The Viking and I decided it was time to simplify our lives. And then we promptly went about making our lives 100 times more complicated. This involved making two 2500 km (1553 miles) trips to Lake Havasu City in Arizona within the space of a month and an additional trip to Mount Vernon, Washington. All of this to sell our humungous Toy Hauler and buy a smaller trailer that has more living space.
There were cross-border inspections, and taxes and mountains of forms to fill out. It’s been crazy, but at least we hit the peak and are heading back downhill. Not a nice, un-catastrophic slide downhill, but more of giant, out-of-control run with arms flailing and girly screams.
The cats quit talking to us after the second trip. Even Teddy – who normally loves me to pieces – isn’t giving me the ‘love eyes’ or purring – he’s just giving me wounded looks over his shoulder as he goes to Junior for his loves. Izzie, on the other hand, transformed into an evil, angry, clawing succubus. She’s already half feral on her father’s side and our absence gave her an excuse to completely embrace the wild side. We managed to pull her back from the brink with several discussions, all of which involved her dangling by the scruff of her neck.*
There were good times during those dark days, though. We got drunk at a hotel swimming pool and I fell off a chair. To be fair, the chair was compromised before I ever sat in it. A group of lady Norwegians on the other side of the pool were totally prepared to help me, but The Viking managed to get my laughing ass off the cement.
I made friends with a salesman at an RV dealership who appeared to really like my boobs. Under normal circumstances I would be a bit offended, but the poor guy was so bedazzled he sold us the trailer waaaaay below what he should have sold it for. My boobs saved us about $5000. I let him have a hug as a consolation prize. As for the boobs…..it’s about time they started to earn their keep. Bras are expensive!
On another note: This is a cat with a brain freeze.
And this is The Viking with a brain freeze.
And here…..
And here….
I think we offended an elderly couple in a restaurant with our goofiness, but it’s okay, they were old and if anyone asked them to pick us out of a line-up I’m confident they wouldn’t recognize us. Unless The Viking has a Brain-Freeze while they are looking.
We still aren’t completely Simplified but there is progress. Our First Anniversary was last weekend, so we took our new-to-us trailer out for a spin and I have to say that it’s wonderful. More than wonderful actually. It’s brilliant.
Only a couple more items and we will be almost hassle-free.
*Please don’t get all shocked about this. Izzie was taken from her mother when she was about 5 weeks old. We almost had to get rid of her because she was a monster – attacking and biting and scratching everyone. It was only the intervention of a couple other well-socialized cats and dealing with her bad behavior like a mother cat would do that saved her.
Such great pictures! And don’t worry–I immediately understood why you have to pick her up that way.
I have to take the pictures in a hurry before his brain thaws out so they aren’t terrific, but at least I got him. :o) As for Izzie……it’s the only language she seems to understand.
You two must be a hoot and a half together. And never a dull moment, to be sure!
I likey…
Thanks Dahling! We aren’t always entertaining. Junior finds us down right annoying sometimes which actually entertains us. Don’t tell Junior that, though or our days of laughing behind his back will come to an abrupt end. :o)
You talk about “cross-border inspections,” which makes me wonder at WtF happened to the country? Okay, more a generalized question, then! :-S
The subject of a half-feral cat is one I know all too well! Our Moxie had lived on the streets or in the scrub or whatever, and we got her from whichever animal shelter had scooped up her and a couple of her littermates. She was a few months old. Yep. They had no idea when she was born, and she still had a scrap of umbilical cord when we brought her home, which the vet removed when we took her to ‘get her tubes tied.’ (I know that’s not what the vet does when spaying a female cat/dog. That’s about the last thing you’d want: a cat looking for a hump ‘South Park’ style!) She’s sweet when she wants to be, snarly when she’s not sweet, and she has to be tucked away in another room when we have guests. Lessons for next time we may think we want a cat: ummm… That list is being composed on an ongoing basis!
And, yes, bras are expensive, so your tatas earning a little bit for their upkeep makes perfect sense!
Haha! Our Izzie is infamous in the neighborhood – she doesn’t give a shit about anything. She’ll stop traffic as she saunters across the road, she bullies dogs, she broke into a guy’s house and she slaps every human who gets within range. And yet, everyone just loves her. She spent an entire afternoon watching a neighbor plant flowers. She just sat 3 feet away from him and watched him for hours.
When she comes home though, she’s loving and sweet to me. The Viking pesters her and she actually tolerates it.
I was once accused of having an ‘excess of personality’ so it only stands to reason that my pets would be like that as well.
Thanks for stopping by Gale. :o)
I believe in treating kitties the way their mothers would. It’s like speaking their languages. Not sure it works with husbands. Hmmmm
I have exactly the same opinion. For kittens, I mean. I’ve had two husbands now and I have never tried hauling them around by the scruff of their neck. Who knows…..maybe it works? Next time The Viking gets a bit out of hand I’m going to give it a try. :o) Purely for research, you understand.