Officially changed hands

What a ride October has been.

It is official, we are now tenants until we move out in a few weeks.

It feels strange looking at these walls and realizing that they aren't mine anymore to do with whatever I want. That all of our things have to be moved, a big clean, and then a good bye to this house that really and truly has been good to us.

A true time of change. We have bought some new furniture, and already, the cleanse has begun and we have gotten rid of a fair bit of stuff. It feels like leaving disposable furniture behind and fully embracing another step in to adulthood. By this time next weekend, we will be homeowners again. It will be fully our place, all of the space will be ours. We can entertain, and more importantly, we can live and not always be on top of each other, all the time. I think that will be an interesting transition - having choices. More than one bathroom, more than one room to hang out in. Then the yard. Somewhat intoxicating.

A big bank transaction happened today, and a lot of our pasts were wiped out with it. This feels like a fresh start, and I find it ironic we were are moving to, it is like a new beginning but in a familiar place. I am curious as to how things will evolve. Not really scared or nervous, but more curious. The only thing I have to get geared up for is the commute... Everything has changed since I moved away 11 years ago, but so many more people now live further east that time will tell how the commute impacts us.

I can't get over what we have already packed, and what is left to pack, and how quickly our little place looks cluttered by what is left. Of course, Karma and Chaos have something to do with that! That is something I look forward to as much as having more space, less clutter. I am so over having everything packed to the rafters.

A different kind of mystery

Atkinson has a totally different writing style, one that requires a bit of patience but the language and the wit is well worth it.

This is the beginning of her mystery novels, and there is a miniseries based (at least) upon this book that I have heard is pretty good (will PVR over the weekend). There are three case histories described in this novel with various lead characters whose lives intersect in obscure ways. Like the previous book of hers that I read, you need to see through the different threads to understand the intricacy of how this novels works. A good read. This is definitely one of those days that I do not feel like I have much profound to say.

Again?

Really, wasn't the show that you put on earlier this week enough? Thank you oh random bug or virus that is kicking my butt again this week. I could have done with a good night's sleep and no more sweats and chills. I wish I could say welcome back, but I can't.

I think one of the hardest parts of having young kids are the random bugs you get exposed to (and not just their little friends). The other part is when you are sick, they generally tend to get what you have because they tend to stay pretty close. So I think my youngest has inadvertently caught part of what I have had, judging from his behaviour. *SIGH*. This feels just like last October before we headed off to Hawaii when it seemed like the flu and croup and ear infections flew through the house.

*Mental note, don't plan holidays in October. Not worth it.

The fast, and the furious

Everything is happening fast right now.

Yesterday was a day of extremes. When I got home from work on Wednesday night, everything hurt. I tried having a shower, it kind of helped. Dinner didn't really sit all that well, and tried to get to bed at a decent time. Work up Thursday morning and everything hurt (including my toes). By 7:30 am I knew it was a good day to call in sick. My DH ended up home with me, which was really nice to be home together without the joyous company of our kids.

Now, to some background noise. Over the last few weeks, my cat Murphy's health has taken a bit of a nose dive. It seemed like he got really skinny and quite terrible a few weeks ago. I spent some time giving him lots of loving and he seemed to come around a bit. Over the weekend we tried to see if we could coax him out of whatever was going on - we tried tuna, his favourite cat food, grass and clover (seems to cure everything) ... nothing seemed to be helping. Murphy had stopped eating, spent all his time in the bathtub, or wedged in beside the toilet, or hiding under our bed. He had given up his spot as sentinel near my head, and really didn't want to be cuddled. In his eyes he was still there, but you could tell something was really wrong. This wasn't my normal cat. I hate to admit, but I knew something was up. This wasn't a random virus. I have been in denial of things since the weekend, and I figured that today I had needed to act so had already made an appointment to see the vet for after work.

So, it was a day where I was completely under the weather. Ken and I did some errand running because we could without our kidlets, and then I got a call at 2pm to pick up a sick kid. So I went up to get and and then we hung out for a few hours watching kid movies (I wasn't up to entertaining my dearest and he was just overtired more than anything else) and then to taking my wee friend to the vet. I had been worried about cat diabetes because of Murphy's desire for water and for laying in the bathtub and the guilt of making a decision of what to do, but in the end the decision was out of my hands. The vet found lumps on his kidneys and diagnosed kidney failure more than likely due to cancer. In his condition, she recommended the best thing to do was for us to let him go. There was nothing else we could have done, and taking him home for a day and then to bring him back again would have been prolonging his lingering and degeneration. It is hard to say goodbye to a friend you figured would be around for 20 years and you only had them for 11. He was the coolest cat ever, and I am glad I could hold him up to the very end. This is part of being a responsible adult that truly sucks.

RIP Murphy. You were an awesome four-legged friend and have a special spot in my heart.

I was grateful my parents had offered up some stew for dinner since I didn't really want to cook, and Ken jumped in with both feet. By 7pm I had a raging headache (on top of the body ache and nausea) and no attention span whatsoever and needed to lie down. By 11pm I was freezing. At 1am I was sweating. At 3am my fever must have broken because I was wet and clammy but the worst of my headache had lifted and I seemed to be on the mend.

All I can say is "what a day". A day of total extremes (the good being the errands we accomplished and a nice lunch with my dad, and the bad, well feeling nasty, Murphy, sick kid). This morning I was looking for my buddy and he wasn't there. I am still tearing up (will be for a while) and just missing him. It is amazing how our four legged friends become such an integral part of our families. Just because you have done the "right thing" doesn't make it any easier, but in a sense, it does make it easier because you think of everything you both had because of it.

A new trilogy

This is a book that I think my bookclub should read. I suspect it will be one of those "relevant" novels describing a particular time and place in culture. This is also a book that would have been great to discuss in a literature class, to see how people responded to this novel, and what layers of meanings different individuals took from this.

I will definitely read the following two novels in this series to see how things evolve over time. This takes place at some point in the future, it involves a love triangle, it is a coming of age novel, it is post-apoplectic, it is about survival, it is about interpersonal dynamics. Apparently the author was inspired to write this novel flipping between coverage of the Gulf War/Iraq War and watching reality TV. Interesting juxtaposition that you can take a few steps further and look at it as a form of Survivor, with a deadly twist. I couldn't help but think of the alliance between Rob and Amber a few years ago when she won a round of Survivor at times when I read this novel (although different kinds of connections).

What does this novel present in terms of a social commentary - once again, this is a book I think would generate a lively discussion. I enjoyed it, it well paced, I found the end a bit choppy, you can find some editing issues, but it stands as a good read. It is interesting in the same way that Wall-E has something to say about where culture is headed, and our appetites for entertainment.

Thanks, Bra

Not often I warn folks about this, but this is a rant. I am ranting here because I can. I am also struggling to define how I feel about this, and this seemed as good a place as any to just "go off" about this since my brother leaked a lot of personal news on a social website and bypassed telling us, his immediate family in person.

Labour Day weekend, my extended family went fishing for a weekend, and I had a lovely time with my bro. Things seemed really good. Didn't really talk about anything serious, it was just a nice time.

Then he more or less disappeared for a few weeks and stopped talking to my folks, and I just never saw him.

I found out my brother got back together with his ex on the social website. To say it was a surprise, was an understatement. Last I checked he had been dating someone else, and when they had broken up the last time (of three times) it seemed pretty final and that both were moving on to (better) things. At the time, this wasn't a healthy relationship for either of them.

Last week, there was a picture that looked suspiciously like an engagement celebration that appeared also on the social website. Again, nothing from my brother.

He headed out to her family's place for the weekend, in a panic the night he left because he had lost a "ring" she had given him. Nothing really concrete out of him, just that he had to find this ring because she was really choked at him.

Found out this morning, again on the social website, that he is engaged. A few hours later, the wedding date appeared.

Thanks Bra, I love finding this stuff out on the internet. It was all I could do not to call our mom, and tell her to see what her kid had done.

Regardless of how I may or may not feel about her, the lack of respect you have shown us all has been pretty enlightening. End of the day I want you to be happy in your life, and how you have handled your news with your family has been pretty low. It isn't something I understand at all. I couldn't imagine not sharing that kind of news with my brother, and my parents right away. Instead, it was posted to a social website for the world to see, your family be damned. What makes it worse is that you have always said this website was lame, and wasn't for you, and yet, here you are, in all your glory. At the end of the day, he is my brother and what he does with his life is up to him, but now, moving forward, what does one say? It will be an interesting conversation. I had imagined that when my brother gave me news like this I would be thrilled for him. I would not describe how I feel today as such.

Quick read

This was the first JP Beaumont mystery that I have read by Jance and it was a really quick and easy read. Just what I had needed at the time. I have read several of the Joanna Brady series, and I found this one a total departure from that series in tone, and in overall readability, which is an interesting juxtaposition for a writer! The mystery was decent, and the characterizations were good. Very much a vacation type book, not too taxing but an enjoyable read.