Monday, January 20, 2014

AFTER THE LOSS OF MY PET, WHAT TO DO?

Right after I went to the animal shelter to have my cat put to sleep, I knew I would need to do something to keep my mind off of what will have just happened.  So I went to Walmart to look for a new vacuum cleaner since my old Dirt Devil of 13 years cord was kinky, which I tried to cover the exposed wire at the cord kinks with electrical tape in many places.  I've kept straightening out the kinks many many times, but now it's gotten to a point where I'm getting tired of doing that and the kinks have gotten so tighter and more of them appearing each time I use the vacuum, it was time to get a new machine.  I believe the cause of the kinks was running over the cord, unknowingly, with the vacuum so many times, it rolled the cord and kinked it up.  It uses bags, which I prefer so you're not messing with the junk in containers you have to dump and dust and dirt flies around; but with new technology, these are hard to find now.

I had ordered a Eureka on line, but was told they ran out of them and are backordered, but not sure when they will arrive and after ten days my order will be eliminated, so off I go on my search...again...

I found a Bissell that was on special.  It didn't state the AMPS or how long the hose or cord was was shown anywhere...and that's what the fault in this vacuum was.  The hose was soooo short that it barely reached the top of my windows; and I only have eight foot ceilings.  If I tried to reach higher in the corner of my ceilings, the whole machine would topple over if I didn't hold it up while reaching for the ceiling with the other hand; and that was with the extension wand on.

It vacuumed fairly well.  I was pleased; especially when cat food and cat litter on the linoleum floor was picked up by the machine without spitting it forward on to the floor again like my old machine did and I'd have to pick it up with the extension hose and crevice attachment.  However, the hose length is an important factor to me.

I'm in the process of moving everything in the house and vacuuming under it.  A thorough cleaning I can do now to eliminate cat hair, litter, food and anything else that has been in hiding and an end to reaccumulating and the whole cycle beginning and having to do it again and again without an end to it.

I'm grieving now, thinking of the last time I saw him as he was taken away, like his life would be in just a few short minutes.  I'm crying on and off throughout the day.  I miss him so much.  (Crying now.)  I know all of this will pass.  I have rounded up all of his toys, bowls, litter boxes and cat carrier and will eventually bring them all down to my storage unit.  I will bring his blanket, food and treats to the animal shelter.  I will need a vacation after all of this and think I know where I want to go, but for the time being, just getting my house cleaned, an early Spring cleaning, organized and beginning a new way to live after having animals in the house for almost 40 years.

It's funny to get up in the morning and not have to feed an animal.  I still get thoughts of "where is the cat or look down so you don't step on the cat."  I miss my cat jumping on the couch and on to my lap.  I miss him jumping on to my bed and spooning with me under the covers on a cold night.  I even miss him jumping on the bed, when he's not supposed to, while I change the sheets. 

I now have more floor space in my kitchen where his food and water bowls were and no more cat litter box and rugs right outside of the box so the litter would be distributed on the rug instead of my floors; well mostly all of it.  No more cat hair on my clothes and furniture and also being carried onto my van seat.

I need a break from having animals and now it's my time to not have to worry about my animals when I want to go off somewhere for more than just a few days.

I've almost forgotten how it was to have a clean house all the time.  It was a lot of work to keep after an animal and having to pick up after it, bathe it, feed it and the expense that came along with it, especially the vet bills along the way and at the end.  No more...at least for now.  Now it's my time...

I will be getting back my security pet deposit, plus accrued interest, when I first moved into this apartment.  This will serve as part of my next trip's expenses.  Right now, I'm still working at cleaning my apartment.  It should only take a few more hours today and it will be completely done and reorganized with not only more floor space but more cupboard space where his food, treats and bowls were kept; and in an apartment, every inch you have, means a lot.

Today, I'll continue using this new vacuum, clean the vacuum, and return it to Walmart.  I've already got my eye on a few other vacuums there and on line, but now I know what is really important to me in a vacuum.  I'll probably be spending more, but if I don't get what I need and want, it isn't worth it.

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