Two weeks from today, I fly away to my new life in Costa Rica!!
Muy bueno!
Downright Magnifico!
Today I put Chari into her soft-sided travel carrier for the first time
I put her harness on her, hooked it inside the carrier on a short leash, and carried her around the back yard for ten minutes.
She was a little nervous at first, issuing soft meows.
But by the end of the ten minutes, I had the top of the carrier open with her head sticking out, and she stayed put. She stopped meowing and more or less accepted and enjoyed the ride. She is used to having me carry her around the back yard in my arms, so I thought it would be the best place to acclimate her to being carried inside a carrier.
As soon as I finished that “trial run”, I opened the front of the carrier right there in the back yard and let her come out. Then I released her from the harness and leash.
She didn’t scurry away
She wasn’t traumatized by the event. She stayed, raised her tail, rubbed my legs and told me, in essence, that she felt just fine about what had just happened.
I will do this every day for several days and then will start taking her on short trips around the neighborhood in my vehicle (while I still have it) so she gets used to traveling that way inside the carrier.
By the time our flight day arrives, I expect she will be accustomed to the routine
I will still get a tranquilizer ordered so I can tranquilize her if need be, but my hope is that she will be able to fly without essentially knocking her out.
Her mobile vet arrives Sunday to do the exam, give the combo shot and insert the microchip
I will have to befuddle Charli a little bit that day by not allowing her outside until after the vet leaves.
I will keep her in my bedroom with the door closed so she can’t disappear on me all day long, as she has a habit of doing some days.
I will do this the day we fly, too. Can’t risk her being AWOL that day, either!
This afternoon my desktop programs and files get totally transferred to my laptop by Lisa and get my flu shot, since Safeway has them now. (They don’t want to start scheduling them until September but they are making exceptions for people who will be flying soon. YAY!)
I will also enjoy a final farewell dinner at Yen Ching with Bohemia Isis Smith.
Tomorrow I will stop by Cathy’s and Derreck’s again for selfies and final hugs.
I Want to Make the Final Two Weeks as tranquilo as humanly possible
I told Jackie we need to finalize our written agreement and get it notarized as soon as early next week.
I don’t want to be scrambling at all the last week to tie up any loose ends. I want the final days to be open, free and serene so Lisa and I can just hang out together and veg — except for the vehicle sale the day before I fly away.
I want the trash to be taken to the dump and our agreement notarized no later than Friday of next week. (If the trash can’t go before I do, I’m not gonna stress over that issue.)
Lisa Can’t Accompany Me to the Departure Gate
Lisa won’t be allowed to sit with me at the departure gate until I leave; airport security forbids it. That’s a bummer.
We’ll have to part ways at the curb or just before I go through the TSA screening protocol. After that, Charli and I will be on our own while we wait three hours for the flight to take off. This means that Lisa will probably in rush hour traffic going home. That’s a bummer, too. We wanted to avoid that, too! Alas, airport security says NO GO, so she can’t go beyond the screening area. Dammit!
I had to go back in to the health center to pee in a cup again. The lab didn’t run the sample I gave them last week to check for a UTI. (That’s twice in a row that has happened.) This morning I made sure my favorite nurse (Becca!) came and acknowledged receipt of the specimen so she can personally carry it through to a successful outcome. The lab tech wasn’t in when I was there to hand the sample to…
Guess that’s it for now.
(That’s enough/plenty, ain’t it?!)
Goodness gracious sakes alive!