Repressed Memmeries

Captain Jack Strikes Back!

To those of you that have been kinda-sorta following along in our current Kitty Crises, you'll be happy to know that we got some pretty good news about Jack last night from the vet.

We'd been waiting for about a week to get the results back from a fluids test they were running to see whether or not he'd show positive for FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitus), which is usually fatal. He's been very lethargic over the last month or so, and his lungs seem to keep filling with fluid, so the vet drew out as much of the fluid out of his lungs as she could and sent a sample off to be tested for the corona virus, which, when it mutates, becomes FIP.

So, when the call came last night that his fluid didn't show any signs of the virus, we were very happy to hear it! However, what this does is send us down a different path in order to try and find both the cause and possible cure. We're having an ultrasound done on Thursday to see if there are any physiological structures that might be causing whatever he's got.

I will say that our little Jack Jack has been a little perkier over the last week or so. That may have to do with the fluid being taken from his lungs, but at this point, as long as he's feeling a little better, that's all that matters, right?

Ugh (aka. Summer Colds Are The Worst)

I can't think of the last time I missed two days of work in a row. Really. I can't, because I never get sick.

Well, except for now.

I'm not up to writing much, but I did want to let anyone who was checking in that this crappy little chest cold I picked up from The Boy has moved along to the expectorating stage. (Just ask Mrs. Repressed, who had to put up with my stupid coughing ass all last night.) So, that's a good thing because it's finally packing up its bags and moving out, but from the marked lack of sleep I got last night to the hacking in my lungs, I'm not going in to work for the second day in a row.

I will say that the Farm offers great sick time (and other benefits), as I currently have around, say, 110 sick days I can take for the rest of the year.

Ugh. At least my sinuses seem to be clearing up today, and that's no small thing.

The Definition of "Teh Awesome": Rush on Stephen Colbert

First, who ever thought that Neil Peart would have the funniest lines on the show?

Second, "You guys have not been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, so is the title of your next album going to be, 'That's Bullshit!'?" Right on!

And now, without further adieu.... RUSH!

Happy Independence Day!

We've got two big bags of fireworks, a box of burgers and a pile of side dishes big enough to shake a stick at.

Toss in an absolutely gorgeous day outside (much better than last's year's searing heat), and you've got the makings for a fantastic holiday.

Just remember that it took an act of brave treason by the 56 men who adopted and signed the Declaration of Independence to get the who shebang rolling. Men who weren't afraid to stand up to a royal dictator named George, putting everything on the line to do what was right. This act cost most of these men dearly in the end, but it was their bravery in not just sitting back and accepting the long train of abuses being visited upon them  by their current government that led them to do great things.

I often wonder if that would even be possible today...

Happy 4th of July, everyone!

St. Louis Trip, Final Day: Arch Your Back For a Better View

I figured better late than never on getting up the report for the last day of our vacation. I'm not going to spoil it with a lot of words this time; instead, I'll just let the pictures tell the story for me.

And here are some from inside the Jefferson Westward Expansion Memorial:

Here's a tribute to one of our of family's favorite movies, National Treasure:

For those of you that haven't been to the Arch, here's what the tram that takes you up to the top looks like:

Now, on these pics we snapped from the top of the arch of the Mighty Mississippi, note the shoreline is still flooded out from all the rain the region received a couple of weeks ago. Remember: all that water had to go somewhere!

Finally, our last stop was this little riverside "cool district" called The Landings. By the time we got out of the arch, we were all famished, so we stopped in this restaurant called "Hanegans", which had a tres retro-gangster-chic motif working on all cylinders. More importantly, the food there was really good; I had an absolutely delicious Irish Stew (aka. a glorified shepherd's pie):

... and Mrs. Repressed had a bacony-garlicky-tomatoey gemelli pasta dish:

(Side note: Isn't she beautiful? <<heart flutter!>>) :)

Sufficiently full and happy, we hit the road and arrived back at Casa de Repressed a few hours later. All in all, we agreed that this vacation - with a few minor hiccups at the hotel - was a smashing success, and we'll probably be going back...

... especially since we have 5 more free visits left on our Six Flags tickets, although next time, we'll be smarter about it and take a cooler full of food... and save a couple hundred bucks in the process! :)

R-