Last night, we discussed our plans for the future. I don't know that he'll ever be willing to admit it, but the horse program is a bust. I mean, it works, but it doesn't work well enough. Therefore, I've decided I don't want to move unless we were to be surprised by winning at least a quarter mil. The reason for this is simple. I don't want to have to settle. Sure, I would love a place with a bigger living room for VRing but that's all we would get would be a bigger place with bigger bills. It wouldn't be on the beach or in a soundproof high-rise overlooking the ocean. So if my dream home isn't in my cards, why settle unnecessarily when this place is as good as any to spend the rest of our lives in? On top of that, I have too much fatigue for things like moving.

Lastly, why risk giving up tolerable neighbors? Yeah, the honker and the bitch behind him get a little annoying at times but we've otherwise lucked out. We could have ended up with a lot worse close to us. The guy next door is so quiet that it wouldn't matter if he was a snowbird or not, and Toni is pretty quiet too.

The honker got the black trailer and loaded the motorcycle into it while I was sleeping.

Because he has to go back to work, a dog is out of the question. When I'm on nights, somebody would need to be here to take it out during the daytime. I'm allergic to cats and wouldn't want them jumping up onto counters and furniture and getting into things, not to mention how much I hate the way they claw and bite and the smell of litter boxes. Birds are obnoxious and fish are mostly boring. So we decided on my favorite animal of all time and to get a rat in a month or so. I'm definitely OK with this because I do miss them and I know rats well. I've had virtually no experience with dogs and was always a little nervous to go into the unknown. Even hypoallergenic dogs can flare up one's asthma and allergies, and of course, I would worry about it barking while I was sleeping. I've been having a lot of rat dreams, which tells me something right there.

I got things picked out on Amazon. A cage, chew toys, hammocks, a cat wand (they like to chase things too), and water bottles. Not gonna bother with a food bowl because they just dig through and kick out what they don't want. Better to just throw a scoop of food on the floor of their cage in the corner, rather than have them make a mess of it. I'll let him pick the best bedding and food for them.

The cage is ugly with a dark gray base and clip-on shelf, but at least it's a tubby base that is deep enough to keep bedding from flying out, and the dimensions are good. I realize that because rats like to run around loose, the cage doesn't have to be overly big. It's about 32 inches long and 17 inches high. Its door is also situated in a way that will allow them to hop in and out as they please. It has a door on top as well.

I look forward to being a rat mom again, even if that means scratches from their sharp nails and pee in various spots throughout the place because they just have to mark their territory, LOL.

I have mixed emotions about him going back to work. I'm just glad it's going to be part-time! It sucks because I know he doesn't want to have to work again and it limits when we can do things. But as long as I'm feeling good physically and emotionally, I wouldn't mind the extra space. Maybe then I can get myself to focus on stories and things like that. Or at least do more artwork. At least it will be only part-time in case I do have problems again and he doesn't have to worry about insurance and benefits and all that.

On the plus side, we do miss having extra money. It isn't that I feel I've got to shop for all kinds of things. I've been there, done that, and we only have so much space for junk. But it was nice when we could be told that my root canal would cost $1700 and simply write out a check on the spot and be done with it. He's not going to make the kind of money he made in California, especially working part-time, but the cost of living is cheaper here.

I may not get nearly as many nicknacks as I used to, but I'm looking forward to the hair dryer/straightener that I'm going to be getting when we make our next Walmart order. I hope it's easier to use than the straightening brush I have. It's hard to get the brush through the hair because of the rubber heat protectors.

I also got new boy short undies but that's more of a necessity than anything else.

Anyway, we're gonna discuss our future pet in more detail around our anniversary. Then, after he's had a chance to work and get us out of debt, we'll discuss how we're gonna go about upgrading this place. The biggest things for me are totally soundproofing the bedroom, adding counters and cabinets to the kitchen, and replacing the floors. Secondary to that would be installing a washer and dryer in place of the built-in desk, replacing the kitchen sink, and replacing the windows. Still wouldn't mind one of those smart air beds too.