It’s Official.

We’re moving.  !!!!

Brian talked to Cliff this morning and we are meeting him Wednesday to sign the papers and he’s giving us the keys right then and there and allowing us to have access to the apartment 6 weeks before we even officially move in on September 01, 2005!!!  He’ll give us our long term lease but said that should we move in and not like it he will let us out with 30 days notice and no penalty for breaking the lease.  All the other things he mentioned are still applicable…as far as first option to buy when/if he sells off his property as condos.  AND he’s given us 6 months to pay the security deposit!  We won’t take that long, but still.  How cool is that?? 

I’m very excited.  Brian already has a crap load of coworkers who will help us move and seeing as we have the keys to the place him and I can move things in over the next few weeks when we have time off.  Cliff said to Brian, "Listen, I’m not worried about the security deposit or making money off you guys.  I just want decent people in my place.  I had a very good feeling about you two and I am a good judge of people.  I will do whatever it takes to get you in here."

Ya can’t beat that.  Over a landlady who thinks it’s such a privilege for us to live in her house?  Yeah…not.

OMG!  Wrestling Sheila out of her iguana condo yesterday was S.C.A.R.Y.!!  I’ve never, ever seen a creature so pissed off in my life.  She went absolutely apeshit and literally attempted leaping out of the cage at us!!  Her back was arched, her tail in strike mode and she was hissing and spitting like mad.  I even heard her growl before attempting to leap out of the cage to attack us yesterday!  Brian had on his heavy leather work gloves and managed to snag her as she leaped.  Then we had to drag her from the rest of the cage.  Her mouth was WIDE OPEN.  So open it didn’t look like she even had a jaw hinge!  Man!

I repeatedly warned Michelle that she wasn’t a nice critter and made her sign a document saying I warned her and that she accepts Sheila "as a wild creature who could possible bite her and cause great damage" that "we have fully disclosed her temperment" just in case.  I don’t want anyone coming back later to sue my ass because they are now missing a finger or something.  Even though I spoke with the attorneys today about this and they said she’d be unable to do so, I felt better.  She seemed really nice, she was very excited to have Sheila and she’s experienced as she’s had 2 iguanas in the past, one was even abused.  She even has a whole room set aside for Sheila Monster and promised to keep me updated on her life and send me pictures.

Still…what an empty spot exists now in my apartment.  I even cried yesterday after Michelle drove off with Sheila.  I guess I was more attached to her than I thought I was.  Even Brian was moping around a little this morning and looking at the nook where Sheila used to be.  I heard him mutter, "Wow, it’s so empty over here now."

Any way, I know I did the right thing.  Even though we took excellent care of her for 2 years and she’s alive and thriving because of us, brought back, literally from the brink of death, well…it’s better she’s with someone who can give her all the time and attention she deserves.  Hopefully with a lot of work and love Michelle will be able to handle her where we were too afraid to do so.  Michelle told me yesterday she’s not afraid at all, that’s she has already even been bitten by an iguana.  Sooo…live long and prosper Sheila.  We wish you the best and miss you already.

I’m not proud of my next sentence.  Not proud at all and I’m really quite disgusted with myself.  That being said, I lost my temper yesterday due to the heat and I lashed out at both Miko and Gizmo.  I actually…well, smacked them both on the ass, as well as screamed at them.  I know better than this.  This breed is so emotionally sensitive that even when I raise my voice to Brian they get all out of sorts.  I feel like a total heel and it’s something I NEVER do.  EVER.  I don’t believe in striking animals.  But I literally had had it.  I just lost my cool.  The heat does that to me…it was literally 110* in my apartment yesterday, but it’s not an excuse. 

Miko’s been on a roll this weekend.  It started Friday with Miko.   He pulled a hissy fit Friday when I didn’t pet him soon enough.  To get attention his thing is to knock things off my coffee tables.  Oh yeah, as he’s looking at you he takes his paw and slowly knocks stuff off the table until you do what he wants you to do.  Friday he knocked my full glass of water onto the carpet.  He was just being a total brat all weekend long.

Then Sunday I’m outside with them and we’re waiting for Michelle to come get Sheila.  I had lit a citronella candle and placed it on the small table.  Miko was fine sitting on one of the chairs, (he never lays on the ground, ever…he’s too good for the ground you know).  Well all of a sudden he decides to leap onto the table with the candle.  He landed front paws first into the candle.  I shrieked thinking his fur was going to catch on fire.  I grab him and he’s covered and dripping hot citronella candle wax!!  All over his front legs and bib.  I LOST IT!!  I picke dhim up and ran to the hose to at least cool the wax off.  He starts freaking out over the hose (they hate to be wet) and that just added to the anger that was already building up.  So I smacked him….twice, on the ass while yelling at him.  Then I took him upstairs and had to cut off all his leg feathers…I bathed his feet and bib 6 times in the warmest water he would stand and still he has citronella on him.  I run to the web to see if citronella is toxic to animals because I can’t get a call back from my vet.  Thankfully it’s not.  He’s still got wax on his feet…I’ll jsut have to keep washing him off and hope that eventually I can get the rest of it off him. 

As I was trying to round up the other dogs during this melee, Gizmo decides he just doesn’t want to come in right now.  So he’s being a brat and staring me down as I am trying to get him inside so I can deal with Miko.  I let the other 3 go upstairs and go back out on the lower porch to try again to coax Gizmo in.  No go!  He refused to move.  So I tell him through gritted teeth, "You better not make me have to come down there and get you!"  Usually he will lower his head at this time and grudgingly come up the stairs.  Not yesterday.  Now remember, I’m half out of my mind with worry about Miko because at this point I don’t know that citronella isn’t toxic to dogs…and I am literally soaked in sweat now and beyond HOT!  I start down the stairs, Gizmo takes off up the stairs.  Good right?  Wrong.  He then went down into the basement instead of up the stairs leading to my apartment.  I call him from the basement door, he hauls ass outside again!  So I literally had to chase his ass up and down the stairs and into the basement before I finally corner him and at that time I am just livid!!  I smacked his ass too while yelling, "WHEN I CALL YOU YOU COME!!!! DO YOU HEAR ME?!?!?"  He in turn hauls ass upstairs and looks at me with the most hurt eyes I’ve ever seen.  At that point I was so fvcking pissed I didn’t care.  After I found out Miko would be okay, I just lost it.  I started balling my eyes out over hitting my babies.  I begged their forgiveness and promised never, ever to do that again.  Yes, I did.  Everyone gathered around and I got plenty of kisses and nuzzles so I believe they forgive me.

But I don’t forgive myself and I feel like a total asshole.