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The Year In Review
Dec. 31st, 2016 05:52 pmLost too many musicians I admire, too many actors I enjoy. My Arts world took a hit this year, no doubt
Not a good year for our animals either. We adopted a street stray in January, through a friend who rescues cats in Sydney's inner-west, named her Esme & were starting to make progress in socialisation... we thought... Until she made her break one night after dinner, clawing her way through the screen door & vanishing into the dark, millimetres in front of my diving, grasping hand. Despite many searches & a street poster campaign, she's not been seen since. On Valentines Day, we brought home 2 calico sisters from Dubbo, found via the RSPCA, named them EmmyLou & Layla & prepared to be contented cat owners for 15 years or so... EmmyLou never thrived, always smaller, more shy & less active than her sister - who doubled in size almost every fortnight. EmmyLou then took to hiding under a lounge & eating less. Our Vet diagnosed FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis) &, even though there was no cure, we tried everything. Until one morning she couldn't even walk & we arranged for her dignified departure. That day, we learned from the RSPCA that her mother & other 4 siblings had all died from the same disease. Layla was now the last one standing
Layla seemed to shrug off any sign of FIP, but developed shortness of breath, a rapid heartbeat & paleness of gums, feet & nose. Leukaemia. She responded well to Prednisone steroids until early November, when the damned disease finally took her down, a few weeks after her first birthday
A rollercoaster year in my 'career' - One year after joining a company that told me they were in good financial shape & looking to expand, I was made redundant. Only one other employee had been with them longer than me by that stage &, far from expanding, they had closed one of their locations. I know no company will paint a gloomy picture to its staff, but it's a bitter pill, because it was the 3rd time in almost as many years I'd been given a letter, a meagre payout & insincere best wishes... Enough to make a man wonder if a whale will swallow me next time I go swimming. Fortunately, I was hired not long after returning from overseas, by a furniture company who seem to be a bit more stable & realistic. Watch this space
A return visit to the USA in October for the wedding of two friends, meeting new ones, catching up with old ones, revisiting some amazing places, finding new ones & discovering the best thing about Los Angeles is the Departures Lounge at LAX (With the Getty Museum a close second... to be fair)
No real waves, whirlpools or waterspouts on the home front - all the drama seemed to happen elsewhere this year. We are still here, still standing & thankful for that
All in all, I'd give 2016 a D+. I've certainly had worse, but it could have been a whole lot better all round
For more detail on all of the above, including some lovely photos, please consult earlier entries in this Journal...
Not a good year for our animals either. We adopted a street stray in January, through a friend who rescues cats in Sydney's inner-west, named her Esme & were starting to make progress in socialisation... we thought... Until she made her break one night after dinner, clawing her way through the screen door & vanishing into the dark, millimetres in front of my diving, grasping hand. Despite many searches & a street poster campaign, she's not been seen since. On Valentines Day, we brought home 2 calico sisters from Dubbo, found via the RSPCA, named them EmmyLou & Layla & prepared to be contented cat owners for 15 years or so... EmmyLou never thrived, always smaller, more shy & less active than her sister - who doubled in size almost every fortnight. EmmyLou then took to hiding under a lounge & eating less. Our Vet diagnosed FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis) &, even though there was no cure, we tried everything. Until one morning she couldn't even walk & we arranged for her dignified departure. That day, we learned from the RSPCA that her mother & other 4 siblings had all died from the same disease. Layla was now the last one standing
Layla seemed to shrug off any sign of FIP, but developed shortness of breath, a rapid heartbeat & paleness of gums, feet & nose. Leukaemia. She responded well to Prednisone steroids until early November, when the damned disease finally took her down, a few weeks after her first birthday
A rollercoaster year in my 'career' - One year after joining a company that told me they were in good financial shape & looking to expand, I was made redundant. Only one other employee had been with them longer than me by that stage &, far from expanding, they had closed one of their locations. I know no company will paint a gloomy picture to its staff, but it's a bitter pill, because it was the 3rd time in almost as many years I'd been given a letter, a meagre payout & insincere best wishes... Enough to make a man wonder if a whale will swallow me next time I go swimming. Fortunately, I was hired not long after returning from overseas, by a furniture company who seem to be a bit more stable & realistic. Watch this space
A return visit to the USA in October for the wedding of two friends, meeting new ones, catching up with old ones, revisiting some amazing places, finding new ones & discovering the best thing about Los Angeles is the Departures Lounge at LAX (With the Getty Museum a close second... to be fair)
No real waves, whirlpools or waterspouts on the home front - all the drama seemed to happen elsewhere this year. We are still here, still standing & thankful for that
All in all, I'd give 2016 a D+. I've certainly had worse, but it could have been a whole lot better all round
For more detail on all of the above, including some lovely photos, please consult earlier entries in this Journal...
