Since the cat is now out of the bag to our landlord, I can spill the beans here ... our big project for this summer has turned out to be buying our first house. (Why yes, I do like a good mixed metaphor!) If you want the latest scoop on that, you're reading the wrong spouse's blog. Go here, instead. To me, the whole process is way too much "hurry up and wait" - and to quote Inigo Montoya, "I hate waiting."
I'm in charge of packing. It's not fun. But, we did decide to splurge and hire someone to come and move us this time. The first guy came by to do an estimate this morning - apparently we look like a 10,000 lb. household. I'm not sure if I should be insulted or not.
In other news, I spent last Friday up in Fort Collins at CSU's "Short Course" day. It's sponsored by CSU's Horticulture/Landscape Architecture department, CSU Extension, and I think the Agriculture Department as well. Four classes and lunch crammed into one short day. But, it was fantastic. Due to the length and timing of my drive, I had contemplated skipping out on the last class of the day to get a headstart on the drive home. I am so glad I didn't. The last class was "Growing Small Fruits on the Front Range", and it was totally worth the drive, the heat and the price of admission all on its own. I won't go into a bunch of details, but let's just say that the new house has a big, flat backyard with one side that is just screaming for an assortment of berry plants. If the Boulder Extension agent can grow them, then so can I.
The Big Acoustic Kitty has an appointment at the vet tomorrow afternoon ... our boy is very much starting to show his age lately, and he's having real trouble with his hips. We've been giving him some kitty glucosamine for a while, but it doesn't seem to be helping much. He still gets around okay, but when you watch him you notice that he doesn't move his back legs until and unless he really has to. He'll keep them in place and move the rest of his body as much as possible before he has to move the rear legs. The kitty steps we bought him let him get up on the bed pretty easily, and he still jumps down from the bed or the counter or wherever fairly readily, but it's obvious that he's starting to have trouble. We're coming to terms with the fact (as much as we really can) that he has much more of his life behind him than he does ahead of him, and that the day is coming when we will have to make that awful decision that all pet-people dread.
But ... this is the Big Acoustic Kitty that we're talking about. If ever there was a no-nonsense cat, it would be him. Watching him have problems is pretty tough on me, and sometimes I get a little weepy, thinking about what's to come. I was sitting at the computer the other day, looking through our file of BAK photos from the past 10+ years and sniffling, when he came walking in from the bedroom, plopped himself down right next to my chair and let out a rather irritated, "MRAAAAAR!", complete with his signature scowl. (Around here, we call it his poopy-face.) It was, for all the world, the same effect as if he'd walked in, put his hands on his hips and said, "Um, what are you doing? I'm right HERE!"
When the attitude disappears, then I'll panic.
So that's it for the moment. More updates as events warrant.
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