Update

Has it really been nearly a month since I have posted?  Time really flies!  My divorce will be final in about two and a half weeks.  There have been so many twists and turns in this process, that I am somewhat surprised that I have not ended up institutionalized and have (mostly) managed to hold it all together.  Maybe someday I will write more of what happened here, but my friends who know most of the story have told me that I should write a lightly fictionalized story of what happened and have said it would be a best seller as truth is stranger than fiction!  Or maybe I should pitch it to Lifetime.  In any case, the past five months have been so strange and something I never thought I'd experience in my life.

I will post some parrot updates after this, but I have been at my new job for almost three weeks now.  It's a big adjustment.  Thomas had always promised me that if I supported him through med school, once he was done, I would no longer have to work a full-time, demanding job and could do nonprofit work or possibly go back to school.  I held up my end of the bargain, but when it came time for him to finally contribute financially, he bailed.  Because of the divorce laws in the state where I reside, I was taken to the cleaners.  If you look up "chump" in the dictionary, you will see my picture.  He will live high on the hog because of my hard work over the past 11 years.

He apparently feels no shame after effectively stealing several hundred thousand dollars from me over the course of our relationship -- money I thought I was investing in our future but, as it turns out, was investing only in his future.

I probably sound bitter, but I am trying to console myself with the fact that he needs to live with himself after how poorly he treated me, and I am young enough to rebuild and live the life I deserve.  Hopefully you will be able to witness this transition on the blog!

The parrots are doing well, though it's an adjustment for them as well.  They were used to me being home more frequently.  My current job requires that I be away from home close to 11 hours a day, which isn't fair to them.  I try very hard to still get them out for several hours a day and to spend quality time with them, but life for them isn't what they thought it would be, either.

Nevertheless, we solider on, trying to make the best of a terrible situation.  We still can't believe what Thomas did to us, and how he treated all of us after such dedication to him.  Personally, I am enjoying my freedom and trying to make the best life I can for myself and for the parrots.  Only time will tell as to how successful this endeavor will be!

I am going to try to update more frequently, and to take pictures more frequently.  I am in the process of adjusting to my new job, and usually spend my days working, eating, and sleeping, but I should try to continue to document the parrots.  We will get through this, and we will be stronger than ever!