He Reads Me?

Ever have someone drop a bombshell on you - something so utterly surprising and unexpected that it leaves you speechless? 

Well, that's what my husband did to me a few days ago. We were just sitting around the house, chatting about work, life and the kid, and I mentioned something about a post I'd written. I can't even remember which one I was talking about because what he said next shocked the hell out of me. It was something to the effect of, "I remember that one."

Huh? He does? And then, even more astounding, he says, "Well, yeah, I've read all your posts."

Really? 

Let me explain why this is astonishing to me: Hubs is - to say the least - not the most avid reader I've ever met. Since I've known him, he's been very open about his dislike of the written word, not seeing the point in what he refers to as "made up stories". With the sole exception of The Adventures Huckleberry Finn, that is, which he claims is the best book ever written. A fine book, yes, but he honestly doesn't have much else to compare it to.

So, in this regard, we're pretty much complete opposites. Before my son was born, I ate, drank and slept books. I would see blocks of text in my dreams, mumble sentences from them while in a deep slumber. Ah, deep slumber - something else I haven't experienced much of these days...

Anyway, the point is I'm a bookworm and he is not. So you can imagine my surprise when he started describing some of my posts. At one point, I started back-tracking in my mind - had I written anything unfavorable, something that I wouldn't have, perhaps, if I'd known he'd been reading all along? Hmm, let me think. Well, he already knows about my mad crush on Benicio Del Toro, and other than that, there's just everyday stuff he already knows about - so no deep, dark secrets here.

Will it effect the way I write from now on? Nah - I don't think so. Unless, of course, I want to start dropping hints for Christmas or birthday presents. Or, I could start making up outrageous stories to see just how much he's paying attention. But that would be kind of cruel, I suppose.

So, maybe I'll start working on my Valentine's Day wish list and see what transpires. Not that I need lavish gifts.  Just knowing he reads and likes my blog is enough. Although, honey, if you're reading,  those chocolates from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory are always welcome. And so is pretty much anything from Lululemon. Cause, you know, I'll need good work-out gear after purging on all that chocolatey goodness!

Thanks, love, me xoxo

Okay 2011 - Can we start over?

Talk about slacking off - could this really my first post of the not-so-new year? Holy crap, it is! Let me just say it's been a hellish last few weeks, to say the least. I hate to start 2011 on such a negative note, but seriously, can I just erase the whole month of January and start fresh?

I realize there's probably no one even reading this, after me being on hiatus for so long, but I wanted to at least check in and say, hey, I'm still here - just totally wrapped up in home wreckos renos, longer-than-usual commutes thanks to the lovely wintery weather, and dealing with my son's JK debacles.

My latest downward spiral started as expected, when we began renovating back in December. Being crammed in this god-forbidden basement hasn't exactly helped my creative juices flow - I haven't had much motivation to write lately.

I've also been dealing with leaky pipes, a malfunctioning furnace, a husband with a sprained hand and a very sick cat who had to be rushed to the emergency vet clinic last weekend. Pretty much anything that could go wrong, has.

Things started out smoothly enough, renovation-wise that is, until Hubby had his hand crushed by a 500-pound cabinet at work. Understandably, all renos came to a halt. There's only so much construction one can manage with a single working hand.

After resting up for a few days, back to work he went, cutting and moving vents and pipes all over the place. Then, we sprung a couple of leaks and water was shut off turned back on and shut off again; at one point we were down to one washroom. Not the end of the world, I admit. Small problems.

But, in the midst of our plumbing issues, the family cat was struck with one of his own. His urinary system became blocked, seemingly overnight. After a very expensive visit to the animal hospital, where they did as much as they could for him, we took him home. We tried in vain to feed and medicate him but he refused to eat, couldn't go pee and we could do nothing but watch him get weaker and weaker. It was heartbreaking to see him in such pain. The vet suggested we have him euthanized; he was almost 14, had heart and kidney issues and they didn't think he'd survive a surgery.

It was much harder on me than I thought it would be. After Ciaran was born, I didn't have time for playing and petting him, like I used to. I became annoyed with having to take care of him. It seemed like I was constantly cleaning up hairballs, cat puke or litter boxes, when I wanted to be relaxing or playing with my son in a nice, clean house. I made rude comments about how I wished he would run away and never come back or how I'd never get another cat after he passed away. The few times he did escape I'd end up worrying like crazy. And the house always felt different, more empty.

We got to say goodbye before he was sedated, but he wasn't the same. He was tired and feeble, not at all the feisty feline who had lived up to his name, Dr. Acula. I guess he knew it was his time.

I'm amazed by how much I miss that little furball. I keep glancing around at the floor, half-expecting him to brush against my legs as he saunters by. I miss his little face, always looking up at me expectantly, looking for a treat, or just some attention. I only wish I'd been more receptive. I like to think he knew he was part of the family, though. Whenever he did take off looking for a taste of freedom, he always did find his way back home.

We haven't broken the news yet to Ciaran. Tony and I disagree on how to tell him. I think we should tell him the truth - he'll learn about death sooner or later and this seems like a good opportunity to teach him. Tony thinks he's still too young, and has told him the cat has gone to a special "cat farm" until we've finished renovating our house.

I'm not sure who's right, but I don't know how much longer I can answer Ciaran's questions about where the farm is and who lives there. I tear up when he asks if Acci is chasing the other kitties. On the other hand, if there was such thing as a cat heaven, I'm sure that's exactly what he'd be doing.

RIP Dr. Acula

Best Friends