So what’s next in these two situations….

Situation 1:
A few months ago we lost our cat JJ to cancer, it is still too fresh in our minds. Yesterday one of Renee’s other cats she had living with her mom passed away. She was 21 and had been ill for a couple years so she lived a good life, but it still it pretty hard.

So what’s next?

Situation 2:
The drivers side front spring on the Audi broke, regardless it is going to be expensive to get taken car of, it is just a matter of how much. If H&R honors their warranty and covers it woo hoo, that cuts down the cost significantly, but labor will be a lot.

It is time to replace the timing belt on the Audi, so the money it would cost to do that is now spread too thin because of the broken spring.

So what’s next?

It’s been about a month now, it’s time to get back to normalcy here with my blog life. Adjusting to life without Jasper has been tough, I think it’s tougher now than it was after a week. I keep thinking he’s coming home, but he’s not.

We have been keeping busy though, not to forget, but so we don’t dwell. A week ago we entered the Audi in to Dubs Along the Rockies, which is a Vw/Audi show in Colorado Springs. We brought home the best in class award for “Other Audi.” Since my car is a little old, it didn’t fit into another class. However, I did have some stiff competition, a 2003 Audi RS6, my friend Andrew’s Audi Allroad with many many upgrades. There was also a nice Audi 90 CS and an Audi 90 Coupe.

Renee and I began work this weekend refinishing the pergola out back. It covers our entire back patio. The previous owners were odd. They were very creative and it appears things were well engineered, but when it came to choices in products to use and finishing the work they were very half-assed.

While removing slats from the top of the pergola that provide shade we found them all to be bad. Well all but two. Why two? Well two were wood, the remainder were all MDF. Yes, Multi Density Fiberboard. This stuff is not designed to be used outside. I mean if you sealed the hell out of it it might last. I don’t even think they primered these babies before putting on a light coat of paint.

They were all warped and were about 1/2 to 1″ thicker because of water retention and rot. We had to replace 62 slats. The remainder of the pergola is wood, so some power washing and scraping to remove old loose paint. We picked up some Behr Premium Plus Ultra™ Exterior Semi-Gloss Enamel from Home Depot. Initially we picked up a 5 gal can of Primer only, but found this and so far we like the look. Lets hope it holds up. We have been applying about 2 coats to the old painted wood and will be doing about 3 -4 coats on the new wood slats.

We hope to wrap this project up by the end of the month, however, this weekend we are heading to Salida for Kolorado Treffen. This is slated to be the first of it’s kind event in Colorado. Not a show, not a brand specific event, but a way for auto enthusiasts to get together and talk cars, have fun and go drive.

The following weekend is Guy’s Weekend in Breckenridge. Renee isn’t too happy about me being gone for a few days, but it will be fun to hang with the guys and watch them get wasted.

That’s it for now, I will try and get some in progress and after pictures of the pergola if I remember to.

I started writing this 6 weeks ago and couldn’t bear writing more knowing where things were going…..

07/03/2007
We have recently been forced in to the reality of accepting that we outlive our pets. Our oldest cat Jasper aka JJ is seventeen and was just diagnosed with Lymphoma and renal failure. He spent last weekend at the Animal Hospital Center near our home to receive IV fluids and run through tests to come to these conclusions.

It was a pretty emotional weekend, Renee has had Jasper for 16 years. She rescued him from a shelter when he was about a year to a year and half old while she lived in New Mexico. This cat has been one in a million that’s for sure. I have never seen a cat behave the way he does when he is around her or even me.

I can’t really put into words how much he means to her, or to me for that matter. It does seem a little odd being so attached to a pet, but you know, at the same time it doesn’t. They never judge you, their love is unconditional.

JJ at the hospital on July 1, 2007

08/09/2007
JJ Passed away yesterday morning. He started slipping away during the previous 36hours and by 4am Wednesday morning he was in really bad shape. We really tried to do everything right, but you can’t help beating yourself up. We were able to be there and say goodbye, which was very important to us, but it doesn’t make it any easier.

JJ at home August 6th 2007

He was a real joy and really enhanced out lives in a way I can’t even put into words. Renee was like the Sun of his universe and he rotated around her. I was kind of like a moon that gravitated nearby. As a family we had our little routines, things that occurred on a daily basis that you don’t really think about until they stop.

Waking up this morning was difficult. Almost more difficult than going to sleep last night. Though I chalk that up total physical, mental and emotional exhaustion. The house seems so quiet now, so empty, yet we still have Elvis-cat and Kona-Bob the dog. Every morning JJ would wake up and start “talking” right away to get us up and going. He would stick with us while we got ready, seeking attention which we would promptly give. He’s also try and draw us back to bed. There is nothing more he wanted in the world than for us to spend the whole day in bed.

Our lives were thrown into a crazy spin when we found out he was going to die soon. We spent a lot of time with him, enjoying his company and taking care of him. He needed medications twice a day and we had to administer sub cutaneous fluids first every other day, then daily, then twice daily (smaller amounts twice a day). Taking care of him took a lot of time, it was still only six weeks, but I would love to still be caring for him.

To a lot of people a pet is a pet, and to an extent they are. However, many people grow a special bond with their pet(s) and they become an extension of the family. When you have a strong bond it is similar to losing a human family member. I can’t say it is as hard as losing a parent, sibling or child, but it’s pretty damn close.

I guess I am jumping all over the place, I could write pages about JJ’s life with us and all the great things. Right now, all I can really say is we miss him terribly and would give anything to have him back with us. If you are the praying type, please say a prayer for his soul and that he is a happy place, with no suffering.