Week 39 - Tame and Gone

This past week started with me waking up in Fergus Falls, Minnesota to the sound of rain. I was there to photograph the old insane asylum and needed to be on the road 7:30-ish to make it home in time for my dentist appointment. I had a yummy breakfast at Debbie’s Home Style Cooking, which was right next to my hotel, and was on my way to the hospital before 7:00. Since it was raining, the sun coming up didn’t make much difference and it was dark for taking pictures. But I used the night setting and braced my camera on the car window to get what shots I could. As always with a Kirkbride, it was an impressive building and, rain or not, I was happy to be there. As I was leaving, for some reason I turned back into the grounds and went up to the front door, got out in the rain and found a phone number to call for tours on Fridays at 2:00. It clearly wouldn’t work out for this trip but I was happy I found it for future reference. I hit the road at 7:45 and settled in for the 7 hour ride home.

I got to Wahoo at 2:30, with 30 minutes to spare before my dental appointment. I’m happy to say that the permanent cap was installed without event and is still, 6 days later, firmly in my mouth. Yay! I was so bone tired when I got done at the dentist that I went home and sat like a blob until bedtime, skipping knitting and only half unpacking.

One thing I had worried about being away for four days was losing all the progress I’d made taming the kitten. I needn’t have worried. The kitten was meowing at the door when I got home and spent much of my first two nights back sleeping on the bed with me. So, I went home Wednesday determined to tame her. I sat up in bed with my legs under the covers and started throwing tuna treats onto the bed, getting her closer with each treat. After about half a bag, I was able to pet her on the back and that’s all it took. She decided that felt pretty good and within minutes she let me pet her all over and under the chin. Done! Now she had to go the vet on Tuesday and then she’d be ready for her new home.


The only other thing of note for the rest of the week was Friday night. I’d had a pretty normal work week, feeling less tired every day. Since Friday was homecoming, I decided to take a half day of vacation so I could get out of town before the craziness started. I left work just before 2:00 (I know, not quite half a day), did some shopping and headed home to start my chores. Because I had been away the previous weekend, I was behind on everything and so had a full weekend planned of getting things done. I was in full swing and left the house to water at Lorri’s, stopping at the Warehouse on the way to see what had come in that day. Well, I bumped into Donna from knitting and her husband and before you know it, I was headed to the Vets’ Club for a beer. Now the Vets’ Club is a Wahoo institution but I’d never been there in my 13 years here. It’s a basement bar that’s homey and, typical for Nebraska, the customers ran the gamut from old people playing cards to families with kids. Two beers and lots of good conversation later, my night was shot. Oh well, I had two more days.

I was pretty productive both days, catching up on laundry, neatizing, mowing and doing some cooking. Minimally, I had to make a lasagna for book club at my house on Wednesday. I was in the home stretch when the phone rang Sunday afternoon. The woman who was taking the kitten was in Lincoln and wanted to come see her. But when I heard she wouldn’t be back in the area for another 3 weeks, I made a phone call and Belinda and I decided the kitten could go to her new home without going to the vet first as long as Jessica promised that she would be taken to the vet. Since the woman adopting her is in the vet tech program at NCTA (Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture), it seemed like a safe bet. So I put my chores aside and spent some quality time with the baby kitty before Jessica came to take her. I was a bit sad to see her go but will enjoy having my spare room back (I’ll have the cleaning lady spend lots of time in there on Tuesday) and sleeping in my own bed again. Now to get rid of mama kitty. One down, one to go.

Despite the interruption, I did get the lasagna made and the most important chores done plus made yummy homemade mac & cheese for supper. I’ll just have to be productive the next two nights to be ready for book club on Wednesday. Oh, and I need to finish the book. I’d better go read some now. : )