We had family (well, one person) decide not to come from Ottawa to Montreal for my sister's final recital for her violin degree because other family (who she is v. close to) were coming from Toronto - where they had THE SARS.

Now pretty much any time one of us declines an invitation my sister and I are all "is it because of THE SARS???"

I witnessed the weirdest argument in Coffee Bean.

The woman in front of me went in to ask to use the washroom, and they told her that it was only for customers. Instead of a) leaving politely or b) buying something, she throws a fit at the barista. Tells him "How do you know I wouldn't have been a customer?" He's looking at her blankly, and then she goes off into this racist, anti-Latino rant about how wetbacks are the worst when they get a little power and how he should go back to his own country, and if she'd asked the other barista he'd have let her use the restroom. And then she starts singing to him in Spanish.

Really weird thing is, she's not white, and I swore up and down her accent was Spanish. The baristas were completely stunned, and "other" barista, who's also Latino, was very clear that he wouldn't let her use the washroom either, but she yells all the way out of the cafe.

Or, if the cat is twitchy enough, it can be stressful to catch and throw in a carrier and drive over.

Kittenish HATES it. In her more fragile states, I've had to weigh how important a trip is versus how much stress it puts on her heart. Granted, she also HATES getting medicated daily, but that is what has kept her alive.

So, for me, sometimes not making a trip is really due to the cat and sometimes it's just a convenient excuse.

I love shit like that. Just for the story.

Now pretty much any time one of us declines an invitation my sister and I are all "is it because of THE SARS???"

That is brilliant.

I, um, missed my grandma's funeral for the Chicago F2F.

I made the visitation, and I was the f2F organizer. My parents were ok with it.

I won't put my cats in kennels. Even Perkins hates it too much.

That's what cat sitters who medicate are for.

They have friends who will sit. The concern is that the cat will hide to the point that the sitter won't be able to find him. They were going to bring him to the in-laws', but they will be out of town. Meh. Shit happens, I don't know.

I hated my grandfather but was there for my own father's benefit. I also didn't have any awesome plans. But I'm sure I would have canceled them. I also shouldn't have gone, at least to the memorial service, as I giggled like i was on drugs. Because Catholic ceremony and the Ori have a lot in common, and me and mom had been gorging on SG-1.

Yeah, see, I'd do most anything to avoid boarding Devi. But MK and Loki are such social felines, they have a good time. I mean, everyone at the vet's knows Mister Kitty and when I take him in, come from the back to greet him. Even the office cats like him and vice versa. Loki hasn't met someone he doesn't like, and regularly visits neighbor's deck and has done a more thorough investigation of her house than I, and I've been over there drinking!

Devi, otoh...when I first got her and she was less staid in her ways, my friends tried bringing her back to their house. With afghan dogs used to standoffish cats. After she scaled their bathroom wall and clung to the ceiling, they took her back to my apartment and just visited. And then there was the time when a neighbor set off fire alarms and a friend's husband went to evacuate Devi (gotta love ex-submariners) and while he succeeded, was scarred to prove it.

When I had to hospitalize her, the vet commented she was a very unhappy kitty and the sooner I could take her home, the better. And not because she regularly drew blood from the techs. Sorry, guys!

The concern is that the cat will hide to the point that the sitter won't be able to find him.

This, for me.

Puppycat would eventually slut it up in search of pets. Kittenish? There are many people who don't believe I've ever owned a black cat. She hides. Well.