Home is Where The Heart Is

We got back in to Ohio yesterday, but I was so exhausted and busy doing things that I didn't bother with an update. My apologies for that. Hopefully enough of you heard through the grapevine that there was no worrying. It's not like me to set out on an epic journey and not let you guys know I arrived safely.

We got a late start because our plan to grab a couple of muffins and some coffee from the hotel's free breakfast failed when my grandfather saw biscuits and gravy and just had to have a plate. Then we ran into traffic crossing the Ohio river, where all the interstates merge to cross the bridge. Then I delayed us a little longer when we pulled off 75 North to get gas in Ashland and ran into Grandpa's Cheesebarn. How can you NOT stop at a place like that and buy something is beyond me.

We finally got in around 6pm.

Neelix made the trip like a pro. Not a peep of protest from him despite being in a carrier for over seven hours. My grandpa, being horrible with names, of course cannot remember the cat's. He's been dubbed such things as, "Melee," and "Ni hao." Or most recently, "Meatloaf." Waiting to see what he'll call him next became a minigame. If I guess close to right, I win! Neelix always loses, though.

When I got him home and let him out all the other cats here came to investigate. Despite everyone's concern, there was no confrontation.  Which, if I recall (which I do), I said about a million times before I brought him back that there wouldn't be. And there wasn't. Odin, Karma, and Spider all came and checked him out with no hostility whatsoever. And, naturally, Neelix being as carefree as he is didn't mind their curiosity one bit.

<3

In fact, everyone's biggest concern: Odin, had no qualms about his presence at all. Neelix sat under my chair, I sat in my chair, and Odin curled up under my desk. Just a foot away from one another with no incident. By this afternoon Spider and Neelix were sleeping on my bed together. Karma has visited him several times, in her indifferent sort of way, and then carried on about her business.

The only concern now is the dogs and that's not even actual concern. They are all well tempered with cats, since they've grown up with them around, but Neelix has never seen a dog. So I'm sure when he encounters one he'll be a little freaked out. Nothing time won't solve, though.

He's been sleeping in my lap all afternoon, making my legs fall asleep because of how very big he is. Not fat, just large. About 30 lb. worth of orange and white cat. Good thing he's well behaved. I missed him so much that I couldn't bring myself to make him get off of me. I just drank my coffee and dealt with the pins and needles.

Today is my nephew William's birthday, so I'll wrap this up to go eat pizza, shower him with presents, and then devour lots and lots of cake. Mm, birthday cake... I'll never forget his first birthday, he donned his first piece of cake like warpaint. It was great. Soon he'll be starting school. wtf!