This morning after an abortive attempt at filling out the Taxpax form ( I really do have what amounts to a phobia about filling out such forms.) I discovered a premium notice from State Farm — $375 – due February 28. All of the forebodings and terrors I had felt staring at the TP form crashed in on me, and for a few minutes I just paced around the living room, flapping the premium notice and wailing inside.

At 8:30 I drove down to the Cat Clinic to pick up the cats. There was some trouble running out my bill on the computer. The vet complained to me that the program was lousy and kept screwing up billing and inventories. She assured me Capone (the bobcat hybrid) had been good. This surprised me. His last vet gave him an F in deportment on his card. He and Lucius (the Abyssinian) had refused breakfast that morning. Then she went back to get him.

There were a few thumps and the faint – almost just the impression – of a surprised voice attempting to soothe. When she emerged from the back, she was carrying the carrier in one hand (with Capone in it) and Lucius in the other. Capone refused to allow Lucius in the carrier with him, and my attempts at conciliation just got a few more growls. She leant me a cardboard carrier for Lucius, explaining that she wasn’t supposed to do this, and would I please return it tomorrow morning.

In the car, with Capone in the carrier in the back, and Lucius in the cardboard carrier up front, Lucius went berserk, screaming for help, moaning, and tearing at the inside of the box. I got so frazzled I turned the wrong way down Polk Street and had to do a U-turn to get out. Lucius managed to get his paw out of one of the holes and snag me viciously in the arm. I hope the woman at the vets doesn’t get into trouble when I return the carrier. He chewed it up pretty badly.

Once home, I called the insurance office and the male secretary who answered assured me that if I got the check to the office that day, it would probably be all right. I rushed over to Berkeley and wasted about fifteen minutes looking for the office on Shattuck. When I found it my insurance agent let me in. Like the other man he was – mostly – reassuring, and I left after writing him a check and giving him my day number. I got to work at 10:15. Charlie made no comment, except to give me a bangle watch that had come in the mail as a sample.

The 20^th anniversary issue is going to contain pictures of the staff. Charlie may have a picture taken of the new set-up. If I’m in it, I hope I can get my glasses off and my lipstick on before he snaps the shutter.

And now to take another shot at filling out the Taxpax form.