Year after year I have had to telephone Vadim, the LA vet, when first Lexi, then Pereg, and now Tikva needed the mandatory yearly rabies shots. And year after year, after a few calls or messages left on his voicemail, he would eventually turn up without any warning. Tikki is due for the shot on the 12th of this month and I had set my reminders to pop up daily from the 1st, until I got through to him, and this morning he actually answered instead of his mobile going straight to voicemail. So - he said he will come here on Thursday. No time, just Thursday. Or he will or he will not, but as always I will be a lot happier when Tikki is legal again. I am not holding my breath waiting though, as knowing Vadim he will turn up when he turns up, whenever that will be!
The trouble is that he knows you are always likely to be at home. I bet he makes proper appointments with the people who could be out.
Actually he does not as he is not a private or small animal vet and does not make house calls - or have a regular clinic for that matter. Vadim is a regional authority vet, responsible for cows and poultry for meat, milk and eggs for human consumption. Also for any imported meat - and for rabies shots. He would be responsible for quarantining areas if there was a rabies scare. He also chipped mine and registered them with the Ministry of Agriculture, and the rabies shots are also registered with the MoA - both under my ID number. Vadim used to be the local authority vet for the Hof Ashqelon region, but Ram said something about him now being in charge of all adjoining regions and he is rarely in contact with him now. I know that people used to take their dogs to his office to be vaccinated - I think he used to do it once a month or so and AFAIK each region has its own vet with Vadim being i/c of the lot. Or something. Anyhow he always fitted me in when he came to the Moshav, and for the last couple of years he has come with another vet and they have given Tikki her shot while he waited in his car. He will turn up when he turns up. At least Tikki, and Pereg before her, never did what Lexi always did - pee'd on his shoe while he was on the doormat!
No rabies shot for Tikki this week as Vadim has just sent me an SMS - in English? He does not speak or understand English [he is Russian]. Anyhow, the message, from his mobile, said "Hello July I'm sorry I'm very very busy I will call you next week". Many people mis-spell my name but even though I am used to it, it still looks funny to me. Oh well, as always, he will turn up... eventually.
I get ribbed no end about my name, Juli, as I share it with a very camp comedian. As I tell folk who ask if I'm him, 'wrong gender and not got his money'
Chris, there is someone who recently rented a place up the road with forename Julia - spelled in Ivrit as gimmel, vav, lamed, yud, hey. גוליה - whereas Juli is spelled gimmel, vav, lamed, yud. גולי - [there are no vowels in Ivrit, which is written and read from right to left]. And of the four consonants in her surname, three are the same as the [only] three in mine ברג same order as well. So at a quick glance by our mailman [who is a lovely old boy] sometimes her mail ends up in my mailbox.
Surprise, surprise, Vadim turned up - as I said, he always turns up... eventually! By himself this time so it was three years since Tikki and I last saw him - she was not too sure as she obviously did not remember him and I almost did not recognise him walking down the path - until I saw the syringe in his hand. I have known him for over 20 years now, since Lexi came into my life, but only see him once a year, and I am sure he did not have white hair last time. So. Tikki Tikva has had her rabies shot and is legal for another year! PHEW
