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Thanks guys for sharing, I appreciate it. Very difficult day, telling the boys when they got home from school that he was not going to make it, and that we had to go to the vet immediately to say our final goodbyes. We'd been referred to a vet about a 20 minute drive away, and the oldest two (7 and 12) just cried the whole way there. When we got to the vet they brought him out and he immediately perked up when he saw the boys. His final moments he was purring despite the pain he was in as my 12 year old pet him, then the anesthetic kicked in and we left before they did the final euthanasia. As hard as it was, I'm really glad I took the boys to do that.
By far the hardest part of it all was seeing the effect it had on the boys, and the fact there was nothing I could do to make it better. He was an extremely affectionate cat, would purr away when you even sat next to him, and loved to lick you while you pet him. It was all just a massive shock to us, you wouldn't have known he was unwell at all a week back, just his final two days he actually displayed the symptoms of lethargy and lack of appetite. I did read that cats hide their symptoms very well so it's not always easy to tell when they are sick or injured.
The boys are doing better now, and we've had a lot of good talks about how lucky we were to have him for that period of time. My 4 year old is still trying to get his head around it all, he keeps coming up to me saying he misses him and asking if he's gone forever. We still have one remaining cat, who has noticed his absence and has been walking around the house meowing looking for him. Still having that one cat has helped a bit as well though.
So yeah, all a bit fucking shit really, but such is life and in the long run certainly a good lesson for the boys in dealing with grief. It's just they've been through so much crap with their mother's mental health issues, this just felt like a cruel kick in the teeth when they are already down.
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@No-Quarter yeah apparently if possible, they say other pets should to see the other has died, so they know what happened.
We had a similar one years back with our cats, brothers, one had to be euthanized, the other one then appeared to wander about looking for him for some time after.
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@No-Quarter sounds like you're doing an awesome dad job mate in pretty tough circumstances - kia kaha and make sure you find some time to look after yourself too
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@taniwharugby said in Happiness Scale:
@No-Quarter yeah apparently if possible, they say other pets should to see the other has died, so they know what happened.
We had a similar one years back with our cats, brothers, one had to be euthanized, the other one then appeared to wander about looking for him for some time after.
Cat dementia is a thing. We had similar with two brothers. But I think it was actually him getting old rather than missing his brother. He got to the point where he'd just stop in the middle of the backyard, forget where he was, get frightened and yowl. Poor old bugger.
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@booboo said in Happiness Scale:
@taniwharugby said in Happiness Scale:
@No-Quarter yeah apparently if possible, they say other pets should to see the other has died, so they know what happened.
We had a similar one years back with our cats, brothers, one had to be euthanized, the other one then appeared to wander about looking for him for some time after.
Cat dementia is a thing. We had similar with two brothers. But I think it was actually him getting old rather than missing his brother. He got to the point where he'd just stop in the middle of the backyard, forget where he was, get frightened and yowl. Poor old bugger.
Our girl is going through that, I’m sure of it. She’ll go into the lounge after we’re in bed and it’s dark and meow loudly, literally sounds like she’s having an argument with herself.
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No pet stories here - having grown up on a farm I couldn't coop up a good dog in a suburban back yard. And cats? Well... nope.
However it is a period of transition forthcoming and a pet might be in the future? Or factors that will alter the Happiness Scale... let me explain:
The Boy finishes his final year of Uni next month, and besides one catch up subject which revolves around an internship placement, he's got to get off his arse and go get a job. He did some work recently installing computer monitors in a corporate office for 3 days, but that's not going to pay the rent, my son. Especially as you owe me $150 for shouting you the tools at Bunnings.
Miss TA is about to do her HSC exams (i.e. finishing high school) and they're all packed into a week for the subjects she picked. She also turns 18 this Saturday, so as of this time next week I have no school kids in the house, and no kids at all, legally speaking
I'm glad to see the back of the Catholic Education system and their fees, that's for sure.
I've recently racked up 18 years at Woolworths HQ here in NW Sydney in parallel, having started there 10 days before Miss TA was born. Quite a ride.
Mrs TA gets her 10 years Long Service Leave in May. She's had enough and TBH I could do with a break as well.
We'll both have about two months worth of leave between us, and no day-to-day school shit to look after, so there's a bit of a question about what next? After the family holiday to Japan later this year I see a yawning chasm of who we are once this transition happens.
Part of me is quite excited to maybe take a trip to Europe and let the kids learn how to look after themselves - fuck knows it won't happen with Mrs TA hovering over them.
Part of me is quite concerned that, without the hovering, Mrs TA will not know what to do with herself; I understand it's quite common for the mothers who suddenly don't have anyone to mother. We're not moving to Mars but it's a very different dynamic.
I'd also like to drive around the great brown land and get a look at things - I'll be 50 next year so not getting any younger.
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Rome. My favorite city on the planet. Second isn’t even close. I’m not religious but Vatican City just blows my mind. Great views from the top of the dome but the interior walk is just mind blowing. Basilica is, for me, the best building on the planet.
Cherry on the top. Today’s convo in La Vita e on Mozzica:
Server: Bongiorno sir, whst would you like?
Me: I hear you choose what we’d like by you looking at us!
S: Ok, where you from?
M: New Zealand
S: No way! Ok, porchetta with mozzarella and pesto.
M: Sounds good, do it!
S: All Blacks, the best.Tells his colleague I’m from NZ
“No way, ah you guys the best so you get the best”
Me: not at the moment, SA better
Server: yayayaya who cares about SA? Not me. All blacks always the best, always.
Me: Grazi sir, italia ok too!
Server: if we ever beat you I’ll party for years. SA …I don’t care.Finishes making the sandwich.
Server: 14 EUR, but you will only pay 10. If SA, I’ll charge 20
Me: grazi!!Legend bloke, legend city.
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@MajorRage said in Happiness Scale:
Rome. My favorite city on the planet. Second isn’t even close. I’m not religious but Vatican City just blows my mind. Great views from the top of the dome but the interior walk is just mind blowing. Basilica is, for me, the best building on the planet.
Cherry on the top. Today’s convo in La Vita e on Mozzica:
Server: Bongiorno sir, whst would you like?
Me: I hear you choose what we’d like by you looking at us!
S: Ok, where you from?
M: New Zealand
S: No way! Ok, porchetta with mozzarella and pesto.
M: Sounds good, do it!
S: All Blacks, the best.Tells his colleague I’m from NZ
“No way, ah you guys the best so you get the best”
Me: not at the moment, SA better
Server: yayayaya who cares about SA? Not me. All blacks always the best, always.
Me: Grazi sir, italia ok too!
Server: if we ever beat you I’ll party for years. SA …I don’t care.Finishes making the sandwich.
Server: 14 EUR, but you will only pay 10. If SA, I’ll charge 20
Me: grazi!!Legend bloke, legend city.
Love Rome. The food shits all over Paris. I'd be off for a cacio E Pepe or a carbonara and an espresso next
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@mariner4life said in Happiness Scale:
@canefan said in Happiness Scale:
The food shits all over Paris
I stand by that. Not talking fine dining, but cheap and cheerful give me pasta pizza and toast meat anyday
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i love them both. the simplicity of Italian food is incredible. But no way am i judging one to be way better than the other.
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@mariner4life said in Happiness Scale:
i love them both. the simplicity of Italian food is incredible. But no way am i judging one to be way better than the other.
If I had one meal to eat in one city? The spaghetti vongole and roasted suckling pig I had in Rome was life changing. A handful of ingredients to create magic
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there was a pasta i ate on the Amalfi that i will remember forever.
But i have had so many incredible meals in Paris, and i am happy to roll in to a small bistro and eat snails or tartar
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Genoa. The foccacia, pastries, and that simple clam pasta. Wow.
I try not to judge cities by tourist hotspot food because it seems to be crap everywhere. I was surprised though, that Athens still had good places to buy reasonably-priced food. -
@mariner4life said in Happiness Scale:
there was a pasta i ate on the Amalfi that i will remember forever.
But i have had so many incredible meals in Paris, and i am happy to roll in to a small bistro and eat snails or tartar
I do like a good steak tartare. And I remember having a lovely roast Brest chicken one night. Quite possibly the most memorable meal I ever had in France was in a small village outside Nice where I got frogs legs and a sublime sauce
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@mariner4life said in Happiness Scale:
i love them both. the simplicity of Italian food is incredible. But no way am i judging one to be way better than the other.
If French food is so great, why does every French restaurant have pasta on the menu...?
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Best city food discussions are as pointless as best cricket player lists. Subjective and ultimately futile. I’ve had amazing, and shit, food in every city I’ve ever visited.
But today, I picked up a gnr uk tour shirt from ‘87 in Rome. For 20 EUR.
Rome just wins. Every time..
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My favourite memory of Rome (outside of the obvious) was the Italian waiter's disbelief at how quickly Mrs Mariner and i could delete pints on a stonkingly hot day.
There was no sipping.
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Happiness: club had its presentation night and it all ran really well. We're not a suit-and-tie bunch of piston wristed gibbons with a hundred-year history
We just get together at the pub, have a few drinks, get on the karaoke and enjoy ourselves.I also got to announce the nomination of two of my mates at the club for Life Membership.
And I've still got the whole weekend ahead of me!
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@MajorRage said in Happiness Scale:
Best city food discussions are as pointless as best cricket player lists. Subjective and ultimately futile. I’ve had amazing, and shit, food in every city I’ve ever visited.
But today, I picked up a gnr uk tour shirt from ‘87 in Rome. For 20 EUR.
Rome just wins. Every time..
The worlds top 50 best restaurants list and 51 to 100 list interestingly have Bangkok as the city with the most restaurants in 6.
Paris has 4.
Rome 0.
Happiness Scale
