Friday night adventure....

OK - back to the story.

I got back from my day out with my mom and niece (we went to Velvet Ice Cream) about 1:30pm.

mmm - ice cream

I emailed Crystal to tell her I was taking a brief nap. We had just about everything nailed down but the health certificates and I told her I had called the vet that helped with Swizzle and they would get me in Saturday am if we needed it. I laid down and tried to get my brain to wind down. About the time it happened, the neighbor let her weenie dogs out onto their patio - under my bedroom window. They are barkers.... so much for a nap. I sent one final email: call me when you get a chance, I am leaving now.

I stopped for snacks and was on the road:

yes, it IS hot here...

I was stocked and ready. Soda - check. Snacks - check (chips, chocolate, nuts - all the necessary food groups). Map - check. Crystal's phone number - oops - hope that doesn't end up being a problem.

I had a couple of books on CD and my regular music stash. The first book was almost done and when it ended I switched to music for a while. Daughtry is one of my favs - good to drive too. I also put in Feels Like Today by Rascal Flatts. When I hit the title track Feels Like Today I had to wipe away tears (you have to go read the lyrics - powerful stuff):

I woke up this morning

With this feeling inside me, that I can’t explain

Like a weight that I’ve carried, been carried away, away

But I know something is coming

I don’t know what it is

But I know it’s amazing, can save me my time is coming

I’ll find my way out

Of this longest drought

The trip was pretty smooth. There was some traffic in Cincinnati - of course it would have been better had I not gotten there right around rush hour (good planning mom). And the bridge - I am not talking about that. I HATE bridges.... at least there was only one on this trip.

Crystall called when she got a break from kennel work. It was great to hear her voice. We chatted for a while and she said she would call when they left so I had her cell number (since writing while I drive isn't a good thing). We went over times and she reminded me I was in a different time zone to just REALLY confuse me.

Remember that comment about the map???  Well, turns out that 71S and 75S split somewhere south of Cincinnati. I missed it. No idea how.... I kept going south and ran into 64W like I was supposed to. Only as I drove I kept seeing signs saying so many miles to Louisville. Wait - wasn't that where I was supposed to get ON 64W??? Crap.....  I finally stopped for gas and took a better look. Yep - I took the long route. Think of a triangle - instead of taking the the angle, I went straight down and straight over. I called Crystal and left a message "Don't leave yet - I am a directional dork and took the long way around".

I love the midwest - some people find it too flat and boring. But there are hills and landscapes. And besides - check this out:

We met in Mt. Vernon around 10pm. It was like meeting a long lost friend....We talked. The kittens got transferred to my car. We went over more information. I didn't want to leave, but we had to head back.

The trip home wasn't as bad as I was afraid it was going to be. I made it until about 1:30am and stopped for a nap. About a dozen cars lined up at a rest area. I parked between two trucks to hide and took a power nap. Then back on the road.

Jasper and Soapy got chatty about 3am. We talked for a while and they went back to sleep.

The last 20 minutes of the trip were the WORST. I was so tired and yet so close to home. I managed to get home about 6am, set the boys up in the bathroom and fall into bed - remembering to set the alarm for 8:30am so I could be back on the road to get Leo.

Jasper in his new harness and his mini-me

I stopped to get a travel carrier - got the small Sherpa bag. I didn't get it out of the box until I got home. And it was REALLY small. So on the way to the airport to meet Cathy and her husband, we stopped at our 2nd Petsmart of the day and bought the medium sized one. Much better.....

(before the sherpa bag)

I got a text later from Cathy that they had made it through security - relatively unscathed.....Jasper (the bigger kitten) was a little freaked out but we had anticipated that. I had a collar on Soapy and a harness on Jasper with leashes just in case. And I had trimmed their nails that morning.

And the boys were off to California.....

Me? I transported Leo, met Chiclet's new parents to finalize her adoption, went to the adoption event at CHA where Josephine was adopted (among many others) and fell back into bed at 8:30pm. For those of you doing the math, that is over 36 hours with about 2 hours of sleep. To make up for it, I slept until 9am on Sunday....  :)  And for once the fuzzy crew let me get away with it (helped along by a snack at 5am).

Would I do it again? Absolutely! OK - not tomorrow, but I would do it again. People will think I am nuts, but I knew I had to do this. I have said here before that for me it is about helping THAT animal in THAT moment. And right now I could help get these guys to their home. And I could help another rescuer who needed a helping hand and some renewed faith.

Oh - and the scheme I mentioned a week ago? If this hadn't worked out, I was going to ask for help and fly myself out to CA with these kittens.....told you - I HAD to make this work.  :)