left most buttress was pushed out past the edge of the lower component. I must have set it off when I tried to open the upper door. All the stuff on top and the stuff not stopped by the door I was holding shut took a dive. I ended up with a 4-inch gash in my heal but otherwise avoid serious injury.
The brunette remembers we have liquid bandage…which I needed at this point because I desperately have to deal with this situation. I scramble through one of our booboo kits, clean the gash, use liquid bandage, cover it in gauze, strap it down, and get some god dammed steel toed boots on. The Brunette has the first virtual class of her program’s Covid model coming up in less than an hour and has already gone above and beyond. At some point, the apartment management company is supposed to be sending people to clean our apartment ducts today.
I let the building management know that they should hold off sending anyone for a couple hours. I text my boss and say work is not happening. I call the lady we pay to clean and help us with odd jobs. She drops everything and agrees to come over.
She finds me with my heaviest pair of work gloves gently sweeping broken glass into a pile while dropping the biggest pieces into a trash can I’ve lined with a 3mm contractor bag. I’m not in a great place. The week wasn’t going well before this and now I’m picking up pieces of our wedding gifts and various trinkets we had on display.
Helper lady comes and has everything fixed within 2 hours. She said she was worried I had a concussion I sounded so bad…fortunately no. Side note, glass was everywhere. There are some things you really want sighted help to complete. Between her and the Brunette I am incredibly grateful
She helps us read through yesterday’s mail…which says the brunette’s mammogram has to be redone…figures.
Our curious younger cat has been crying to be let out for hours. We finally let him free.
We are still freaked out but start to slowly put the place back in order.
We keep calling the apartment complex as it gets later to figure out what’s going on with their contractor.
At five o’clock I give up on the idea because it’s obvious nobody is coming.
At 5:45pm we get a call that the contractors are coming…great…and we have to put any energetic animals in a room without a vent with the door closed. The brunette loses it this time with good reason. The only rooms in our apartment without vents are the closets and what’s this we have to leave our apartment crap? The rental office can’t say other than its policy. Can we wear masks and stay out of their way? Nope. I compromise with the office and tell them we can leave but the contractors are just going to have to be aware that the young cat is in the bathroom-for the second time today. I make it crystal clear that 15 minutes is not adequate notice to evacuate our home in the middle of a pandemic.
K comes and takes us to eat outside at a local Mexican joint. They have margaritas. I have water because I don’t like drinking when I’m upset. K mocks me about walking on broken glass:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y25stK5ymlA
It’s not funny…but it kind of is…
I really needed that hour of human contact even if we’re socially distancing at the table.
We’re just done at this point and go to bed after checking on the animals.
Next morning goes ok. Helper lady says she can’t come today to help remove the upper cabinet (I want it out of the apartment at this point.) Various relatives don’t want the family china…so we’re stuck with the lower half but she’ll come Friday.
The brunette is in the middle of her shower and the complex turns off the building water for an emergency repair…WTF?
We get that settled, build a safe place for the old white cat in the back bathroom and close her in with a heated kitty house and a puppy pad covered in litter. She acts like we should have done this 14 years ago…and why isn’t the room bigger? She’s still not using her leg but at least someone around here is happy. I continue tossing various pieces of trash and prepare for various furniture removals for Friday.
Next morning, we discuss the situation and decide that the white cat, who has been using our old cloth sofa as a litter box until we put her in the back, has made the comfy couch unusable. Wednesday night she even peed into the material under where our head would rest and that smell will-not-quit.
I call “800gotjunk” and have them come over to remove the sofa. It’s not cost effective for them to take the upper cabinet half but at least the sofa will be gone.
They come and…the sofa won’t fit through the door. They take off the legs…still won’t fit. Are you guys going to be reselling this or something? Nope. Ok, walk calmly over to the door, pass them a 10-pound sledge hammer. This is clearly the best moment of their day. They go to town. They need a knife to cut apart the fabric. I get them a knife…they dismantle the sofa far beyond what’s probably required…but who am I to stop their fun. I tell them they can keep the knife and the sofa-they are so happy I wonder if they should be paying me?
I start cleaning up the wreckage. Why are there pieces of broken wood and glass? Ah, the picture frame that was leaning against the sofa because young cat tore it off the wall weeks ago, has broken and is slowly shedding pieces of the frame and glass cover. I don’t even remember resting it there…but clearly glass is on the warpath this week.
Good news, I have experience disposing of wreckage. I put the gloves on, sweep it up, and run the wet/dry vac over every inch of the area by hand.
Helper lady shows up. She couldn’t bring her truck so we’re going to have to take the cabinet apart and leave it at the dumpsters. Fine. I grab tools. She unscrews the fixtures. I tap the structural elements out with the sledge. I start carrying loads out to the dumpster. Wife and helper lady begin going through our kitchen cabinets to clear some space for the survivors of the great china crash. I start carrying out unwanted glasses and mugs. It got so bad that the local neighbor youths started offering to carry the bags to the dumpster after my sixth trip…man I must have looked bad.
So…interesting times.
Things I’ve learned:
1. I am way better prepared than I used to be. I have tools to solve most basic problems. I have first aid components. I have protective gear.
2. Despite the fact I was freaked out, I handled the crisis well. It’s good to know that when things get ruff my reaction is to make a plan. I’d known that before when dealing with some kitchen fires but it’s good to have it confirmed even if I wish the circumstances didn’t make it necessary.
3. My neighbors don’t care or weren’t home for most of this. A massive crash and screaming followed by days of smashing and breaking…crickets.
4. I have good friends and support structures. I can fix my own problems but when I need help, I can get it on short notice. That’s seriously comforting.
So, for now the apartment is clean. Old cat is not in a good place but she’s comfortable…we’re going to have to make a decision on that soon but the vet said to give her a couple weeks. I have no idea what we are going to do there but we’ll make it right even if we have to say goodbye.