Day of Exhaustion

Doing too much has caught up with me again. Today, I had big ideas to maybe go down to the Eugene celebration, or on a hike. Then reality hit. I couldn't really stay awake. My body feels heavy and sodden. My head is stuffy, like I am about to catch a cold. I had very much wanted to do something recreational this weekend.

I have been burning the candle at both ends. I am getting a bit old to do the digging tunnels in the dark under houses to get under tight spots into underground chambers in order to pull out cats needing rescued. That adventure a week ago left me bruised, scratched and very sore.

I kept at things, however, catching cats and answering calls for homes for kittens. But I have been feeling the pain, I tell you, and running in the fog on empty.

Today, I gave it the old try. I got up, later than usual, around 9:00, did a few things then could not keep my eyes open, and went back to bed. At noon I got up again, embarrassed for my laziness, still hoping to get down to the Eugene celebration or off to hike a trail. I did a few more things.

A Corvallis woman called saying she'd like to foster Breezy and Berry, the NW Corvallis kittens, and I was extremely happy to hear that. I was happy about that not only because she's a great person, very competent, intelligent and kind, but also because I don't feel good, and can feel the crash coming.

Two less cats to care for is going to help me, while I'm sick with whatever I'm catching, a cold or something. The work load here is stupendous, in just caring for all these cats, let alone also trying to find them homes, do normal household chores, return phone calls and e-mails, line up cats for fixing and spend late nights out trapping cats while transporting them up early the next morning, to the clinic. It's a lot of work. Too much I think. It's really taking its toll on me.

Anyhow, I don't feel good. After she left, I went to try to get some groceries and felt so exhausted and sleepy, I came home and fell asleep again on the couch. I woke up briefly, to see parts of the movie I rented, but I couldn't tell you much about that movie at all. I slept through most of it.

My brother had called last week. I had contacted him wondering about the cat yard contractor. He's showed up, but off and on. He had called to say he'd be here Friday, then never showed up. I'm fairly used to this by now.

The cat yard will be beautiful if ever finished. My brother doesn't want me doing any of it myself. This is his house, so I abide by his wishes.

My brother was feeling his age, when we talked. He had ruptured an achilles tendon about a year ago. He had to have surgery to repair that. Now, he says, he heard a huge pop in one knee, and is having a lot of pain now behind that knee. My brother is one year younger than I am.

That contractor guy however is in worse shape than either of us. He's about five years old than I am and semi retired. He said he beat his body up too much doing framing all his life, so he had to retire, but then the bills just kept coming in, so he does mini jobs, to keep afloat financially. Like building the cat yard.

His helper quit the week before last. He seemed kind of hurt over that. They've worked together for years upon years. But the guy has a family to support and the sporadic work doesn't cut it anymore for supporting a family.

His helper confided to me that his family used to live in So Cal, but, the violence and gang problems were so extreme, that he feared for his son, that he would become involved, so they moved up here, hoping to escape the drugs, violence and gang problems that afflict southern California.

The contractor guy has a large belly, smokes like a fiend and confessed to a vodka affliction, which is likely why he often does not show up. He's a nice guy, though--toughing life out and funny.

He and a buddy went out thirty miles into the ocean in a 20 foot boat two weeks ago, to go tuna fishing. No cabin on the boat, just an open small boat, a huge ocean and two guys intent on hooking into some tuna. He described reeling in the tuna line, with an albacore tuna on its end, by wrapping the nylon line around his forearm and wrist. Unbelievable. He could have been yanked into the ocean.

I asked, "Did you ever read 'Old Man and the Sea'?" He said "Yup."

So I don't know when the cat yard will ever be finished. Doesn't matter much now, since winter's on its way in.

But, if it's ever finished, I tell you, it will be beautiful.