My Trip Across The Country: May 4-9, 2009: DAY #2

Okay, so I am back to tell you about my big trip all the way across the country from Connecticut to California!

May 5th: We are very happy to leave the Motel 6 in Columbus, Ohio. It is the dirtiest one we ever stay in! I do not hide under the covers for a change. It does not smell nice.

I will think twice
When a bed does not smell nice
Because it might have lice
I much prefer mice
(But they are not usually in bed.)

Today I try to sleep as much as possible. It is very difficult in a moving vehicle. Sometimes we go over bumps, other times we slow down and Chevy Truck changes his purr. This wakes me up.

One thing which REALLY bothers me is the sound of the turn-signal. Do not ask me why, I do not know! I always meow when it comes on.

I think it bothers People #1 too, because he often talks about how loud it is.

People #2 thinks it is GOOD that the turn-signal is loud, because then you never leave it on accidentally. He hates it when people drive down the road doing that.

He calls this a "Pet Peeve". Watch your language, sport!

When People #1 starts getting tired, he turns on something called "Talk Radio". This is Peoples talking out of something in the dashboard of Chevy Truck. It is as noisy as Idiot Box in the corporate apartment but there are no moving pictures to go with it. How boring!

Yap-yap-yap, all the way through Ohio.

Okay, we are leaving Ohio. Will you please turn the radio off?


It is so considerate of Ohio to let us know that we are leaving. Some states do not even say goodbye.

I meow again about the radio but People #1 says, "Not yet".

Now we are in Indiana.



Finally I get used to the noise and go back to sleep, on the console in-between the seats. It is a nice perch when I am awake too.

The best perch, however, is the dashboard. My Peoples are always amazed that I like it up there. Chevy Truck has a nice, wide place for me to sit.

After a while we come up to a big city, with tall things sticking up out of the ground like in Hartford.

Its name is Indianapolis.



A couple hours later (are we in Illinois?) I see a HUGE thing coming up! What is it?



The afternoon wears on. Suddenly we are over water. People #2 says that it is called Mississippi, and it is a VERY big river.



Then we are in another state, which means another picture of a sign. I do not quite understand what the big deal is. This piece of dirt looks very much like the last one. At least at first.



Just north of St. Louis, both my Peoples get excited. They see a big place at the side of the road where they sell Airstreams. My Peoples buy their first Airstream from this company in 1998, from a different location. They often talk about visiting the new store, but I am glad they never do. I like my Airstream #2, thank you very much!



Here is another river. This one's name is Missouri.



All these new names to remember!

We get across the state and arrive in Kansas City. We go to the Kansas side and finally stop for the night, in nearby Merriam. This is where we stay for three weeks before going to Hartford. We leave Airstream here while we are in Connecticut.

We are so glad to see Airstream again! Back to familiar surroundings. (No more Motel 6's!)


If you look closely you can see People #1 getting us ready to leave the next morning.

To be continued: Day #3!

I have a LOT to say on Wednesday!!

I take a short break from telling you about our cross-country trip last Spring, so I can talk about NOW.

It is Wednesday and many cats are wordless. Why? I always have a lot to say, especially on Wednesdays!

For example:

Airstream is now parked in Tempe, Arizona. People #2's work takes us to many different places.

It is late November and the kitties in cyberspace talk about being cold. Well, I am NOT cold here.

People #2 says we are in the desert. Isn't this a special treat after dinner? I need to tell him that he is saying it wrong.

I like to jump into People #2's lap while he sits in front of the computer. Well, truth be told I do not actually JUMP up -- this would be far too undignified -- but I stretch my front paws up onto his legs to let him know that a visitation is imminent.

People #2 reaches down with both hands and pulls me up, supporting me near the back legs. He makes sure not to squeeze me, because I tend to screech bloody murder if I am squeezed.

(Another secret: I am a big cat who looks really tough but actually I have a very high meow.)

I sit on his lap and enjoy having my head scratched for a minute. But then it is time for treats! Stop the scratching and get busy with the vittles already!

Then People #1, who sits right next to People #2 with his computer, brings out a pencil and lays it on the counter. Now it is time to play with that.

I reach out an exploratory paw and push the pencil. Sometimes I grab it with my teeth. Whatever I do, the end result is the same: PENCIL ON FLOOR.

Objective achieved. Now what?

I am bored, and jump off People #2's lap.

I go back to sleep on the couch. Here's a shot of me here in Tempe.



See the thing named "Mobile Home" through Airstream's window? The Peoples that live in it have been fixing their porch. They finally stop hammering on it a couple days ago. Thank you.

Now let me tell you about our neighbors behind us. This will excite me for a minute.

People #2 tells me that Airstream is at an "RV Park". It looks just like all the other ones with this name. Other boxes -- not as pretty as Airstream -- are parked nearby.

RV Park has a brick wall separating it from what Peoples call Trailer Park on the other side. That place is not as nice as RV Park.

They have the same last name. Are they in the same family?

Here is a picture of Airstream where she sits now.



Behind her are the Peoples who live right behind us in Trailer Park. They have a dog.

A small, yappy dog who never shuts up!

You do not believe me? Here is the video to prove it:



Every time my Peoples open Airstream's windows, I have to listen to this dog. But then it gets hot and the Peoples close the windows and turn on the air conditioning. I do not hear the dog any more, hooray!

It makes me miss our dog Ringo, who never barks unless you ask him to.

Ringo going away is another story. I save up all these stories since January.

You are in for a TREAT. Speaking of....is it lap time again?

Well, I use a lot of words on Wednesday. I hope you are okay with that.

My Trip Across The Country: May 4-9, 2009: DAY #1

Just when I think I cannot hide under the bedcovers at the corporate apartment in Hartford another day, we leave.

I am MORE than ready to go home to The Woods. I need to be outside! I can hardly remember what this is like. I am not allowed outdoors for six weeks now.

I do not meow (too much) when People #2 puts me on the passenger seat of the truck. I know that I will get home....eventually.

People #2 takes videos of the scenery flashing by. Especially when we come to places with different names. He likes to photograph the welcome signs on something called "States". I do not know what the big deal is -- you see one sign, you see them all.

Watching the scenery makes me dizzy sometimes. But it is not so bad when I sit up on the dashboard looking back, towards People #2. He usually says something nice to me, like what a cool and brave traveler I am.

Here are some still shots from THE VIDEO.

Yes, my fellow Pawpers, if I cannot be famous in Hollywood maybe I can be famous here, on The Kitty Blogs!

I milk this for all it is worth, and then some. I may spread these freeze-frames over a few days. So it is like you are with me the whole way across the country!

HERE WE GO!

On the morning of May 4th, we leave the corporate apartment and drive down Big Noisy Road. Here we see downtown Hartford, where People #2 recently works.



I sleep. It starts to rain as we cross the border into a place called New York State. There goes People #2 with his video camera again.



I ask, "Are we home yet?"



Ringo says, "No, Rupert. Try to be patient like ME!"




People #2 sees a truck pass by and he starts to laugh. He whips out his video camera and takes movies of it. What's so funny about this truck anyhow?



Later he nearly misses the Pennsylvania sign, which flashes by in a blur. (Wait til you see the video! (which I post after I show you all the pictures).



Many hours pass. When the sun is low in the sky, we cross over into Ohio.



In Ohio, all the trucks suddenly slow down. They usually stay in the right lane. People #1 says that the speed limit is slower for trucks, but they go a bit faster than the sign says. It is just the wrong speed for People #1 to manuever around them!

A couple hours later, we finally stop for the night at a Motel 6 just north of Columbus.

The room smells bad. Then my Peoples are very upset when they find bedbugs! They tell me not to say anything about the sheets in this blog except that they are NOT clean.

End of Day #1. Come back tomorrow for the next installment!

Spring Road Trip Continued

Now I tell you about our time in Hartford.

We are there in late April. Two things happen that scare a lot of Peoples. I see this on something they call "Idiot Box" which is in the corporate apartment we stay in for two weeks.

My Peoples do not think I understand Idiot Box but I actually do. Please keep my secret!

We do not stay in Airstream (where there is no Idiot Box) in Hartford, because there is no convenient place to park her. People #1 says that the Northeast is not "RV-friendly", whatever that means.

So we stay in another corporate apartment. Back to the strange noises coming from the walls and ceiling!

I like the carpet and I like sitting on top of the couch. I dig my claws into it when my Peoples leave. Shhh, please do not tell!

My Peoples spend a lot of time sitting in front of Idiot Box, watching the images flicker on the screen and listening to the blare of Peoples voices. I sit on the back of the couch and pretend to ignore it. Just like I do with the dog.

Idiot Box is like a computer on steroids. Very noisy and obnoxious.

Anyway, the first scary news is this thing called Swine Flu. In April the story just gets bigger and bigger. I am very sensitive to Peoples' tone of voice, and the ones inside Idiot Box sound more and more scared as the days go by.

It is almost as though they LIKE being scared. Are they bored too?

I wish they call it "Piggy Flu", which reminds me of the story I hear about these pigs in their houses made of straw, wood and brick.

The other scary news is more local to Hartford. Suddenly Peoples find dead microbes in the water supply! They are little animals in the water which die and leave their skeletons behind. However they are supposed to NOT be harmful to Peoples.

I am offended that they say nothing about if it is harmful to cats. What are we, chopped liver? (mmm...that makes me hungry!)

So why do the Peoples in the Idiot Box scare everybody?

I do not like bad news so I hide under the covers a lot, just like in L.A. in the video. I do not have pictures of the bed in Hartford because a lump is a lump is a lump. If you see one you see them all.

The water scare lasts for a week. Finally the microbes go away. Bye-bye dead skeletons!

Finally we leave. I actually do not hate going back inside the truck so much this time. It means something new to see somewhere down the road! But of course I pretend to be upset. I have an image to maintain, you know.

People #2 puts me in the truck. Then People #1 brings out the dog. As Ringo jumps in the back seat, I look at him with just the slightest hint of contempt. Just to keep up appearances.




The view of the parking lot through the open door makes me curious but not enough to jump out. But a fellow can dream.




My People close the doors and we are moving! I am on People #2's lap and put my front paws on the windowsill. I am kind of glad to see Hartford in the rear-view mirror.



What's next? Our trip all the way back across the country, home to The Woods!

CAT - (ching) UP!!

Hello Peoples!

This year goes by VERY fast.

I'm a bad kitty. You can probably guess why. It's because I do not post since January!

I try to remember all the places I go. It is very confusing. I am truly a Cat on The Road.

I start with where I leave off, or maybe just before. Try to stay awake as I recap the year, Peoples!

JANUARY
The Beach is nice in early January. No snow. But I can't go outside of this little shiny box. People #1 & #2 call it "Airstream". What a stupid name! Rupert is a good name for a cat.

Then we go home to The Woods for a little while. It snows there. But at least I can go outside.

Then I am put in the car AGAIN and we drive to Hollywood. I do NOT become famous. I am devastatingly disappointed. How's that for a dramatic Hollywood phrase? See, I am very talented. Oh well, it's THEIR loss!

We stay in a huge corporate apartment. (I must admit I do like carpet!) I get a little more exercise waddling from room to room. I hide under the covers of the gigantic bed, as you see in the video from previous post.

I'll let you in on a little secret. I hide under the covers of these corporate apartments mostly because I do not like the strange noises coming out of the ceiling and the walls. I cannot identify them, so they scare me.

When I am not scared I am bored.

FEBRUARY
We go back to The Woods. More snow. I like being outdoors even when it's cold. Much better than being warm and a Kitty-Potato indoors!






But sometimes it is nice to be warm indoors. (Yes, I can change my mind!) It is warmer this winter inside Airstream. The winter before it is cold in the Music Room, attached to the barn.

People #1 hides under blankets sort of like I do. But it's pretty warm on top of the stove too.



In this picture we still have that darn dog. But he is gone now. I must tell you about that later.


MARCH
Still in The Woods, hooray. The white stuff goes away and the grass comes. I LOVE EATING GRASS.



Just when I start to think that we stop traveling, we leave again!

I hide under the bed but People #1 drags me out. Then he takes me out of Airstream. I know what's coming next!



Yes folks, you guessed it! They put me in the truck. OH NO! I know what this means. Long days of movement, roaring whooshing noise from the truck and sitting in People #2's lap. No food, water or litter box when I want it. Just a lot of bouncing around and harsh sunlight.

Sometimes we stop, and People #2 carries me into Airstream. (What a stupid name!) and I fill up or get rid of. Or both. 'Nuff said 'bout that!

Oh did I mention that Rupert is a good name for a cat?

We drive and drive and drive and drive!

Two days after we leave The Woods (I think it's March 29th), we are somewhere in the middle of Nebraska. People #1 & #2 decide to stop at a McDonald's for lunch.

Yum, I like meat! But they're mean and don't give me any. In fact, they don't even let me go inside Airstream. They make me stay in the truck. SO WHAT if I just ate a few hours earlier? I might want a nibble!

We pull into the McDonald's parking lot. People #1 has to go inside Airstream. Then People #2 takes videos of People #1 coming out of Airstream. He says it's "artful". I don't THINK so!

Here are a series of still shots from the video. It's like a little story:

People #1 is locking Airstream's door. I SEE HIM!

He's coming!

I watch intently as he comes closer...

Why is he sticking his finger in my face? I'll go ahead and sniff it, very nonchalantly of course.

Okay, I admit that I'm a sucker for a kiss!

Where are you GOING? Don't walk away!

They leave me for a few minutes. They come back with a white bag which smells like chicken. They are rude and don't share. Okay, I'll go back to sleep!

A few hours later we stop overnight. Still in Nebraska I think. It is an endless piece of real estate.

The next afternoon we are finally in Missouri, only a couple hours from our destination which is called "Kansas City". Sometimes I like to ride on the dashboard to get a better view.



I always try to look handsome in my pictures but you can sort of tell that I'm OVER this whole thing.

This is enough cat-(ch) up for now.

I promise not to wait ten months to post again. I have more interesting travel pictures to share!

Traveling Cat

MEOWS to all my feline friends, and many thanks for your good wishes after my surgery last month!

I am now fully recovered and wait for my fur to grow back. People #1 says that the "asymmetrical look" is back in fashion but I am not so sure. I think I look a little strange.

It's one of those things where you have to see me "in cat" in order to appreciate. This picture doesn't do it justice, but People #2 insists on documenting it here.



Since last month I am one busy cat. I sure travel a lot! I go from the beach to the valley and then back home to the mountains. I stay in the trailer all that time and it is home.

People #2 puts my food bowl on a ledge in the trailer shower so the dog doesn't help himself to my precious snacks.



But now I am in a corporate apartment in LA-LA land.

I am confused.

I do not like corporate apartments. They are big, unfamiliar spaces. They smell funny. There are strange noises in the walls and the ceilings.

I am bored with the sound of the idiot box. We don't have one at home.

But my People have it on almost all the time, so I think that they are bored, too.

My favorite thing to do in corporate apartments is hide under the bedcovers. People #2 is amazed that I can breathe under there. No problem, dude. I can stay there for hours on end.

Sometimes I come out and lounge on the smaller sofa in the livingroom while my People sit on the larger one. We all watch the idiot box and marvel at all the commercials about fitness, training machines, weight loss programs and even reduction surgery that are so popular here in Southern California. It is a very strange place.

The dog is here too. We have minimal contact. I pretty much ignore him, except when he gets too close to my face. Then I either I reach out with my claws or we touch noses. I like being unpredictable!




I hear my People talking about going home on Monday. I look forward to being able to go outside. It has been a long winter indoors!

Waiting for Christmas Dinner!

I get back from the V-E-T several ounces thinner from all the fur that THEY shave off me, and I thank the Cat Goddess that THEY finally take that darn tube out of my neck.

Merry Christmas! The only present I get this year is something THEY take away. Whatever -- it's a blessing in any case. I'm feeling so much better now!

Twice a day, People #1 keeps sticking another tube into the corner of my mouth. At least it doesn't stay there long. It spits out this nasty tasting stuff, but I take it like the mancat that I am.

Except the few times that I manage to spit it out. Ha ha ha!

I'm training my People to give me treats as soon as that tube is out of my mouth.

Now I'm sitting here waiting for my special Christmas dinner. A word starting with an "h" might freeze over first.



People #2 picks me up and puts me on another part of the couch while HE eats off that plate. Oh well.

I'm a little bit annoyed but at least he pets me all the time while he's eating, and I purr in contentment, despite my best efforts to remain aloof.

Happy-happy, All!