Isa's Story

The wedding was lovely and fun with a lot of laughter and all kinds of good things. My niece looked gorgeous and the family members I had some concern about were on their best behavior so bail money was not necessary. Hotter than anything and Nevada, bless their pointed little heads, still allow smoking inside particularly in casinos so the weekend was a misery for my respiratory system. Better now that I’m home in clean air, even if there is less oxygen.

Yes, I had to turn up at jury duty Monday – brutal morning (plane was more than an hour late getting in Sunday night). GPS had me drive right past the courthouse without bothering to mention it so I was late and flustered. But I did get excused just after lunch after much whining on my part. So success!

Picked up Roxy from boarding and drove home with the mantra “I just want a nap …” repeating through my head. Made it home and slept for a whole half-hour until someone decided we needed protecting. I had to get up anyway to go to an appointment and then pick Wallee up from my friend’s house.

My return that evening gave me further evidence that Roxy has made up her mind to stay in her roundup. I had been gone for maybe two hours and came home to her greeting me at the car. She was out having punched a(nother) hole through the wire. Clearly she had not been home long enough to ensure the perimeter was sufficiently secure to remain in the roundup. Tuesday and Wednesday when I got home from work – in the enclosure as has become the new normal. So there’s that.  I do wish I knew what changed her mind. As always, the Roxinator’s English skills are severely lacking.

And I am pleased to report that I came home to a fully functioning refrigerator, ice and everything! Even the water leak in the bathroom stopped while I was gone. Sadly, it has now redoubled it’s efforts. Anyone know a plumber? I think perhaps a betting pool should be started on whether or not I survive the winter in the trailer. Or possibly what will break next. Seems like someone should make some money on this fiasco.

So there’s the answer to your burning questions about my weekend!

Lots of love to you all!

Teri, the Roxinator and Angel Isa

Okay, in my world it’s rather a major miracle but know your audience: this doesn’t and shouldn’t qualify as major with this crowd – these things are subjective.

Drum roll, please …

Roxy, Don’t-Fence-Me-In, Roxinator has remained in her round up on a daily basis for the past week and a half. Six days last week and two and half (so far) this week. I have now moved beyond the shock and awe of this dramatic change and can only conclude that she has made up her mind to stay inside. I have no doubt that if she wanted to get out, she would. I say this to remind myself not to take her continued confinement for granted, particularly if someone should pay me a call. But I will happily take this new situation and call it miraculous.

Otherwise, I know it’s been a while since I updated so here are some tidbits:

This happened a while ago before the miraculous decision mentioned above:

Not there when I left for work and was when I came home so the incident occurred during daylight hours. Therefore, doubtful that it was anyone other than Roxy. I have made what amends I could to the Raven Spirits.

This is not a great picture but I think it tells the tale of hysteria at the nerve of someone (not me) being at the trailer. Who would have thought the table would hold her weight?

A friend asked for pictures of the inside of the trailer. I took one of the bedroom and then someone needed to pose. Camera shy, she is not. Although I do wish she smiled more often.

This cracks me up – I have no explanation. It took quite a bit for her to get into this situation/position:

And in case you thought it was all dogs and no play, a friend and I went to a local lavender farm this past weekend (no dogs allowed).

This is a (not great) older picture from before we moved but it appears I’ve not previously offered it for your entertainment. She is standing on top of an ottoman I had tied down to block the dog door so she wouldn’t wake prince charming on weekend mornings. Something very exciting/alarming was going on outside.

And looking at that picture I realize how much she’s changed since we moved; so much happier, calm(er) and way more confident. She is so much more her goofy self now and that makes me happy.

In non-dog related news, I’ve started talking to house designers, working out who to hire to build the house-to-end-all-houses, otherwise known as my dream house. This has me more or less freaked out, mostly for financial reasons. One large financial component is the necessary septic system which will tricky/impossible on my rocky sloped land and do you think I can get a septic company to call me back? Sheesh. Baby steps will keep me off the ledge. Or the hillside as the case may be. Speaking of hillsides, here’s a video of the property with a brief cameo of someone you’re familiar with.

Now for the update on my living situation because I am here solely for your entertainment: Overall holding steady at “nearly functional.” I am working at getting the trailer ready for winter (with certain full-time RVers’ input). Looking at the list and my current rate of progress, I should be ready by about May. I’m also close to purchasing and setting up solar panels (cost is causing some hesitation) so I have a more reliable (and larger) power source than swapping batteries out and schlepping them to the car parts store to be charged more or less weekly.

For reference and clarification of the following story, the batteries are my only power source. Without it/them, the refrigerator, the lights and the water pump do not work. No showers, no dish washing and a frig full of rotten food. After the sun goes down and without a working battery, functionality plummets.

And that questionable functionality blew up last night. The battery that was currently in use faded out, more or less on schedule, at about 8:30 pm. Out in the dark with a flashlight, I hooked up the allegedly freshly charged battery. My helper and I went back in the trailer, lights were on, and I started to wash the dishes. The lights began to dim almost immediately and I was getting no more than a trickle of rinse water. Another ten minutes and even that little was gone. Battery was completely dead. Finished the dishes by flashlight.

Put my make up on this morning by flashlight – not my best work – and carried the dead batteries to the car parts store (also in the car: the contents of the refrigerator for storage in the office frig for the duration). The service guy tested the battery and it was trashed. No idea why, not that it matters.

Still under warranty so I have a brand spanking new battery in the back of my car. Hopefully, I will remember to bring the food home this evening. I have a stickie note reminder so maybe.

In addition to the battery thing last night, I’m leaving tomorrow for the weekend to attend my niece’s wedding. Further complicating this trip (not counting spending three days with family – always dicey), I have been summoned for jury duty beginning Monday morning at more or less zero dark thirty. I may not have to turn up but won’t know until Sunday but given how things have been going, I’m betting I will have to show. This plethora of unknowns for Monday has completely bollixed my previous plans for Monday as a day off for general post-trip regroup.

I realize, typing this up, that it doesn’t sound like all that much but it has just about done me in. Y’all have been wondering where my breaking point is (as have I) and we may have found it. At this point, my stress level is rather high, mix in a family wedding and I may need bail money. You have been warned.

So that’s our current status/what we did over the summer. More of course as it unfolds.

On an entirely separate note, a while ago I got an email from Snapfish saying that if I didn’t place an order, the pictures they had stored would go away. There are only a few and most of them are in other places but I spent $3 and ordered a couple of prints. They were pictures I’d not seen for a while so I will leave you with these:

I do wish she was smiling in those first two pictures but one can’t have everything. I miss her every day.

Love and hugs to all. I hope you have all had a great summer!

Teri, the Roxinator and Angel Isa