Filthy Furry Critters

I HATE CATS!!! I am sorry if I offend any of you who like the filthy furry critters, but after this week any inclination to acknowledge the slightest redeeming feature of the species was utterly extinguished in my soul.

The previous owners of our house owned cats. I didn’t think much of that fact except that I was glad they didn’t come as part of the deal. The first day we arrived here as I was hanging some clothes in the girls’ closet I picked some trash up off the floor to throw in the garbage. It must have been a hairball because I had an immediate allergic reaction. After that experience I slowed our move-in process a little in order to get the carpets deep cleaned before we moved anything upstairs. I thought that would take care of the cat problem. This week I became sick. I was feeling worse and worse physically to the point where I would send the girls to play while I was in bed. I thought it was dehydration. I was very careful to hydrate. Then I decided it was a bug Kate brought home in her backpack. I even took some cold medicine, which I never do. That didn’t help either. Then I realized the it was the dratted cats! I girded my loins and spent the most miserable Friday of my life scrubbing the floors and baseboards of this house. My eyes were swollen and running, my airways were congested, my throat was sore, and I was sneezing constantly. I swept, then vacuumed, then scrubbed on my hands and knees and then steam cleaned every inch of floor in this house. I moved every piece of furniture and every box. The place was sparkling when I finished! I still felt miserable for a few days as things cleared out of my system, but it is now getting better. I’ll take a spider, a mouse, a roach, maybe even a scorpion, but don’t you dare let a cat in my house!

We are getting closer to being settled. We only have a handful of boxes left to unpack. Kate is doing great is school. Josh is doing great at work. I found a playgroup for Jane and a group of moms interested in doing a preschool co-op. It will take us a few weeks to get that up and running, but I need a few weeks to be ready. Josh and I received callings at church. I am teaching the 13 &14-year-old Sunday School class and Josh is the counselor in the Sunday School presidency. I guess that makes him my boss, but my job is definitely more fun.

We had a great day yesterday weeding the yard, swimming in the community pool, and doing our part to keep Home Depot in business. This home ownership thing is fun, but it comes with a lot of baggage. We wish you were all around to teach us what we should know.

The quote of the week comes from Jane. We were getting in the car after church and Jane was lamenting her fate. She said, “Dad, it’s so hot it’s like jumping into a fire!” The “hot Sunday car” of my childhood is the fiery furnace here in Texas.