The stockings are again hung, and they each will always have one.

Sadly. I wrote a post similar to this last year for Daddy, and damnit Meow Meows, you’re making me try to again, write something catchy 🤔

The stockings were hung as all our years past

You earned your title. You owned it quite frankly. For your given name changed because of your comments and wants, being voiced, quite lengthy. (I mean, breakfast calls at 5-ish AM quite regularly!) ☕️ 🤫

Not cool Meow Meows.😴

Those nuances those nicknames those cute words we create, such as the “purr-berator”, because with the simplest hug your purr was loud and your body would vibrate.

We will forever miss those hugs. Those nose-dives and your relentless love. Please carry on with Daddy, groom his face and neck as you used to do, his eyes closed tight as you nose-dive him too.

You came into my life for a second which turned into years. And you are worth every single tear.

Also. 👇🏻You were a badass! ❤️ As you can see from this link here 👇🏻 And that is how you’ll forever be.

My Cat’s a Badass

The stockings were hung as all our years past

This year yours is empty, but it will always be, that blue one there with the capital D. A piece of your soul and a part of you lives in that necklace that hangs where silly treats once did.

Your character your charisma. Your attitude your sass. I’m not gonna lie, you could be a real pain in the ass.

You allowed me, (yes I said you) into your and James’ lives, you did not however do so without a fight. He was your guy and you were his. And I most definitely did not take your love light.

Your body grew older but your mind never did. Your needy and salty crass attitude wouldn’t give.

When you wanted, you would snuggle so close and purr so deep, and that . I will forever feel. And forever keep❤️

Daddy. 2005-2020

Hello 2018

As 2017 is creeping it’s way out the back door, for so many, many reasons, I say, “Let me hold the fucking door open for you to take all of your garbage out!”

For James and I, the beginning of January ‘17 was in so many ways amazing. We had found, and bought, our new home. New project. In our new state. New city. It was exciting. Invigorating. Fun.

Our fun, on our property, hasn’t faded. We are not near done playing.

This past year however, did not have as much fun, penciled in for us as Id’ve liked.

There were too many tears, shed across several spectrums of my family and friends. More tears than I personally cared to hold back, and more than I cared to ever have.

2018 I welcome you. (Please be nice)

My Cat’s a Badass

Their stockings were hung and freshly packed with fun.

But this little nose had to see what’s in those.

So up the counter, the fridge, the wall she did climb.

For what was up there she claimed “It’s mine!”

You see, this pretty cat is a hunter it’s true. Cares none that we see, cares none what we’d do.

A bag of catnip and 4 stockings in all,

To the floor one would soon fall.

Finally that sweet nip has fallen to the floor, proudly she thinks,

“It’s about time! Now I will make my descent and claim what is mine.”

So yet again, the stockings were hung and bedtime has come.

Under the covers all huddled together we doze. Hours later, a sound arose.

2am….2.

That bitch went back up there. Took down what was hers, got all jacked up on nip and was bouncing those balls with bells in them like she was in the World Cup!

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The ending of chapter 16. Beginning chapter 17.

2016 was a very flirtatious year for us, homeownership wise. The flirting is over. Let’s seal the deal.
For most of 2015 we planned on finishing our house and getting it on the market by the spring of 2016. Big surprise it came way too fast. We were close to being done for maybe 6-9 months. So close, but not quite there. For me, it didn’t really feel quite there for a long time, I drug my feet. I was proud of what we’d done, learned and, to be honest, I drug my feet because I was sad to let it all go, although it did make sense to me. While there were great people that I had met and personalities I really wanted to be around more these last few years, it couldn’t outshine our life there as a whole. At the end of every day, or from the start, all I wanted was to be home with our little family. My door was always open but never knocked on, but in reality, sometimes you have to leave and close it behind you as well, and I seldom did that. So, in being rational, logical, and monetarily smart, let’s do this. Shooting to get on the market in the spring but, not unsurprisingly, the months just kept creeping up and pushing us back. So many details and nuances. So many uncertainties. So many T’s to cross and I’s to dot. Needing to buy this and sell that. Clean that and throw away this. What to take and what to pack. So many ridiculous amounts of, What? But we pulled it off. The last few months, or year(s), in San Diego was so amazingly eye opening. Tiny confirmations that we were making the right decision, from friends new and old, to family or surroundings that were wearing thin. So we did the unfathomable and proceeded to put ourselves and our fur babies’ needs first.

The time had come and we drove out of California with a blank roadmap. Drive North was about as much as we’d mapped out so north we drove. Searching over a small but generous part of western Washington, driving by dozens of houses and looking inside dozens more. There were houses that weren’t worth taking any pictures of, and some that were solely for comical purposes, and then there was a prospect that became a fit for us! And oh-my-fuck-yeah we found a house! Supposedly we should be getting the keys next week. Like, next fucking week!! It’s been one of those hurry up and wait scenarios. For months it’s been pretty much up, down, back and forth. We’re ready to sell! Wait. Sold! Hurry up and move out! Drive. Camp. Drive. Searching for the new house, found one! Wait. Paperwork. Ready. Go!! Waiting for the keys. I don’t think I need to paint an exact picture for you, I can’t. I’m convinced this is going to be an extremely interesting first month of 2017. 

My only hopes, wants or needs right away are, in this order: a secure fence for the dogs, that the old as fuck oven and fridge work for now, and hot water. Everything  we own outside this trailer is sitting in a POD is SD, for a couple more weeks it turns out. Thankfully our trailer has a mattresss that we can pull out and sleep on the floor in the house for the time being, and that will be the only piecce of furniture in the house until then. We have a space heater and plenty of blankets and pillows to cuddle up to and animals to use as blankets whether they like it or not. I know our possibilities when we start on this house are unlimited, that we will make a home for us forever or for someone else in the very near future. Making a tough or inconvenienced situation a warm and happy one, is rewarding and part of the journey itself. We try not to keep things boring around these parts. 

Cheers to a Merry New Year to everyone. And, if needed, a nice tree outside you can hide behind and piss on 2016. ❤🍷

Gifts don’t always come wrapped in a box.

It’s not even light out yet! (12/22). We’re driving to SeaTac airport and the dogs would like to know what the fuck is up, where we are going and what it means for them! Feeding time was 2 hours early today and potty time was too close to form the perfect amount of poo and pee. You know we all like to have a sorta schedule for our good morning let’s start the day right business. Well this early morning I’m on my way to a family Christmas and James is staying behind to watch the kids (yes, I am a little jealous.) I’m not a fan of holiday traveling, in fact, I avoid it as much as possible, and I really can’t think of a time that I’ve done it. For me, as far as traveling goes, I can spend Thanksgiving weeks before to avoid the chaos, and love it just the same. Same goes for Christmas. It could be in May for all I care. Or whatever time you’d like. Don’t get me wrong, I love the lights, the tree, the decorations and the cold weather. I love seeing the houses that are all decorated and sparkly. It’s just the pressure. What to buy for who, because that who may be buying something for you. It’s the pressure. And it’s everywhere. Any store, street or tv commercial. It’s everyone doing it at the same time. 

So here I am, at the airport. I try my best to be patient with everything, (the only way to survive,) people are running late, people are juggling with their kids and employees are taking as many deep breaths as they can. So I take my own deep breaths and smile, wholeheartedly, because we all could use more honest smiles. 
Boarding time!! Everybody on board, we pull from the gate and onto the runway. Annnndddd, there it is. “This is the captain speaking, (never fucking good) we’ve been informed that there is too much traffic flying into Jackson Hole and that we should be getting word in about 40 minutes if we are clear for take off.” ✈️ Sweet, not sweet. 👍🏻 Deep breath, shit happens. Thankfully, we were directed back to the gate after only about 10 minutes to deboard and that they would keep us updated. Seriously, not having to sit in that plane on the tarmac waiting made it more bearable! I had a beer. 🍺

Maybe 30 or so minutes later we get the ok to re board. Yes! Ready to go! Yes! Then 15 more minutes later we finally pull out. My morning has been too long already so it’s time for me to turn on my quiet cruise control. I have my eyes closed, soft music on, wanting to sleep. I hear the planes engines rev, then slow down, then rev again. When will we fucking fly?!! 

Wait, what’s that?! We’re on a slow roll again, now are we ready for takeoff? It has been almost 30 minutes since we’ve pulled away from the gate, the second time, and by now I’m leaning on the annoyed side. Maybe it’s the screaming baby, or anxious child, or the fact that we are over 2 1/2 hours delayed. 😒 Or that my not wanting to fly over the holidays has been justified to be true. It’s the pressure we put on ourselves. Then yay! We finally take off! 

Flying alone in an isle seat while tired isn’t much fun. I don’t have James’ shoulder to sleep on, or the window to lean against, but I manage to drift off. Then I wake up and see this,
across the isle from me, I do not know who they are but the fact that brother and sister are cuddled like this made my heart smile.  Traveling to see family isn’t so bad, but EVERYONE scrambling to get to everyone in the same time span, BAD!
 

This post is 4 days old, it’s Christmas now and it’s going to be fun and crazy and chaotic. Someone will get frustrated, someone will complain. Someone will, for no reason at all, stress themselves out which will have a trickle down effect. 🍷 Someone will forget to buy that damn ingredient and there’s no store open and make themselves feel like they ruined everything! Kids will fucking cry and fight and drive us crazy!!! 🍷 Sometimes you cannot find a quiet corner to hide in for at least a minute, with that glass of wine. 🍷 And there will always, and I mean always, be that person that somehow manages to do the least of them all. All this will happen, I promise. And all these someone’s that bring it, all of us, will throughout this day, smile and laugh. We will help each other with the food, and the cleaning and the keeping track of the kids. Seriously, where the fuck are the kids? We will all hug and kiss and say thank you. We will smile and laugh, The dinner will be great, even if it’s come down to that frozen pizza. 
So it’s sometimes shitty getting there. It’s stressful as fuck at times! And so amazing at times as well. But let’s face it, we will all need a fucking vacation when we get home. 🍷 and quiet. Oh so, so much silence. 

Most people won’t get one damn second of this complete and utter chaos. So lets all be a little more dysfunctional and a little more loving for those that miss out. ❤️ ❄ Gifts don’t always come wrapped in a box. 

All About Thanks

Thanksgiving. I love cooking the whole spread. The starting in the morning and going into the afternoon kind of spread. You know, the American Way. I can’t remember the last time I haven’t cooked/hosted/contributed on this holiday. So today was an interesting one. 1. There’s no fucking way to cook that whole shabang in this little trailer. I mean, c’mon, coffee is a 3 step process. So, James does his googling and finds that Safeway offers a fully cooked turkey dinner. All the fixings. It does state that it’s for 6 ppl but, whatever, I’ll make it work as far as leftovers. So he reserved one for us and left this morning to pick it up. Fun surprise! “Fully Cooked” meant it had been at some point, and then frozen or refrigerated. So our fully cooked (10lb) turkey needs to be reheated. 10 mins for every 10 lbs. 🙂 fun times. 

This is our little trailer oven. There’s no fucking way, not gonna fit, sunuva, really!? Thankfully it is fully cooked so James got up in there and started tearing that bird apart to fit some into a cake pan that I can heat/bake it in. And then wait, there’s all the “Fully cooked fixings.”

 So now it’s a toaster oven-stovetop-microwave -propane oven-reheating someone’s pre made food-, kinda dinner. And you know what. We made it work. Food was good, company was great, I have no complaints. At the end it was fun, oddly enough, taking the time figuring out how to package and strategically store the leftovers. You really have to utilize every inch and know what size container to use. I got mad skills from watching and helping my Grandma throughout the years. (You’d be amazed at her packing skills). 

So everything is packed away. Dishes are done. The Cowboys won!!! Fuck Yeah. We all took a nap then ate more food. I think we nailed Thanksgiving in this little 27′ home this year. 

Be thankful for every foot my friends.