This has been a roller coaster day. I am exhausted and my nose is all plugged up from the badness of it. Don't worry. The goodness of it has since far outweighed the badness. Isn't that wonderful?

Started off with Chelsea waking me up at 4AM again. I am afraid a habit has been established, but am too tired to try to work it out. I just take her out, give her a treat and go back to bed until 6AM when I HAVE to get up. It was, at least this was better, 28 degrees at 4AM so was tolerable.

I got up at 6AM, as I said. Chelsea and I had breakfast, I took a shower, vacuumed the bedrooms and the wood shavings out of the hall and then I went over to the Center to be with Dick before the Condo meeting.

This is where things really got goofy.

Dick and I went down a bit before 10 for the meeting. I had my vote and two proxies for the business end of this meeting. If you are not aware, this is the meeting that was presenting my request to change the by laws to allow two pets maximum for each unit instead of one. I was really planning on having my kitties back.

The meeting went quite well up until that issue. We do have an increase in our monthly fees, not surprising, there had been no change since 2004 and frankly, we were paying what we paid at Creekside over 10 years ago. I can't see that this is a big thing. We don't want to be dipping into the reserves for sure.

Then the vote for the by law change came. I stated my case. Then there was discussion. One woman said - there are 120 units, what if every unit decides to get two dogs, we will have 240 dogs. Another complained about the farm cats that are running loose and a third complained about people not picking up dog doo at the end of the cul de sac's in the wet lands. (Many of them are not people from the condos.) But it was enough. The by law change was voted down and I started to lose it and Dick and I had to get out of there. Several people, including board members followed us and told us to just get the cat. I told them that Dick wouldn't let me. He is too honest. I just had to leave. I really melted down. It is, in retrospect, a small thing but I couldn't take any more. I felt like Popeye. "I stood all I can, I can't stood no more." I took Dick upstairs and headed home to grieve. Dick and I had decided that we would move as soon as economically possible.

Then after I had been home about an hour, Dick called. He had gone downstairs to find out what the vote actually had been and MaryAnn Bernauer told him that they had had a special motion which passed to allow us to bring our kitty home. I am a wreck but getting ready.

There is supposed to be sleet and rain for the next 24 to 36 hours. I am going to get the room ready for the litterbox and all. Monday I have bible study and a Cream City Writer's Christmas Party. So Bobbie and I decided that Tuesday would be good. I can spend all day with them to get them reacclimated to me. After two years, I can wait two days. I really feel mean taking her away from Bobbie and Bill, but Bobbie assures me that as much as she loves them she knew from the beginning that it was only until we could have her.

This afternoon, Bobbie and I brought Dick's computer home. We hooked everything we know about up and everything is working - except the internet. I will look at it closer tomorrow. I wish I knew more. I will try to compare my tower with Dick's tower and see what is missing.

I am glad that I have no plans for tomorrow. I am spent. If it is not too slippery, I WILL go to see my sweetheart sometime during the day.

Love

Mary