once again, I'm off my mark

so.. yes.. the last time I wrote, we had 3 emergencies (2 of which declined due to the afore-mentioned emergency fee of $500)

little did I know.. that was the start of our streak of emergencies. we've had 1 or more every day since then! 
that Wednesday we started with an add-on surgery for possible foxtail in the nose. the owner had an appointment Monday but cancelled because the dog stopped sneezing - the vet called her back to come in for anesthesia Wednesday. 
then we had a hit-by-car Wednesday afternoon. the owners came home and found him in the street unable to walk - the owner was actually bitten in the face when he tried to help the dog up. the dog had multiple fractures on his pelvis. the owners did not have the funds to afford a surgery, nor did they have the means to accommodate for after care - the dog weighed 50# and they could not carry him in and out for potty breaks.
our first Monday emergency that had declined emergency fee - she was to come in Wednesday as a regular appointment but did not show. then she called a week later wanting an appointment for the same issue - and did not schedule anything when contacted. 

Friday we had a horrible set of emergencies - so much so, that we worked over 16 hours that day - the last 12-1/2 hours in one stretch. mid-day was a dog fight victim (owner had passed and family moved in with their dogs.. they moved out that day, but not before their 2 dogs attacked him.. an agent brought him in after finding him tied to a tree in the yard)
then that night, second to last appointment of the day was a dog with possible foxtail in the nose (we already had a surgery scheduled that morning to xray nose and biopsy sinuses for a dog with chronic nosebleeds). 

phew.. I did basically nothing the next day. after getting home Saturday morning at 1:45am.. I slept until 1:30pm - a whole day gone. 
Sunday was laundry and catching up on typical weekend things before my workweek started again. 

Monday was the start again of emergencies (remember.. there are only 2 of us working in treatments, and the 1 receptionist who can tech momentarily...)
in the afternoon we had a dog come in who had swallowed a fish hook! the owners are from Vista (186 miles away) and had just arrived at a local lake - a minute later she swallows the BAITED fish hook that someone had left on the ground. 

Wednesday we had 4 emergencies - the busiest day of all (again.. 2 techs & me)
we started with a rattlesnake bite.. a dog at a local rescue - was found limping. no one saw it happen.
then we had a dog we thought was hit by car. actually was a dog who hit the car.. injured right front leg, 'hole' on her right clavicle.. she was actually able to resist an ear exam while on morphine.. THEN, when she was finally discharged, the owners got home (20 miles away) and she was having an allergic reaction to her antibiotic injection - back for more emergency after care..
then we had a dog who had a tussle with housemates and had a puncture wound ON HER EYELID..
lastly was a dog reported to have been attacked by coyotes - they walked in before we could send them elsewhere - the vet determined she was hit by a car, not attacked by coyotes - they eventually walked out because they got tired of waiting. 

Friday - we got through 99% of the day - then a snake bite case walked in.. so close.. so close.. 
she was transferred to a 24hour facility because after 2 vials of antivenin, her swelling was not stopping.

such is summer.. hooray.. just 3 more months of double time, triple time.. 
and all the back pain and leg pain and foot pain and hand pain that comes with it.. 

I HATE MONDAYS !!

last week was a short week. just 2 days (Friday was summer break). Monday was a 12-hour day. Wednesday was a 10-1/2-hour day. Thursday was a nice lazy day. Friday we had a bear at 3am. then Charlie Brown was barking again at 7:15 so I think it was still snooping around. so no sleep for me ☹️ I took a 4-hour nap that afternoon. Saturday we were baking pitas and made hummus from scratch. then went to Sabrina’s from 4:15, got home 1:20 😖 Sunday was another lazy day. my last day of freedom. 

this morning I brought hummus and pitas since they were hardly eaten - they are still in the ice cooler because we started our day with an emergency, on top of the 22 appts that were already pre-scheduled. 2-1/2 year intact female not eating and very lethargic. turns out she has terrible pyometra. ay yi yi.  

2 more emergencies were added in. one is a 10month pit bull mix with a swollen paw. the owner finally showed up and refused to pay a $500 deposit for the emergency fee. the second one emergency is a 3y female chihuahua who is feverish, shivering, no energy, adr. 

I’m already pooped out by lunch. I made coffee and barely drank it. but it will never work now. I’m too far gone. 

the 2 emergencies showed up eventually. but both refused to pay a $500 emergency fee. one is coming Wednesday as a regular exam. both were given the phone numbers for urgent care if anything gets worse tomorrow when we are closed.

we tried to stay afloat all day. the pyometra surgery started late and lasted long. he came while I was trying to feed her for her post op medication. then he left again and we had to wait for him to come back to pick her up. 

13.34-hour day. they don’t come short anymore. too many appts and too few of us.

we jinxed ourselves by fully booking our day after a long weekend. of course there were people who needed us over the weekend and waited - they didn’t go elsewhere. 

so.. we're down to 3 employees again.

 there is a guy training to assist us.. but he's a whole other issue..
Amanda had given her notice Jun 2nd.. with her last day to be 17th.. well, the boss lady made her life a living hell - so, she left the night of the 3rd. once she got home from work that night, she texted the boss lady that she wasn’t coming back  

the new guy.. he plays the 'guy' card a lot.. we 'make' him do things because “he's the guy”.. reaching high shelves, opening boxes, carrying heavy food. it's all things we do ourselves, nothing to do with 'guy' or 'girl'. so i heard tell, he left his last job because the boss was rude and mean.. and he ended up an alcoholic.. and in therapy.. with delusional visions of himself murdering the boss.. so, yeah.. this job has a rude, mean boss.. not a better place for him to be. 

we survived the long week and this will be another short week.. that's a bonus.. just to get through the 2 days of work..

the new vet gave boss lady some suggestions.. suggestions that make work tougher.. but better for the client, right? always better for the client and pet.. 

he finally got his ebt money straightened out so we did a little bit of shopping Sunday. we’re going down to Santa Clarita for a big shopping trip. and Harbor Freight for tools for the swamp cooler piping and his car ignition (he got stuck at the local hardware store, in the hot sun, because his ignition wouldn’t turn). I also need to withdraw some cash to put towards my balance. I have this week (short!) then next week and the week after. then it’s a new month again, with more interest. 

take the good with the bad? if one outweighs the other?

so.. Ron called for his EBT last Thursday. they told him he'd get his back pay on Friday.. then he'd get his June EBT money on the 2nd. well, he went to get soda Friday to test it. no luck. we went to buy soda yesterday to test it, on our way to buy groceries. no money 🤬

he'll be going to the commodity food pickup Wednesday.. for some food from the county food bank.

I paid the cash I had towards my acct last Friday. a whopping $68 ☹️

I got a statement in my email over the weekend that I owed. first thing this morning she told me I have a balance to be paid. no duh! 

my pets AREN'T coming back. there are no employee benefits! I don't have the money to bring them in - if I'm not getting discounts!  my balance is $1312.80, and my reimbursement check is $896.93. and then that doesn't even include the $450 for the echo from the cardiologist. he hasn't even billed me, but insurance isn't going to pay the whole $450. how would I afford the anesthetic dental?? I hope my insurance check comes today, then I can pay that Wednesday and lower my balance. it will start accruing interest now. 

then I ordered a phone case for his cellphone for low income. that came Friday - but so did an email stating his phone will be turned off June 15th because the program ran out of funding. I also bought myself a case for the at&t tablet that I was going to use since he got a tablet last year for low income - his tablet is also getting turned off June 15th since it's the same non-funded program 🤦

in HAPPIER news, we may have a new hunter cat in our yard. something brought me part of the head of a bird. when I checked cameras from Saturday, there was a stray cat hunting the gophers/ground squirrels in our front yard. I haven't even been putting food out since December 28th. but Ron thinks that cat had been stealing from Grey's bowl and is hoping to pay me in carcasses so I'll put more food out. 

this is a long week. 4 days instead of 3 (last Friday was over 14 hours.. I got home just after midnight) so I'm trying to make it through. next week will be just 2 days of work again. 

I can do this 😖