Gracie Frair Nutter, Our Cat!

The cat carrier is in the basement and Gracie is soundly sleeping on the beach towel across the foot of my bed. I have just gotten my shower but remembered the cat carrier is in the basement. Gracie hates that thing!

I know if she hears me at the basement door or the sound that carrier makes, I will not be able to find a cat in the 4 bedroom home. She will make like the shadow, and only she knows.

I ease the bedroom door closed as I start down the hall to the stairs. I have sucessfully captured my kitty of 9 years in the bedroom and Karen is watching the door. I get back upstair and Karen is caressing Gracie as I come through the door with the carrier. Gracie moves like a coiled spring but Karen is faster and has a firm hold on our gray persian. Meoooow! Meeeoooow! Translated, "you guys tricked me again, no fair!"

Gracie is slowly getting accustommed to the carrier and I place it by the deck door off the kitchen. She is not a happy camper. But I play with her through the bars and she is settling down.

I finish dressing, get my briefcase and sport jacket and my tall glass of H2O which travels with me constantly. I get my things to the car and come back for Gracie. One whiff of the cold air this am she is again not too happy. But she settles in with me in the car's front seat and I talk to her assuring her everything will be OK.

We get to Alford Avenue Clinic and I deposit Gracie with the young ladies and instruction to love Gracie PRN I (as needed). They laughed.

I worked all day, a very long day getting my work done plus delivering some Christmas packages to customers and getting some special sausages out of my warehouse for my boss Bill and for his Church. It is close to 5pm and I call to see if Gracie can come home or do they need to keep her. I talked to the doctor (unusual) but he was good in going over with me all he did to bring all her tests and shots up to date.

I get back to the clinic right at 5pm and told the young lady I would go back with her to get Gracie as it would make it much easier for everyone. She was so happy to see her dad and I held her and hugged her before putting her into her carrier for the trip home. I saw the doctor again and all her tests came back OK.

Now the most important part about taking a 'free' cat in for a check up. I forgot to pay for a haircut one time and the barber walked out and tapped on the window of my car. "What is it Joe?". Joe said "you are about the forget the best part of that hair cut?"...I said "What's that?"..Joe smiled and said "...Paying for it!"...We laughed. Back to my story. The receptionist is getting me a ditty bag with flea stuff, a roller for hair on my clothes, and a copy of the bill. She looked me straight in the eye and said "Merry Christmas, that will be $191.08" "Will it be check or credit card?"....

Mastercard of course! I look back at this year's expenses, or just the vets bill for the year. $138 back in July and $191 in December or $329/year. That works to about 90¢ a day. She is in my lap right now as I write this? "Gracie are you worth $1.00 a day?"...She looks up at me, and you know the answer! Gracie "purrrrr"....

 Evan Jones

It makes me wonder how much I'm worth a day.