Mom's stuff arrived in 1 1/2 semis. Mmmm. That was a fun realization. Although she had worked hard to sort through things, it was hard to do it alone, which I totally get. So, much of it just got dumped into boxes and labeled for moving.
After my hour and 45 minute round trip to drop off the boys, the first of 3 trips that would be made to the gas station for the week and a much needed stop for coffee - I stood on the drive and read each label as the 4 college dudes from the moving company transferred Mom’s life from townhouse to truck to our garage. Mom was in transit to the cities, so she wasn't there to weigh in. Trying to figure out what was imperative for her day-to-day life and what could be taken directly to the garage without her there was quite a feat. Furniture that we thought would fit in certain rooms wouldn't and ended up in the garage too.
When we finally saw her white Caliber pull around the bend, the guys were pulling the last items from truck 2. And whose head do we see poking up from the passengers' seat? Her little white cat, Bianca, who was supposed to have gone to live with someone else back in Mankato. Apparently, the housing fell through, as in the woman stopped returning Mom’s calls, and Mom couldn't bring herself to take her to a shelter. I totally get it... I do. And, Hello, #2, you come in a cute little package, but frustrating you are indeed. Now we had to find a place for Bianca. She has, in the past, “marked her territory” in somewhat unpleasant ways, and with 3 other cats in the house, we just couldn't take the risk. Brett and I loaded Bianca into a cat carrier and headed out to a shelter in Golden Valley (about 20 minutes from home) to drop her off before we picked up the boys in Roseville (another 20 minutes or so) to take them for haircuts in Uptown (about 15 minutes door to door) then straight home for dinner.
Best laid plans, right? The shelter was full. Of course it was. But! We were in luck! The Woodbury shelter had an opening, but we couldn’t get an appointment until 6:15 that evening. It was 3:20. Well, I guess Bianca was going to get a little more road tripping in.
We headed off to Roseville, Bianca’s carrier wedged between the two car seats in the back of our Scion xA. A cozy little arrangement, to say the least.
We made sure to park in the temperature controlled ramp under the Uptown Hair District while the boys got their haircuts by Auntie Alyson (Daddy too - Brett and I have been going to Alyson for about 8 years now. She is the absolute best especially with naturally curly hair. She is my hair soul mate.)
Urban decided to keep his hair long, and Beringer just needed a trim, so we walked down the street and got ice cream at Jackson's Coffee and Gelato so Daddy could enjoy a little quiet salon pampering before our hour and fifteen minute rush hour drive from hell to Woodbury. ::insert weak smile here::
BTW: if you get a chance to go to Jackson's the gelato is AMAZING and their kids' cones are only 60¢! They are little tastes that are perfect for not feeling guilty for giving them ice cream before dinner. Urban had the mango gelato and Bering had lemon sorbet. Both were fantastic!
Newly coifed, we loaded all the boys back in the car with our napping fur-covered companion and headed East. The highways were bumper to bumper, so we took to the city streets blazing a trail through Minneapolis and St. Paul before getting back on the highway to finally land where we needed to be. The lady at the shelter let me know that we needed to have all paperwork filled out prior to our appointment, so Brett quizzed me on Bianca’s details as we wove through the Twin Cities. I was impressed that he could still maintain pristine handwriting even over all the potholes.
We also we warned that the appointment could take up to 45 minutes. That sounds like super fun with two kids under 5 and a waiting area the size of my cubicle, so the boys dropped me off with the cat and headed off to Smash Burger for dinner. Everyone loved their meals, and the staff at the Woodbury Smash Burger was amazing. The assistant manager actually picked up a screaming Beringer and held him while Brett paid the bill and then carried him out to the patio so Daddy could carry the food. Very cool people.
The shelter was very nice and explained the battery of tests that Bianca would have to complete before they could make a decision on whether or not they could keep her. They would let me know in approximately 7days.
Note: She passed with flying colors and will now live happily there until someone adopts her. If you are interested in a sweet white cat with eyes two different colors and a hearing impairment click here.
When we got home we got the boys to bed and sat down at the dining room table to relate all of the drama to Mom, who had been home trying to find her toothpaste and create some semblance of order in her life, when Brett called from the kitchen, “Hey! Why are the garbage bags wet?”
Oh, you mean the garbage bags under the sink? Mmm… apparently that is because the seal around the coupling that joins the pipe to the drain on the kitchen sink has disintegrated to a crumbly cookie-looking substance and now all the liquids that we put down said drain just collect directly in the cabinet below. “Should we can a plumber?”
Brett just looked at me. And without blinking shoved a giant Rubbermade container under the leak and shut the door. Welcome home, #3. Welcome home.
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