Communications and The Cat Mystery

Guess what we spent the day doing? Yep, UNPACKING.

The irony is that I had concern that having a larger house would mean we might be inclined to buy “stuff” to fill the house. After two days of unpacking, and many more to go, I can say we have PLENTY of “stuff” already.

The Amazon packages also started arriving today. Joe is opening those as I write.

In past writings I have shared how I have had to improve my communication skills while traveling the country with Joe. I thought I had improved. I was wrong. It seems that my concept of the third level of our house is the direct opposite of his concept. He is using the “elevator” logic, while I am using “usage” logic. SO, when I say this belongs on the third floor, we must have an entire discussion around which area is the third floor. The house is 4-level but that does not mean four stories. Anyway, there may have been some raised voices, As we all know shouting makes everything clearer. The good news is that there are no hard feelings and no name calling. I am sure he bites the inside of his cheek more times than he would like when dealing with my “guidance” of where items belong. In this moment, the mystery is where I stored the cutting boards.

Is it possible someone came into our locked home while we went to Ace Hardware and “borrowed” the cutting boards? Everything else seems intact…

Megan came by today to tour the house. I also baked an almond pound cake (from a mix, just add 1-1/2 cups of butter, three eggs and a ¼ cup of water). And of course I UNPACKED. No rest for the wicked.

Alto, our cat, has been causing us concern. Yesterday she disappeared. Before we went to bed, I had Joe put her litter box on the porch in case she had snuck out during multiple trips in and out of the house. Joe searched the entire house twice, once with a flashlight looking in every nook and cranny. I searched the bedroom floor (aka upstairs or in my mind floor one as it is the top floor) and the main level (floor two, though it could be floor one) twice during the day.

I went to bed worried. Joe was concerned and yet it did not keep him from sleeping. I tossed and turned worried about Alto. I got up and went upstairs to do one more search (note: We were sleeping in the sunroom on the futon mattress as the air mattress wasn’t cutting it for me. The futon mattress is bulky and will normally be in the sunroom, so we just slept in the sunroom with the mattress on the floor. The movers will deliver the frame tomorrow along with our other furniture). As I opened one of the guest rooms Alto came darting out. She came out of a room that Joe had searched twice, and I had searched twice before. The only furniture in the room is a large cabinet with drawers and cupboards. Joe had opened all the cupboards. THERE WAS NOWHERE TO HIDE! The closet door was closed but we had looked in there as well. Joe is convinced there is a crawl space behind the cabinet that leads somewhere. It is big and heavy – I told him to ask the movers to help him pull it away from the wall so he can see for himself the wall is intact.

We keep all the doors to the bathrooms, bedrooms, and the lowest level (some would call it the basement, I call it the fourth level, Joe says if he were in an elevator that would be the first floor. Are you getting an idea of why communication in the Coehlo household is a bit strained)? So, she had to sneak by me yesterday while I was looking at the cabinet.

When Megan came over today, I told her the story and let her know Alto was safe. While she was touring the house she looked for Alto and did not find her. A bit later she went back upstairs and looked in our walk-in-closet. She didn’t say what prompted her to do so but she closed the closet door while she was in the closet and discovered shelves behind the closet door. Alto was happily laying on one of the empty shelves. Joe and I had not closed the door, so we did not know about the shelves. Perhaps there IS a secret corridor between the closet in our room and the first guest room (or it is the second guest room, depending on where you start the count. I am not EVEN going there with Joe. For now, I call them the guest room with the fish (fish trim) and the guest room with the cabinet).

My husband just walked by, and I read him what I had written for today as he does not read my daily work. This is his response, “Sweetie, you are brilliant when it comes to business and finances. When it comes to objects and places you have no talent at all.” He is not wrong. He asked me to tell you all that he is simple-minded (that is a big lie) and that he needs consistency (that is true) and clear communication (that is also true).

All of this to say, it is late. We must be at the Rockford house by 7:00 am for the movers. Time for bed. At least I saw Alto two minutes ago and can sleep without worry.