Ruark Retreat ~ Mariposa

Dakota wearing my brother's hat

One thing I've learned in my adventures, especially when I was living in Alaska, that you can plan on doing something, and mother nature will have other plans. 

I wanted to go away on a snow trip with my dog. Dakota is a snow dog and he loves the snow. So, I mentioned this to my sister-in-law and the idea took off. We found a place, changed locations, found a new place (on AirBnb), and then kind of forgot about our trip. Since it was a three bedroom house, we invited my baby brother and his girlfriend, making it a sibling trip, with my dog. Since I don't spend a lot of time with my baby brother, I was looking forward to all of us being together. 

About a week before the date of the trip, I had a massive realization, it hasn't been snowing. The East Coast was getting slammed with massive storms, but here in Northern California, it hadn't been raining much, much less snowing in higher elevations. 

So my snow trip was not going to happen.

But we choose to still go. My sister-in-law was going to do all the cooking and we were going to bring board games and just all chill together. My niece, who is one of my favorite people on the planet, was going to be there and they were going to bring their dog since their dog sitter fell through. 

He has no legs!

We all arrived and our weekend began. My brother read aloud "A Die Hard Christmas", we all wrote up our personal lists of our Top Ten Villains of All Time. It was raining and so we stayed in the next day, took naps, then they played an epic game of Monopoly for six hours while I read for a bit, watched "What We Do In The Shadows" and then "Spiderman: Homecoming". 

Sunday morning was a bit stressful, since my brother's dog Rue had to be rushed to the vet because her face started swelling and they weren't sure why. Turns out, she was having an allergic reaction to something up there and ended up being just fine, but they had to leave early and my niece stayed with me and my brother and his girlfriend and I finished cleaning up the house and drove home. 

While it was an amazing bonding experience and getaway for my siblings and myself, I debated even writing about this because it wasn't a huge adventure BUT there was an element that will change my adventures in the future.

And that would be Dakota.

It became painfully obvious to me that Dakota does not like traveling. He was anxious and needy the entire weekend (not eating or sleeping much) and kept going to the door not because he wanted to go outside but because he wanted to go home. 

I knew he did that when I take him over to my mother's house and even sometimes my brother's house but I didn't realize he'll be okay for a couple of hours and then he wants to go back home.  I thought it was funny and cute until I put it together that he's very much a homebody and doesn't like long trips away and certainly not overnight trips. 

So this changes how I travel with him. When I leave for a weekend conference, I normally drop him off somewhere but I think I'm going to just hire someone to check on him and let him out, feed him, etc. I'm no longer going to worry about him for a short trip. 

Dakota all snuggled at home

I'm still going to have him stay with someone for my big trips because that's just too long to be by himself with just a kitty for companionship. 

But for me, I have to ask myself: do I even want to take him with me in the future? 

If I ever take out my teardrop trailer....maybe. 

A road trip, yes, he's coming with me....for safety and it's not the same thing as staying put. I think he does okay if we are moving and changing locations. 

But if we do a weekend like this again, no.....I don't think he'd like it and I think he'd prefer to stay home.

Thoughts? I'd love to hear your insights about this.

Enter The Year Of The Scary Age

Carrie Bradshaw from 'Sex And The City' had a scary age. This is the age where you start to feel old and you should have reached your goal of marriage & babies...or maybe just babies. In any case, when you hit your scary age, it should start a panic. They also said in the show that you'd regret not settling down by then. Like you somehow wasted your life.

Her scary age was 38. I thought that sounded like a reasonable scary age, so I chose the same age. I had decided that by the age of 38, I would be fit, be a mother, own my own house, and basically have my stuff together.

Visually, here's what I pictured:

A busy but loving wife & mother

I would look polished & professional

Of course, I'd also be a dedicated teacher

My house would be lovely, clean, & organized

Now, the only thing that I have accomplished on my list was to in regard to my teaching. That's what I have been thinking anyways. Until I really started thinking about my life.

First of all, I made the conscious decision to not purchase a home. Basically, I can't afford to buy a home here. And really the only thing I could afford anywhere in the Bay Area was a fixer-upper. Despite what the trolls in 'Frozen' might sing, a fixer-upper was not what I wanted. I had no desire to keep spending my money investing in my house that may or may not be in a good area.

I found a great little 1 bedroom house locally to rent. It's way bigger than my last house in Alaska, plus, it had a hook up for my very own washing machine & dryer. And since I don't own it, I don't have to worry about the up keep. Sure, the owners may decide to sell it or send me on my way any time they wish but I am a good tenant and they are okay with my giant dog. So hopefully I can stay here a while.

Which is another huge thing. When I came up with my scary age, I never knew that I would own a Giant Alaskan Malamute. I simply can't own fancy furniture. My furnishings are functional and from Ikea. They had to be, my dog sheds a great deal and he's not the most graceful dog around. I love my furniture though....

Plenty of room for a giant dog, cat, & myself!!

What's not pictured here is the cooling mat on the floor that Dakota sleeps on every night. The bed is mostly cat territory.

I have to have things that can be washed.....regularly. Because of moments like these:

He stole the pillows & blanket off the couch

Lola will climb on anything & anywhere!

He's a goof, but who could resist that face?

Another thing that I never foresaw was my traveling. Alaska, Iceland, and even owning my own little teardrop was something I had never planned on doing. I didn't know I was so adventurous. It was never part of my plan. Am I really supposed to be regretting moments like this?

Among the Giant Redwoods with my teardrop, my dog, & my niece!!!

A helicopter tour of the glaciers outside of Anchorage, Alaska with my mom

Staying warm teaching in Akiak, Alaska

The amazing Skógafoss waterfall in Iceland

So, obviously, my 30's have been awesome! I mean, not to brag or anything, but I why would I regret any of this? I'm way happier now than when I was in my 20's actively pursuing my goals of what I thought I needed before I was 38. And I did all this single and plus sized. And bottom line: I'm not ready for marriage or kids...not right now anyways.

But there's that nagging feeling...because there's more that I want to be. I've been lazy lately. My house is cluttered and needs a vacuuming, my eating habits are improving (I've cut out soda) but no where near healthy, I don't dress professionally every day, and if I exert myself too much, I feel like I am going to have a heart attack. Oh yeah, and I've got that Pre-Diabetic diagnosis to deal with. 

So I don't like that.....but it's up to me to change it. I've decided to take these last two years of my 30s and fix things....BUT incorporate where I have been and where I am going. I want to still travel, so I will make that happen. I also want to become healthier. The laziness will have to stop. I live like I am in my 20s....and that needs to stop for health reasons. The day I find the motivation to work on something I hate (exercise & eat right) will be an amazing day indeed. I think it's going to have to be a take it one day at a time sort of thing. I have issues with that.

The last thing that bothered me was how I dress at work. I want to be the kind of teacher who looks dressed up and professional. But let's face it: I get sneezed on, I'm down on the floor working with little ones, and some days I work with paint. It's the same reason my furniture is functional....my wardrobe has to be as well. I have stepped it up though. But I do still wear jeans. If you google images of kindergarten teachers, you won't see a suit. They look lovely and clean. That's good enough for me.

But, never fear, there are still going to be days like this one, just maybe not so many of them:  

Reading in bed....

Yes, I look forward to hitting my scary age in stride. I feel like I have a clean slate. Did I have a family? No. Did I have adventures? Oh my yes. Is this it for me? Oh hell no!

I am going to enjoy these last two years of my 30s....but I have to be honest, 40 doesn't sound that bad anymore!

The Graduate

Furbaby Adventures

Poor Daisy

Before I go into my drive, I thought I would devote a post about traveling with my pets. If you are new to my blog, I have a (small) giant 110 pound Alaskan Malamute named Dakota. I also have two cats named Daisy & Lola. Daisy & Lola traveled with me from California to Alaska. That trip was a flight from Oakland to Anchorage and was uneventful (for the most part). We did get stuck overnight in Bethel, but that ended up not being that big of a deal.

If you are traveling within the state of Alaska, you do NOT need a health certificate for your animals. You do however, need proof that your animals have had their rabies shot. Since I was traveling through the Canadian/United States borders, I was required to have proof of rabies and a health certificate. 

Dakota was current on his rabies, however my cats were not. So a week before I left Akiak, I had to fly my kitties and myself to Bethel for the day. I was meeting up with my friend, Mandii, who was bringing her cat to the vet for the same reason. The vet is only in Bethel once a month for a week. So, you have to jump on his visits if you need something. Even to fly my kitties to Anchorage, they needed their rabies. So this was an important day. 

My kitties were ready. I had Daisy in a hard case carrier and Lola was in a soft carrier. I knew I was going to need to check one of my cats for the trip to Anchorage, and Lola tends to get scared, where Daisy gets mad. I figured it was best to piss off Daisy instead of terrifying Lola. So I would check Daisy and keep Lola with me. But for that day, I just wanted them to get used to their carriers. 

The plane agent couldn't drive through the giant puddle/pond by my house. So he waited for me at the end of the road. 

And here's where it gets horrible. As I was walking to the agents car, carrying my two cats in their carriers, I slipped on a patch of ice in the pond and I dropped Lola in the puddle. Both cats are screaming (Lola more so) and I kinda toss Daisy on the dry ground as I get Lola (who's screaming bloody murder) out of the puddle. Water comes pouring out of the carrier as I lift it out. The water was freezing cold and I am convinced Lola's going to die.

The agent came running over and helped me with the cats. My pants are soaking wet and I feel like the worst cat mommy EVER. I use my hat and my gloves to attempt to dry off Lola. The pilot of the bush plane let me keep Lola on my lap as I attempted to soothe her and keep her from dying (in my mind anyways). I had the idea of putting her in Daisy's carrier with Daisy. Once when Lola was a kitten and they both had to go to the vet in California, Lola had gotten scared and climbed in with Daisy. And when I travel with Daisy, her temperature spikes up because she gets stressed out. I figured Daisy would help keep Lola warm.

And besides, Lola's carrier was soaking wet. I was so focused on Lola that I didn't notice it was still dripping wet...on my lap...soaking my jacket....and pants....and cell phone...which made it totally useless until it dried off.....that night....

Anyways, I was waiting for my friend at the airport (which is pretty much a large room) so I transferred Lola into Daisy's carrier. Daisy was mad but Lola was just sitting there...in shock no doubt. 

Mandii comes with her cat and we get ready to leave to the vet. I grab the carrier to leave. The bottom drops out of the carrier and both my cats fall to the ground. Time seemed to stop for a moment. I was still holding the top to the carrier when I see Daisy run off. I shout, "OH MY GOD!" and drop the top on Lola, hoping to stall her as I go after Daisy. Mandii shouts, "I'll get the other one!" and this sweet family starts to put the carrier back together. 

I manage to corner Daisy and bring her back. The family has put it together for me, so I shove  Daisy in and I can hear Lola screaming by the bathroom. Mandii had her cornered but was waiting for me to get her. I have never seen such a terrified cat. I ended up holding her for a few minutes before putting her back in the carrier. I ended up taping the carrier with packing tape to keep it from falling apart again.

The rest of that day was pretty uneventful. I got their shots and health certificate. But this made me really dread traveling with them on a long road trip. 

Dakota's space

Cats behind a couch

Compared to that day, the trip was fine. I mean, they hated it. I'd have to catch them every morning, and they'd meow in the car for hours to let me know they were pissed. But we kinda got into a routine. 

Dakota had the easiest time traveling. I set up a pet hammock in the back seat. I stashed my mother's and my luggage on the floor and he got the whole back seat to himself. The cats had their carriers in the back. Every day, I'd set up the litter box & their food and we'd settle in for the night. 

Catching the cats...

Dakota and Lola seemed to adjust best to traveling. Daisy would hide every day. I loved the pet friendly rooms in Canada. The bottoms of the beds were blocked off so the cats couldn't hide under the beds, which made them so much easier to catch in the mornings. When they were able to hide under the beds, I just decided to pull the beds apart and flip the mattresses up. The cats had no where to hide. On the last few days, Daisy just seemed to give up hiding. She'd sit there and mew a little.

One morning, one of the cats would not stop complaining. I even stopped the car to make sure nothing was wrong. Then, I decided to put the cats together. They could soothe each other. That worked. For that day. There was a cat fight the next day. Both cats got a bit scratched up. We had two days left in the trip. By that time, I was so done dealing with them. I kept them together. They didn't make as much noise after that, but now I wish I had separated them. You'll see why in a moment.

Dakota sleeping in car

One thing I thought was funny, was every night, Dakota would crash like he spent the day running on the highway. Every time we stopped, I'd walk him but who knew traveling would be so tiring for him? But over all, he had the easiest time on the trip.

Dakota crashed out in hotel room...

So here's the aftermath: 

Dakota ~ is doing great. He loves all the extra attention he gets and everyone in the house adores him. He has a yard to play in and I've been walking him around. He sleeps in the hallway, guarding all of his new humans, but every morning, he jumps into my bed and sleeps with me for a bit. He wakes me up when my niece gets up. He's a happy boy.

Dakota enjoying the grass

Daisy ~ was the first cat (my brother has two boy cats) to adjust to the new living situation. Only in the fact that she started eating before any of the other cats. They all lost some weight before we moved the food & litter boxes around to help them adjust. Daisy hides all day and only comes out for me to pet her. She sleeps next to me every night and has become very needy. She is very vocal about needing my affection and that's new.

That's not a bed Lola!

Lola ~ makes me sad actually. I've had her since she was a tiny 4 week old kitten. Lola stays in the living room and only comes in the room to eat or use the litter box. She won't cuddle with me, but she cuddles with my brother & his wife. She's starting to let me pet her and she lets my niece pet her. She hisses and growls at every other cat (including Daisy). She's only starting to let Dakota approach her, which is more than she'll do for Daisy. For a cat who used to cuddle with me every night and sleep on my legs, it hurts my feelings that she is so mad at me. I am hoping she'll get over it soon. We've had a little progress. She did jump on the bed for five minutes last night. And she laid out by my head when I was reading last night. So maybe she's starting to forgive me a bit. She won't let me pick her up at all. 

I'm not forcing things. Hopefully, my furbabies will be just as happy as Dakota is with the change. Here's hoping!

And for the record: not one person asked to see my documentation for my animals' rabies or health certificate. Not the airline to Anchorage, not at the Canadian border, and not at the U.S. border....fantastic.

Dakota & I

Cuddling my boy on the drive