Decison Time

Well, yesterday was a day to bring up some unpleasant things.  I came home for lunch after a typically shitty day, and my wife, who has to be the most awesome housekeeper I've ever known, was doing some cleaning and had some of Orbit's things lined up by the door.
     We haven't been in any hurry to remove these items- bagged food, unused medications, unused boxes of litter and the rolled up piece of carpet we kept under his litter box- from our apartment.
     It didn't make any sense to hang onto these things any longer, so we mutually agreed to donate most of them to Atlantic Animal Hospital for use by others.  And then it came to Orbit's litter box, the small platform I made for his food and water bowls when he first appeared to be having a problem stooping to eat and drink, and his perch.
     His perch has been laying on the floor in the corner where I put it after removing it from our living room window sill when the last freeze set in.  Our windows, no-name vinyl economy-grade pieces of shit that they are, are so drafty that the plastic we taped over them bulged like a pregnant belly.
     To try to make a long story not quite as long as I ordinarily can I'm sitting here right now looking at the perch, the litter box and the bowl platform, over in their respective corners.  We'll keep those few things for the time being.  
     Yeah, we'll have another cat one of these days, but with assorted uncertainties in our life right now we've decided to wait.  I'd toyed with the idea of suggesting we foster for a while, but I'm not even sure we're ready for that.  Don't want even the temporary attachment just yet.
     

No Clever Post Title

I've been thinking how, over the years we'd give voice to Orbit's antics, attitudes and facial expressions.  As much as he was a crusty old man- and we certainly had that voice down solid- I'm reminded of so many other times when we'd give him the voice of a toddler.
     We were both guilty of talking to him- and making him talk- like a child.  If you're truly a cat lover you'll know how this works.  It's so funny how he could be both at the same time, and we entertained ourselves (at his expense, of course, though he'd say otherwise) for hours on end almost daily. 
     So many times I could sit there with him on my lap, talking to him in whichever voice I chose.  He'd always do one of two things;  Either he'd completely ignore me, or he'd look at me blankly, his eyes saying "wow, what an idiot, talking to a cat, as if I can understand what you're saying."
     Just some random reminiscing for a rainy Saturday afternoon, I guess. 
     

Sorry, No Orbit Post- Just a Dad Rant

Before Orbit passed away he and I, as you know, enjoyed our early mornings together.  The whole world was quiet, except for the occasional snoring seeping from the bedroom as my wife slept away.
     A couple of months ago we got a new neighbor, who moved into the then-vacant apartment just below ours.  This guy apparently has a quality sound system, and almost daily we can pretty much tell what he's watching with his fabulous, over-the-top, surround sound, larger than life, obnoxiously low end-heavy, nearly-shake-the-walls, feel the beat through my ass in the chair whatever the hell kind of system it is.
     I was up a little earlier than usual this morning, getting out of bed by 4:15.  I woke off and on around one-ish, and could hear the noise from the bedroom, and when I came out to the living room just after four I held myself back from trudging out the door and downstairs to pound on his door.
     I read with my earplugs in, and even now as I write this, whatever the hell he's got on is boom boom booming right up through the floor.
     When he first moved in we got off on the wrong foot when he approached our door at night (our light was off, mind you) more than once to offer opened and cut into baked goods and candy, asking, in exchange for my wife's phone # (says he wanted decorating advice) and help with painting, etc.
     I got a little short with him the second time he came knocking, and he went to the rental office and turned it into a federal case against us.  
     Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but he tried to start trouble, and it's been a little awkward since then.  I'm extremely laid back, but I finally spoke to those in charge about the noise, and though a letter is supposed to be sent out nothing has been done yet.
     After quietly tolerating several months of this I think I'm about ready to make another move.  Maybe a little further south and west.  Hell, we've always wanted to live out towards Asheville.  We'll see.