Murphy Jane Lorraine

Murphy Part 3-----------------------

For Murphy Part 1 click here

For Murphy Part 2 click here

If you're tired of reading about Murphy and want to read about another cat click here

Okay back to Murphy Part 3

After Murphy's first visit to the vet there were plenty of other times that I took her over there.

Remember how I said I was a nervous wreck. Well, its true. I was.

She threw up, I took her to the vet.

She looked sick, I took her.

In the first few months I had Murphy's side of the medicine cabinet and mine.

Every time we went, it was more expensive then the last. 

One trip to vet sticks out more than the others in my mind.

I was waiting tables at the time. Just after I had finished undergrad. There was a six month period of time before I started graduate school that I filled with table waiting. This is actually when I met my husband, but I'll save that story for another day, another time.

Anyway, one Friday, I was working a double, meaning I was working all day and night. It was a super busy weekend and I ended up making the most I had ever made working a double. I was so proud of myself. It seemed like the perfect way to start the weekend.

On Saturday, I worked the morning shift and made it home about  two or three in the afternoon. As soon as I got home I had planned to change and the rest of the day was mine to do whatever I wanted.

Or course, that wasn't the case.

When I walked in the door, my roommate came out of her room and said that she thought something might be wrong with Murphy. She's been laying down all day, she said. And her stomach is huge. She cries when I pick her up.

Oh man.

So I found Murphy in the living room laying on the floor. Big belly Murphy. Crying when I pick her up Murphy.

Then I thought what someone like me would think. The worst.

She must have swallowed something, I wondered out loud. It must be stuck in her tummy. My roommate agreed.

But what?

I rushed her to the emergency vet. There was no time to lose. Murphy could die if something is stuck in her. I can't lose her yet.

I hightailed it to the vet. Big belly Murphy clawed into the headboard of my seat. (I never learned from our first vet visit to bring a cat carrier)

With Murphy clawed into my head I ran into the vet. Obviously Murphy was bigger these days so the weight of her made me have to tilt my head to the side. Walking up to the desk, I explained that Murphy must have swallowed something. She's stomach is horribly big and she cries a lot. Please look at her, I'm worried. Please remove her from my scalp.

The woman sympathetically takes Murphy back and I sit down in the seat worrying what surgery might cost is she can't throw it up. Or pass it. Gross.

Was it money she swallowed? Her favorite purple ball? I haven't seen it a while.

Minutes turn into an hour and I'm waiting and waiting.

And waiting.

Finally someone comes out. The doctor. He says it looks like Murphy may have something in her stomach. I did an X ray, he tells me.  (In my mind, I'm wondering how much X rays cost these days. Whether I'll have to take out a loan.)

What will you have to do?, I ask him. I don't really want to know the answer. I know its an answer that costs a lot.

Surgery. He says.

I'm sweating. 

And Surgery, um, what would that run me. I mean, a thousand bucks, several hundred....my left arm.

It could be close to a thousand, he tells me. 

I swallowed hard and nod my head. I need a minute. I walk outside and he walks back to where ever Murphy and the X ray machine are. I guess prepping for surgery. It was all such a blur.

Outside, it didn't help that it was a beautiful day outside. I was sweating, nervously pacing. Dialing my mom's number on my cell phone.  Please mom pick up. She did and then I lay it all out there for her. Murphy has to have surgery, I say, She swallowed something. It could be a thousand dollars. I think I'm going to throw up. I'm crying and she tells me to calm down. Talks me through it like she always does. Don't worry about she says. I pull myself together (I seem to do that a lot in these blog entries. I hope I don't sound like a basket case.) and  I walk back into the vet waiting room.

I sit down in the chair and wait. I'm not sure for what.

The doctor comes out.

Mam, I'm sorry, he tells me. We won't be needing surgery. (I perk up) You see we thought something was in there, but it turns out that there wasn't. It was.....

It was just gas.

Just gas.

Gas.

Just gas?, I ask him.

Yes mam, I'm sorry.

I'm not. (me-- Carrie-- the one who almost spent a thousand bucks on Murphy surgery)

I want to hug him but that would be weird.

They bring Murphy out and she crawls up on my head. Little belly Murphy. I guess I can figure out how they came up with that prognosis.

I walk over to the counter and I ask how much her x ray will be.

The woman gives me an amount. The exact amount I made on my Friday. Sigh.

I pay her and leave. Balancing Murphy on my head. I slide into my car and let her sit on my headrest.

Sitting in my car, I had an epiphany. I will give it a few days. Whenever she gets sick I won't take her. I'll just wait. You know what? It worked out. Murphy saw less of the vet in the years following and we both seemed to do okay.

But one day Murphy really did swallow something. But more on that later. :)

Hostess with the Mostess

So I'm hosting my first rosary.

And I admit I'm pretty nervous about it.

Every week for two years, my family gets together to pray the rosary. We started doing this when my Aunt Carrie was sick and we continued on with it after she passed away. It was something she really wanted and it has been a giant blessing for the family. Every week, I get to see my family, pray for them and with them, and I get to eat really great food.

It used to happen on Wednesdays but now it happens on Thursdays. We meet at 6:30, at different house every week- sometimes it is at my mom's and sometimes it's at one of three other homes of family members.) 

We drink some wine, sodas, beer, etc. We stand or sit around and we update each other on what has transpired since the last rosary. We laugh, we hug, we encourage. And then we sit down to pray. My dad goes through the super long list of intentions and then we focus on prayer. 

Then we eat. 

And when we eat it is never something thrown together. Nope. Whoever cooks, always out does themselves. You see, everyone in my family is a fantastic cook. So you can see why I'm sort of sweating this one out.

At this week's rosary, it was suggested that I host the next rosary. Nothing permanent.  I guess they needed a filler for next week. Someone couldn't do it. So I'm going to do it. Yep. 

What am I going to cook?

I don't know.

I really can't think of anything.

What am I going to do?

Okay its sounds a lot like I might be panicking. I'm not. But I really want to impress my family. I want them to leave my house patting their bellies. I want them to say things like:

"that was the best ____________ I ever had."

"Can't possibly eat another bite...But can't help myself".

"did Martha Stewart make this? I mean, really!"  (wishful thinking, I know.)

I want them to make the humming sound when the food hits their mouth. I want them to squint their eyes and do the head nod while they chew.

Is this too much to ask?

So I'm racking my brain....

Warm or cold food?

Chips with what dip?

Theme or no theme? - Should it be a Saint Patrick's theme dinner? Should everything be green? Do I want everything to be green? Should I dye things that aren't green, green. I think about my delicious creamy onion and artichoke dip..... dyed green. It would look like....well no one would eat it.

So what to do?

Your thoughts. I have less than week to put something together.

I need a dinner.

I need a a dip.

I need a dessert.

For ten or more people.

Help.

Where have I been?

I'm pretty happy and excited about so many things right now, I thought I might share.

• First, I finished my wedding thank you notes. What a gigantic relief. I don't have an exact number but I think between showers and wedding I wrote about 200 thank you notes.

*Disclaimer #1  10 of your husband's thank you notes is so not equal to 190 of your thank you notes. In other words, your husband may act like he climbed Mount Everest by writing 10 thank you notes and you don't have the heart to tell him that not only did you climb Mount Everest with your thank you note writing, but you circle the world three times  by foot, boat and train. But um, whose really counting anyways. ;)

• Secondly, I've decided to plant a spice and herb garden.  I've enlisted the help of my husband. He has no idea. Should be interesting and I promise to write about the whole thing. From ripping up weeds, to hauling dirt, I will give you the 411 on planting your very own herb/season garden. I may inspire you to never want to go down that road. Or your thumb might turn green just reading my blog about gardening. Who knows.

* Disclaimer #2 Is a spice different from a herb? How should the heck should know? I guess I'll find out.

• Thirdly, is a holy cow for me. I have discovered with great joy that All Recipes.com can produce a shopping list for me. Is this a miracle? Yes. It is. Do I want to run outside and scream it from the top of the highest levee?? Yes I do. Let me elaborate:

You simple go to allrecipes.com. Create a user Account. Pick a recipe you want to cook. Click Add to my Shopping List. Then you go to your shopping list and...Bam you have a shopping list. WOW. It even tells you what isle its on. High five to those bunch of geniuses. Sheesh.

*Disclaimer- not all the recipes are good. Even after I sort through the ones that have 50+ good reviews I still find that there is not so much kick to the things I cook off of there. What does this mean? I'm guessing that a bunch of Northerners are the ones putting their recipes on there! Shame on them for not using more red pepper, garlic, peppers in general, Tabasco sauce and Tony's. Just so you are aware you'll have to tweak the recipes a little. Does this explain my husband's sudden problem with heartburn since we've married? Nope probably has nothing to do with it at all. Why blame myself? :)

• Fourthly, I've been a bike riding fool lately. Jason and I, with our specially made bikes, have been biking up a storm. 

Bike to the grocery?

Why not.

Bike to another city?

Another city here we come.

Ride bikes in New Hebron like we're kids again?

Yep that's right.

I've never biked so much in my life. I feel like a kid again when I ask Jason if he wants to ride bikes after work. I might as well say after we do our homework. Or before my mom calls me in for supper.

*Disclaimer #4 - Never become a bike riding fool and not where a helmut or a hat. A bird pooped on my head the other day and I sure wish I had been better prepared for that. First time in my life. When it happened we were too far from my house to turn back. So I road my bike around with poop matted in my bangs. It was great. Do you think my husband was sympathetic? No he said, 'that's Karma'. :)

• Fifthly, there is no fifthly. That's all I can come up with at the moment to say that I've been busy keeping busy.  :) But I promise to write!