Cats in an RV

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Tuckered Out

As of last night, I averaged 10 hours of typing every day since the first Monday in June. I have another 16 or so left to do by Thursday evening. I’m surprised I have any skin left on the tips of my fingers!

I wound up having a veeeeeeery slow morning and didn’t get into the office until about 11:30! Wow, I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t working by 7:30!

I ended up working for another client all day and I need to type tonight. I have so much to do to prepare for my early Friday departure that I’d like to quit by mid-day Thursday and then blitz through the departure list. I can’t believe my seminar is nowhere near done yet.

I had to make a phone call mid-afternoon, so I headed over to Charles and Caroline’s place to borrow theirs, but no one was home. Before driving all the way out to highway 2 (about 16KM each way) where I can get a decent phone signal, I decided to head out with the phone, booster, and stubby antenna. Lo and behold, I got a solid two bars only about a kilometre out! I put the phone in the cradle and put the whole kit and caboodle up to my ear since I don’t have a headset with mic. Worked great! So I’m starting to think that if I get a slightly bigger antenna, I’ll get the phone to work here, too.

I’m rather looking forward to heading out on Friday. It’ll be so nice to see Ken, Donna, their brood, and their new house. It’s going to be a long, but easy drive. I asked Caroline how she heads up that way (her sister lives near Stettler) and her route is exactly the one I took last summer to get from Stettler to here.

Having landed here on May 10th, I’ve been here a full month now. I’m fairly certain this is the longest I have ever gone without eating out once. I had one meal with the neighbours and that’s it. I’m rather looking forward to tasting someone else’s cooking, although I plan to spend plenty of time in Donna’s kitchen!

I think Neelix will enjoy spending my absence at Charles and Caroline’s. I think he’s lonely and they have a sweet kitten. The two of them should get along just fine. No, I have no intention of getting another cat. 🙂

I’m thrilled that July income is off to a roaring start since I doubt I’ll be making much money while I’m away next week. I’m also taking a week off in early July for my first proper vacation since I did the Chilkoot in 2009. Charles and Caroline have invited me to fulfill yet another lifelong dream and all it’ll cost me is a little gas and a couple of pairs of jeans, plus the time off. All I’m going to say about that right now is that it involves horses. You’re welcome to put your guesses in the comments. 🙂

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A Card In the Mail

I got a care package from my best friend today and she included a card received from The Oaks Veterinary Clinic in Smithfield, where I had taken Tabitha for a battery of tests at the end of December.

They had put me on their e-mailing list, so I sent them a message letting them know Tabitha had died, that they hadn’t missed anything, and that I appreciated how well they had treated her.

Nothing more was heard from them until today. It looks like the ENTIRE staff signed the card! They all included a little message.

I’m a little dumbfounded since I only took Tabitha there once, but they did call to follow up about a week into her run on medication. My friend has been taking her dogs there for years.

I know many of you are pet lovers, so I’ll share the printed message on the card. Warning: having tissues on hand. It is part of “The Once Again Prince” by Irving Townsend.

We who choose to surround ourselves with lives
even more temporary than our own
live within a fragile circle, easily and often breached.

Unable to accept its awful gaps,
we still would live no other way.

We cherish memory as the only certain immortality,
never fully understanding the necessary plan…

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Grocery Sprint

Even though it looked like the transcription marathon was going to stop at the end of this current (very difficult) job, due tomorrow first thing, getting a few groceries today was absolutely necessary. I had originally planned to leave for Stettler on the 10th and didn’t want to leave too much food in the fridge, so I worked down my stores before realising that I’m actually leaving the 14th and that I would have to eat Neelix at some point to get protein. A gal can’t live off rice, veggies, and the odd bit of almond butter forever. 🙂

Since a) I was in a hurry, b) the truck was full of donations for the thrift store, and c) I didn’t want to do a giant amount of shopping, going to Willow Bunch made sense. To my surprise, my trip took me exactly one hour round trip!

The road to Willow Bunch was in decent shape and I actually drove about 80KPH on it even though it’s gravel.

I found the thrift store and Co-op (right across from each other) without trouble. The lady at the thrift store had me go around back through the alley to unload. It felt good to get that stuff out of my truck! She seemed pleased with the donations.

Then, I circled back around and parked at the Co-op. The food store is tiny, but the more I walked around, the better stocked I found it to be. Since the prices are the same as the Co-op in Assiniboia, I didn’t have the small market sticker shock I was expecting. In fact, once I manage to do a good pantry stocking run in a larger community, it would definitely make sense to just top up in Willow Bunch once a week instead of Assiniboia if I have no other errands to do since it’s half the mileage.

I stocked up on produce, including a 99 cent avocado, and then looked at protein. Like in Assiniboia, there was lots of choice, but everything was so pricey. Every time I have tuna (of the canned, non sushi variety) I think that I should start eating more of it. Since tuna was on sale for $1 a can if you bought two (which I think is a decent price for the Cloverleaf brand), I decided to go that route and I also found some nice looking pre-marinated pork chops for $4 that will make four meals, so that sounded like a fair deal. I am most definitely not a vegetarian anymore! 🙂

Today was the day Co-op members got their equity cheques. Of course, I didn’t have one (I’m told I will next year, though…), but that made me eligible for the BBQ. I wasn’t interested in burgers, but I was somehow talked into grabbing a doughnut and coffee “for the road.” Considering I haven’t had anything resembling junk food in a full week and the last time before that was about a week and a half, I have forgiven myself for my weakness. 🙂

The drive home seemed faster than the drive out, especially once I found the country music station out of Moose Jaw (turns out all the radio shows are on the AM frequency).

I came in and assembled a tasty tuna salad (using sour cream instead of mayo) and slathered it on some fresh cheese buns (couldn’t believe they had those; I am a sucker for them). I asked Neelix if he wanted the tuna juice and he answered by getting up on two paws and reaching for the counter. Still, he appeared dumbfounded when I poured the tuna juice into a bowl for him. He’s been wanting to go outside since we got here and so he’s been getting a lot of nos lately. He really enjoyed his treat!

It’s another beautiful, if not super warm, day and the internet has decided to work. *rolls eyes*

Oh, and before I forget, I have to give a shout out to Joni in Salem who sent me a tripod for my camera! THANK YOU! Having a post office right here in the village is such a bonus. I go once a day just for the walk and didn’t expect her package to be here yet, but the postmaster had seen me coming and had it out for me. I’ll be putting it to good use.

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Hung Out To Dry

C&C stopped in with a gift for me. They spent the afternoon at an old house that is being demolished grabbing reusable materials for their addition. Under a pile of stuff, they saw something that made them think of me:

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That is a clothesline! I need to restring it and find a way to anchor it into the ground. This will do nicely until I can put up a proper one that can hold more than a small load of items.

Now, I won’t have to risk decapitation the next time I do laundry.

We also firmed up our plans for next week. I’m leaving on Friday the 14th for Stettler to visit with Donna and Ken, and then going from there to Kelowna for the RV Lifestyle Seminar. I’ll be gone 11 days total.

Miranda is in no shape to go anywhere, needing new tires, so I’m heading out in the truck only. Neelix is going to stay at C&C’s while I’m gone. They have an adorable one-year-old cat and the two of them should get along great.

Taking the truck only will slice my trip budget considerably (I’m estimating $600 for fuel instead of $1,500 – still OUCH). I’ll be very comfortable in Stettler and will be fine camping in the truck in Kelowna.

I’m looking forward to the seminar, but am continuing to regret what a mess it is making of my finances. I’m just not able to get ahead. and there are more expenses coming up as the summer progresses. And there’s the fact that the truck needs work before we can go. Yes, I’m working, but I sure could use another contract or two. Anyone know anyone who needs a transcriptionist? How about a French/English translator? 🙂

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The Best Morning In Quite a While

I cannot believe how cold it was last night. I should have just plugged in the electrical blanket, low batteries be damned. Neelix spent the night under one layer of blankets huddled against my spine. I can’t believe it’s early June!

Neelix did something last night that made me a little sad. He kneaded my back before settling in for the night. He’s never done that before, but Tabitha did it all the time and it’s probably what I miss most about her. Cats who were weaned too soon usually knead. It means that they see you as a parent figure. I miss my girl.

It’s still cold this morning, but there is SUN. Now, my property sucks for boondocking of the solar variety (trees plus hills means very little direct sunshine), so I’ve conceded that power needs to happen soon rather than later (and would likely be cheaper than getting a generator). But I’m getting a charge, albeit a small one. Truth be told, I’m sick of boondocking and look forward to running water and power.

As for the internet, it is WORKING. I had another huge job waiting in my folder this morning, broken into three parts. I downloaded the smallest file while I made coffee, then started working on it while the other two downloaded. The big one just finished. No frustration, no rebooting the Mifi 50 billion times, no running outside to adjust the antenna. I just turned on all my equipment and got to work. I am so pleased.

Sun, good coffee, working internet, and loads of work. Sounds like a perfect morning to me.

I don’t want to finish at 11PM again today, so I’m hunkering down to type.