the cat that almost was

First the good news: I made apple crisp, even though I have incurred an injury I like to call "whisking wrist" from hand whipping some whipped cream. The crisp looked slimy and burnt (wet and dry all at once? weird but true) but was delicious and even Mr. I Don't Have A Sweet Tooth ate some.

Now the bad news: whilst consuming said apple crisp, someone knocked on the door. No, this isn't the bad news, even though the Mister and I looked at each other like deer in tractor trailer headlights we were so surprised to have a visitor. It turned out to be our across-the-hall neighbor. I hadn't met her yet, and after I introduced myself, she cut to the chase: "Would you like to take a little kitty?"

Now, in my head, a choir of angels heralded the second coming of Kittiness. Little cartoon catnip mice floating around my head, and a calendar of Cats in Baskets flashed before my eyes.

Then Reality hit. "I'm sorry, I'd take it, you know, I really would! But we just can't...he's - he's...allergic." Mrs. Neighbor was not impressed. Her coworker is trying to find a home for the cat, and all her prospects backed out. All the other building residents already have pets if they want them.

When I bid her das vidanya, I turned around to see Mr. Immuno-Challenged glowering at me. The fight, predictably, went all night. Personally, I think allergy-induced asthma can be overcome through immersion therapy, but he is not willing to make that bronchial sacrifice.

I know, I know...it probably isn't a good time to get a cat now anyway, what with the moving still kind of winding down, job schedules in disarray, and life in general flux. But what if it was fate? What if that was meant to be my cat??? I just hope it doesn't end up in a shelter.

When I walked out of the house this morning, the first thing I saw was a pug being taken on its morning walk. Maybe the universe was reminding me to stay on track with my squishy-faced dog obsession...