Check up time and Sleepy time...

So, this morning, the Old Man had his check up at the vet.  We had to be there for 10am, so I carried him down from his favourite chair in my studio, hoping he wouldn't throw a hissy fit and run off when he saw the cat carrier.  In fact, he was pretty good about it.  I put him down nearby and asked him to go inside (as I always do, but he normally runs away).  He didn't go in and gave me a "you must be joking" look, but he only walked off a bit and when I followed and put the box right by him, he sort-of shrugged and got inside (complaining and whingeing, but still...). 

Off we went. He only complained in the car because I had violin music on the radio.  He doesn't like violins - too squeaky for cats! Once the radio was off, he settled down and only made conversational noises from time to time. 

We were at the vet's for ages.  First she carted him off to the back, to have his blood pressure measured (before the visit made him stressed!).  Then we had our consultation, with his weight and questions etc.  Then he was taken off for a blood test and we had to wait for a while until the results were ready.  Then it was back into the vet's office to finish the consultation, get his kidney level results and decide if he needed another dose of steroid injection and vit. b12.  We decided he would benefit from both of those, so he had to put up with 2 jabs, poor man... But on the plus side, his blood pressure is back within the normal range and his kidney readings were within the range that the vet felt were acceptable.  He still needs his meds, but he's much better than in December.  He doesn't need to go back for 3 months, unless we feel he needs another dose of anabolic steroid to help him in the meantime.  He can start back on his glucosamine sulphate supplements too, which is great, as he's so stiff with his arthritis and the gl. sulph. really helps. 

Overall, it was a successful, useful visit to the vet. I should've been as it cost a fortune (again!).  Luckily the vet says it all comes under the umbrella of treatment for his kidney problem, so she's putting it all down on the insurance claim form, which I left with her.  I hope to get back a decent amount this time, as the first claim was greatly reduced by a big excess charge. 

So it was nearly lunch time when we got back home.  Sherlock was glad to be back and headed straight back upstairs to his chair - after all, I had interrupted his Important Morning Routine and he Had to Get Back Up to Date. 

He soon appeared for lunch, when he heard me in the kitchen, making a baked potato!  He's been making me laugh, as he sits by the back door (all glass) and looks out at the birds on the lawn, eating seed.  He has a special "Mip" noise that he makes for birds, and he's been doing it all the time recently.  This morning, he'd hardly finished breakfast, when he was there, by the door, going "Mip! Miiip!" and looking at me hopefully.  Of course, if I let him out, the birds all fly up into the trees and sit watching him. Poor old man!

As for the rest of my day... I managed to get some slightly clearer pictures of the new book that's in my shop.  The light was a lot better today. And I came up with an idea for a new Photo Studio:

The shower room! In fact, the shower itself.  It's so light in there, so if I set up my light-tent, it gives me the best daylight I can find. 

There's a nice little skylight just over the shower.  It's nice to stand there and look at blue sky while you shower.  It's also very useful as a place where there is plenty of light! White walls and a skylight - perfect!

And I took these photos there this morning, which are better than the previous ones, I think:

I do like this book - really like it! I have some other papers that I also plan to use for similar books.  I hope to do another tomorrow.

Anyway, I'm hoping for an early night.  J. had real problems sleeping after the weekend's homework episode.  He didn't go to sleep til around midnight on Sunday - keeping me awake too.  Then he was still quite hyped up yesterday and couldn't settle.  It was nearer to 1am before I finally got to sleep last night. 

He was just so fidgetty and was in and out of my room, tried my bed, went back to his own, back to me, back to his room.... I didn't want to get cross, as he's normally very good about bed and going to sleep; so I knew it wasn't playing up etc.  He just could not settle.  I tried lots of things, even let him have a dose of Calprofen, which he said helps him sleep (I am unconvinced, except for when he has a temperature, but by then I was too tired to argue and it wouldn't do him any harm for one day).

Eventually, while thinking that he needed a herbal sleep remedy, I remembered that D. had bought me one of those wheat packs - a sort of fleece sausage thing, with wheat grains inside. You heat it in the microwave, or chill it, to put on sore muscles or head aches.  This one has lavender oil inside as well. 

So I warmed it slightly in the microwave, took it to J. and said "Here's a lavender pillow. Lavender helps people get to sleep."  It was soft and the fleece was lovely to touch, so he laid it by his cheek - and promptly fell asleep at last (1am!). 

I don't remember much beyond getting back into my bed, until I stirred a bit at 6am, decided I would switch the alarm off and, if J. didn't wake up early enough, I would keep him home today, to recover from his sleepless nights. 

Of course, he came in at 7:40am. wide awake and smiling, already dressed, to see why I wasn't up yet!  He was all ready to go to school and didn't think it was a good idea to stay at home.  I let him get on with it and helped him get sorted out and off to school on time.  This evening he came home physically tired too, as he has dance, drama and sport on a Tuesday. In fact he had extra P.E. today, so spent all afternoon doing sports.  By 8pm he was ready for bed and by 8:10 he was fast asleep!! Yesssss!

So, dear readers, I am off to catch up on my much missed beauty sleep (and I certainly need it!).

Good Night All Friends!