very big update

I've been quiet around here, haven't I? There's been a lot of life stuff going on lately, and I've had trouble figuring out the best way to put it all into words without coming off either too flip or too maudlin. I eventually settled for not saying anything at all, but now there is a bunch of stuff I want to write about here that I can't because it's related to the things I've been avoiding getting into here.

So, I'm just going to rip off the band-aid and be done with it.

Somewhere around the middle of last month, Rob and I decided to separate. We had been having problems for a few months, and got to the point where we were just making each other miserable. The thought of getting into a whole anatomy-of-the-marriage explanation makes me tired, so suffice it to say that no one is at fault in this, there was no major precipitating event or affair, we are just great friends that probably shouldn't have gotten married in the first place. We both really wanted it to work, but it just...didn't. And I don't want to live the next 30-50 years just going through the motions because we don't want to give up on Us. We both deserve better.

So, I looked around for apartments within the boy's school attendance zone, and discovered that there aren't any. After about a week of dealing with realtors and showings, I did find a house for rent within my price range that wasn't ugly, tiny, or 50 feet from an active railroad track. It's also closer to work, so yay! I've got the utilities turned on and the fancy new TV installed, but we don't move in for real until Saturday. Noah was a little upset at first (we waited till after Christmas to tell him, and then I totally botched it), but now he's sort of hard to read on the subject. He's glad he doesn't have to change schools, I think, but he's not really sure how it's all going to shake out. We've done a division of cats, with the two big boys going with us and the two girls and the youngest boy staying with Rob. Rob would rather not be left with three, but my landlord will only accept two. Anyone want a cat? He's very cute, I swear! Comes with claw covers and current shots. We'll even deliver. Anywhere within a 500 mile radius--I like to drive. :)

I also canceled my WW monthly pass. I haven't stayed for a meeting or counted points in over a month, and I can step on a scale at home for free. The day I weighed 198.2 at WW, I was 194.5 at home, so I've adjusted my pre-Christmas weigh-in accordingly.

So, it's been a time of big changes and small dramas. I did 60 miles of riding this weekend, but have made 0 spin classes. I can't find my Polar IR adapter, so I haven't been able to upload my stats and it's making me crazy to think of them piling up in the watch. Hopefully I'll find it again before it starts deleting workouts I haven't uploaded yet. I've also had some utilities issues with the new house, most notably with cable TV and the water management company. Hopefully, they'll get resolved by the move-in day, or Time-Warner is dead to me. The water company I choose to forgive, mainly because I like clean clothes and showers and they're the only gig in town for that sort of thing.

Sorry to hear about you and Rob, but I am glad your split was amicable, though of course I am sure still hard.

What are claw covers?

By the way...HAPPY NEW YEAR!

thanks. :)

Claw covers (we use Soft Paws, there may be other brands) are a non-surgical alternative to declawing--little rubber caps that fit over a cat's claws and are glued in place, then they're shed naturally every 6 weeks and have to be replaced. The cats can still extend their claws and scratch, but they can't destroy the furniture. They're a little more labor-intensive than declawing, but nicer for the cat.

Thank you for that link on the SoftPaws, I just ordered Squeeky a set, if they work I will look at getting Pita a pair. Squeeky currently is scratching up a storm on me and my couch.

no problem--we like them a lot, though got away from using them for a while. We used to install them ourselves, but this time around we enlisted the vet to do it since they had to go in for shots anyway. Our vet charges $20 for the service, which is pretty reasonable if you're only doing it every 6 weeks.

If they work well for Squeeky and Pita's the same size, you could probably use some of Squeeky's pack to put them on Pita as well. Each package has 40 covers. Good luck!

Hi Joy,

I'm so sorry to hear the news of you and Rob. That must have been a really tough entry to write, but I'm glad you told us. Best of luck to you and Noah in your new home. :)

Kristi