Askance in Everyday Ramblings

Here we are, hanging out in the basement room at my sister’s house about an hour south of Portland. The transition was hard on Carlo but today, four days in, he is starting to be less crazy vigilant and relax a little. We even played with his favorite toy today. The two other cats here are mildly curious. Less so now as the days roll by. There has been eye contact and no growling or other anti-social behavior.

They are still skittish with me a bit. They are not hiding and are accepting food on their normal rotation but no real play yet, or anything close to say a lap sit or snuggle. They have their own unique language of affection with their people, and I suspect if I were here long enough some of that might rub off on me. I am happy they are eating and doing everything else normally.

Kes and Most Honorable left for the beach yesterday and it is quieter now and Carlo is relieved. They got sunny but cold and windy weather on their first day. Most Honorable zoomed in this morning from there for class and it looked overcast. We have been getting an unseasonably cold misty rain.

The forecast is for less rain and maybe some comfortable days full of sun ahead as we move towards next week. I cannot wait.

Kes and Most Honorable have a lovely kitchen. They had a remodel done before the pandemic and it is a joy to hang out in with a view of their backyard. So different from my urban view. The colors of the grass and flowers pop in the gray of glowering skies. More skies now as they had a huge white oak tree that was leaning against their house and spread over the roof removed last week. It was so sad.

They did every conceivable thing to save this tree. And as white oaks are protected here, at first, they thought the tree might win against the house if they couldn’t get a permit, but they finally did. They let all the neighbors know.

I have asked for a work status update on my place. Knowing the contractor liaison, a bit by now I suspect I will get a message around 4 PM tomorrow Friday as she is leaving the office. She says she will fill out the paperwork with the property manager to get me reimbursed for the days I have been displaced for the work when the work is done. Before it was all oh no problem, we will reimburse you la de da.

Although I am rolling with it all, I admit to being skeptical that they are ever going to finish the work. We’ll see how it goes next week. I don’t want to engage a lawyer but maybe it would be worth about $300 to get a letter sent about, you know, them actually finishing the repairs. Everyone has already told me to get a lawyer. Is this an American thing? This need to get lawyers involved.

I don’t think there is any malice involved here, they could care less about me and disruption to my life. It is all about the building, the contractors, the owner, the city, the code. It is a problem to solve. And it is not going smoothly. The pandemic, the weather, the whole thing. Just like the disruptions in our health care system, things are not the same as they were. Not that I am making excuses.

The calvary will be called out if this all goes on much longer than next week.

Let’s hope this is the worst of it though.

On Sunday it is Shakespeare’s birthday. We are having an extravaganza of recitation on our Zoom book group. Walt called me on Monday and assigned me things to read. He wants me to read (or recite) the “All the World’s a Stage” speech from As You Like It. Eek.

I have been watching various versions of it on YouTube. My favorite so far is the one produced by The Globe Theater of a deaf woman saying it but also signing it. She may not be deaf but raised by deaf people. Her voice is flat, but her signing is not.

You can tell Walt was a director for many years. He tells you want to do and expects you to not only do it, but be good at it.

Life sure is full of twists and turns… a year ago if you told me I was going to lose Diego and be hanging out in my sister’s basement with Carlo, reciting Shakespeare, attending League of Women Voter’s board meetings, and doing my first handstands in three years I believe I would have looked at you…askance.

Shakes head.

Last updated April 20, 2023