RIP Myste

Myste died this morning. Her back legs have been weak for a while now, although she was getting around fine (if a bit doddery) mostly using her front legs. This morning when I went down I found her entirely paralysed (I initially thought she'd died then) but still just about breathing - she couldn't even blink or react, though. Pete and I sat holding her to wait for the vet to open at 9. They offered us an 1110 appt, but we went down just after 9 in case they could fit us in earlier (it was obvious that we needed to have her put to sleep). Her heart stopped on the way down the road - Pete was holding her at the time and thinks she may have had a heart attack. At least she, and we, didn't have to go through the euthanasia process.

She would have been 2 2/3 in a week's time, and we've had her since she was only 8 weeks old. The userpic is of her and her sister Storm when they were babies (Myste is on the right). She was a lovely rat - very affectionate, much given to crawling into your lap, flopping out, and demanding to be petted - we called her pancake-rat on these occasions due to her impressive ability to relax entirely and spread herself all over the floor. Her health's been deteriorating recently - old age - but she was still always pleased to see us, and would sit and brux as we petted her. We spent quite a while with her last night, which I'm pleased about.

We buried her out in the garden this morning.

RIP Myste

Myste died this morning. Her back legs have been weak for a while now, although she was getting around fine (if a bit doddery) mostly using her front legs. This morning when I went down I found her entirely paralysed (I initially thought she'd died then) but still just about breathing - she couldn't even blink or react, though. Pete and I sat holding her to wait for the vet to open at 9. They offered us an 1110 appt, but we went down just after 9 in case they could fit us in earlier (it was obvious that we needed to have her put to sleep). Her heart stopped on the way down the road - Pete was holding her at the time and thinks she may have had a heart attack. At least she, and we, didn't have to go through the euthanasia process.

She would have been 2 2/3 in a week's time, and we've had her since she was only 8 weeks old. The userpic is of her and her sister Storm when they were babies (Myste is on the right). She was a lovely rat - very affectionate, much given to crawling into your lap, flopping out, and demanding to be petted - we called her pancake-rat on these occasions due to her impressive ability to relax entirely and spread herself all over the floor. Her health's been deteriorating recently - old age - but she was still always pleased to see us, and would sit and brux as we petted her. We spent quite a while with her last night, which I'm pleased about.

We buried her out in the garden this morning.

Other stuff

How Railtrack screwed up the west coast main line modernisation - definitely worth a read, if only to gape at how unbelievably badly - and *stupidly* - they screwed up.

Dinner at nou's last night was ace. As were the leftovers that I ate for lunch today :-)

Another apocalyse (religious variety) for marnameow.

Rat genome sequencing. I dispute the 'considered loathsome' tag - see userpic. I defy anyone to find baby Myste & Storm loathsome.

Thank you to everyone who left commiserations on my last post.

Other stuff

How Railtrack screwed up the west coast main line modernisation - definitely worth a read, if only to gape at how unbelievably badly - and *stupidly* - they screwed up.

Dinner at nou's last night was ace. As were the leftovers that I ate for lunch today :-)

Another apocalyse (religious variety) for marnameow.

Rat genome sequencing. I dispute the 'considered loathsome' tag - see userpic. I defy anyone to find baby Myste & Storm loathsome.

Thank you to everyone who left commiserations on my last post.

Name meme

1. What is your middle name?
Patricia, after my mother (at Dad's insistence, apparently)

2. If you had been born the other sex, did your parents tell you what your name would have been?
My parents deliberately didn't name me unti l was born - I think Mum thought it would be unlucky. Also how could they name me before meeting me?

3. Do you have children and if so, what are their names?
Nope.

4. If you were to ever have a child or more children, what would you name them?
Don't intend to have children, ever. Anyway, I don't see how you could name a child before you met it. I suppose maybe you could construct a longlist of decent names.

5. Most people know their mother's maiden name, but do you know your grandmother's maiden name?
No, but I'm going to have to find out now!

6. Did you have an imaginary friend as a child?
I had imaginary pets, instead. Notably an imaginary fox, for a good couple of years. I remember imaginary squirrels, as well. I think the fox may still be here, in fact, if I concentrate for a bit.

7. What was the name of your first pet?
Hickey. A retired greyhound we had when I was tiny (before I was born). He was lovely.

8. What was the name of the first person you ever kissed?
Stefan Viggiani.

9. What was the name of the school you attended as a child?
Clare House (primary), Newstead Wood (secondary)

10. What was/is the name of your English teacher in high school?
Mrs King, then Mrs Gay. Mrs Gay was the Best Teacher Ever, by a very long way. She rocked. She had a wide variety of entertaining insults for when she was annoyed with you, and Took No Shit under any circumstances. She was also our form tutor in 2nd year, and on the first day back, our head of house wandered in & said something like 'be nice to her' to us, in jocular fashion. "Why?" asked Mrs Gay. "I'm not going to be nice to *them*." Then she told us that she didn't care if we ate our lunches in the classroom (strictly banned), but if we were too damn stupid to hide the evidence, e.g. in the bin, then she suddenly *would* start caring, as she had no patience with stupidity. I liked this as an attitude.

1. Do you name your vehicles? What are the name(s)?
I don't name them; but I do talk to them.

Name meme

1. What is your middle name?
Patricia, after my mother (at Dad's insistence, apparently)

2. If you had been born the other sex, did your parents tell you what your name would have been?
My parents deliberately didn't name me unti l was born - I think Mum thought it would be unlucky. Also how could they name me before meeting me?

3. Do you have children and if so, what are their names?
Nope.

4. If you were to ever have a child or more children, what would you name them?
Don't intend to have children, ever. Anyway, I don't see how you could name a child before you met it. I suppose maybe you could construct a longlist of decent names.

5. Most people know their mother's maiden name, but do you know your grandmother's maiden name?
No, but I'm going to have to find out now!

6. Did you have an imaginary friend as a child?
I had imaginary pets, instead. Notably an imaginary fox, for a good couple of years. I remember imaginary squirrels, as well. I think the fox may still be here, in fact, if I concentrate for a bit.

7. What was the name of your first pet?
Hickey. A retired greyhound we had when I was tiny (before I was born). He was lovely.

8. What was the name of the first person you ever kissed?
Stefan Viggiani.

9. What was the name of the school you attended as a child?
Clare House (primary), Newstead Wood (secondary)

10. What was/is the name of your English teacher in high school?
Mrs King, then Mrs Gay. Mrs Gay was the Best Teacher Ever, by a very long way. She rocked. She had a wide variety of entertaining insults for when she was annoyed with you, and Took No Shit under any circumstances. She was also our form tutor in 2nd year, and on the first day back, our head of house wandered in & said something like 'be nice to her' to us, in jocular fashion. "Why?" asked Mrs Gay. "I'm not going to be nice to *them*." Then she told us that she didn't care if we ate our lunches in the classroom (strictly banned), but if we were too damn stupid to hide the evidence, e.g. in the bin, then she suddenly *would* start caring, as she had no patience with stupidity. I liked this as an attitude.

1. Do you name your vehicles? What are the name(s)?
I don't name them; but I do talk to them.