12-28-2022, 01:33 PM
So I'm fighting with Kaiser, trying to do a check-in online for tomorrow's apptmt, and it's texting my phone with a special code, or at least it claims it is. My phone stays silent. So I'm checking my phone settings, making sure wifi is on and airplane mode is off (because I had airplane mode ON through most of early December and missed a lot of important spam calls), and everything looks good. But my phone remains silent. I keep telling Kaiser to send another code, but I'm not getting anything.
Meanwhile, I'm keeping a wary eye on Manti. She's fought her way to the top of my cluttered desk, but now she turns her attention away from the keyboard (her frequent focus) and somehow climbs atop the bookcase to chomp on the Christmas cactus. Then she moves onward. She's eyeing another shelf balanced precariously on a filing cabinet and loaded down with all kinds of junk. That would be a disaster. So I'm watching her closely but at the same time trying to resolve the phone issue and--
She jumps.
A whole lot of crash and clatter. An unbelievable bunch of stuff hits the floor and scatters. Manti zooms out its midst, unscathed, and bolts from the room.
I don't want to clean up the mess until the phone issue is resolved. I venture into the kitchen, where I smell gas. One of the knobs on the front of the stove is turned on. How long ago did that happen? I look in disbelief at Manti. She's now in the living room mauling the cord of an external keyboard. As for the stove, it's one of those modern ones with a special Merc in Retro setting, and that's what it's turned to. I turn it off, then open the kitchen door, making certain the screen door is tightly closed. It gets cold fast.
Back in my room, I find Monti up on the bookcase digging at the Christmas cactus. She looks up at me. Her nose is covered in dirt.
![[Image: uc?export=view&id=1MhUoyWA-o4HSPV2gLH0XuBVcMtWZRPpb]](https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1MhUoyWA-o4HSPV2gLH0XuBVcMtWZRPpb)
Meanwhile, I'm keeping a wary eye on Manti. She's fought her way to the top of my cluttered desk, but now she turns her attention away from the keyboard (her frequent focus) and somehow climbs atop the bookcase to chomp on the Christmas cactus. Then she moves onward. She's eyeing another shelf balanced precariously on a filing cabinet and loaded down with all kinds of junk. That would be a disaster. So I'm watching her closely but at the same time trying to resolve the phone issue and--
She jumps.
A whole lot of crash and clatter. An unbelievable bunch of stuff hits the floor and scatters. Manti zooms out its midst, unscathed, and bolts from the room.
I don't want to clean up the mess until the phone issue is resolved. I venture into the kitchen, where I smell gas. One of the knobs on the front of the stove is turned on. How long ago did that happen? I look in disbelief at Manti. She's now in the living room mauling the cord of an external keyboard. As for the stove, it's one of those modern ones with a special Merc in Retro setting, and that's what it's turned to. I turn it off, then open the kitchen door, making certain the screen door is tightly closed. It gets cold fast.
Back in my room, I find Monti up on the bookcase digging at the Christmas cactus. She looks up at me. Her nose is covered in dirt.
I'm nobody's pony.