Sunday: 4freeCLE and then preparing for the return of the angry spouse

The sun rose after a night that was not quite sleepless, but definitely not sound sleep. I worked on the newsletter in the kitchen, which is very pleasant; the air is good. Placating the cats was a frequent reason for a break, but that's just part of the fun. Less pleasant was not knowing when Kris would show up and start complaining that I was in the kitchen, but she hadn't been around yet when the newsletter was published, so that's all right.

I resolved to go out and have some human contact. I'd enjoyed going out Friday night and then Saturday at St. Ed's, and I realized that I just needed more contact. Mostly I wanted to talk over how to cope with Kris. I rode my bike down to Village Green and hung out talking with Vera a bit; she'd been through much of this and was just a good chat. She had evidently suffered through the divorce but is much happier now, and I take that for a good sign. I also like being able to talk things over with someone who knew us bother and would not take sides.

Eventually someone came in asking about bees about the time I was ready to go, so that's all right.

I stopped by Big Al's and played the Our Me A Riddle game (it was a tasty bitter) and then sat in the shady area outside. Mostly I talked with a guy from Georgia but it was nice just to hang. When my glass was empty, I returned home, napped, and then arose to neaten up the Nametka and Biedel matters.

Giner's SUV rolled up and Kris got out. She was pleasant enough coming across the front yard, and offered me the second flan that was in the fridge. She stiffened when she smelled the biscuits I'd baked, and when she saw the memo I wrote, she assumed the angry rigidity. I took the biscuits and the flan downstairs, then sat outside working on cases till 8:30, then went inside and showered. Eventually Kris came downstairs to rag about something and we had what might have been a discussion if Kris understood the concept of listening. She kept asking about a dairy item in the fridge upstairs; I said that I had asked (which I had, via text) and she agreed. She repeated this question a couple of times; it was her way of being angry and feeling justified.

Kris said she could not live with me; I said I was sorry about that and that she could not know that because she had never mentioned what made her unhappy so something could be done about that. She laughed dramatically and said it was too late for that. I repeated I was sorry about that and could not stop her if she left. She tried to explain how it would be better if I left, and I said this was my house, it had my life savings in it, it was my place of business, and I did not see why I should go. She said then I'd have to buy her out, she would stop payments, the bank would foreclose and I'd lose the house. I disagreed (although it would be a major pain and I'd have to do a lot of fast work to hold it all together. As I think about it, this would be an acceptable outcome although I'll try to do better.)

Finally I said that I remembered we were best friends and I was sorry we'd gotten away from this. Kris did not have the decency to say anything vaguely polite about being sorry too; she did squeak out that we did have some good times.

I'm pretty sure she had been drinking, but I couldn't smell anything; she was just rigid and shaky.

Well, as I think it over, maybe buying out Kris is the best outcome. I'll have to check with some friends (many of whom could buy this place outright for a snack) and if I have to get a more normal gig, sacrificing Veterans and Friends - I don't know. I must think.