Jamming, People.
A couple of things.
First, Charlie seems to have returned to his former self. It feels like a miracle. Second, I went to a Phish show. It was good. Sadly, I was not converted. Maybe that’s for the best. I don’t have to get baggy jam band jigging clothes. I did do some swaying.
So, Charlie has been through it the last few weeks. My trips in and out of town really fucked him up. He has separation anxiety and that induced colitis and then he became aggressive with the other cats. It was a real chaotic shit show here when I got back from my last trip. In a panic, I put him on Prozac. It leveled him. Not in a good way. He was almost lethargic and seemed aggravated in another way. Like he knew he wasn’t himself. It was also very sad. He just wasn’t the same guy. I couldn’t live with it.
People kept telling me that I should let him adjust and wait it out. I started to think that actually meant that I needed to adjust to the fact that I had neutered his personality. I mean, I already took his balls away, now I was cutting off his personality. I was a monster.
I took him off it. Waited it out a few days. He was still out of his mind with aggression. The vet had prescribed Gabapentin for when I was away. That would require getting it in his mouth.
It was all causing me anxiety. Massive cat stress. It’s so good I don’t have kids.
The vet gave me a supplement that I could try. Zylkene. I emptied a capsule into his dinner a few days ago and within hours he was calm and back to normal. What a relief. The stress it was causing me, and I imagine him as well, was daunting. Especially on top of all my other stress.
I just don’t know why the first recommendation was so drastic. Prozac is a lifetime commitment to getting medicine into a wild animal. We’ll see if this other stuff holds and keeps working. I feel like it just gave him some space to get out from under the anger. I’ve been there.
Phish was in town this past weekend. When I interviewed Trey a while back I had told him I’d never seen the band and I agreed to take him up on his invitation when it was convenient. So, I went. He set me up with great seats.
What I didn’t expect at the show was that the entire Phish community had listened to my talk with him. So, they were all happy I took him up on his offer. Many people came up to me and said some version of, ‘You made it.’
The show was great. Despite my prejudgement, I did kind of know what to expect. The journey.
I went knowing none of the songs. None. But I got the vibe. I lived with Dead Heads for two years back in the day. I went to a few shows. I have the jam band neural pathway.
The first set at the show was mostly defined songs. The second set was the trip. The evolving jam. I think when you are of the world and you know all the songs, maybe many versions that you had experienced over many shows, there’s a depth to the experiences that I couldn’t have. The band is tight and I rolled with it. Having been high in my life and being surrounded by weed I was able to tap in.
I dug it. Good experience. Glad I had it. I can’t say I’ll be part of the Pham but I immersed myself.
To be fully transparent, I have to admit, I left before the end. I don’t like the post-concert mass exodus or traffic. It had nothing to do with the show. I mean, I left the Stones early. I leave all concerts early.
I get it now though.
Today I talk to director David Cronenberg. Thursday I talk to David Harbour again. I love that guy. Great week.
Enjoy!
Boomer, Monkey and LaFonda live!
Love,
Maron
