A quick update to let everyone know that I’m finally getting settled in.

The living room has a place to sit, a working TV, and a lamp.

The bedroom has a bed, a closet with clothes and bedding arranged in some semblence of order, a large DBX subwoofer that is presently being pressed into service as a night table, and a lamp.

The kitchen has food (mostly junk food, of course), dishes (some of which are of the paper or plastic sort for now), and most importantly, the fridge has beer.

The bathroom has a shower curtain, a litter box for the kitties, and toilet paper.

The computer area has a computer and an internet connection.

The sunroom has bird cages with much happier birds in them, and a big milk crate full of bird food and bird treats. The feathered beasties are noisy and restless, still adjusting, but clearly happy and very, very talkative.

Tony finally found the nerve to leave the bedroom yesterday. He’s been out several times since, wandering around and exploring the new apartment. He has a new kitty bed and scratching post.

It’s not quite home yet. In fact, I’m guessing that for me, the word “home” is going to have its whole meaning redefined in the coming months as I try to figure out where life goes from here. I haven’t slept really well. I think this is just because the bed is a bit too firm, but I’ll either adjust to that or put a foam pad on top.

I am living with a totally spastic little kitten, too. “B.B.” is the only son of
Bandit, a very sweet and lovable cat who passed away tragically back in October 2004. He looks just like his dad, and he’s very lovable when he wants to be, but he is also (like his father) a limitless source of energy. Getting him to stop ricocheting off the apartment walls when it’s time for sleep can be a challenge. He attacks feet, especially when they move under the bedcovers in the dark. He attacks hands. He attacks wholly imaginary things.

Finally, I think I’ve found something that will capture his attention. At the pet store yesterday I found a little blue doughnut-shaped* object with a yellow ball inside that rolls around and around. I had a lot of fun smacking the ball and watching it spin, so I guessed that a cat might be similarly amused. I was right … from the time I set it on the floor, he was completely mesmerized**. He played with that thing for HOURS … right up until bedtime when at last, totally exhausted, he plopped down at the foot of the bed and slept. Ah, so he does sleep! For once, so did I.

* The round kind with a hole in the middle. Let’s not go there again.
** Mesmerised, for our UK readers.