Dog Crap in the Leaves, Cat's Cradle and Used Tires

This blogging is hard when you aren’t traveling to a new place every day. Guess that is a way of saying we lead boring lives when not traveling. No, just less bloggable.


For instance, being challenged by a dog that craps in the leaves and then kicks leaves over the crap before you get a chance to pick it up. A real world conundrum that I pursue daily. Or how not to be frustrated with a freshly washed lab that finds it enjoyable to run up muddy ditches ignoring a perfectly clean road that you are running on. And this is just the dog, don’t get me started on my daily marriage obstacles of living together in 300 square feet. A crucible so intense that we often find one of us making up a reason to drive into town for something we really don’t need.

The other day Suzy and I went to the “Cat’s Cradle” to hear Rusty’s band, “Chiller Filler” open for “Los Straightjackets “ and “El vez”. The cradle is a very popular venue in the NC music world and getting a gig there is a special honor. As we stood in line outside on a rainy night a full hour past our bedtimes, we were impressed by all the folks in line that didn’t know a band member but that were just good music fans. I have to admit that I felt a bit special, having our names on “the list” and getting in free due to our future son in law’s rock star status. Ok, I am embellishing a bit, but Rusty is truly a talented and passionate musician and his band is really good. Couldn’t help feeling a bit “hip” in this audience, at least until midnight when we snuck out just as it seemed to be really getting going.

We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Rusty and Meghan tonight. They are picking up the new puppy, David, on their way back from a Phish concert in Charlottsville. I agree, Phish, might be a better name for a dog, but you will have to ask Meg and Rusty why you would name a dog after a person. My own list of dog’s names is more traditional, Corky, Crickett, Rufus, Rowdy, Toby, and Jet. I think Meg and Rusty are going for Barley, David, George, Oliver, Michael and Loretta. Who knows?

An exciting day the other day included getting the tires rotated on the truck. After visiting four establishment truck stores where the wait for doing a 15 minute job was 6 to 8 times the length of the job, I settled on a one garage door used tire garage on a country road. Not that much unlike Marty’s in Burien. Only this proprietor spoke only Spanish so we had fun describing the contracted task and then agreeing on the price. My thoughts of getting the job done cheaper were quickly ambushed by a guy much smarter than me as he feigned not understanding anything about money, but quickly took my twenty dollar bill without offering change. The fox being eaten by the chicken gave me good reason to smile all day.