Today was my brother Dick’s birthday. He would have turned 82 today. He was lots of fun, a lover of children and animals, both of which responded easily to him, as this video shows. Andy and the late Dougy remembered Dick from year to year and were really happy to see him step in the door each year when he visited! I looked forward to his visits, too. We’d talk and laugh the whole time. Dick was a good fellow.

Marijean, me with Ladybelle our neighbor’s pug, Kathy with Laddie (Grandma McKenzie’s dog), and Dick with some dog I can’t identify for certain. This how I think of my siblings and me, though lots and lots of water have passed under the bridge sine this scene in the 1950s. 

I turn 75 years old today. No celebration is planned other than one recognizing I’m still above ground! It didn’t look like that was possible back in 2003, the year I came down with WG/PGA. I survived that, thanks to my pulmonologist, my rheumatologist, and a host of others. You don’t ever get over it, just get it into control and try to keep it there. In my case, I have a blood sample taken once bi-monthly to measure something called c-ANCA.

c-ANCA – Wikipedia

Its presence is indicative of a flare and the need to evaluate the need to kick WG/PGA butt in hospital or with less aggressive means, pills known to handle the trick.

For the fun of it, I’m going to educate you this special (personal) day by leaving a link to information on this disease. Don’t feel sorry for me. I came down with it at a time medical treatment for the disease was becoming possible. Not that long ago, people just died from it because there was no known way to treat it. I’m able to live a reasonably normal life and reach birthdays like Nr. 75!

Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis – Vasculitis Foundation

Andy plans to take a nap on my special day. Sounds like a winner!

Andy enjoys a good Western when there are lots of horses and cows.

He watches for a time but…

…loses interest if the animals get lost from the plot.

You can almost read his mind here!

Time for a nap.

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Texas Ruby Red grapefruit season! Love it and make sure I get in on it from start to finish.

Minding his business…

…when… …the hand intrudes – again!

Andy just can’t get away from it!

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Andy’s problem is he’s too cute for his own good. I can’t resist petting and “scritching” him. He has kitty defenses, though, and attacks the hand with tooth and claw. In a pinch, he adds his hind feet into the battle. That generally ends any nonsense about “…but yer the kitty and I ‘wuv’ you!”

Andy’s in a better mood today.

“May I touch you, Andy? Pet you even?”

Not only did he let me pet him, he let me run my hand over his tail!

Why so upset, Andrew?

Mr. Pouty is upset because I pet him when he didn’t want attention.

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Andy can be a little pissy when he wants to be left alone.

Andy’s on the hunt! 

Where’d that ribbon thingy go, Doug???

Right below you, Andrew! Right below!

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Poor Andy. I think he knows about the secret compartment in his end table, yet he gave up the hunt even though the answer to his quest was inches below him. Silly kitty! What’s below you are the treasures of the Sierra Madre, Tutankhaten’s tomb, Oak Island, and, well, kitty toys you want to play with.

Andy’s an American kitty boy, so the answer to all failed hunts is clear: turn on the television and wait for an animal program to come on, or maybe Doug will bring up a string video on YouTube if I get whiney enough! 

Andy is minding his own business when…

…Doug tosses an odd object tied to ribbon onto the lapboard.

Andy examines it, closely. And sniffs it, too.

Perplexed, unsure what it is or what to do with it…

…Andy makes his decision.

Boop! It’s a “toy”!

Or is it?

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What you don’t see above is the ribbon end fluttering in the fan-generated breeze. Once Andy responded to the “action”, the strange object became a toy. The object? The ribbon by itself wasn’t heavy enough to get the end over to where Andy was so I tied this thing – a Coban wrap ring – onto the end to add a light weight to help out.

(The Coban is wrapped around the bandages put on my dialysis access wounds to add compression that helps with post dialysis bleeding when the needles are removed. Sometimes, the wrap rolls down on the arm, necessitating rolling it off my arm instead of unwrapping it. The result: the Coban wrap ring! Is it a toy? Anything can be a toy to a cat. It’s all in how it’s presented.)

I look over to my left and…

…see this sweet scene. That’s my kitty!

Andy’s checking out the Ziploc baggie with his kitty toys.

He must want to play!

Here it comes, Andrew!

You love, love, love string!

I guess he doesn’t feel like playing.

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Andy is a hard kitty to read some days. Even though he didn’t get into string, a favorite plaything most days, he may have just wanted to see if the Ziploc baggie was still filled with his toys. I never figured it out.