Leaving Tucker :(

I was honestly not prepared to say goodbye to Tucker Tucker!  Yes, I realize that he’s just a cat but really I’ve never been away from him this long!  6 whole weeks!  I don’t think I’ve been away from anything for this long before!  I mean, sure, I went to college, but it was what? Like 3 hours from home.  Yup!  And my parents could be there if I needed them.  Not so much with this life experience.  Need to do this one on my own.  And if I look at the lifeline of my little (well, it’s a relative term as he is a 15 pound cat!) orange ball of fun, these 6 weeks are a major chunk of his little life! J  I was (am) really nervous that he’ll love being at the Fedota Fun House (FFH) that he’ll be miserable once I take him back to my apartment.  There are so many things that I’m nervous about really…

*Will he remember me when I get home (he used to be so lovey and attached to me…will he still be like that after 6 weeks without me???) 

*How will he and Izzi respond when they are brought back together?  (Slightly nervous that they will do the whole posturing thing and trying to regain “alpha cat” (Izzi was the alpha when we left!) 

*Will bringing him back to my apartment after he’s had free reign of the FFH be cruel?  (He’ll be used to so much space to run and play and hide and constant attention…but once we’re back in P-Town it’s back to school for this chick!)

I’m sure I’m just totally over-analyzing everything (typical for me!) and it will be fine…he’s a cat…just a little cat!  It’ll be fine!  But I do have to be honest and admit that leaving him was not easy.  There were tears (and maybe a meltdown…Dave’s a wonderful man…not enough words to describe his patience during this!).  I think that deep down…I was more worried about leaving in general (not just leaving the cat) and that I was tired and scared and nervous (remember…I’ve never been away from home for 6 weeks…such a homebody this one is!).  

PLUS…I’ve been getting these wonderful weekly emails from him (pictures included) about his adventures at the FFH!  He’s been busy at “camp” as he calls it…learning all about chipmunks and birds (that he now has a front row seat for viewing!) and sleeping under the covers (nothing new there!).  He’s also been put to work in dad’s office…I’ve seen him sending faxes and emails and sitting at the computer!  It’s been fun to get family updates from the perspective of a cat!  I’ve even learned that my mom is off the walker and onto crutches (she had knee surgery about a month ago and has been a trooper with the rehab!!!).  Apparently, he was at a Dean’s meeting with my mom the other day and was the hit of the group…friendly, outgoing, lovey…all the things I wanted to hear!  He’s being a good boy!  YEAH! 

Okay...definitely not that tiny anymore...but still flippin cute!  :)

Baby snuggle buddies!  Izzi & Tucker!  I had to add the starburst for comparison!

This was last summer...but with the heat Chi-towns been getting...could easily have been this summer too!   Too bad he didn't really understand that you needed to be IN FRONT of the fan to fully enjoy the breeze!

So handsome!
(Look at all that snow we had in February 2011)

Helping mom pack!
He promised me he'd be a good boy and have lots of fun at camp!

As much as I miss him…I know he’s in FANTASTIC care and I’m having a blast!  I wonder if this is what it’s like with kids.  Probably not.  It’s probably WAY harder to leave…I mean...he’s JUST A CAT after all…not a human being…and I left a laundry list of notes for my parents…as if they haven’t had cats before (they have…a bunch!!!!).  Gosh, sometimes I crack myself up!  :)