I woke this morning with an idea for my newsletter, so I pretty much set to work on it first thing today. I got it all set up and sent out.

I probably should have written some fiction.

I also learned that the full-sized door gate I ordered to help keep Prancer separated from the other cats for the night before her surgery and the next couple weeks afterwards was coming in today. I expected a door-sized package and ended up with one that was less than half. Dang. No one said assembly was required.

So, it sat there against the wall for a while. Temmy tried a few times to get into the package (because it’s hers. Everything is hers!) and got frustrated when she couldn’t. But I wanted to work on my website. Unfortunately, I got stuck down a rabbit hole of research when I got frustrated (hmm, am I taking after Temmy or is she taking after me?) when I couldn’t do what I wanted. I considered trying out a new web builder.

Fortunately, I pulled myself out of that conundrum and decided to return to the task for now. I could sit back and revisit this when I wasn’t trying to get several things done for the day, which now included putting together a cat gate.

I should have started dinner after I finished working on my website, but no — it was early still and there was that cat gate… how long could that possibly take?

Yes, it did take some time. The latch is more faulty than the reviews said it would be. Thank goodness I still have some plumber’s tape on hand from both repairs and airbrushing, so I could fix my problem of a screw not fitting. Problem solved. At least for now. I don’t think it’s a permanent solution, but it’ll work for the time being.

My house now has the look of a jail with this big barred door at the other end of my kitchen. As I was putting it together, I got myself all upset because of certain things I have going on, mainly that I had to move the garbage into the back room where the cats get fed and have their litter box so that Merlin couldn’t get into it. Oh, he’s so bad about that. The back room was my only option. Now, I have to open the jail to get to the garbage instead of just reaching over the gate.

I had to remind myself that this is only for a few weeks. Then the jail door will go to my writing office where I’ve wanted a door there for years to keep the cats out. I thought the tall gate I bought was good, and for a year, it was. However, Temmy how now figured out how to jump right over it and does it with ease. I currently have a piece of cardboard jammed in the doorframe to keep Temmy from jumping over. I just have too many things that are breakable in my office, plus there are other hazards too — like the bug tray that she got stuck to a year or so ago when she broke into my office. Yeah, so this gate will go there eventually and I can go back to the half-sized gate that only needs to keep Merlin out of trouble.

Two frustrations (the website not giving me functions I want, and then the gate handle) seem to be enough for one day. I’ve not wanted to do anything since then. I just feel done. And the critical voice is really jumping all over me about even thinking about taking in another cat. I don’t even know if it will work. If nothing else, she’ll be fixed so there won’t be kittens should she decide she really likes being an outdoor cat, or even an indoor/outdoor cat.

I do have to stop tomorrow and pick up several more things to have an extra cat in the house, even if that is just for a few days. And, I need to decide what to do to keep Merlin out of the cat food since Prancer will be in the back room. Yep, my sanity might be on the other side of that jail door. I’m wondering what I’m putting myself into.

If nothing else, I’m sure there will be stories from the days ahead.

Cheers.