Strange day

I spent today doing things that felt abnormal.  I took my cat with renal failure in to the vet for a check since she now wants  to eat 2-3 cans of food daily.  The last time I saw a new vet who kind of gave up my mom's cat a few months ago, and when Anna's renal failure was diagnosed her recommendation was further testing via straight catheter.  This time I requested the owner, who is very experienced and who worked so hard to save my other cat's life in the fall of 2008.  He tends to take a different view and saved my mom's cat by giving antibiotics as a "can't hurt her at this point of her life" (the cat is 20-22 years old) and the cat is still having a happy life nearly 6 months after we thought she was dying for sure, twice.

I told him upfront that I knew she had renal failure, I knew it would eventually kill her, and that I know the treatment is to change the diet and that I was not going to do that, that food is her main pleasure in life and that she is old and when her time comes it is her time; we're not preventing death at a young age.  (Anna is 15).  He said that would be his choice for his pet as well.  He answered my various questions, including discussing when/if/the likelihood of euthensasia (probable if it advances too long) and told me to just keep feeding her.  As long as she isn't getting sick she needs the food.  So that's what we'll do.  She's not lost as much as I thought, which is good, and the only thing to do is bloodwork every 6 months or so to monitor, which I seriously doubt I'll do.  She hates it and it's not going to change anything except tell me a number that says she's getting closer to dying.  I know that she is, although hopefully I'll get several more years with her.  I know she'll tell when when it is time.  This cat and I have a cement bond and I'll know.

Then I've spent a lot of the rest of the day playing car dealers against one another.  The truth is that I really already have a good deal, but I think I can get it a little lower with bargaining.  I've never done this.  Internet car buying is a GOOD thing.  I'm using edmunds.com for help, which is why I'm know I'm being offered a good price, but I'm going to keep trying.  Can't hurt, and I know a first offer is never the lowest.  I still have bargaining to do with my car too; they say $500 but the internet says more like $1000-$1200.  Therefore I'm going to do my very best to get $800 or a little more.  And it's a load of crap they gave me that they'll sell it for only a few thousand; it's not in great condition so it has more miles than this other car, but there is a similar one (same year, same features, 50,000 less miles for sale near here for $7950).

The thing that stinks is that I really want to buy the car from this one person who I've been working with for some time.  However I have to put my "like her" aside unless she has the best price.  For now she does and partly that's because the car includes NOTHING which I initially didn't like until I realized I can get the things I want (cargo net, cargo cover) online for the same amount or less than the dealer and since they aren't necessary waiting a few weeks to pay rather than adding several hundred dollars to the financing isn't a problem.

Hopefully I can get this all worked out to be done Nov. 13, at least if I buy from her or the one other place that are on the way to Dr. Brain.  The only thing is that my loan I paid off won't be on my credit score yet, but from what I can tell it's not going to matter much anyway.  I'm going to be about 20 points for top financing and nothing I can now is going to change that.  However for now there is no pressure about this, which is good.  (OK, the only pressure is me stressing out because it's SO MUCH MONEY.)

But that's my day.  I'm gathering a lot of useless information about a lot of stuff I don't care much about.....