Exception to the rule

What's life without a good roller coaster ride every once in awhile?  Relaxing for one.  And I look forward to the day when relaxing is my main endeavor.  Not the sit with my feet up and watch the world go by relaxing, but the take care of what I want to take care of, when I want to take care of it, how I want to take care of it type of relaxation.

But.  Such is not the life I find myself presently living.  Not complaining, just observing.  So what have I observed over the past 3 or so days?  Oh let's see.

Scarlett wants to be friends.  Well, some days she wants to be friends.  Then there are other days when she wants to make baseless accusations and expects me (I guess) to defend myself against the accusation.  That's not working out so well for her anymore.  I've known for years that doing that only encourages the behavior but knowing something and doing something about it are quite often 2 different things.  I'm getting better on my part though.  I find myself engaging with her less and less.  And shock of shock, what do I discover?  She tends to cool it.  She doesn't get the rise out of me that she expects, that takes the wind out of her sails and we move on.

Scarlett does not want to leave Tara.  Well, except when the weather is too warm, the kids (or adults) in the neighborhood are too noisy, the neighbor behind us fires up his boat (exhaust comes our way), or the house needs to be cleaned.  Then it's too big, too noisy, too hot.  Except when it's not.  You know, when it's the perfect house in the perfect location with the perfect neighbors and perfect weather.  Then.  Except when it starts getting noisy.  And hot.  Did I mention the noise?  Yeah, I never really heard it much either and when I did I realized that I was living in a  n  e  i  g  h  b  o  r  h  o  o  d  and these things should be expected.  And rather than being annoying they are actually happy sounds.  Well except for the nutjob across the street who at one time was holding a Sunday coven meeting in her house and threatening to kill her husband.  But hey, what neighborhood doesn't have at least one of those?

Scarlett is going to keep Salty Dog.  Well, maybe.  Or maybe not.  Tara is his home, has been since he was 6 months old.  He's 14 now.  Except that Scarlett has a new theory at times.  Tara is not his home, she is.  She is Salty Dog's home.  Not sure where she's hiding his water dish, food dish, his doggy doors and all that, but that's what she says so it must be the truth.  I keep assuring the little guy that no one will take him from his home.  He will be there for as long as he wants to.  As an aside, a next door neighbor has a dog (smaller) who is turning 19 soon.  I've told Salty Dog for years that he has to at least see me to 65.=)

A little movement on the legal front.  There has been an At-Issue Memorandum filed with the court which really just sets in motion setting up a hearing between the two attorneys and the judge assigned to the case.  That will likely occur sometime in November - December.  And at some point after that, a trial date is set.  At this stage, probably in the first half of 2018.  That's worst case as far as I know.  Best case is that Scarlett and I and our attorneys sit down, hash out the issues, engage in some horse trading and dispense with the need for a judge and a courtroom.

The latter option is my preferred outcome and at the moment I believe it to be Scarlett's as well.  But just like the tides, this too can change.