Manta 1996-2008

On 6th June 2008 our beloved dog Manta passed away aged 12 after a full and contented life.

She had been getting slower and more creaky over the last few months, but nothing overly suspicious. Periodic vet visits confirmed her heart was strong and while a little plump was only a little bit overweight for her breed and age. Her joints were getting creaky and stiff but fish oil chews were taking care of that and she was mostly pretty limber for a little dog of her advanced years. Cavalier's are not the longest lived of breeds, in fact they say anything over 9-10 years is most definitely borrowed time.

Around Wednesday or Thursday last week she started showing signs of being unwell. Previous days had seen her perky and ravenously hungry as she had always been. The decline was swift. By Friday evening it was clear something was very wrong. She was listless and still and anaemic. She couldn't walk without falling over. She was rushed to the vet, where our worst fears were confirmed. There was a lot of fluid in her abdomen, probably caused by an unforeseen tumour, most likely on her spleen. This happens all the time to elderly dogs, apparently, and because they are so good at soldiering on it's not obvious to the naked eye that there is anything amiss.

The vet said that nothing we could have done would have prevented this, and that even if they operated she wouldn't survive the procedure. This was going to happen anyway. We decided with heavy hearts the best thing to do was to let her go.

Mia is obviously devastated by this, but she is consoled in her loss by the fact that Manta had a long and happy life and was loved by everyone and loved them right back. Longevity and happiness, despite spending most of her life asleep and if unchecked eating more than a small horse. We should all hope for such a life.

She will be sorely missed.

Phil

Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show

funny funny funny

This is at once the silliest and the funniest show on the net. Episode 11 stars Wil Wheaton, everyone's favourite teenage Star Trek TNG character. How can he be an adult? It's only like 20 years since he was on St... er, oh ok. Hey I actually met him a few times in about 1993. Did I mention that already? Dammit. My name dropping pool is really getting shallow. I got to put myself out there more...

Enjoy! Watch them all. Imagine a curious Japanese children's talk show with guest characters who seem in fear of their lives. Total comic genius. Written by and starring Kim Evey as Kiko and directed by her husband Greg Benson.

YouTube is the new TV folks. Deal with it. :)

Existential Gathering Gloom

My gloomy state of mind is sort of coming and going. Being off sick makes you think too much.

I've spent a lot of time this weekend thinking. Mia is having a sleepover at our friend Ali's place. The kids are away as they are every holiday down at their mum's place. I've been mulling things over.

There's very few things in my life I regret. There's more good than bad. But what I hate most is the stuff I can do nothing about...

Ok don't really want to talk about stuff, but sometimes bad things go on behind closed doors. In the past I've been hurt and betrayed by loved ones, and friends and in-law relations just sort of stood about like they didn't want to get involved, like it was a private matter and taking one person's word for it wasn't enough to stick their necks out. I guess there was lots of stuff they didn't know about, so not entirely their fault. But nobody helped, even when I directly asked for it. And it's pointless raking that over now because too much oily spilled milk has drifted under the bridge. I do tell people about it all of course but it's more in the way of an anecdote. A funny thing happened to me on the way to the asylum.

If I could change the past I would, but I can't. And that's what I mean. I can't do anything about it and sometimes it really bothers me. I tell you what though it has made me a lot closer to my family recently. The only people I didn't ask for help from in the dark times were my own family. Stupid right? My mum and my sis especially who have come through for me recently in a big way. I can't possibly pay back all the favours they've done me and love they've given.

I was kind of a proud self-sufficient young adult, never asked for any help from anyone. I had to be literally unconscious from fatigue or grief or hunger before I would accept any assistance. So it was hard to ask but I'm glad I did.

But the dark times still come to haunt me sometimes, when I spend lots of time alone and unable to move about much. Like being off sick for 5 weeks or so. Oh and I'm sure that there are more dark times just ahead, I know it, but at least now I'm also sure there are some people in my life I can count on for support. That helps.

If there's a lesson here it is this: find out who your supporters are and cling to them like a rat. Oh and make sure the support is sometimes two-way or you will BE a rat.

:)