Another Happy Day...

Another happy day has passed in the small household of Irene S. and Überhund B. and their minion cats. There were no major occurrences, no major upsets, no injuries were reported so far and it seems that we all made it safely through the day up to this point. Several hours are left in the day, so anything is still possible, but we are planning a quiet evening at home and no upheavals are expected.

The only thing that is bothering me right now, is the candy bar I just ate and that I bought at the tobacco shop when I went to replenish my supply of tobacco and filter tubes. The candy bars are prominently displayed right in front of the counter and it is very difficult not to buy one. I had a Mars bar, very good going down, but it is sitting in my little stomach like a cannon ball. I get the feeling that this was just what I didn't need, but my eyes do get bigger than my stomach sometimes and I forget my limitations. I've made myself a nice mug of hot foamy coffee to wash it all down with and that should bring some relief soon.

The man at the tobacco shop doesn't earn his money selling tobacco and cigarettes, it's all the other stuff he sells that he makes a profit on, so he needs to display these things prominently for silly housewives like me who come in hungry for chocolate, because aren't women always? He also sells stamps and bus tickets (very handy) and birthday cards and newspapers. I always buy stamps there, so I don't have to stand in line at the little post office in the supermarket. I don't know if he sells overseas stamps, I'll have to ask him one day.

My cats have decided that they are not that fond of the new cat food. They eat a little bit of it and then walk away in disgust. Well, guess what, they have to learn to like it, because I have 3 kilos of it and although the Überhund likes it, he isn't going to eat it. The poor things aren't getting anything else. It is Whiskas of all things.

The hot water heater man was here this afternoon and saw the cat and dog food and remarked on the fact that the animals didn't have a bad life here. He was a cat man himself and even very shy Nouri came out of hiding to be petted by him. He fixed the hot water heater and now the apartment is warm and the dishes are done. Not that I had that many dishes, eating the way I do, but I do like my soup bowl really clean and all the spoons.

I checked my bank account and to my great relief saw that the money from the rent subsidy had been deposited. If I live very frugally until the 20th of the month, I will be able to put some money into my savings account or pay back money to my Visa account, whichever works out to my best advantage. It will be a big surprise to see what my welfare payment will be this month and if they screwed it up again. I do so hope they will get it right all at once and that I will not have to make angry phone calls about it. Stress about money wears you down.

Then I have to await the letter from the Tax Office with the new decision concerning my housing subsidy and I don't know what it entails, because the woman I talked to on the phone could not discuss it with me, because I had not received the letter yet. I hope it is not bad news, meaning that my subsidy will be lowered, although I imagine not, or otherwise they would not have sent me the money they did for 4 months. Clarity, that's all I want for just a little while.

Actually, I didn't mind not going to my therapy groups today. I felt like I had the day off and to be honest, right now I feel like never going to any of them again, but I know I must and that it is for my own best will that I go. It is just so nice not to go and to not fit into the regime of thinking and doing and analyzing. It's so nice to just be.

But next week I will go again and do my best and be the good sport that I am and pay attention to what I am being taught. I feel the resistance and I know where it comes from and I have felt it before when I was in group therapy and it means that I am nearing the end, but I have to hang in there a while longer and make sure it really is the end. So, I will give it another few months and go with the flow and make sure I finish it properly. I have been in the groups for 4 months now and you get evaluated every 4 months, as I have just been. It was said that I want to run, when I should just walk. Some people take a year or 2 to finish, but I don't see myself doing that.

Anyway, I just gave the Überhund his food and he made sure he made a big deal out of it by announcing it to all the cats, so that they could come and look at his dish, so he could chase them away from it. He barks very loudly when I pour the food in, as if he is heralding the grand opening of something and, of course, all the cats show up. Then he very possessively growls and barks at them to make it all very exciting. He can't just eat his food in a normal way.

Well, I think I've shared everything with you now. I should call this blog, ' Dear Diary.' Oh yes, I took one hell of a terrific nap this morning on the sofa. I was up very early and then I got so tired that I could hardly see straight or think what day it was and what the heck I was doing. Sleep fell over me as soon as I laid myself down and I slept for almost three hours. See, I must have needed that. Or is it hibernation?

Ciao...