The toilet paper game...

Probably not what you are thinking.

Years ago, Smoke the cat (our first kitty) liked to put her paw under the door when you were in the bathroom.  Joan decided to play with that paw - she put a length of toilet paper under the door, and Smoke immediately grabbed it.  It became a "family game."

Neither Molly nor Izzy was interested in that game.  Joan thought Rufus might be up for it.

Yep.

Not to get into too much detail, but the bathroom in our Winnebago is compact - when you are sitting on the toilet, you can reach the door.  While taking care of business this morning, my toe was close to the door... a paw whipped under the door and whacked me on the toe.  Made me laugh.

One of Rufus's favorite playthings is a long length of ribbon that Steph gave us - we swing it around and he will chase that until he tuckers out.  Joan handed me in the ribbon.  Rufus immediately grabbed the end I pushed towards the door, resulting in a fun tug-of-war.  When it was time for me to ... um... finish up the paperwork, I let Rufus pull the ribbon away.  I could hear him running in the aisle with it.

A few moments later... he pushed a bit of ribbon under the door for me to grab.  Smart boy, and he likes to play.

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On edit: he likes the bathroom...

He still likes to check himself out.  Hey, he's a good-looking boy!

SOLD!

That was quick.  Maybe I should have asked for more $$.  ;-)  Two people were interested, the first guy took it.  That opens up one more spot on the wall when we get home.

The RainSong was my first carbon fiber guitar and it helped get me hooked on them.  The Emeralds sealed the deal.

I was hoping to sell the guitar locally so I wouldn't have to fuss with shipping, but this gentleman offered to pay for the shipping - I just had to get it to the FedEx office.

I thought it might feel bad to sell one off... nope.  I still have more than I can play.  I kinda like that.

:-)

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A trip to FedEx to get the guitar out...

Supper with Steph and Dan, then back to the coach.  Rufus got to go for a walk - well, more of a "carry"... and then some time on the patio...

Guitar for sale...

What?  You're selling one instead of buying another??

Yep.  I listed it on the Acoustic Guitar Forum - it is my RainSong Shorty, the first carbon fiber guitar in my small collection.  It is a very nice guitar, but it doesn't get much play time since I discovered the Emerald line.  No problem with the Shorty, the Emeralds simply fit me better.

The Shorty I have is a Limited Edition - one of only 26 made that have the enhanced sound hole rosette and the cool sharks inlaid on the neck as fret markers...

All glossy finish, with a unidirectional carbon fiber top, hybrid carbon fiber/glass fiber back and sides for a warmer, richer sound...

The only place I listed it is in the Classified Ads in the AGF.  I specified it is for sale for the next week or so, while we're in Arizona.  I don't want to get caught shipping/returning for perspective buyers while we're on the road.  At $1,200, it is a good deal.  One of the participants on the forum called it "the deal of the day."

We'll see.  It isn't a "must sell" situation.

We got a call from Steph this morning: Torrie (the eldest of their cats) is having a "situation" again.  Dan took the day off from work so he could take her to the vet.  When he got back, he called and asked if we'd give him a hand with her medication.  She is feisty for an old gal.  When we got there, Dan held her while I gave her the oral liquid.  There was some growling and snarling... and Torrie was a bit pissy, too.  ;-)  Mostly kidding - she did snap at Dan, and she wasn't happy that Grandpa was forcing something on her, but she did fine.  When we were done, she let me pet her and didn't seem to hold a grudge.

Rufus has a vet visit scheduled today, also.  Joan takes care of the "back end," and thought she may have seen something in his stool.  TMI?  Then you really don't want to hear about "saving" his big ol' cat shit.  He did fine with his first visit to the vet, but he was happy to see everybody at that time and be out of that cage - it was our first day with him.

Update will be coming.

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And, the update: the vet didn't find any parasite in Rufus's poop, but gave us the choice to send it off for further examination.  Just in case, she gave us (not literally "gave") us a broad-spectrum topical prescription (one application is all it takes) to put on him at home.  She looked him over thoroughly and said he is a healthy cat.  He has gained just over a pound since we got him... and suggested he could probably be fine with a bit less food.

She took the bag o' poop in back to examine it.  That bag is in the top photo - yeah, the large bag on top of the carrier.  When she came back, I had to ask... (insert Joan cringe here) "Did you notice that he... umm... that his... ummm... well, it seems to me that he craps BIG."

She laughed and said, "One of the techs back there asked if that was dog poop.  'No, it is cat poop.'  'That's huge!'  Yeah, it is quite large."

I knew it!  When Joan first scooped it, she said, "Oh my God - this is huge!"

I chuckled when she called me to look (you know you've been married a long time)... I said, "Did you get a pony you didn't tell me about?"

OK, now Rufus said, "TMI - enough!"

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An update to the update:

The vet told us the stool sample would go out to the lab around 5:00 this afternoon.  For the first time ever, Rufus decided to take a crap in the daylight... 4:00 to be exact.  I called the vet while Joan examined the... umm... "sample"... and asked if the poop sample we brought in had gone out yet.  The receptionist checked and said, "Not yet, do you have a fresh poop?"

"Hot out of the oven!  I'll be there in 10 minutes."

When I got to the vet, she had a plastic bag waiting... "Yeah, even though this is only a small part of it, you're going to need a bigger bag."  ;-)

She said, "I'll take it in back and let the techs deal with it."

"That's what I'd do."

I stopped at Steph and Dan's on the way home, to check on their little furry girl.  She seems to be doing OK.

Then, back home.  Joan was working on sewing a kick toy in the shape of a fish for Rufus...

He loves it!  Joan put a little pouch in it that holds catnip.  I think the boy is stoned...

Beware of dog...

Nothing to do with Rufus being outside.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.  Another fine day for being out and about on the scoots.  Today, heading southeast instead of northwest.  Out for lunch, then decided to take a lap around the PIR.  Well, not a lap around the racetrack, but cruising a loop by there.  And, not PIR any longer, the new name is ISM.  It's still the same racetrack, but now with a $1million payment by Ingenuity Sun Media.  Along with the name change, there is a 10 year, $100million plan for updating the facility.  Ingenuity Sun Media will be providing the high tech video screens at the facility.

What does all that have to do with a dog, you ask?  Hey, I'm getting there.  On the way down Avondale Blvd., we drove by a house with that sign on the gate.  In the yard was a woman being followed by... 3 chihuahuas.  Like little duckings, following behind.  I guess you had to "beware not to step on them"??

A great day for a ride...

We stopped to top of fuel on the way home.  Gas was up another 4¢ per gallon side we gassed up the CR-V on Saturday.  Yes, almost 8¢ additional - when will it end??  For those keeping track: Joan got 107 miles per gallon, I got 101.  It makes me smile.
 Rufus was happy to see us when we got home.  OK, truth be told, he's happy to see us all the time.  :-)  The feeling is mutual.

I have been thinking about some time on the water; getting itchy feet, I guess.  I have been telling Rufus about his other home - he is anxious to see it.

Just when you thought it was safe...

Rufus has been skittish about going outside - not sure why.  He walked like a champ the first few times we gave it a shot, even doing a bit of a real walk... not the "I carry him about 20 yards, then we walk back" stuff.

So, for the last few days, I have been sitting outside with him so he can get used to the noises and movement.  The last two days have been an Open House and airshow at Luke Air Force Base (a few miles northeast of this park), which means there has been more than the typical aircraft noise.

Yesterday, right after I took him out, something big flew over, low and loud.  He was not a fan.  So, I was more cautious when I took him outside today... it was very quiet out there.  Well, until our second round of walking, when the large dog (one of two) in the 5th wheel behind us noticed Rufus.  Yep, some seriously loud and ferocious barking.  That dog was leashed, so he wasn't a threat, but Rufus didn't know that.  He wanted inside real bad.  Joan came outside to sit with us, so he was OK with that for a while.  Then, a scary puff of wind... and he attached himself to the screen door like one of those Garfield window stickers.

Fortunately, Winnebago makes a solid screen door.  We had to lift his paws to "unhook" him from the screen.

It may have been something he learned yesterday, when I left the slider that covers the latch open on the screen door... we were outside, and he jumped through that small opening like a circus tiger through a hoop!  The boy is athletic.

We have been giving him indoor exercise, with the ribbon chase and rope attack - he seems to enjoy that a lot.

Happy St. Paddy's Day...

Half English, half Irish.  My Mother used to say, "No wonder you argue with yourself."  Not sure what she meant by that.  ;-)

Here's a few "facts" about this day...

Corned beef and cabbage, a traditional Saint Patrick’s Day staple, doesn’t have anything to do with the grain corn. Instead, it’s a nod to the large grains of salt that were historically used to cure meats, which were also known as “corns.”

There are no female leprechauns.  Don’t be fooled by any holiday decorations showing lady leprechauns. In traditional Irish folk tales, there are no female leprechauns, only nattily attired little guys.

All of the Saint Patrick’s Day revelry around the globe is great news for brewers. A 2012 estimate pegged the total amount spent on beer for Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations at $245 million. And that’s before tips to pubs’ bartenders.

In Irish lore, Saint Patrick gets credit for driving all the snakes out of Ireland. Modern scientists suggest that the job might not have been too hard – according to the fossil record, Ireland has never been home to any snakes. Through the Ice Age, Ireland was too cold to host any reptiles, and the surrounding seas have staved off serpentine invaders ever since. Modern scholars think the “snakes” Saint Patrick drove away were likely metaphorical.

New York City’s Saint Patrick’s Day Parade is one of the world’s largest parades. Since 1762, 250,000 marchers have traipsed up Fifth Avenue on foot – the parade still doesn’t allow floats, cars, or other modern trappings.
 Although he made his mark by introducing Christianity to Ireland in the year 432, Patrick wasn’t Irish himself. He was born to Roman parents in Scotland or Wales in the late fourth century.

Saint Patrick was British.  Although he made his mark by introducing Christianity to Ireland in the year 432, Patrick wasn’t Irish himself. He was born to Roman parents in Scotland or Wales in the late fourth century.

The color of St. Patrick's day was originally blue.  Wearing green has become a staple of St. Patrick’s Day, but the holiday was originally associated with the color blue. It’s thought that the shift to green happened because of Ireland’s nickname “The Emerald Isle,” the green in the Irish flag and the shamrock, or clover. Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn as early as the 17th century.

1962 marked the first time Chicago dyed their river green for St Patrick’s Day.

There are 34.7 million U.S. residents with Irish ancestry. This number is more than seven times the population of Ireland itself.

Not as bad...

... as last week.  Talking about Bingo.  Oh, we still didn't win any of the pots, but... we were close on several of them.  Hmmm... maybe that is actually worse than last week, where we weren't even close.

Family fun night.  Plans for this get made at the highest level: between Joan and Steph.  We don't play bingo other than when we're here.  Dan told me that last time they played (besides last week) was when we were here last year.

There are some "regulars" here, who buy multiples of the 20 or so game packages.  They have scads of daubers.  I think some may be wearing their lucky bingo underwear.  I may have to check into some of those.

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day.  I am half Irish.  Joan will be making corned beef and cabbage.  She and Dan will eat that; Steph and I will be eating spaghetti... or hot dogs... or anything other than corned beef and cabbage.  Pretty sure we won't be playing bingo, either.

;-)