Friday, September 09, 2011

OMG. Guys.

I don't even.
It's like what?
Head is broken.
Panic attack.
I just don't even understand.

Was expecting to be sad about having to say good bye to Nitwit (we did end up putting her down yesterday morning) and then...............something happened later in the day and it was like a record needle scratch and now I'm instantly over it. Snap. Sadness gone. 

Things had been bad with her since January but, up until the last 5-6 weeks, things had been manageable. They were manageable. There were Rules and as long as you followed the Rules, thing were fine 98% of the time. 

Rule #1: do not leave anything on the floor in the bathrooms. Not a terribly difficult rule as far as rules go, you know? If you forgot to pick up the rug after showering or whatever and it got peed on, well, that was your fault as that was a clear violation of the Rules. Why the bathrooms and not, say, the kitchen, where there are also throw rugs and various things on the floor (like, say, cloth grocery bags after a big shopping trip) at certain times? I don't know. I DIDN'T MAKE THE RULES. I was just expected to follow them.

Rule#2: things laid on top of the hamper or on the bedroom floors was a sure path to Badness. Why the hamper and not, say, the bed? (Or couches.) Again: I don't know. Not the rule maker, just the rule follower. (Personally, I was just glad that the bed and the couches were off limits for some unknown, anonymous reason and didn't probe it too much. Though, having said that, if they hadn't of been off limits this whole 'situation' would have ended many, many months ago, KWIM?)

Things only got 'real' a short while ago when suddenly the Rules seemed to have changed overnight and it was like, welllll, not so much with these new Rules. The new Rules were not going to cut it. They included: my brand new office chair, a wood sitting chair with a fabric seat and pretty much any/all cat beds in the house. New Rules = BAD. So, after more blood tests/xrays/medicine, she was sequestered in the guest room for a week (nearly fabric less at the moment as I threw the full sized bed out when we did the floors in June, with plans to get a smaller one in the future) to see if the new Rules were permanent or not. 

Turns out, after a couple weeks try out, the new Rules were permanent and that was unmanageable for a house that we, like, actually like to live in so we find ourselves up to date with things. And then I went to go pull a few threads out of my big Craftable blue/rubbermaid-like container and discovered it was full of pee. 

And then my head broke and I had a massive can't speak-walking in circles-staring at the wall-panic attack that lasted, ohhhh..................well it should be over soon at any rate. Any minute now. *tap*tap*tap* 

Yeah. I mean.................what? I just don't even. Understand? It's plastic. And.........what? It holds: all of my linen, all of my DMC and about half of my specialty fibers (of which I have a CONSIDERABLE stash). And other stuff? Like.........other stuff? AND MY HEAD IS BROKEN. I can not wrap my head around the magnitude of how to clean this up. Vinegar baths followed by........something? And keeping track of what is what? Uncoiling 312341234123 wrapped skeins or leaving them wrapped? Or? ...?....? And what about non color-fast items? Metallics? Silks????

Strangely enough (and luckily enough?), the linen all seems fine. I don't mean fine in that sense that I'm trying to talk myself INTO it being fine either. I mean *actually* fine. I checked it with a black light, my nose, extreme inspection under a bright light. It was in the top of the compartment, which is removable and I *do* take it off sometimes when I'm laying pieces out in the living room to figure out what I want to use. I went through it like that one night about 4 weeks ago, which is certainly within the 'new Rules' period, when starting a new project so I suppose it's possible she jumped into the box in the 1.74 hours that the top was off of it?

I'm still not 100% on the condition of the DMC. Those are in four tackle boxes so closed boxes inside a closed box (meta anyone?)............it should be fine but I can't make a definitive decision on that until it's been away from the stuff that is So Clearly NOT Fine for a few days. I'm seeing shadows inside of shadows on top of more shadows right now until I'm cross-eyed and pie-eyed and can not trust my judgement. (Because my first thoughts? THROW IT ALL AWAY. All twenty years of it. And find a NEW HOBBY. lol)

It's just the rest of it. You can't just throw it in the wash. Or use harsh detergents on it with out stripping the color out. Or ?? The best I can come up with at the moment is possibly a clothes line type assembly line maybe? String the skein, then the bag, repeat with all, etc. and then dip each one through a series of vinegar/Nature's Miracle/I don't know what? individually and hang it up to dry? At least that way the bags will be with the floss and I can tell what is what. Otherwise maybe take a picture of each one before taking it out of the floss bag to sort it all out later? (I have no hopes that the stuff inside the floss bags is fine because those 'bags' have two holes in them for threading on split rings, you know? And it's............wow. Covered. Sticky. And it's all.......All baaaaaaaaaaad.)

I fully expect half of y'all to not really understand what the big deal is about but the rest of you will know. You know. A quart of rancid pee poured on your stash? Worth hundreds and hundreds of dollars? A stash that is not easily cleaned *or* replaced? Oh yes, YOU know my horror. 0_o 

**********************

You know it's funny (though not really in that HAHAHA type of way) because I did a post on my Livejournal a few weeks ago about, what I thought at the time, was possibly the grossest thing to ever happen inside my house in my entire life. I didn't mention it here but the bathroom fan downstairs, uhhh, killed a large mouse and we didn't realize why it was clunking at the time until a week later* when, oh, maggots and maggoty flies started dropping from the ceiling. Like a lot. Of maggots. From the ceiling. Dropping and dropping and dropping. Will it stop? Looks like no. Dropping and dropping. While we took turns staring at it and running around in circles screaming like little girls. That's, like, horror show gross.But in retrospect, sooooooooo much easier to get my head around than this. *THAT* was easy to clean. *THIS*............I just don't even.

*Obviously, there was strong odor for a couple days too but we looked and looked for the source and couldn't find it. We thought it possible something had gotten into the chimney? It never occurred to us to look inside the fan, you know? Who would think of that?!?

17 comments:

staci said...

OMG!!! I would kill that cat...ok, I wouldn't, but I'd seriously consider it. I honestly don't think she can help it physically, that's probably not any consolation. So sorry! {{HUGS}}

natalysneedle said...

OMG! That kitty is evil. To attack and unsuspecting stash! The horror!! I would definitely be beside myself if my kitty friends went any where near my stash closet to relieve themselves!! UUUGGGHHHH!!!!

Traci said...

Omigod, I think I just had a panic attack FOR you. Does that cat not know that shit's expensive???? Yikes...

Margaret said...

Ok, you definitely have my sympathies. On the cat, on the bin full of stash and urine, on the gross out dead mouse with maggots in the fan. Ugh! OMG! I'm sorry........

Annie said...

Oh Melanie.. that is just totally awful! It's gonna take a while to get over all of this bad stuff. Sending a big virtual hug, but I suspect that won't help much.

valerie said...

Nightmare! OMG.can't.even.imagine! I've heard cat pee is terrible but I don't own a cat. If the threads are in flossaway bags, I think they should be ok assuming they were ziploced properly because the ziploc is before the holes. I would wipe down those bags and get the threads out to air them and get whole new floss away bags.

Ok, that mouse story was terrible! Yuk! I think I'd rather deal with pee than maggots but not pee on my stash. Serious nightmare. *hugs*

Anonymous said...

Big, big, BIG hugs. You've had a terrible time.

I'm not sure what I would do about the stash. My first thought is toss it and start over, but I'm sure there are some things that are just not easily replaced.

Ohhhhhhhh...I'm so sorry you have to go through this.

Leslie said...

Melanie, I am sorry to hear about the cat and sorry about the cat rules. I totally 100% understand how you are feeling. Before our old day went down he started doing crazy crazy things that would in turn make me crazy! Once, no kidding, he pooped on my bed.. on my husbands pillow.. while I was in the bed sleeping. What the heck was he thinking!!! lol
once he was gone, I felt bad because he was so sweet... but just a tiny bit relieved because he was soooo bad!

I hope that floss cleans up. : (

Catherine said...

Yuck on both stories!! My heart breaks for you on the stash!!

Siobhán said...

Okay, me and the kids are in hysterics here. First at the maggoty flies dropping from the ceiling and then from Leslie's comment about her cat dropping his load in the bed while she slept. Oh my gosh, too funny. Sorry to hear about the stash--I would be apoplectic. The thing is--and I am sure you are aware of this--the smell doesn't come out of that stuff. My mother's husband had a cat that peed on everything. Like, you had to make sure he wasn't in certain rooms because he'd pee on whatever he could find--he particularly liked beds. They had a rule about taking shoes off at the front door, so my son did that one year that we visited--with his brand new shoes. I'm sure you know what happened next--Miles peed on them. The smell didn't come out no matter how many times we washed them with whatever we could find, Febreezed them, left them outside, etc. We tried, though, but it got to the point where he could wear them for a day but then the smell would get so bad that we'd drive down the street with our heads sticking out the car windows, trying to get fresh air. :P Sorry!! I'm sorry about the cat, too. Big hugs.

Minerva said...

Sorry for your loss...both feline and fibrous. When something like that happens to me, I try to remember that it's "just stuff". But it's hard when it's really great stuff! Hope you feel better soon.

Cindy said...

I am so sorry about your loss and all the hassle you have been through....as someone that has lost everything (including years of stash) I can tell you that it is just 'stuff' and my suggestion would be to toss it.....I have mourned the losses we have had....but have had a ball replacing my 'stuff' with new stuff :D.....good luck with your decision

Pumpkin said...

Ugh! THE HORROR!!!! OMG, I can't even 'imagine' what it would feel like :o( I really hope that not all is lost. If there is anything I can do or send you, plmk :o)

Sylvia said...

Oh gosh, Melanie. I am so sorry. Its hard to come to the realization that your pet needs to be put down. Oh, and the horror of the stash destruction by cat pee. That would absolutely send me over the edge. :(

I don't know what to tell you in terms of getting the smell out. So sorry.

Ok, and the maggot thing - I had to laugh, but just about the two of you screaming like girls.... how horrifying!!

Carol said...

OK, the cat story is horrid, but the mouse and maggot tale--ugh!! Glad I haven't eaten my breakfast yet...

Seriously, Melanie--I'm sorry that Nitwit is gone, but you I think you knew in your heart it was time. We went through the same thing with our cat, too--we had rolled up every single area rug in the house (it is all hardwood floors) so the cat vomit wouldn't hit the carpet. Lived that way for 6 months! What we won't do for our kitties!! But, in the end you knew it was time, and Nitwit did, as well...

So sorry about the stash-filled, pee-filled bin. What a mess, but it sounds like at least some of it is salvageable! I feel so bad that this happened to you :(

Sending you big hugs...

Jenny said...

Melanie, you have seriously had a really rough few weeks. I feel for you. I am glad that decided to take care of Nitwit; it sounded like he had a pretty rough time towards the end too. :-(
I have no idea about how to wash all the floss - I am not sure where I would even begin. I am assuming that dry-cleaning wouldn't work? I'll ask around and see if I can get any good tips from my stitchin' peeps!
Take care and hugs to you!

geeky Heather said...

ZOMIGOSH that is HORRIBLE!!! AHHHH!!! I feel your pain because about a month or two ago, I discovered the window seat where I'd been keeping all my most current WIPs had mildewed!!!!! Fortunately, MOST of them were knitting (easily washed) and the mildew had not made it onto actual yarn (just the bags it was in), but everything smelled and had to be aired/washed/tossed. =( I can't even imagine a whole bin (I have one of those just like you) of specialty fibers soaked in pee.

{{{{HUGS!!}}}} And let us know what you need replaced. =)