Developments

Miss Luna has a cardiologist appointment next Thursday. Roscoe went to the vet yesterday for yet another high fever. His doctor doesn't think the problem is toxoplasmosis at all, but bartonellosis. While that is much more common, it's kind of the same as toxoplasmosis - as in it's rare that symptoms are shown. And, the symptoms caused by bartonellosis are not in line with the behavior I observed in Miss Luna, nor would it account for Aura's blindness.

So, we're probably never going to know what the real problem is. It's far more likely that three cats would come in contact with the same thing than for each to have contracted something different. The only thing that my roommates and I seem to agree on is that the trouble started with Aura (not that any of us are trying to blame Aura in the least).

It looks like I didn't mention this a year or so ago, I couldn't find any reference to it anyway. It was some time last year, we've been trying to convince my grandmother to move out of her home and into an assisted living community. My mom and her siblings have done some research and some recommending. Usually, nothing sounds appealing to my grandma. On the last attempt, I mentioned buying her house. It's not in the best area, really, but she's been living there with no major problems for years.

Fast forward to now. My parents have identified yet another assisted living possibility. It's very near by and mom says the facilities are very nice. She also said some of their retirement cabins are bigger than my parents' house. Grandma seems to be considering this place seriously. Which means we'd have to sell her house. Once again, I'm considering looking into me buying her home.

It's a quaint little single-floor place with three bedrooms and one bathroom. They had an addition put on the back many many years ago that served as a dining room. There is a detached garage and a little fenced-in yard. It's enough space for me (though I would like to see about adding another bathroom) and possibly a roommate. (And it's possible that LDS and Gnome might need a place to live in the near future. Phoenix and Sunflyr, while they would be welcome, would likely not come with me.) It would put me close once again to Sunday brunches and kayaking and the Renaissance festival, but further away from the ministry I work with and the friends I've made out here.

As far as the neighborhood, well.... We really wanted my aunt to get out of there when she moved to Albuquerque. And we really want my grandmother out of there now, though those reasons are not all for the neighborhood. I went to high school in that area and, while I know things can change in thirteen years, I never thought the area was that bad. I know most of her immediate neighbors are kind and helpful. If I need my parents for something, they could be there in about twenty minutes.

There are a few downsides. If I see Robin infrequently now because of our schedules, it will be more so if I move back to Maryland. He won't be able to visit after work, and likely not after school either. We'd have to plan to spend weekends together or something. I'd once more have a near fifty mile commute to work. Though, for some reason, I don't see those drives as being all that bad anymore. Sitting in traffic may be another matter, though I hear the improvements to the Wilson Bridge have really helped on that.

I mentioned this to my dad this morning, who asked if I could swing it and if I really wanted to live there. Being able to swing it depends on the price, naturally. While I'm sure my grandmother would like to give me a deal, I don't want her to sell to me for less than what she needs for it. About wanting to live there, the simple answer is that I can deal with it. Dad also mentioned that the might be able to help me with financing, just as they offered to try to help me with Miss Luna's bills. And then he said it's something to talk about. I think I'll call my mother this evening.

Would it really hurt to look into it and consider?