I spent Saturday, which was so beautiful, working on student grades. I wanted to be outside, digging, getting ready to plant, maybe putting up the deer fence we got for the garden. Anyway, I resisted that treat and instead I was "good." I made a lot of progress, but there still is a big stack, and a smaller virtual stack, to go. Yesterday I took a break from it to work on the kitchen. We still have odds and ends to finish up in there; a little painting here, a piece of border there. The big project that still is in progress in that room is the closet under the stairs, where we tore the floor out down to the joists and are now putting in tongue and groove pine. It seems a luxurious treatment for the floor of a utility closet, but it was in bad shape and something needed to be done. It trumped working on evaluation because of the disruption - I am tired of fishing plastic wrap out of a box, and having to walk around the carpet shampooer to get to the stove.

All the tests Rudy had have not turned up anything, so he was supposed to be dropped off today for an additional test, and then possibly surgery. He's "intact." I don't have any problem with having him neutered, especially if that fixes the problem - and I suspect it would. But for several days his urine has been clear, and in terms of energy, he is a ball of fire, as usual, maybe more than usual. So it seems the second course of antibiotics is working. We have been carefully monitoring him (I think he is getting tired of it) and anxiously considering the options, and today I summoned my courage, called the vet, and told them we are going to hold off for now. If it comes back (and I know that might happen, because urinary tract infections are hard to beat), we will proceed with additional tests and/or treatment. I don't know why it was hard to do, maybe because of the fear of being wrong, thinking that they suspect something they are not saying, but on the other hand feeling like I know Rudy best, and I don't want to subject him to a bunch of unnecessary procedures, not to mention the expense. But I feel good now having made the decision.

Back to work.