July 2018

July 7^th weekend – Saturday we were up earlyish to perform our coffee ritual.  We soon left to pick up wine when I thought it might be fun to walk around Southwest Plaza Mall.  We drove around C470 to stop at Tipsy’s for our wine before stopping at the mall.  We looked at the store fronts as walked around, not really having any need to purchase anything.  Susan suggested we check out the mall’s aquarium and so we did.  It wasn’t huge but held our attention as we went from room to room and tank to tank.  Much of the appeal of the place is that they sell tokens used to exchange for fish food to give to the various fishes.  We didn’t actually buy any ourselves but watched as the various fish ate what other patrons held out to them. 

Susan wanted to see the old neighborhood and Dawn house so we moseyed on down there to verify the structure still stood.  We then made an impromptu stop at the Littleton Upay for a replacement visor for Flo.  On the way out we ran into an old CONOC friend who happens to work at Great-West Financial too.  Such a small world.  Our last stop was at Walmart where we purchased food stuffs before heading home.  I BBQ’d juicy hamburgers and we ate outside the garage with the pups before retiring to the couch for the evening. 

Sunday we got to sleep in until 9:00 before brewing our coffee. Susan packed up Slayer in his kennel so I could relocate the snow blower to make more space in the shed.  Slayer is generally a sweetie but latched onto Susan’s arm earlier in the week so we know there’s a bit of mischief to him too.  I cut up some of our scrap wood using our new circulating saw and we made neat piles by the fire pit.  It was very hot outside without the seemingly ever-present breeze we normally enjoy.  To do just about anything outside was tortuous and we were soon back inside the house to cool off.  I eventually made us green chili omelets for lunch and prepped food for dinner while Susan chilled out with the dogs. 

Alvin and Kari came by around 4:30 for dinner and to meet our new furry companions, Pebbles and Slayer.  Pebbles barked at our guests at first but was just excited to see them and was content to sit on Alvin’s lap for pets.  Slayer was a doll when we visited him in his shed.  Such a friendly kitty.  The original plan was to bake chicken for dinner but Susan suggested we try BBQing the meat instead and this turned out to be a great idea.  While the chicken cooked we hung outside with Bella and Pebbles on the shady side of the garage.  It was hot but bearable and we ate our meal in the elements.  The once-distant rain rolled in and we packed up to head inside.  We quickly changed our minds and simply went to the other side of the garage as the storm winds allowed us to sit outside while being protected from the rain.  A lot of conversation later and Kari and Alvin left for home and Susan and I went inside to veg on the couch where we spent the remainder of the weekend with Bella and Pebbles. 

July 14^th weekend – Saturday began with blessed sleep with us staying in bed until 9:00.  Coffee was delightful as we sat and chatted, the pups fighting over Susan’s lap-space.  Our main plan for the day was letting Slayer experience some free reign.  It took little coaxing to get him to exit his shed via the window and he was off… to hid in and under the car port.  We left him to his limited wanderings and walked around the property spraying thistles.  Slayer was still sticking to the car port after we were done though we were able to get him to join us in the garage.  He seemed to do better with us around so we sat in our old camp chairs while he continued his limited exploration.  We lured Slayer back into his shed when he began panting in stress to give him a break.  I made bacon and eggs for lunch and hung out with the pups for the majority of the afternoon.  When we were finally hungry again I BBQ’d burgers on the grill while Slayer got another shot at freedom.  He did alright and actually stalked a few rabbits.  Eventually we got him back in his shed with the promise of food and spent the rest of the evening with Bella and Pebbles on the couch. 

Sunday began with a 6:00 alarm followed shortly by coffee.  We were up early to participate in a Road Rally that began up in Boulder.  Initially we wanted to bring Scrappy but with angry clouds threatening we took Tia instead.  Susan did the driving while I acted as navigator.  During the adventure we got lost a few times and had to backtrack more than once.  One straightforward but pivotal instruction was dependent on the odometer of each car and proved the undoing of virtually everyone as all subsequent step was then off.  Considering how lost and turned around we were it was surprising that we were the second car to finish the rally.  We might have done alright but I bungled my job as navigator and missed some critical clues (the rally could be described as a motorized scavenger hunt).  Despite our foibles throughout the experience we had a blast and likely will participate in similar events in the future.  Susan and I work together well and generally keep our cool when presented with the sorts of dilemmas they present.  The rally ended at El Dorado Mexican Restaurant in Golden and we chatted with several of the other teams while we ate and trophies were eventually awarded. 

We drove straight home to decompress and hang with Bella and Pebbles while the rain fell.  It let off late in the afternoon and we took advantage of the dry spell to BBQ chicken on the grill and let Slayer run around a bit.  As we were packing up the grill the rain began again.  Slayer didn’t appreciate the drops falling on him and was reticent to enter his shed.  Eventually the cute kitty ventured inside for his dinner.  We’re very happy with Slayer’s progress and temperament.  He’s getting used to the outdoors and is still such a sweetheart with us.  Once back inside we finished the weekend as we often do, with the pups on the couch. 

July 21^st weekend – it began on Friday with a downtown concert.  After work Susan and I drove up to meet Kari at a King Soopers around I25 and Hampton/285.  We arrived a few minutes early despite terrible traffic.  After watching as some dudes were arrested several cars down from us in the parking lot we made an illegal left turn to get back to I25.  I parked us at Susan’s work and we walked ourselves to Tom’s Diner for dinner.  It was Kari’s treat and we enjoyed the food and chatted until it was time to make our way to the show at the Ogden.  Fortunately the wait outside the venue wasn’t long as it was hot out and we were soon ascending the steps to take our, now standard, spot on the second level. 

The opening bands were alright and consisted of one ska-light band and a strange mashup ska-metal band.  The first band Kitty Kat Fan Club had two female singers who harmonized with each other quite a bit (I liked it but Susan and Kari weren’t impressed).  The singer of the second band (Mephiskapheles) growled out his lyrics and the guitarist periodically used a lot of distortion (I preferred the first band).  Then came Streetlight Manifesto (the reason we were there) and they delighted the entire room with their hoppin’ tunes.  As per usual they put on a great show.  It was a dark walk back to get the car and went without incident.  On the way back down south we dropped off Kari and executed another illegal left to get ourselves on the path home.  It was late and we went straight to bed. 

I roused Susan out of bed around 8:00 as we had some things to do.  First came our coffee routine and then we let Slayer out of his shed.  The plan was to let Slayer out and just let him do whatever he wanted for the day.  We found this mostly consisted of him following us around and wanting attention.  I pulled the evo into the garage to change its oil and swap wheels.  I’d been lax in wheel organization and Susan and I made a trip to the tire coup to exchange several wheels out.  It was decided to forgo changing the oil as the dipstick still looked clean and I simply swapped the wheels out.  We did make a trip to the car wash which is only notable as it’s the second such trip this year (we seem to rarely clean the evo). 

Once back home we commenced with the afternoon.  I BBQ’d a late lunch of hamburgers while we sat around watching Slayer slink around the garage.  I was tired of being outside and convinced Susan to go into the cool house.  Back inside and with our bellies full we settled down for a refreshing nap with the pups.  Then Susan and I were off to see another concert at the same venue with the same bands as the night before.  Craziness, I know.  Concert night number two had essentially the same schedule as the night before as we met with Kari, drove to Susan’s work, ate at the same diner, and the concert was much the same (albeit for some different tunes from the main act).  One new cool part occurred when the first band had a person in the crowd on stage to play guitar for a song.  Pretty neat to see (he did great).  We were pooped when Susan and I finally arrived home after another long and fun night. 

Sunday we slept in a little and were up at 9:00ish for coffee.  Then we were released Slayer again and went about to yard work.  I mowed and trimmed and Susan sprayed thistles, picked up trash, and raked.  It was oh so hot outside.  Susan ordered Jimmy Johns for a late lunch which we ate inside to escape the heat.  Later we locked up Slayer just ahead of an oncoming thunderstorm which hit midafternoon.  Tired and drained from another day in the sun we hung out on the couch with the pups for the rest of the day.  The only break in our lazing occurring when Susan ordered Domino’s for dinner.  Another fun weekend in the books!

July 27 weekend – The weekend began on Friday when Susan and I took half days at work to go home early to clean up the house.  Em, Ryan, Stewart, and Lee were in Denver and came by our place after 3:00.  Susan and I gave them the tour of the Dogwood Estate and everyone got to meet Slayer and Pebbles (Bella was already known).  The dinner plan was BBQ so I had at it while we all chatted outside the garage and watched Stew and Lee act like the little boys they are.  Slayer was happy to have the attention and was friendly with our guests.  Pebbles sat in the kiddies’ laps with only a little bit of shaking.  Stew and Lee stalked rabbits and looked for bottle caps while accumulating sticks and interesting-looking rocks.  Susan and I were sad to see everyone leave after 6:00 but so happy they were able to visit!  We finished our evening in our (now) clean home with the pups. 

Saturday began early for me and earlyish for Susan who brewed us coffee when she rolled out of bed.  She left briefly to run some errands while I held down the fort in the late morning.  We hung out until Jeff dropped by around 5:00 for dinner and to pick up his engine hoist and cruiser.  There was still plenty of uncooked meats from the day before so I BBQ’d some up for sustenance.  We chatted as is our way before Jeff left us to enjoy the remainder of the day on the couch with Bella and Pebbles. 

Sunday we both slept in until almost 11:00 which was almost unbelievable.  It had been quite some time since we’ve stayed in bed so long and I felt divine when we were finally up.  Susan made coffee again and any thoughts to having a productive day were put to rest as my foot, which was bothering me for the preceding few days, effectively had me tethered to the couch.  Luckily for Susan her favorite Netflix show “Orange is the New Black” had released a new season and she managed to finish the entire thing by the time we went to bed that night. 

July felt like a rushed month between work and our weekend activities.  The weather has been brutally hot with a few thunderstorms bringing copious amounts of rain to the state.  The rain is generally welcome though we did end up having to reschedule a rallycross event due to the site being under water which was a huge bummer.  Pebbles and Slayer have now met snout to snout.  While Slayer was apprehensive Pebbles broke the tension by happily sniffing our kitty’s face.  Slayer now gets free reign during the day.  We were concerned he wasn’t finding his way back into his shed during the day but Susan discovered Slayer entering via the window which allayed our worries.  His daily outdoor routine is essentially set now though it’s obvious he would love to come inside the house. 

June 2018

June 2^nd weekend – Saturday morning began a bit early as brunch with Jeff was in the plans.  I got Susan out of bed around 8:00 for coffee after which we met Jeff at Great Beginnings.  We were a little late as coffee-time went on a little long.  The food was pleasant as was the conversation.  Once back home Susan and I proceeded to have a busy day.  We swapped wheels on the evo and RS, mowed, sprayed for weeds, weed whacked, trimmed the hedges for the first time, changed the oil in the RS, washed and applied Hoosier stickers on the evo, loaded up and moved the tow rig down to the lower 40, and were unsuccessful in starting the rallybus.  Not sure at the moment what the issue is but it stopped cranking with the key after a whole lot of trying.  Bella spent much of the day hanging out in the garage as we did this and that and generally was well-behaved.  The weather was just about perfect.  Warm enough for shorts but cool enough to be able to work outside without becoming drenched in sweat.  Late in the day Susan made chicken and I supplemented dinner with a salad.  The remainder of the evening was spent with Bella on the couch. 

Sunday began later as our only firm plan was to buy a 2002 Subaru Impreza RS.  Ah, you might be thinking this a little weird as we already own a 2001 Subaru Impreza RS.  Well, between 2001 and 2002 a massive generation change occurred in the Impreza model.  Plus it was a really good deal from fellow-rallycrossing friends of ours, Neil and Carol Rickli.  They were selling off all their cars before moving to Florida.  The Impreza was the last car left and, after it languishing on craigslist for a while, I messaged Neil a low-ball offer which he accepted.  When word spread they were leaving I had inquired about the vehicle but his asking price was a bit high.  So Sunday morning we drove over to the Ricki’s home to purchase the car.  As is often our nature, we left early as we found ourselves ready to go ahead of time.  To burn some of the excess minutes we stopped at Tipsy’s to look at the various boozy things they sell.  Once at the Ricki’s house we went inside to chat and fill out the necessary paperwork.  We really will miss them as Neil and Carol have been active in the racing community and we consider them pretty good friends.  We stayed for over an hour talking before finally heading out. 

It might be noted that this is the first car we’ve bought without a test drive.  Hilariously I received a face-full of dust when I turned on the air.  Yes, this was their rallycross car for the past five years.  I also found that the air conditioning wasn’t working and the alignment felt off.  No biggie as after we got home and unloaded the wheels and tires (it came with three sets: summer tires, winter tires, and rally tires) we fixed what we could.  I charged the air conditioning twice (the first time I forgot to run the car at the same time) and installed a cabin air filter.  We washed Bug (its new name) but found a lot of pesky tree sap that resisted cleaning.  We bought some cleaner that said it could deal with sap but discovered using our finger nails to pick it off was much more effective.  At some point soon I’ll have the air conditioning checked for leaks and will have Bug aligned. 

Lunch was Qdoba which we ate outside as the restaurant’s air conditioning wasn’t working and it was a pleasant day.  We picked up groceries for the next week and other odds and ends at Walmart.  Eventually we got a picture of Bug next to the RS which really shows how much things changed in one year.  After chilling on the couch for a time I fired up the grill and BBQ’d some brauts for dinner.  Bella joined us outside while the meat cooked and Susan and I indulged on some Mike’s and talked about this and that.  Once through with the meal we finished the weekend on the couch with Bella. 

The next day (Monday) we met with some friends at Mt Fuji hibachi for dinner to celebrate Jeff’s birthday.  His personal odometer ticked over 32 this year.  For Susan and me the restaurant is in the perfect place as it is only a couple of minutes away from our home.  Thus we were 10 minutes early and waiting outside for the others to arrive.  We were lucky that the staff would seat us early and before too long everyone was at the table.  It was a nice time as everyone pretty much knew everyone and conversations abounded.  The food was good, we sang a couple of “happy birthdays”, and we ended up staying awhile after all the other tables were cleared.  I felt the strong vibe that the employees were ready for us to go so I invited everyone to our house for a nightcap.  Most came and we hung out in the garage until 10:30 talking about his and that.  Twas a nice evening. 

June 9 weekend – Saturday was an earlyish day for us.  We awoke with an alarm around 8:00 for coffee-time before loading up the Suburban with rally tires, wheels, and some coolers.  First we went to Costco for some early wine shopping before heading up to rally.build to drop off the rally tires and wheels for mounting.  It was around this time that our stomachs began protesting their lack of sustenance.  We settled on eating at the old Denny’s we used to frequent often when we lived in Lakewood.  As is the Denny’s-way the food was ok and the service terrible.  We still enjoyed ourselves.  We had one more stop to make at Walmart where we bought food stuffs for the next week before finally heading home to unload.  It was brutally hot and we were happy that the Suburban’s air conditioning was working so well on our journeys.  The final plan for the day was a trip to Alamo Drafthouse to see Deadpool 2 in a few hours so we filled the time exchanging our weed whacker (I believe it died of exhaustion) at Home Depot and then whacking some plants with the new weed whacker.  Eventually we hopped in Flo-Bug (the name changed when the license plate I got had “FLO” spelled out on it) and made our way to Alamo Drafthouse.

I’ve wanted to see Deadpool 2 since it came out but we abstained to let the super-fans get their kicks in first.  Our viewing of the first Deadpool was tarnished by the over-the-top reactions of many such fans sitting around us.  This time our experience was much improved as the theatre was largely empty and those in attendance were better behaved.  We enjoyed the movie, bottle of wine, popcorn, and Susan - her fish and chips.  It’s not cheap to go to Alamo Drafthouse to see a movie but we generally have a great time.  Once home we spent the rest of the evening with Bella on the couch. 

Sunday was one of those glorious days where the only plan for the day was to sleep in.  Because it’s how I roll I was up at 6:00 but Susan made up for my wakefulness by staying in bed past 10:00.  Coffee was had and before long Susan was showering and went out to purchase clothes.  I was content to play with our newest action camera and accessories.  It’s a tiny GoPro and one of the many mounting things was a headband.  Thus I decided to spend some time recording my point of view while playing guitar.  I was finished before Susan was back and she ordered Jimmy Johns for lunch.  I was feeling particularly lazy and didn’t venture far from the couch for the remainder of the day.  I rationalize that I just needed a day to do not a whole lot.  Bella was happy about the whole affair and alternated licking my arms and feet and snoozing on Susan’s lap for much of the day and evening.  Another great weekend!

June 16^th weekend – Saturday began around 9:30 when we got up to drink our coffee and then go shopping at Walmart for food.  The plan was to host a make-your-own-hamburger BBQ in the late afternoon so we bought a bunch of ground beef and a few other things we thought might be good in a hamburger.  It was our only outing for the day so we also got rotisserie chicken to eat for lunch when we got home.  We cleaned up the house and garage a bit in preparation and set up some folding tables and chairs.  We had time to burn so I spent a little of it whacking plants about with the new and functioning weed whacker.  Todd Briley came by to diagnose the rally bus’ woes and determined the starter was bad.  It was around this time that our guests arrived. 

Ken (+2 dogs), Greg and Sandra Tiedeman, Kari and Alvin (+1 dog), and Jeff graced us with their company.  We chatted and consumed adult beverages before finally getting out all the burger accessories.  We had diced onion, fresh garlic, green chilies, un-cooked bacon bits, shredded cheese, eggs, salt, pepper, and worstershire sauce.  Most everyone put most everything in each burger which worked out for the most part.  We pressed all but Greg’s meatballs using the hamburger press I bought last year which yielded relatively even patties.  Grilling them was a bit of a challenge for some of the moister burgers as they didn’t want to stay in one piece.  Eventually all were cooked and it seemed the experiment was a success.  We learned a few lessons and will try again at some point in the future as it was fun to do. 

We hung out for a time longer before folks started peeling off.  Eventually we were left with just Alvin and Kari and we chatted about this and that late into the evening.  I believe they stayed until after 10:00 before they took their leave.  Susan and I somehow felt the urge to stay up past midnight ourselves.  Something about winding down.  Bella was incredibly tired.  She was outside in the garage with us almost the entire time and is not used to so much excitement. 

We probably should have slept in longer on Sunday but I was up at 6:00 and Susan around 8:00.  She made coffee and I rustled up some omelet thingies for breakfast using leftover ingredients from Saturday.  Not long after and Todd was back to install a new starter on the rally bus which seemed to work alright.  Susan and I then jumped in Scrappy for a drive up to Karen and John’s home to celebrate Father’s Day.  Susan did the driving this time which was great for me as I almost always am behind the wheel.  I spent much of the journey just looking around at the scenery and alternating between minor bouts of car-sickness and wonder.  There was an accident on C470 that caused us to be late and we stopped to put up the soft-top as the clouds were threatening but otherwise the trip was pleasant enough. 

Upon arrival it was boys in the living room and girls in the kitchen.  Not that a lot of cooking happening in the kitchen or riveting conversation occurring in the living room.  It just seems that’s how we arrange ourselves to chat.  Eventually we sat down to eat BBQ procured from a local establishment which was delightful.  Before, during, and after the meal the clouds unloaded great torrents of rain upon Conifer Mountain.  Much lightning and subsequent thunder accompanied the deluge.  A lot of our time was spent watching Alvin and Kari’s new doggies act up with Karen and John’s doggo.  Eventually a dessert of moose pie and ice cream was available for dessert which we all enjoyed.  Around 4:30 and we were driving back home.  It was as soon as my derriere established firm contact with the wet driver’s seat that I came to the conclusion perhaps Scrappy was the wrong car to drive on a rainy day.  Such is!  Susan and I stopped at Costco for wine and whatnot before finally arriving home to a happy, but still tired, Bella.  There was one minor traffic issue related to a huge puddle across both lanes of C470.  Fortunately Scrappy had the clearance to get by without sucking up any water.  We settled on leftover rotisserie for dinner and spent the remainder of the weekend on the couch with Bella. 

On Tuesday June 19^th we adopted a Chihuahua from Denver Animal Shelter.  Susan had been looking online for a pug or pug mix for a few weeks and we decided we could handle a non-pug breed.  Susan found this little dog on Sunday and we met her at the shelter Monday night.  Tuesday Susan brought Bella to work and we all converged in the afternoon for a doggie introduction.  It went much as we’d expected as they largely ignored each other.  As of this moment she has no name but is already fitting into our lives. 

Thursday night we settled on a name for our new dog – Pebbles.  Pebbles is a bit snappy at Bella on occasion but has few teeth so can’t really follow through on her threats. 

June 23 weekend – Saturday began at 4:30 with Susan’s alarm.  In short order we were out the door and on our way to FRA to put on an Intermediate RallyCross School.  Susan drove Flo and I the rallybus.  We arrived earlier than normal which was a good thing as the entire site was covered in fairly mature winter wheat.  This was something I didn’t think about too much at previous events but now presented an issue.  I immediately set about to cutting paths for the day’s features using the bus and Flo which was incredibly effective.  I was just about finished when the guys from the airport came by and asked that we try to minimize the wheat destruction where possible.  As this really wasn’t something that we could do much about and the contracts stated we could use the entire site I didn’t give this a whole lot of thought.  I put on a drivers meeting and then had the students gather around to listen to me babble on about what I think would help them improve as drivers.  Not sure I was very effective but I talked a lot.  We then split into three groups and struck out to attack the features.  I was the lone instructor for my group and jumped between all the cars dolling out what instruction I could.  It was fun but exhausting.  I also breathed a lot of dust and forgot to bring water or wear sunblock.  Whoops! 

By lunch I was pretty spent and drank enough water to upset my stomach and thus could barely eat anything.  Such is though and I felt better soon enough.  The afternoon had us setting up the timing equipment on the Test & Tune course the Test & Tuners had established during the morning.  We then unleashed the students and instructors to drive the course until 4:00.  I even took a few laps in Flo and found the car enjoyable to fling about.  We were more than ready to leave by the time we finally drove home.  I do believe the school had value as the students seemed to enjoy themselves and make real progress throughout the day.  As filthy as I was we still had ourselves a sit-down meal at the Jimmy Johns near our house.  We unloaded and hung out with Bella and Pebbles for the rest of the evening. 

The alarm was still set for 4:30 Sunday morning though we did snooze it a couple of times before getting out of bed for the fifth rallycross event of the season.  Again we arrived earlier than normal to find the gate to the site still locked.  This didn’t exactly put me into a good mood and after a few minutes I drove to the airport proper to ask that they send someone out to remedy the situation.  As luck would have it someone came by right as I was pressing the buzzer at the terminal and finally unlocked the gate.  After speeding back to the site entrance we finally made our way to where we had left the bus the previous night.  The plan was for me to drive Flo and Susan the evo during the event so Susan had driven Flo to the site and me the Suburban towing the evo.  After unloading the evo I once again set to plowing wheat for the day’s course.  I did have some aid in setting up cones and whatnot which helped get the course finished faster than I expected.  As I knew I wouldn’t have time to swap the wheels out on Flo we scheduled the run order so I would drive second and would take care of prepping while Susan drove the evo.  After the event was moving along I stole a ride on Susan’s first run and finally swapped out Flo’s wheels.  It took much longer than necessary as I was talking to a fellow rallycrosser for much of the time which was fine.  The morning runs went smooth enough and lunch was called just before 12:30 which is around the time the clouds started looking ominous. 

Right when the event was set to begin the rain began to fall in earnest.  I decided to wait a half an hour to see if the weather would blow through but then lightning started to make an appearance which meant we had to delay further.  Eventually I called off the afternoon runs as everyone was just getting soaked while waiting around.  I really hated to do it and honestly making these kinds of decisions is the toughest part about running these events.  As the event was done several volunteers helped pick up load cones and equipment on the bus which was amazing.  If they hadn’t stepped up it is likely we would have left the cones for another day as the rain caused the whole field to turn to slippery mud.  There was a real risk the bus would get stuck but underneath was still dry and, with a bit of luck and drifting through the muck, I was able to pilot the thing to drier terrain.  We followed the last competitor out and locked the gate a hair after 4:00.  Of course the storm had passed and the sky clear at this point.  We went straight home and, after some unloading, ordered pizza for dinner.  It was strange being home so early on a race day but we were glad the day was through. 

We took Monday off to recover from the race weekend and take Pebbles to her required post-adoption vet visit.  We woke around 9:30 and went to her appointment at 10:30.  The vet upsold us on various vaccinations and whatnot but we were ok with it.  She was in good health which is what we most cared about.  Afterwards we stopped by Qdoba for lunch which we ate outside (I swear that location doesn’t utilize a/c).  Then we swung by Pets Mart to look at dog toys.  We left empty-handed but it was fun walking Pebbles around looking at stuff.  We really didn’t have any defined plans for the remainder of the day but ended up doing some lawn work.  Susan helped me mow, pull stakes, and dismantle some fencing left from the previous owners.  It was hot out but a light breeze made the experience pleasant enough.  After our work on the lower 40 Susan brought out the pups and looked on as I sprayed Groundclear on the driveway.  Susan suggested we BBQ for dinner so I cooked up burgers on the grill which we ate outside.  We absolutely LOVE hanging outside on the east side of the garage in the afternoon.  We’re shaded and the open garage doors allow a breeze to keep us cool.  Pebbles and Bella were so cute and enjoyed being outside too.  Eventually we cleaned up and headed for the couch to finish out the weekend.  All in all it was a great one. 

The last weekend in June – Saturday our slumber ended early and abruptly when Susan received a message from her dad warning us of possible hail in the afternoon.  This sort of message probably could have waited for later in the morning but once we were awake we were up.  After taking care of the pups we drank our yummy coffee.  Susan’s phone again notified her of a message, this time from Sandra asking if we wanted to come over later in the day for BBQ.  Of course we accepted the invitation.  Those were almost the only plans of the day but we decided to head to Lowes instead.  There we bought a small window, a reciprocating saw, wood, and caulking.  After unpacking our goodies in the garage we measured and cut a hole in the wall of our shed.  It took a few cuts to make the hole big enough for the window and it wasn’t perfect but soon enough we had the window installed and the edges sealed with caulking.  We’ve been talking about getting a barn cat almost since we moved to the Dogwood Estate and a windowed shed/barn was required.  Step 1 complete! 

With the memory of John’s message of inclement weather in the afternoon we packed another car in the garage just in case.  As I’m trying to sell Pitt and it has full coverage it was the lone car left without shelter.  The arrangement of our vehicles mattered not though as, in the end, no hail fell on our homestead. 

Around 4:30 and after Susan took a quick nap we left to the Tiedemans for BBQ chicken wings.  We spent much of our time before eating sitting outside and chatting about this and that and watching their dogs and cats doing their thing.  They currently have two dogs and two cats of their own plus a foster puppy they’d picked up the Thursday before.  He was quite the cutie and there’s a good chance he’ll be adopted soon.  We saw Tristan on occasion in between bouts of Fortnite which is the latest craze in video games right now.  Greg had pre-cooked the wings in the oven, doused them in Buffalo Wild Wings sauce, and then reheated them on the grill.  They were mighty tasty and there were scant few left after we ate our fill. We stayed until just after dark before driving home.  As we didn’t get our normal time on the couch to wind down we proceeded to stay up later than normal hanging with the pups on the couch before finally heading to bed. 

Sunday we were up with the alarm at 7:45 for coffee before we met Jeff for breakfast.  The food was good and made exactly how we wanted it which was nice.  We mostly chatted about car stuff before going our separate ways.  Susan and I went home to check on Flo’s tail lights (Jeff told us they were out; they weren’t) and to drop off her leftovers.  We ended up pulling apart Scrappy’s tail light instead as it had one which was indeed burned out.  Once we figured out we didn’t have a replacement bulb we added it to our list of things to buy and went out.  We found the bulbs at AutoZone and then stopped by Pets Mart to buy cat accessories.  Walmart then came next to buy more cat things and groceries for the upcoming week.  We were excited when we unpacked and laid out our kitty goodies at home and soon had them in the shed like we wanted them. 

Susan wanted to start our barn cat search with Foothills Animal Shelter so we loaded in our new pet carrier and drove that way.  They were busy but eventually we were given two barn cat options: one girl named Avalanche who liked to chew on cables and a boy stray they named Ezra.  As the shed space would be shared with various cabled items we saw only Ezra.  He was cute in his cat way and we agreed to take him home. 

The barn cat application process was short and we were soon on our way with said kitty in tow.  He meowed basically the entire drive back but didn’t flail about.  Per the instructions given by the shelter staff we left him in his crate inside the shed for an hour and I BBQ’d lunch.  Susan and the pups hung outside while I cooked and we ate in the shade of the garage. 

Once the hour was up we apprehensively opened up the kitty kennel and out strode the sweetest cat you could imagine.  He came out stretching for pets and scritches.  He never tried to bite or scratch Susan or myself.  This was far from the rough-and-tumble barn cat we were prepared for.  As he was a stray and his given name meaningless I dubbed him “Slayer” in the hope that he will slay many rabbits.  Almost unbelievably, Susan went along with it and his name is now Slayer.  Later in the evening we visited him again and he was still happy to see us.  Slayer the friendliest cat. 

The rest of the weekend was spent on the couch with Bella and Pebbles.  Susan had them most of the time but that was alright as they were both so cute and happy to be with her.  Dinner was yummy Jimmy Johns.  Bella got a little bit of this and that which is the way of ordering Jimmy Johns anymore. 

June was a crazy month of change for us.  We added a Chihuahua and a barn cat to our household.  We have such good luck as they are both wonderful pets.  Pebbles is still skittish but we think she’ll loosen up over time.  Slayer is learning the shed is his home and we’re looking forwards to fewer rabbits and various vermin around the house and property.  I admit I don’t think I’ll mind if he fails in his hunting duties though as he’s such a sweetheart.  The instructions we received for our barn cat include keeping him locked in our shed for two weeks first before allowing him free reign during the day.