Moving backward, looking forward

Well, that's over and done.  Another offer accepted and then terminated as a result of information not made available to me before I made the offer.  I'm disappointed, D is disappointed, and as a result life has taken another turn.

She and I had a discussion that got heated.  From my perspective she's done nothing, since getting pregnant with Eli, to do anything to secure his or her own future.  There was no plan B, hell I don't think there was even a plan A.  According to her she was relying on J and when that didn't work out, she figured I'd take care of things.  Well, I tried and that didn't work.

As a result of our disagreement she has moved back into J's house.  I suspect it won't last long as he is no more responsible than she is.  At this point, I can nothing more and at her age (35+), it is time for her to step up and take care of herself.  I worry about little Eli, but as I keep telling myself, kids are pretty resilient.  By nature he is a happy little guy, very easy-going, and I hope those tendencies will stand him in good stead.

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It appears she's decided to leave Sheldon behind (as she did with Saku 8 years ago).  We'd been slowly introducing Sheldon to Saku - unlike Sami and Sasha he's never seen a kitten before and was quite upset.  On Thursday evening, my son and I decided it was now or never so we fed the cats in the same room.  Sheldon was probably 4 feet from Saku and while the two of them kept an eye on each other while they ate, there was no hissing or howling.  

After the meal, things were a little more tense but they managed.  Yesterday, I kept Sheldon out all day, there were a few moments of whappy paw, hissing and growling from Saku, especially when Sheldon runs up to him or surprises him.  Most often, Sheldon knows enough to back off but I think he gets confused because sometimes Saku will play with him.

At one point, they were in the midst of the chase game, Saku chased Sheldon, then they turned and Sheldon chased Saku.  But then Saku had had enough and turned on the kitten, hissing and growling.  

So the tolerance level is increasing, not without a scratch or two (on Sheldon's ear and nose). 

Night time is a different story, I tried allowing Sheldon to stay last night but I had to put him in a separate bedroom as he doesn't settle down and ends up annoying the other cats (and me).  So for the weekend, he'll be out during the day and tucked away at night so we can all get some sleep.  I left them alone for an hour yesterday while I went grocery shopping and they were fine, so may try leaving them on their own on Monday when I return to work. I don't think Saku would ever seriously hurt him, and now that Sheldon is bigger he can run away or climb out of Saku's way.

I really didn't/don't want another cat, but I suspect he'll be staying here.  My son C says he'll take him and Sasha when he leaves, likely in the next year.  I'll keep the other two with me.

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On a much happier note, I'm counting down the days to my cruise....29!  I starting making a packing list yesterday.  Since it's Canada/New England and it's fall, it's quite a different list than i would take for my winter Caribbean cruise.  I'm assuming reasonably warm temps during the day with cooler temps at night so that means layers, a rain jacket just in case, and even a few pairs of socks.   

As a side note I hate socks (and pantyhose)...as soon as the weather warms enough in spring, I never wear them until it gets too cold in the fall to do without.  Growing up on the farm, I went barefoot all summer but now I wear sandals or flipflops.  

Anyway, back to the cruise.  I got an up-sell offer e-mail the other day.  For an additional $150C I could upgrade to an obstructed exterior cabin on deck 8.  I have sailed in one of these before, one of my first cruises, and they're okay.  There is a window, but the view is obstructed by the lifeboats that are stored on outside the rooms.  Our view was partially obstructed, as our window looked out between two lifeboats.  This time there was no guarantee, and I quite like the location of my current interior room.  I'm booked on deck 10 at the aft of the ship, a short distance from the adult only pool, and midway between the dining room on Deck 5 and the Horizon Court buffet on Deck 15.  One of my "rules" to cruising is no using the elevator except when I'm carrying luggage.  I know myself well, I'm more likely to stick to that rule if I don't have to climb more than 5 or 6 sets of stairs.  So I passed on the offer....now if they were to offer me a balcony room at the same rate..... :)

Enough babble from me today. I've got vacuuming, floors to wash, and outside chores to keep me busy.  

Have a good weekend everyone!