It happened quickly, as it so often does. One day, my marriage was complete and happy with just the two of us. The next day, Fred had fallen in love with a 22 year-old.
What can a wife do? Down at the very core of me, I’m a realist. I struggled with it, but in the end, I decided to learn to live with it.
Last night, we made the final plans. We’re bringing the 22 year-old into our home; Fred’s going to move her onto Crooked Acres, trailer and all. I don’t know that this great love affair of his is going to last for long – in fact, I expect it won’t, that this time next year she’ll be a faint memory. But I’ve committed to dealing with it. He works hard, he does very little for himself, I owe him this, don’t I?
Just call me Tennille.
(Read more about the homewrecker here.)
Yesterday morning, I hit the ground running. I changed the sheets on both our beds, I washed the sheets and hung them out, I vacuumed the house, I canned green beans and pickled jalapeno slices for Fred.
But really, I was just waiting for the call, and late morning, I got it…
There are six of them – five boys, one girl. One black, five brown tabbies. They are pitiful little things with super-goopy eyes. I’m hitting them up several times a day with ointment in their eyes, and though I’ve had them less than a day, I can already see improvement in their eyes.
They’re not super friendly, but a couple of them have let me rub their bellies. It’s funny – when I’m in the room with them they’ll occasionally come by and allow me to pet them, but for the most part they ignore me. The instant I step out of the room, though, they line up at the doorway and meow pitifully, like “Where you go? What you doing? WHY WOULD YOU ABANDON US???”
I haven’t really started thinking of names – I can’t tell them apart at this point, though there are one or two that I can recognize by sight. The largest of the litter, for one, the one with a hernia (and a white diamond on his nose) and, of course, the little black one. The other three, though, are brown tabbies who look an awful lot alike. It’ll take me a day or two to tell the difference between them, I imagine, and then I’ll be amazed that there was ever a time when I couldn’t.
It’s so nice to have babies back in the house, I can’t even begin to tell you!
So, yeah. Yesterday was an eventful day. And now if you’ll excuse me, I have to haul Newt to the vet. It’s always something, isn’t it?
Would you believe that even with the Victorian collar on, Sugarbutt was able to lick his toes? So we put the Bite-Not collar *and* the Victorian collar on, and it seems to have done the trick. Don’t feel too bad for him, he’s been getting oodles of extra love and treats and spending his time stretched across my desk getting belly rubs.
Previously:
2008: Yeah, I don’t believe me either.
2007: No entry.
2006: The man KNOWS romantic conversation, doesn’t he?
2005: That Jane, she’s a smart and wily one.
2004: No, there are no current plans for Fredbyn offspring.
2003: I think we’re going to change Miz Poo’s name to Miz Money Pit.
2002: No entry.
2001: Picture entry.
2000: The word of the day is shopping.
I about peed when I saw the pic of the boat! As I said on Fred’s site, is it for when the back 40 foods so you can still access all your property? 🙂
New babies are too cute!!! HEY! Next time you get a batch of girls, you can start naming them after Housewives!!!
Awwwww!!! Cuteness.
OMG they are too too cute!!!
I think there were at least five Osmond boys and Marie.
The cross-eyed look on the black kitty’s face cracks me up!
Hehe, love the 22 yr old. It’s an old chestnut but oh-so-true – the 2 best days of a man’s life are the day he buys a boat and the day he sells it. There’s good days and bad days in between. As a former boat owner, I miss the hell outta the good days. Happy sailing, Captain and Tenille!
Damn, but you take mighty fine pics, girl! I could just feel those warm, fuzzy lil kitteh bellies on my cheek. Yum.
Poor Shugs, isn’t he is one determined cat-acrobat?
I think I just OD’d on the cuteness of those kittens….
The two best days in a boat owner’s life are: The day he buys it and the day he sells it.
I hear that’s what boat owners say.
Now me, I like a good boat owning friend. I’ll be right down!
You fooled me with the boat–I was thinking a horse!
Ooh, Kitsch, I like the way you think about being the friend. I’m like that with dogs…love other people’s dogs, go home to my cats.
I type reports for a guy here in Texas who does what is called a Marine Survey. People (read men) decide to buy a boat and the boss man goes and gives it the once over to make sure the boat is not a clunker.
What have I learned from my time as his secretary? Show me a man with a boat and I’ll show you a man with a boat for sale.
So, I’ll be in Alabama next weekend, and surely I’ll have enough room in my bag for a teeny-tiny lil fuzzle..
*looks shifty*
Is the little black cat cross-eyed? 🙁
My dad had a boat like that – they are GREAT! Maybe Fred will let you drive it. You’ll fall in luv!
Look at the cuteness!
I’m kind of surprised by the boat. That definitely wasn’t what I was expecting. 🙂
awwww.. kittens!! and congrats on the new toy 🙂
Could the black crossed kitty be any more adorable? Is that one a boy or a girl? Is it the runt?
I am so damn gullible you had me going for a second or two w/that damn 22 yr .old shit. Then I got a grip and realized this is Robyn and Fred and Robyn is way too smart to be side blinded like that not to mention Fred is not THAT GUY. Boat is cool-I’m sure the water ways there are less crowded than the ones here. My dad, uncle and grandfather all had boats-a friend’s late father had a big houseboat. I miss those other people’s boats days. My boat owning fantasy is win the lottery first-I want a small yacht-not really but something big enough to make the bumps not noticeable. I’m all about comfort over speed. My convertible loving spouse would probably love your boat. Best of luck with it. Does it/she (God I’m old all boats and cars were shes when I was a kid)-have a name? My relatives always refused to change a boat’s name-said it was bad luck. Probably an old wive’s tale.
We know several boat owners and they LOVE their boats. They’d have to…the nearest body of water is two-and-a-half hours from here (we’re in the desert). You two are gonna have a blast on your boat.
Good Lord, those kitties are SO damnedably cute! I wonder which one(s) Nance is going to adopt? Hee!
May I suggest True Blood names? Lafayette, Daphne, Sookie, Terra, etc.?
Oops! I did read that they were all boys and only one girl so I now submit Sookie, Lafayette, Terry, Sam, Eric, Bill, Hoyt, Jason, Benedict (or Eggs!).
Oh my gosh! You will have a blast on your boat! We have one about that size, and I just love it. So much fun! Also, poor, pathetic Sugarbutt. I’m glad you’re giving him extra treats.
But to use the boat Fred is going to have to LEAVE Crooked Acres on his own free will. Can he DO that? 😉 Have a blast with it! Wish we had one this summer.
The fosters are just adorable..
Oh Robyn, I just got me a baby kitty, so I thought for once I can look at your site and not have twinges! I named her Sookie, of course for you know what. It suits her. She is worming her way into my heart. For one, she is a Calico, teeny and sweet.
Those new babies are precious!!!!! 🙂
A hole in the water into which one throws money…lucky you.
I second the vote for True Blood names. The little cross-eyed guy has to be Lafayette.
You scared the crap out of me – I thought Fred was puling a Jon Gosselin