I wasn't going to post this because it feels like a brag and that's not usually how I roll, but...

I wasn't going to post this because it feels like a brag and that's not usually how I roll, but I should be able to post the things I'm excited about to my own page. I can't keep it a secret forever, anyway. So... We're having a pool installed. It should be ready by the upcoming summer and I'm pumped about it.

We've been researching the pros and cons for months and we finally signed the contract last week, as well as picked out the pool, cement, and cover colors.

The weather here is usually beautiful (even in the summer), but this past summer was pretty hot.  We mostly stayed indoors and that is not something I've done since we left Alabama.  Not to mention that Shaun keeps tweaking his back somehow and could use a gentle form of exercise (well, we all could, really).  Kira was asking for a pool before we moved so we're sure she and Shadow will make good use of it.  We're also pretty sure that Cub likes to play in the water, as well, because when we lived in Talladega he would go splash in the pond across the road.  So we are getting a pool with a small splash pad in case that's all he wants to do, although he'd be perfectly welcome to full-on swim if he wants to.

So that's some news that I've been sitting on for a bit.

I'm pretty excited, but probably not for the reason you'd think.  Yeah, I'mma put on my little floaties and get in there, too, BUT... there has to be at least a 4-foot concrete sidewalk around the pool... and if you know me then you already know I'm going to be skating on that.  (The pool comes with an automatic cover that can hold a grown adult, so don't be worried about me falling in.)  After the pool is done we'll have to do a bit of work in the yard, but I'm excited for that because we're also putting in a swing set.  Not a crap one - one that me and Shaun can swing on.  Yeah, the pool will be fun in and of itself, but SKATING and SWINGING, too.  OMG!

I know - I'm still a kid inside and I don't even care. 😜

I already feel like our home is better than anything I ever dreamed I'd have.  It feels like a palace to me.  And with the updates we're doing outside I'm just in shock that I could possibly love it more.  But here it is looking like that's going to happen and I'm excited.  I think the hardest part is going to be getting through the pool construction.  I already love my yard and I think that seeing it dug up is going to hurt a bit, but that part is temporary.  At least our grass is fake, though, so it's not like we're going to kill it.

The only big reservation we have is about being the people who get a pool... in the desert.  But they are gaining popularity here and the value it will add to our house if we ever decide to sell makes it seem like a smart investment.  Plus, we should be living our best lives, too.  I have a hard time accepting that sometimes because shit isn't fair and I know so many people who struggle, but it's not like we're the billionaires hoarding the wealth of the country.  Why does wanting to add a healthy and fun thing to our yard and add value to our home make me feel so damn guilty?

Haha.  I guess this didn't end as the fun, happy post it started out as, but overthinking is practically a hobby for me and if I can possibly feel guilty about something I WILL DO IT.  (I need therapy, I know.)  But yeah, unless something goes wrong and construction can't be completed for some reason, we'll have a pool in time for summer next year.  Yay! 😁😬

Dang. The LITERAL second my ass hit the couch...

Dang. The LITERAL second my ass hit the couch and I got the blanket on my lap this turd laid down. 😂 He was not messing around. He's tired of having to lay further down on my legs while I'm swatching. He's made it clear he'd like to be the main event today. 😂😂😂  Why do I neglect him so?

Edit:  Balthazar came over like he wanted to cuddle, too. Scar swatted him away and IMMEDIATELY laid like this. "Problem solved. Back to being happy and spoiled and THE MOST SPECIAL CAT." 😂

He's letting his feelings be known today. Gosh, what a sassy little terror he's being. 😂

Good morning, I guess. 😂

I swear I just woke up to someone stealing our solar panels. I called Shaun (who was downstairs) and told him to come up here, fast! I was like "Something crazy is happening on the roof!"

He said "Is it this?" and started making the noise again (which had oddly stopped when he answered my call). And I was like "Yes! What are you doing on the roof!?"

So he's not on the roof. He's in the dining room downstairs (below our bedroom) putting up a new ceiling fan and SOMEHOW the sound sounds like it's coming from above me. That's the craziest shit I ever heard!

Well, except for maybe last night when I said something extra stupid, which was "Look at that metal pillow!" while we were watching a YouTube video about bathroom renovation. Turns out the "metal pillow" was an oddly-shaped water faucet for the tub (it was on the wall above the tub in my defense), but I swear the placement made it look perfect for leaning your head back onto so you could chill in the tub. 😂😂😂 Look, I was tired. I don't know what else to say. 😂

Good morning, I guess. 😂

It took him a few days, but...

It took him a few days, but Shaun slept in the bedroom again for the first time last night since we lost Sindar (that is where she lived since she wasn't a huge fan of the other cats).  I think the room needed to be more different than just Sindar's absence, though, because he brought Cub with him.  It went ok.  Cub behaved because he's a good boy.  He woke up barking just once because of some animal noise outside; otherwise, I think I pretty much slept through the night.

I feel like I have been catching up on sleep this week.  It wasn't easy to get enough rest with Sin waking us up several times in the night.  Needless to say I slept super late today.  Unfortunately, I woke up to having missed 2 frantic texts and a call from my dad  by several hours - which is unusual because he is the definition of "stays to himself."  It appears that someone shot their little chihuahua and that he's not going to make it.  I talked to Dad and Lisa and it sounds like it wouldn't have been able to be saved due to the location of the wound.

I feel like shit for not getting the call so I've changed my "Do Not Disturb" settings.  I had it where my phone went on "Do Not Disturb" if I placed it face down - which I did last night, but also if someone called more than once it was supposed to let the call through.  Dad, however, didn't call me more than once.  He doesn't like to bother anyone.  So I've changed my settings to accommodate that.  I definitely want to be reachable if I'm needed.

So that's how the day has started.  I guess I'm off to see what else it throws at me.

Later, friends.

Kira made these cute banana pudding cups.

Kira made these cute banana pudding cups. They are tasty! Me and Shaun think she should start selling her snacks. 😊

We said goodbye to our sweet old Sindar today.

We said goodbye to our sweet old Sindar today.

I know I posted the other day that this day was coming, but it was very strange not having the urgency that we normally do to make the decision and have it done.  Shaun spent the last 2 days upstairs with Sin - napping with her, petting her, loving her, giving her all of the great food and treats and milk that she loves.  I was up and down, but mostly wanted to give them their privacy.  I think Shaun was pretty exhausted because last night once he was asleep he was out.  So I was up with Sin off and on all night when she cried.

We're both sad, of course, and we will miss her a ton, but we were both happy that she was growling after having her little arm shaved.  She was pissed and made sure to let us know.  She never was one to put up with being disrespected or even petted wrong.  😆  We like that she was still herself up to the end, even fighting to stay awake against the anesthesia.  And when the time finally came it actually took 2 of the pink shots to make her let go.

I don't take that as a sign that she wasn't ready; rather, I take that as a sign that we did not let her suffer - at least not beyond the point that life was no longer worth living.  I have learned from years in rescue and experience with my own animals that there are far worse fates than death, and Shaun and I will always protect our babies from those things as best we can.

Over the last few months it felt like Sindar was on a slow, steady decline.  She seemed frustrated and disoriented often and with being blind she was having more and more trouble finding her way around.  She had been throwing up a bit lately, and just last night Shaun said it looked like she was getting diarrhea.  Her paws were swelling and her joints were super stiff.  Sometimes her legs looked like they weren't cooperating with her, and it took her minutes to lay down and find an acceptable way to rest, even being medicated with pain meds.  With her being 18-ish years old we feel that we got lucky she was so healthy for most of her life and I'm grateful that we had time to spoil her before letting her go.

It still fucking sucks, though.  It never seems to get easier to let them go and we've been through this A LOT over the years.  I know this one will hit Shaun hard.  He had Sindar back before we got together so it's like he just lost his oldest friend.  He loved how loud she purred and how feisty she was.  We both adored the way she'd shake her front paw when she first started to drink anything.  We loved her big, pretty eyes, and how she would get a "furrowed brow" look because of the way the hair on the top of her head laid sometimes.

I remember the first time I went to Shaun's apartment and I got to meet her.  He seemed excited to have met someone who wanted to know his cat.  We spent some time playing in the floor with her with her toys.  She played rough and I mostly left it to him, but I could see their relationship and I loved it.  I knew then that she wasn't "just a pet" to him and it was amazing because that's how I operate, too.  But the end is always on the way and today it caught up to us yet again.  💔

My lap at the moment.

My lap at the moment. I feel like I was missed today. 😂 ❤️❤️❤️