I managed to figure out the text alignment issue in my template. It wasn�t a big deal and far easier to fix than I thought it would be. Sadly, after spending a very long time getting it all straightened out and having Geocities host all my little bits and pieces, I learned that Geocities won�t kindly host images and let you simply store them for usage elsewhere. Fuckers. Luckily, darling Andy has space, so he�s going to host them for me. We drove over there last night to drop off the floppy, reasoning that it would take less time to drive it over than it would to email all of it to him over our wretched 56k connection. We didn�t stay, as he was helping to design candy wrappers for his sister�s upcoming wedding. So, as soon as he emails me to tell me where he put them, I should have the new one up. I�m warning you, it�s adorable and Luke gets almost all of the credit.

Right before I was left to bring Luke his lunch this afternoon, the cat got up on my lap even though I was sitting with my elbows on my knees on the couch and started a lovefest. He kept sticking his cold little nose into the v-neck of my shirt and putting a paw on each of my shoulders so as to give me hugs. I didn�t teach him the hug maneuver, either; he just does it of his own accord. Luke says that he�s just trying to butter me up so that he can be allowed back into the bedroom with us, but I�m not that easily fooled. I�m gonna take the love and run. If the little blighter thinks that he can get into my good graces by doing what he does anyways, he�s sadly mistaken.

I�m considering sucking it up and going back into working with DD adults. I don�t want to do it, dread it in fact, but I�m starting to think that money is becoming more important than vocational contentedness. I brought it up to Luke last night and he said that it all depends on how little I want to do it, telling me that I always told him to wait for something that looked like he would enjoy it. I know that taking a job I will hate will make me a miserable person, but is being this poor worth being relatively happy? Ordinarily, I would tell myself that, yes, I would much rather be destitute than miserable, but this financial situation is really bad and we found out yesterday that there�s no way to discontinue my health insurance without declaring a change in family status, meaning that we�d have to sign more affidavits and whatnot. I only just now applied to a local provider of residential care to teenagers who have been sexually abused or are abusers themselves, among other issues. This is the sort of thing I�ve been looking for, so I hope something comes of it. Thank Bob for the internet.

It�s cold and grey again today. According to Luke this is the third Wednesday in a row on which it has been rainy. I was watching the noon news and the meteorologist said that we�ve had 5 inches of rain in the past two weeks, thus relieving us of our drought status. It�s always so strange to go from 75 one day to 50 the next. People walking around in shorts and tank tops yesterday are wearing long sleeves, jeans, and jackets today.

I was thinking earlier about the things I would like to have when it finally comes time for us to move into a house of our own. I decided that I want tons of natural light, a deck of some sort, central heating and air, and a big yard for lots of pets. I was talking last week about wanting a second cat so that Ghostcat can have a buddy. He hates being alone, though he deals, and I wouldn�t want a ton of little kitties anyways. I wouldn�t mind a dog, either; preferably a larger breed since the little ones I have experienced are always yippy little bastards and I want a dog you can really play with. An Irish wolfhound is my dream pup, but I would settle for a good-sized mutt, too. I do tend to prefer mutts since they don�t have problems with being overbred and have wonderful temperaments. I long to live in an actual house, not a multi-family dwelling where the people next door play their music too loudly, smoke enough pot to permeate my apartment, and leave their trash bags in the hallway. I want a house with lots of windows and colorful walls, wood floors and cozy carpets, big bathrooms with giant tubs and shower ledges that don�t slant.

There are so many things that I want for a home of our own. I guess I�m just tired of the same 700 square feet with hand-me-down couches and icky brown carpet, white walls, and metal closet doors. Small isn�t always bad, but when you can only do so much with the d�cor, it gets tired fast.