IMA’S BOOKWORM REVIEW, VOLUME V, ISSUE 1

Oleander Girl by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni Three Worms
Too many characters are used in the narrative form, which leaps back and forth with abandon. Good tale but difficult to follow. May have been helpful to include a map and glossary of terminology.

Close My Eyes by Sophie McKenzie Three Worms
Twists and turns delightful but difficult to connect with the rather irritating main character. Gross factor involved. Italicized narrative spoiled the ending.

Buying In by Laura Hemphill Two and a Half Worms
Solid technical explanations of the Wall Street process. Lacked deep character analysis.

The Philadelphia Quarry by Howard Owen Two and a Half Worms
Spartan tale needed more details. Extremely creepy element included.

The Measures Between Us by Ethan Hauser Two Worms
Lacked emotional connection to the characters. Did not explain actions or aftermath thoroughly.

PS. Ratings:
FIVE WORMS = Perfection
FOUR AND A HALF WORMS = Excellent
FOUR WORMS = Very Good
THREE AND A HALF WORMS = Good
THREE WORMS = Fair, but readable
TWO AND A HALF WORMS = So-So
TWO WORMS = Oh-Oh
ONE WORM = No-No
NO WORMS = Oh, hell no!

Read First-Time Authors!
Copyright © 2014 by Ima B. Musing: all rights reserved.

TUTU TILLY

After surgery Tilly became a picky eater. She wasn’t interested in her regular food and ignored a variety of treats. Her only consistent meal was the turkey flavored Whiskas Temptations treats. It was disconcerting. I couldn’t afford to feed her Temptations forever. Her typical weight of 8.5 pounds had dropped to 7.6 pounds but the doctor wasn’t too concerned. As long as she was eating, drinking, urinating, defecating, and acting normally I should not worry unless she loses more weight.

Because her internal stitches were still healing she was restricted to the first floor with all the tall areas covered with empty boxes. I would give her some wet food at night to coax her into the small bathroom on first floor to sleep. I gradually reduced the wet food so that she would consume more of the dry. She was highly disappointed the first night that she didn’t receive the extra treat. She meowed her objection to a dry treat very loudly.

Three weeks post-operation her six-inch external incision has healed except for a small one-inch segment. Thus, she had to continue to wear the soft Elizabethan collar which looks like a flat tutu. Her internal stitches are finally starting to dissolve so there is less of a ridge on her belly. For the first time, she did the full stretch while sleeping on my lap. She had relaxed so much that I think that she added four inches to her length. She must be feeling better and began to annoy Zozo again.

Tilly continues to be very cuddly. She likes to flop onto my chest with her back to my chin and get her chin scratched. She begins to purr and sometimes sleeps in that position. It is fine except when I wish to read a book or if I need to leave the couch for any reason. Zozo doesn’t like the collar but is treating Tilly almost normally. One month post-op I removed the collar, much to Tilly’s delight. Her fur is growing back slowly, it’s about an eighth of an inch long. However, until her internal stitches reduce I still have to restrict her to first floor.

I don’t regret Tilly’s operation. I am still emotional and cry easily, which is not regular behavior. A few kind people have donated to help towards the outrageously high medical bill. I will have to sell stuff to pay for it but Tilly is young and will compensate me with love. I would be honored by your contribution to www.gofundme.com/Ima-B-Musing Read about the whole adventure starting Dec 29, 2013.

Run Tilly Run!
Copyright © 2014 by Ima B. Musing; All rights reserved

WAGON FALLING

Received a disturbing call from my old friend, Tony. He and I were good friends in high school but he became increasingly negative during college so I didn’t seek him out. We became reacquainted a couple years ago after he moved back to our hometown to help take care of his ailing father. His dad died and he lived with his mom. I would sometimes see them when I was visiting my parents. His mom died about a year and a half ago. She was a really nice person and they were very close.

Unbeknownst to me, Tony had been struggling with alcoholism for several years. He is angry and destructive when drunk. After his mom’s death he went back into rehab and did well for over a year. He then decided to move to Nevada, unfortunately, it did not bode well. Someone stole his license, a lot of his stuff, and money. He was too intoxicated to know who did it so can’t file charges. Got drunk and trashed a hotel room. Plus, has blown through all his inheritance money.

A couple weeks ago called me while drunk and sobbing about his mom, which made me cry about my mom. Tony is an atheist and distains the Alcoholics Anonymous’ 12 Step Program. I encouraged him to call his counselors in Minnesota and ask for a reference for a therapist in Nevada. He hasn’t been in that state long enough to be considered a resident, especially since he still owns property in MN. I know that rehab is expensive so he may end up losing his parent’s house, too.

Another complication is that Tony likes to smoke a lot of marijuana. He says it is medicinal due to being HIV-Positive but I think there is a psychological element, too. He got into heavier use when he was sober. Tony hasn’t developed full-blown AIDS because the drug cocktail is keeping it at bay, however, I don’t know how he can pay for it. He hasn’t held a job since moving from Iowa eight years ago.

Tony’s niece is currently renting his house but her family is fraught with dysfunction. I don’t think that she can be very supportive of him. I care about Tony, I want him to be happy and healthy but I cannot take on his burden at this time. I am too fragile with grief for my mom and fear for the cat. I can only offer encouragement. Thankfully, he found a free detox program in Las Vegas and is in the process of sobering up. He called to let me know that he was feeling better and was going to seek out a support group. I can hope for the best but I still fear for his welfare.

Pray for Tony.
Copyright © 2014 by Ima B. Musing; All rights reserved

DREAMING OF SPRING

Sparkling diamonds scattered across the white drifts. Oh, I wish that I could collect the diamond dust for money. Alas, it is an optical illusion of ice crystals and sunshine. Lovely but a pain in the bum to shovel. You have to scrape the snow down to the cement or risk having it melt just enough to transform into ice.

Winter has been extremely arduous this season. Typically, it would snow and then be followed by several days of cold sunshine. Unfortunately, it is more likely to snow, snow, be dang blasted cold, have a half-day of sunshine and then snow again. Some weeks I toss snow three times. I do like my Ames True Temper shovel with a Versa-grip handle. It has a small metal blade on the bottom but the plastic composition is light. Info at http://www.amestruetemper.com/products/detail.aspx?ProductId=565&FamilyId=676&LineId=675 Yes, this is one of those rare occasions when I make a product endorsement.

It takes me about an hour to shovel or use the snow blower to clear off the driveway, sidewalk, and back walkway between the garage and house. My snow blower is wimpy so it can only hurl a few inches of fluffy stuff. If I have enough time and energy I clean off my neighbor’s sidewalks since we have a lot of pedestrians walking dogs or going to the bus stop. I particularly despise the snowplow splat of snow that gets tossed onto my sidewalk and clogs the end of my driveway. It is dense and difficult to remove; chiefly upon coming home after work and dusk has fallen.

The Polar Vortex was especially difficult to endure. Your skin will freeze within minutes and automobile batteries are less reliable in the extreme cold weather. A friend who resides in Hawaii emailed me that she “could not imagine” how cold it was in the upper Midwest. Believe me, we don’t like it either. You cannot fool with Great-Grandmother Earth aka Mother Nature. She is firmly in charge.

Blizzards are a rarity in the Twin Cities. It is rather frightening to not be able to see only a few feet in front of your face because the wind is blowing the snow intensely. It is easy to get disoriented and the wind-chill will bring on hypothermia. Sadly, people die out in the cold every year or have fingers, toes or nose amputated due to extreme frostbite. Heart attacks while shoveling, and falling from roofs while trying to clear snow or ice dams also harms people.

After a few days of being trapped inside due to snow or cold, a person can develop a case of “Cabin Fever.” One is strongly compelled to get out of the house or scream from boredom and stress. I was utterly irritated with my employer for not closing the office during the Arctic Inland Hurricane. When the public school system closes, so should all businesses. It isn’t safe for kids, adults or animals to be outside.

This is typically the coldest week of winter in MN, spring should be only 100 days away... we hope.

Stay warm!
Copyright © 2014 by Ima B. Musing; All rights reserved

IMA’S BOOKWORM REVIEW, VOLUME IV OVERVIEW

A few books have been adjusted from their original rating to be in better alignment. Don’t bother reading anything at 2.5 or below. Search "Ima's Bookworm Reviews" on this blog for brief reviews in past issues.

Ima’s Bookworm Review Ratings:
FIVE WORMS = Perfection; or
FOUR AND A HALF WORMS = Excellent
None this volume!

FOUR WORMS = Very Good
Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown
Prophet of Bones by Ted Kosmatka
Jewelweed by David Rhodes

THREE AND A HALF WORMS = Good
The Old Man’s Love Story by Rudolfo Anaya
The Lovebird by Natalie Brown
Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins
London Falling by Paul Cornell
Josh Whoever by Michael Guillebeau
Anonymous Sources by Mary Louise Kelly
The Facades by Erick Lundgren
Lifetime by Liza Marklund
Reviver by Seth Patrick
How to Greet Strangers by Joyce Thompson
Capital Punishment by Robert Wilson

THREE WORMS = Fair, but readable
Southern Cross The Dog by Bill Cheng
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Ghosts of Bungo Suido by P.T. Deutermann
The Old Turk’s Load by Gregory Gibson
The Asylum by John Harwood
The Jackal’s Share by Chris Morgan Jones
Under Tower Peak by Bart Paul
The Book of Fate by Parinoush Saniee
Last Rituals by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
The Boy from Reactor 4 by Orest Stelmach
Necessary Evil by Ian Tregillis

TWO AND A HALF WORMS = So-So
The Corpse Washer by Sinan Antoon
Shattered Pillars by Elizabeth Bear
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Decadence by Eric Jerome Dickey
The Book of Someday by Dianne Dixon
There was an Old Woman by Hallie Ephron
People of the Black Sun by Kathleen O’Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear
Always Watching by Chevy Stevens

TWO WORMS = Oh-Oh
Fuse by Julianna Baggott
My Education by Susan Choi
Deep Down by Deborah Coates
Order of Darkness by Philippa Gregory
A Call to Arms by William C. Hammond
Duel Inheritance by Joanna Hershow
The Golden Egg by Donna Leon
Deadly Devotion by Sandra Orchard
Paris by Edward Rutherfurd
Studio Saint-Ex by Ania Szado
Once A Spy by Keith Thomson
Paprika by Yasutaka Tsutsui
The Retrospective by A.B. Yehoshua

ONE/ZERO WORM = No-No or Avoid
In The House Upon The Dirt Between The Lake And The Woods by Matt Bell
Destined to Fly by Indigo Bloome
Honor Thy Thug by Wahinda Clark
The Gamal by Ciaran Collins
Pacific by Tom Drury
King of Cuba by Cristina Garcia
The Fall of Stone City by Ismail Kadare
Evil and the Mask by Fuminori Nakamura
This Magnificent Desolation by Thomas O’Malley
Julia Stirs Up Trouble by Ann B. Ross
The Dream Maker by Jean-Christophe Rufin

UNRATE-ABLE
House of Earth by Woody Guthrie (due to its delay in publication)

NOTE TO AUTHORS SEEKING A REVIEW:
In an effort to support the library, please send a copy of your book to the Ramsey County (MN) or St. Paul Public Library system. Then, message me via Facebook or this blog include the author's name & book title and I'll check it out to review. THANKS! Links to the libraries: https://thefriends.org/about/contact-us/ or http://www.rclreads.org/about/friends-library

Read three worms and above.
© Copyright 2014 Ima B. Musing: all rights reserved.

IMA’S BOOKWORM REVIEW, VOLUME IV, NO-NO ISSUE

Sadly, there are some books that I could not complete. Not my proverbial cup of tea…

In The House Upon The Dirt Between The Lake And The Woods by Matt Bell No Worms
Compelling poetic prose with bits of mythology is damaged by a labyrinth storyline.

Destined to Fly by Indigo Bloome Zero Worms
Third book in a series, which belittled females and focused on sado-masochism. Lead character clueless about psychiatry (I work with psychiatrists and know them well.)

Honor Thy Thug by Wahinda Clark Zed Worms
Excessive expletives and vicious violence decimated the story line. Ceased reading after a few of the unceasingly disturbing chapters.

The Gamal by Ciaran Collins Zip Worms
Story leaps around and is difficult to follow or care about the main character. Lots of swearing didn’t help. There is some strong writing but it was too distasteful to read.

King of Cuba by Cristina Garcia Missing Worms
Pseudo-reality was rather confusing. Characters preoccupied with sex and no reason to care for their fate.

Evil and the Mask by Fuminori Nakamura Zilch Worms
Neglect and psychological abuse warp a young man and the book documents his arduous journey to redemption. Perhaps something was lost in translation. Serious editing needed. [Translated from Japanese]

This Magnificent Desolation by Thomas O’Malley Devoid of Worms
Charming random thoughts and observations become annoying because the story doesn’t weave together. Final chapter is rushed and inconclusive.

Julia Stirs Up Trouble by Ann B. Ross Nada Worms
All characters of diversity are servants and the women are expected to be at home kitchen wizards. Blasted boring plot, too.

The Dream Maker by Jean-Christophe Rufin Lacking Worms
Historical novel which barely explores the main character’s emotions. No reason to care about his fate. [Translated from French by Alison Anderson]

At least they tried.
Copyright © 2014 by Ima B. Musing; All rights reserved.

UNSTITCHED TILLY

Made the appointment to remove the sutures. The surgeon who performed the operation wasn’t working that day. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to schedule Tilly with my favorite veterinarian, Paul. He’s a big guy, 6ft 2 or so, but gentle with cats. One time he complimented me on Zozo being such a good cat and I responded, “Well, you must say that to lots of pet people.” He said no but it was more significant because the veterinarian technician shook her head and silently mouthed the words “No he doesn’t.”

The stitches were not evenly spaced, as a human surgeon would do. I suppose it is because fur will eventually hide the scar. I know a new vet, just out of college, assisted with the surgery so perhaps she was the one to close up the wound. The owner of the business did the follow-up checkup thirteen days after surgery. He was pleased with her progress on Saturday, January 11th.

Apparently Tilly has developed a reputation. As I took her back into the procedure room the four vet techs all exclaimed, “Tilly, our favorite patient.” Her incision is healing so the vet techs removed the prickly stitches. Tilly wiggled but never growled, hissed, scratched or bit them. She just looked very unhappy. She had to get an x-ray to make certain that her internal organs were in their proper place. All looked well, her lungs were filled with air, heart, stomach and spleen in their proper place, and the diaphragm had the proper curve. He was nice and just charged me the base cost for the x-ray.

He removed her soft Elizabethan collar and she was quite happy. As I spoke with him, I held her in my arms and she was calm and curious to look around. She had lived there for two days so it was a familiar, though chaotic, setting. He deemed the hernia to be congenital since she had not been in an accident and he could tell that I never kicked the cat. Its appalling when human adults harm each other; its inconceivable that people would harm a weaker being, such as a child or animal.

I brought her home and she was happy to be free of the collar. I washed it off. Tilly focused on grooming for several hours and drank lots of water. Unfortunately, she irritated the wound and reopened a small scab. She was unhappy that the collar was reinstalled. I was happy that I don’t have to worry about her tearing open the gash. The doctor gave the okay for her to run up and down stairs but she still needs to avoid high jumps. Thus, she will get free reign of the first floor and still sleep in the bathroom for a few more weeks. Zozo will join Tilly during waking hours but sleep in the basement at night, which has lots of places to jump.

Sadly, there was a cost to the medical progress exam $233.22 which brings the grand total to $2,756.05! Wowza, she is nearly worth her weight in gold or some other precious substance! I love her dearly but am frightened about paying this horrendous bill. I would greatly appreciate any contribution that you would care to make at www.gofundme.com/Ima-B-Musing

PS Part I of this non-fiction was published on Dec 29, 2013.

Heal Tilly!
Copyright © 2014 by Ima B. Musing; All rights reserved

TROPICAL DREAMIN’

Frost on the inside of the windows indicates an Artic Inland Hurricane. The Polar Vortex of 2014, North Pole Blast, or whatever you want to call the damn frigid temperatures. The snow squeaks as you quickly stride along. It is fascinating to watch boiling water vaporize when you toss it into the air. A friend of mine froze a t-shirt within a couple minutes of laying it on the ground. Alas, skin freezes within five minutes and a person could die within an hour.

My poor furnace is struggling to keep the cold at bay. My poor pocketbook when I have to pay for these temperatures. I keep the house cool, 58 degrees, but that seems tropical compared to the outside wind-chill. These are the days when I wonder the sanity of residing in the middle of the continent. Dreaming of the tropics…

Spent Sunday, January 5th, at home. Weather has turned too cold to venture outside. I don’t like to go out when it is below zero Fahrenheit. Sort-of watched “Prometheus” it was not a stunning film. Fast-forwarded through the gory parts, I didn’t want nightmares. Viewed “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” fine film. Utilized the forwarding button for songs and fight scenes. I’d like to see the second film as soon as it moves to the cheap theaters. I was perfectly content to have both cats snuggling with me on the couch. Tilly curled up on my chest several times for extra attention. Her e-collar is bothering her but I don’t dare to remove it until the stitches are taken out or later.

Opted to use a vacation day instead of braving –21 degree weather on Monday morning. My boss called to say it was okay but everyone else had made it into the office. When the schools are closed, all businesses should close. I will not endanger my life for a paycheck. As long as I have electricity, heat, water, food and books – I will survive this weather. A bit of cabin fever after being home for almost a week, though. I just hope my plants at work endure.

Photo is Tilly wearing her soft Elizabethan collar.

Stay warm!
Copyright © 2014 by Ima B. Musing; All rights reserved

TILLY’S TRAUMA

Each morning I look for poop in the litter box. Gross, but true. I am happy that Tilly is eating, though not enough, and her GI tract is intact. She needs the calories to heal. Thankfully, her incision looks okay. It is a bit swollen but no signs of external infection or bleeding. Her blue flexible Liz collar is keeping her tongue and teeth away from the stitches.

Friday morning, January 3rd, I ran some errands. Procured books and videos from the library and a few essential food items. Sequestered Tilly to the bathroom but she didn’t seem to mind. Zozo gets the run of first floor and the basement when Tilly is in the restroom. Watched the film “Silver Linings Playbook” which was good but not great. The hospital would have conducted a thorough mouth check for medication and psychiatrist never would have come over to the house. Content that Tilly slept on my lap and Zozo on my right side while I viewed the film. Shoveled a bit of snow on Saturday morning. Tried to watch “The Big Lebowski” but turned if off due to the excessive amount of swearing. Swear words are like spice, a little is okay but too much ruins the flavor. Decided not to attend a social event, due to the chilly weather. I don’t trust my 14-year-old car at night in the cold and I don’t have AAA to bale me out.

Commenced with cleaning and organizing. I am far behind what I had planned to accomplish during the holiday break. I have devoted a lot of time tending to Tilly. She actually played on Saturday morning but I am concerned by her lack of appetite. Normally, she is a fully tummy kind of kitty. She likes to eat a little bit every hour. She isn’t overweight because she plays a lot and likes to chase Zozo. Zozo is a long lean cat whereas Tilly is a bit short and stout.

I still haven’t figured out how I will pay the nearly $2,600 bill for Tilly’s trauma. She is now worth her weight in gold (thereabouts), if you figure 8.5 pounds (before the operation) equals $19.11 per ounce or $305.88 per pound. That is a lot of purrs and cuddling! I had feared that a catastrophic event would occur while I was underemployed, I just didn’t figure that it would involve my wee feline.

Donations for Tilly’s trauma are immensely cherished at www.gofundme.com/Ima-B-Musing PS Part I of this non-fiction was published on Dec 29, 2013.

My sweet babu.
Copyright © 2014 by Ima B. Musing; All rights reserved

TILLY’S BIG BOO-BOO

There it was, a wee pile of pooh. I had never been so happy to see cat scat before! Tilly’s gastro-intestinal tract is working. Yeah, I am thrilled that she can shit again. Thus, is the life of a concerned human with an ill feline. Pathetic, yeah - a bit, but I’m sure that people with sick kids feel the same. I am responsible for her health and happiness. When either is threatened, I must do what I can to fix the situation.

Thursday, January 02, 2014 yielded the litter box present. Tilly dashed out of the bathroom. She is still picking at her food. Coaxed her to consume more of the Whiskas Temptations turkey flavored treats and Friskies Ocean Whitefish and Tuna pate wet food. I give her lots of praise when she eats because she has definitely lost weight since Saturday. Normally, she is about eight and a half pounds of trouble. She had dropped to 7.92 pounds when she was discharged on Tuesday night. I gave her the final dose of the anti-inflammatory, which may cause some her lack of appetite.

Thankfully, she has not been crying in pain and is walking around normally. The IV line site seems to have healed though it will take a month or more for the fur to grow back. It is strange to see dark stripes on her skin, which matches the fur. The sunshine is making the house warm despite the terribly cold temperatures outside. Managed to do some cleaning and leave the cats alone for a while. I do check on them hourly. Tilly jumped up on some furniture that I had placed large boxes on and pull off her e-collar. She didn’t seem to have damaged herself but I’m glad that I have a few days of vacation. I didn’t plan to be a nurse to a cat. I’d be worried sick at work and probably not be very productive. Every hour that Tilly is healing is a good step in the right direction.

On December 24th I dreamt that I had trouble breathing, when I looked down my kidney was shoved under my ribs. In the dream I said, “It ought not be there” and awoke enough to remember the dream. Odd, could it of been a premonition about Tilly? Am I so in-tune with the cats that I can feel them? I think that anything is possible. We are all living creatures and I adore these silly pets. On Sunday night I could not warm up, I was shivering and felt nauseated. The next day I mentioned it to someone at work and she said that perhaps I was feeling the after-affects of anesthesia. I think it was probably due to adrenaline but maybe…

Donations for Tilly’s big boo-boo are profoundly prized at www.gofundme.com/Ima-B-Musing The current total is $2,522.83 (swift intake of breath).

PS Part I of this saga was published on Dec 29, 2013.

Love your kitty!
Copyright © 2014 by Ima B. Musing; All rights reserved

RECOVERING TILLY

Only once did I get up during the night to check on Tilly’s first night home. I made certain that she was okay and try to coax her to eat. She sniffed at her regular food but did eat a few pieces of Whiskas Temptations turkey flavored snacks. Normally, they are treats but I will willingly let her eat the whole package because she needs the calories to heal.

New Year’s Day was rather dull. I was too worried to leave the house. I watched Tilly closely and would occasionally get her to nibble on food. I called all my friends to update them on her condition. Zozo isn’t hissing as much but not back to normal with Tilly. I placed a couch cushion below the radiator to reduce the jumping height and provide a softer landing pad. The radiator is the warmest location in the house so Tilly spent a lot of time sleeping there. I am sure her skin, internal diaphragm and stomach muscles are sore and hurt from the stitches.

She has been walking a bit funny because her right forearm was shaved for an intravenous line. I’m sure that it still hurts. Her back right leg is also shaved so they may have used it during the operation but it doesn’t seem to bother her. I gently massaged the areas around her incision and arm, which made her purr. Tilly has been eating a bit more. Lack of hunger is a side effect of the Onsior drug but she only has one more dose to take.

Due to lack of funds, I had procured movies from the library last week before Tilly got ill. Too damn cold to go outside. I watched “Beasts of the Southern Wild” which was very good. However, the boats would have been sucked through the breach in the levy. I also viewed “V is for Vendetta” because I had missed out on a lot of the dialogue when I saw it at the movie theater. It was nice to use close captioning. However, how did she get perfectly fitting clothes when she wasn’t at home?

Zozo snuggled up under the covers and Tilly slept on top. I was happy and relieved that she had survived three days post-operation. Happiness is a purring cat on your lap! Donations for Tilly’s ouch are wholly treasured at www.gofundme.com/Ima-B-Musing The current total is $2,522.83 (gasp).

PS Part I of this saga was published on Dec 29, 2013.

Happy 2014!
Copyright © 2014 by Ima B. Musing; All rights reserved

POST-OP TILLY

Shorn from armpit to thigh the softest fur was removed revealing eight tiny nipples. The incision is stem to stern, six inches in length stretching from just below her ribs and down her stomach. The gash is held together with sixteen stitches and looks ghastly. It is slightly swollen and two quarter sized bruises mark where the forceps pinched the skin. Tilly’s diaphragmatic hernia operation occurred on the evening of Sunday, December 29th. (Part I was published on Dec 29, 2013.) Unfortunately, I do not own a digital camera or I would post a photo.

I wasn’t allowed to see Tilly right after her operation, probably because I had been crying so much. I dropped by on Monday morning on my way to work. She was rather spacey from the medications but was breathing better. The clinic had to place a “bolter” sign on her cage because when they opened the door she would run out. I reluctantly went to work. I called the clinic every two hours to check on her condition. The drive home was terrible due to slippery snowfall; it took an hour and a half to journey to the clinic. Tilly was doing much better but had a slight fever and didn’t want to eat much. I was content to have her purr and fall asleep with me stroking her ears. They said that she was extremely social.

I visited again on Tuesday, December 31st, morning and Tilly’s fever was finally gone. I hugged the surgeon out of gratitude. Tilly was curious and wanted to meet the other animals in the hospital. I called only once to procure an update about her status. I picked her up on the way home from work. Quick drive home in the cold. Thankfully, she is young and was in good shape before suddenly becoming ill on Saturday. She would have died without the surgery. I am too emotionally fragile to have another being that I love die since my mom died a couple months ago. The grief boiled up into a lot of tears during the past few days and sleepless nights.

“Tilly is a sweet girl and has been a very cooperative patient,” the Discharge Instructions further stated that, “Although Tilly has only eaten small amounts while in hospital, we feel she is stable to continue her recovery at home.” She is taking two medications: Buprenorphine 0.3mg/ml (pain medication) every twelve hours for five days; and Onsior 6mg tab (anti-inflammatory for her fever) one tablet a day for two days. “Tilly must be kept quiet at home for the next couple of weeks to allow for the incision to heal,” were further notes. She is wearing a blue E-collar, which is a more humane version of the standard hard Elizabethan collar. It does not permit her to reach her incision but can lick some parts of her body. The poor kitty will have to wear the collar for several weeks until her wound is healed.

I blocked off everything that she normally jumps upon, much to the chagrin of Zozo. Zozo began hissing at Tilly on Saturday and wasn’t happy about the hospital smell that permeated the patient. Tilly will sleep in the downstairs bathroom and only be permitted to saunter around on first floor until she gets the okay for jumping and stairs. Zozo isn’t happy that she too is restricted to first floor but I do let her sleep in the basement at night.

I cancelled plans for New Years Eve and stayed at home with my cats. I was perfectly content to have them curled up on my lap sleeping. I was so tired that I went to bed before midnight. 2014 has to be better than the past lap around the sun. Deeply concerned about my failing finances.

Donations for her operation are greatly appreciated at www.gofundme.com/Ima-B-Musing The current total is $2,522.83 (barring additional complications).

Have a great year!
Copyright © 2014 by Ima B. Musing; All rights reserved

UNMAGICAL ELECTION

Continued from Dec 27, 2013.

The absolute worst experience was the Poll Watcher from Hades. Technically, watchers are illegal because they have historically been used to intimidate people to sway an election or be completely barred from voting. Official Challengers are permitted to question if someone is permitted to vote in a precinct. They are to address the election judge and never directly interact with the voter. According to the League of Women Voters – Minnesota, “Actual cases of fraud are rare. There have been many investigations, but few cases have been substantiated. Then-Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer reported that only 14 people out of approximately 2,800,000 voters fraudulently cast ballots during the 2004 election in Minnesota– a fraud rate of .0005 percent.” The Minnesota registration system works very well and there are only tiny problems.

Several years ago I was Head Judge of a very large precinct. Harold had been at the poll before but was excessively aggressive and frightened the judges and voters during this stressful time. I reiterated the State of Minnesota guidelines regarding behavior of Challengers at the polling place. As soon as I left the room, Harold ignored the rules so I had to give him a verbal warning of “One more violation and you will be asked to leave the premises.” He went ballistic and started yelling at me. He stormed out of the room and I knew enough to call the Ward Judge. The Ward Judge is a logistical support person for the precincts and can usually solve most of the problems. Plus, he kept stealing snacks that the judges had brought to share with each other.

Harold called in a Republican Party lawyer to yell at me. The lawyer wasn’t from Minnesota and didn’t really know our laws. He threatened me with arrest and a lawsuit. I told them that they needed to depart or my next step would be to have them removed by the Police Department. They retaliated by calling in representatives from the Secretary of State’s office. Two of Mary Kiffmeyer’s enforcers showed up to coerce me, when they were supposed to be neutral. Thankfully, the Ward Judge showed up and called in County Elections Manager. He drove over and we all sat down together in a different room. He reinforced what I had been saying all along and the goons all departed. I was shaking and nearly in tears. He reassured me that the county would provide legal coverage since I was competent. The result was no lawsuit or formal complaint was filed. I was burned out and have not returned as a Head Judge for another Presidential election.

On the same horrible day a woman accused me of assault because I accidentally bumped into her as I walked by. I had to find witnesses to verify that I wasn’t seeking to harm her and note their names and phone numbers in the poll incident log. Another woman had received a ride to the poll from an issue-group and they dropped her off. She didn’t have their name or phone number to procure a ride home so she demanded that I find her one. I had to explain that residents were responsible for their own transportation and I’d call her a cab. She demanded that I pay for it. I was flummoxed. I had just dealt with the nasty Poll Watcher and my emotional reserves were spent. Thankfully, her neighbor happened to walk by and I begged him to give her a ride home. When he said yes I almost hugged him with glee.

Be kind to judges.
Copyright © 2013 by Ima B. Musing; All rights reserved.