I have a number of elderly pets (including 3 cats who are each around 15 years old), so I’m at the vet’s office a lot. I even have a standing weekly appointment for one cat whose kidneys are on the way out, so I bring her by each week for fluids. I have another cat that is diabetic and a third that has a thyroid problem. The dogs, for the most part, tend to be in pretty good shape because they are younger.

This past weekend, though, we had a more than usual run at the vet’s, and sickness has run-a-muck here! Friday, I brought in the girl cat for her fluids; Saturday we brought Rocky Boo Boo in because of a possible ear infection; Sunday my thyroid kitty was not doing well, so that was a trip to the ER vet ($400+ later…); and then to top it off, I woke up Monday around 2am with an intense stomach virus. I’m managing to keep down crackers today, but it’s all I can do not to just go back to bed and say the heck with it all!

But, unfortunately, when you are even semi-working for yourself (or worse being completely self-employed), you are the head cook and bottle washer and that means no one else will blog for you; make corrections for the galleys in her next book; make minor typo corrections for the metal clay book’s possible second run; or update your About.com site and get a newsletter together for tomorrow. All of this to do on top of caring for the animals (thyroid kitty is doing much better, feeding him diluted baby food via syringe, and he’s sassier than ever and Rocky is back to rockin’ and rollin’), and I’m exhausted just thinking about it.