The 14th & 15th; Exhausted and furious.

The 14th of June. Today has revolved around Dolly.

She was supposed to be at the vet this morning for her second vaccinations. We had one chance, so we put some food in the carrier. Unfortunately, we fucked it up and she ran away to under the chair. I rang Lydon's, and they were able to reschedule her for 5pm.

We left her for the rest of the morning, and vowed to try again later with the help of Shaki.

I went to sit with her this afternoon, watching Bates Motel and hoping she would emerge from her hiding place. Eventually, she crept out, and I had to do the slowest movements known to man, swinging my legs over the arm of the chair away from her, sort of thrusting my pelvis up so I could get out of the chair and on to the floor. I crawled to behind the chair, and I shoved a bunch of pillows underneath so she couldn't hide under there again.

Then we had one more shot before the 5pm appointment. She had, miraculously, gone over to the carrier, even inside, but I was at the other end of the room so couldn't shut the door. Mommy came in with some food, so I slid a bowl over to her, and she put it in the very back of the carrier. Dolly slowly climbed in, checking on Mommy through the slits in the side. When I could see that she was eating and not looking, I instructed her to lean over silently and shut the door. Victory!

At the vet, she was actually okay! A bit scared, but Daniel was able to do the injection and she didn't bite or scratch. Now we have to go back to basics with her. Time for some hard work.

The 15th of June.

I'm going to write about today and tomorrow in a slightly different way, as more of a record than my usual fashion. I just don't have the energy to do it properly, so I'm sorry if it's weird. A lot of it has been travelling. We have been to London to go to Space Shambles at the Royal Albert Hall for Daddy's birthday present.

Train to Euston. I have to make a couple who are sitting in the wheelchair space move which enrages them but unfortunately for them it says my name above the seat and therefore they have to shift. Taxi to the Serpentine. Lunch in café in Hyde Park. Bimble through park to hotel, spotting all the good dogs out for a walk on a sunny day. Arrive at hotel, immediate disappointment. Had not realised when booking that it is not wheelchair accessible. There is one sentence on the website saying that the lift starts from the first floor. No mention of the fact that said lift has no lights, an unreliable door and a terrifying suspension. I climb the stairs but am exhausted and furious. Unpack. Go out to explore Whole Foods. Get very excited by all the baked goods. Buy a cinnamon swirl from the box of Crosstown Doughnuts. Go up and have fourth coffee of the day while eating doughnut. Decide to head for Royal Albert Hall, taking a detour around Natural History Museum to kill time until dinner reservation. Meet Christine, go to Verdi for pre-show pizza. I manage half, struggle to stay awake. Get shown a photo of a genuinely ugly baby and I laugh so hard I cry. Eat some blood orange and lime gelato. Time for show. Stash wheelchair, slyly retrieving water bottle from underneath, avoiding confiscation at bag check. Find seats, find scarf to filter air through to prevent choking on dry ice. Spend the next three hours listening to scientists and astronauts. Grace Petrie sings a lovely song. The final act are a band who play too loudly for too long. Time to go. Worn out and in pain.