London GTG-Sept 11 or 12th?
 

Hi, London fodorites.

Anyone interested in getting together for an after-work happy hour on Tuesday, Sept. 11th, or Wednesday, Sept. 12th?

I should be around then, I think.

Yeah! I was hoping you might be, Patrick! Here's hoping the stars align...

Bikerscott and I should be around too!

Better and better!!

topping...

Patrick, Jamikins and Bikerscott... hope we're still on! Been swamped at work, but I'll post later and see we can pick a day and a location. Looking forward to seeing you all...

And if anyone else would like to join...

ttt

Patrick, Jamikins and Bikderscott: If the three of you are still available, which evening would be better for you? Tuesday or Wednesday? I'm flexible at this point. Hope we can still meet for drinks.

Is there a pub anyone's been keen to try?

Either date will do for me.

No particular preferences as to pubs. The Princess Louise in Holborn? Old Bank of England in Fleet St? Or we could do some riverside pubs in Docklands (on my doorstep, but it's a way out of the centre for you or anyone else who wants to come along).

Oh my! Both of the pubs you mention look grand (and wonderfully Victorian! Thank you!). And I wouldn't be averse to traveling a bit east to your neck of the woods, Patrick.

I'll wait for Jamikins and Bikerscott to put in their $.02.

Hi, Patrick, Jamikins and Bikerscott.

Sadly, I may now have to cancel my trip. My elderly cat had a seizure Sunday morning, and I'd been hoping her health might stabilize enough for me to leave her with my family/pet sitters, but she appears to be deteriorating.

She'd "bounced back" a bit, and my vet thought she wasn't in dire straights, but my nerves are stretched thin wondering how she'll do day to day without me as she's still having facial twitches and her seizure was sound-induced. I'm walking on eggshells at home and nervous about others being near her.

Was hoping and waiting and torn between trying to go, and staying home... but it's looking less and less likely. I have my vet coming for a second visit Thursday and I need to make a final decision then.

I'm so sorry to (likely) miss meeting you both...I wanted to let you three know asap, though.

Thanks for that, but you've got more important things than us to worry about. Here's hoping all goes well with the vet.

Hi, Patrick, Jamie and Scott.

Well. It's official. I have cancelled my flight and am sick with disappointment and stress over my kitty.

I was so looking forward to getting to know all of you, but this just isn't the right time for me to travel.

Punzie-the-cat is nearly 18, so she's had a good long life. Just trying to keep her comfortable and she doesn't appear to be in a terrible amount of pain as she's still eating and roaming about, but she's had some sort of neurological "event." Either a lesion on the brain, or a stroke, or some sort of inner ear polyp that's severe enough to have induced that seizure. She has only had the one, thank goodness, but she's still having those facial ticks, and after the vet left, she was so agitated, she started the same "pre-seizure" behavior I saw before (howling, circling the room, almost chasing her tail), but she managed to calm herself down. I, on the other hand, have been self-medicating with excessive amounts of carbs and refined sugars since Sunday morning.

Vet could not provide a reason for the seizure. The next step would be a two thousand dollar MRI and possible surgery which, at her age, I wouldn't subject her to.

Well, man plans, God laughs, as they say. Six months of planning undone by my cat - 8 days before my flight.

Cancelled my B&Bs... lost some deposits, other innkeepers were kind and let me off the hook. American Airlines will stick it to me with a $275 change fee, but the customer service agent who gave me that news did keep me on the phone for 25 minutes talking about her own elderly pet. (The sympathy didn't extend to waiving the fee, of course.)

Anyway, I will miss meeting you three.

Thanks for all the travel advise given these past several months. It'll still be useful as I plan to re-create my trip. At least, much of the planning is done.

Take care of yourselves!

And you. So sorry to hear this. Keep planning!

Oh I am so sorry to hear this! We have been in Greece for 2 weeks so I missed the above posts.

Please let us know next time you plan to come to London and we will meet up for sure!

Hi, Jamikins! Hope you two had a nice time in Greece. Seems a good time to visit that country.

I'll be sure to try a GTG again when I'm in London, but I'll wait until I'm IN London before sending out the invite.

Perversely, the cat seemed to be very much her old self the day before I was to fly, though I know she is still not 100%. She's back at about 80%.

But, the good news is, she seems more stable. With her, it's hard to say if she'll go into a decline within the next month, or if she'll stay stable and relatively all right for the next several years. My vet says Birmans can live to be quiet old, so am confused about the matter. And the cat's confused as to why I keep staring at her.

Thank you to you and Patrick for the kind words.

Who knows... perhaps you two or Patrick will make it to Chicago soon!