Friday, January 13, 2017

It was a comfort, Hat and others, to hear that you had suffered the very same scam I had yesterday, that recorded telephone call from "HMRC". Of course it couldn't be real -- what if the cat or the butler had answered the phone? And indeed, was it addressed to me or to my husband? But that deep, authoritative voice did rather shake me.

Alexander says that he never pays any attention to any recorded phone call. That's probably a good principle of life.

I think I've finished the tax. The final bit is always easier than I expect. I'll let it simmer for a couple of days while I tidy away all the paper and print out the spreadsheets -- then try to file on Monday or Tuesday.

And the shawl has had a good day, too. I've reached (although not finished)  row 43: the half-way row, and the one in which the final motif, the Tree of Life, is established.

Poor Perdita had her pre-op examination this morning -- Helen took her. She's booked in for spaying next Thursday. I will have a miserable week in anticipation. She will be spared that. But she will then be subjected to fear and pain, by my choice. And the worst, I feel, is that after depriving her of her God-given right to wander about peeing in our neighbours' finely-raked seed beds and munching their song-birds (because she is entirely house-bound) we are now going to deprive her of kittens.

But will we ever be able to get her back into the cat-carrier? She's not stupid.

I am surprised that I can't remember much about the spaying of our Dear Old Cat. She had had several litters and both she and we felt that enough was enough. But it must have been I who took her to the vet and Had It Done, and I can remember none of that.

Different subject: parts of GB have been having some rather strenuous weather yesterday and today. Edinburgh has got off fairly lightly. Alexander came over from Glasgow yesterday, where things were worse, and as we talked about it I was reminded of one of my favourite poems:

Where is the Weather?

The rain may fall in Aberdeen,
But in Dundee it can’t be seen.
In Derby the snow may be high,
But there is none in Hay-on-Wye.
In London the wind can’t be heard,
But there are gales in Hereford.
If you don’t agree with me,
Go somewhere else and you will see.

                        David Malcolm, age 9
                        Ledbury Primary School, Hereford

                        1992

10 comments:

  1. Isn't weather amazing? Last Friday, here in NC, we were preparing for 2-8 inches of snow, and today the temp was 78 F - and it is January! And next week it will be back into the 50's. Makes it great to have your knitting, a cup of tea, and a great blog to read!

    My best to Perdita. She, and you, will be fine. My girls, Joy Belle, Cagney and Cleo send their best wishes.

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  2. Perdita will be just fine.
    What I do is always leave our cat carriers on the floor with blankets in them, open of course and the cats (we have four, soon to be five. We're taking a special needs kitty who has no use of her back legs) sleep in them and play in them and have nothing to fear when they have to go to the vet in them.

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  3. Perdita will be just fine.
    What I do is always leave our cat carriers on the floor with blankets in them, open of course and the cats (we have four, soon to be five. We're taking a special needs kitty who has no use of her back legs) sleep in them and play in them and have nothing to fear when they have to go to the vet in them.

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    Replies
    1. Agreed, I was going to say exactly that about leaving the carrier out with a cosy bed inside.

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  4. Wow, you had a day of good consequence. Brava on getting your taxes in hand. What a load off your mind that will be.

    The fact that you have no memory of the aftermath of your Dear Old Cat's spaying bodes well. Perdita may be annoyed and/or sore for a day but will bounce back quickly and carry on.

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  5. With respect to the scam at least you can tell those pesky "Solar Solutions" people "selling" solar power that you live in Scotland and that you don't have a roof!

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  6. Just think of it - no more yowling cat in heat!!! All my animals were always neutered & they heal up so fast you won't believe it.

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  7. Re scam phone calls. Like you, we have had that HMRC one. We also regularly get "Someone at your address has been involved in a traffic accident recently." No, they haven't. And "I'm calling about your computer." My favourite is "We specialise in reducing nuisance calls." Just put the phone down as soon as you hear the opening gambit.

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  8. Anonymous1:13 PM

    Love the poem! Agree about the spaying. But have a question. Aren't the kitties still dismayed once they see the vet's office? Oh well, at least you got them in there. And this will be the only vet visit that turns out exactly like that. Our beloved little cat went through the same surgery and forgot about it very quickly. Chloe


    Chloe

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  9. The scam calls must get the scammers a good return since they are an international phenomenon,in Canada, the US, and The U.K. Here in Canada they threaten you with the RCMP and try and get you to transfere money to them using iTunes gift cards.

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