Life Changes

In my last post I hinted at some special guests that visited my home and some life changes. Life can change so quickly, I've just begun to process all the new aspects of my life and more to come.

First, in October my Dad started dating a wonderful lady named Susi. They met went he came to do plumbing work at her house, started talking, and she asked him out. So cute! They've been glued to the hip ever since and he moved in this weekend. He says she's "the one" and she says he's "everything I've ever wanted" and when my parents divorce is finalized, there will be wedding bells. The other part of this is that Susi comes from a HUGE family. She is one of either 5 kids, and has 5 kids herself, some married with children. One of her daughters was in a bad way a few years ago; drugs, abusive husband; and lost the kids to the state. Susi immediately applied for adoption, they came to live with her, and in November they were officially her's. I'm incredibly impressed. I mean, she has spent the last 40 years raising kids, plus she runs a daycare, and now she has a five year old and an eight year old. Amazing. Fortunately, my Dad's dream was always to have more kids and they LOVE him. They are already prepared to call him Dad, which admittedly freaks me out a bit. I met them for the first time on Sunday, and the little girl, Jacinda (the 8 year old) made me this gorgeous picture frame, which she decorated herself. She wants to put our FAMILY PHOTO in it! Admittedly, I'm a bit overwhelmed. However, I'm extremely happy for my Dad and I know that eventually I will get used to it all.

Second, and one of the reasons they came over, is that I've giving up Triton. This breaks my heart, but as some of you know, I had decided a few months ago I could no longer care for him. I can't walk him, I can barely play with him, and it's gotten to the point where he gets bored and acts out, I get upset, and scream at him and it's just a bad situation. I didn't want to just let him go to strangers, and Susi has always wanted a Great Dane, which is what he is mixed with. She volunteered to take him. When they first met, she said "I thought he would be bigger"! This cracks me up because he's a 150lb monster and most people say "he's so big". Due to a sewage flood, she wasn't able to take him immediately, but the basement has been finished and they are making him his own room. I believe he will move into his new home next weekend, although he tried to go home with him on Sunday, which was hilarious. I really think he'll be happy there and the kids just played and played with him. He LOVED it! Plus, since she doesn't have a fenced yard right now, they will have to walk him to take him to potty. I think eventually they will get an invisible fence or something. Problem solved, because now I can see him whenever I desire.

Third, I have stopped making payments on my house. At the first of the year it had been over a year since I've been on "paid leave" at work, and it's obvious I'm not going back. My Dad decided we needed to find another way to fund me because the company simply couldn't support me anymore. Anyway, they still are, but we are looking into government programs and such right now. My biggest expense is the house at $900 a month, so I decided I needed to move. I really don't need that much space, and I believe it's for the best. This isn't set in stone yet, but Susi has an apartment in the basement. Her last tenant recently moved out, and it's been remodeled completely due to the sewage incident. It has it's own entrance, with a screened in porch, that leads into a living room with a kitchenette, fully stocked. It has a bedroom and bathroom. I wouldn't have to pay any utilities, and likely little to no rent. I would have my privacy, but also the benefit of my "new family" right upstairs to assist me in my health needs. I will likely be moving in a few months; so I need to start downsizing.

So that's life for now! Whew!