UPDATE...IT WOULD APPEAR THE WORM IS STARTING TO TURN

Cracker made it through the night, and after dropping me off at work, Ann dropped him off at our vet. It was a very long day. Ann picked me up after work and we went to the vet. He had done surgery to remove the bone extruding, stitched up the stub and gave him injections of antibiotic and fluids...we have to go back thursday for another shot and to pick up a final dose for me to administer 72 hours after that. he survived the injury, the surgery and now the only hurdle is recovering from the ketamine/gas used to put him under. Still in the woods, but much closer to the meadow than 24hrs. ago.
I am fortunate to have gone to high school with my vet, additionally, he like turtles too (as a hobbyist). So, the tab for this minature yet major surgery ? 50 dollars...and a cigarette.Reminder one that we are blessed. Looking at him (Cracker...not the vet,sillies!) so totally stoned makes me wonder why dumbass ravers would even consider ketamine as a recreational drug. But that's another entry for another time.
While Ann was at her folks house last night getting an outfit laundered and ironed for a job interview, they gave her a gift card to a local grocery as a "belated" birthday present. Reminder two. This was awesome timing on two levels...our monthly expenses exceed my income, there is no wiggle room right now...our wiggle room is called the pawn shop, or E-Bay, or both.We used it tonight, and bought real beer and right at the poverty level quality food...and dog food. Why did we splurge on real beer and poverty level food? Ann got the job!!! HOORAY JOB! Reminder three.
When we got home, my neighbor was outside piddling around as usual, and we struck up a conversation about the horrible white trash condition of our lawn.(This causes me great shame BTW) I have been unable to defeat the ever recurring mulberries, and that god damn mimosa tree has started to gain a foothold again as well. You might recall, my lawnmower died recently, so, I was explaining to my neighbor that I was borrowing a weed eater from a coworker tomorrow, and could I borrow his lawnmower this weekend after the weed eating was complete. He did me one better and led me to the myriad of locked sheds in his backyard to loan me a weed eater with a metal blade like a circular saw...YES! He started to unlock one of the sheds, stopped for a moment, then went to another and produced a Stihl weed eater and a length of heavy duty line and said " Why don't you just hang on to this one till you don't need it anymore...here's some extra heavy duty line if you need it" Reminder four.
Now, I realize he siezed the opportunity to rid himself of the eyesore that is my yard...but it was still very nice of him to loan me a tool for as long as I needed.
In our small talk, Cracker came up, and I asked him if he had noticed any racoons snooping about. "Oh yeah" he proclaimed..."all the time, right back here" Indicating the area of Cracker's pen, and then shared the tale of one in one of his sheds that scared the shit out of him.Reminder five( Now I know how to respond...hehhehheh) Remember, I am a good shot.
I have officially moved up from sense of impending dread to sense of lingering worry.
WOOHOO!!!

[Listening to: In For The Kill - Budgie - The Definitive Anthology (6:27)]