Today Is The Day!!!

The Mule Chronicles...Preparations Day 2

Preparations day 2 began with a crazy schedule of errands before locking myself in the bedroom to pack. First stop was a quick waxing to remove the Sasquatch like hair that has taken up residency on my back because one simply does not go Mule riding in a disheveled condition. I've had this argument with "The Mother" as she has declared me an idiot for the back waxing commitment to which I respond that it is clearly her fault. "What," she typically exclaims resulting in me pointing out that there is a distinct lack of hair on my head and an over abundance on my back which clearly indicates that she hit me on the head too much as a child causing the redistribution of hair follicles from my head and to my back. This usually results in a scoff from the "The Mother," but sometimes elicits the always entertaining "whatever!"

A quick stop at the camera store results in the new to me battery (don't ask), a new flash, and a new 50mm lens to ensure we have proper photo documentation for the episodes to follow. If you're in need of a good brick and mortar camera shop I can highly recommend the folks over at Camera West in Walnut Creek. They have a nice selection of used gear as well high is nice because holy crap good camera gear has gotten expensive.

I returned home a began the daunting task of packing for two polar opposite trips. The first and, as I'm sure you're aware, The Mule Chronicles 2017 Spring Series. The second a business trip to Baltimore. I'll let you decide which one I'm more excited about...but here's a hint, there ain't no blog called Scotty Goes To Baltimore. In truth, I'm really excited for both and see the potential for a The Mule Chronicles...Scotty and Stuart Go To The National Mall episode. I wonder what the rate is for taking a mule on Southwest.

The packing was completed with minimal fuss, well, other than my screaming match with Kaiser over a missing medication which if I go without will have my shaking more than an epileptic on crack in a strobe light factory...but I digress. I manage to wrestle all 237 bags of gear into the living room and start to asses that my lime green Prius C will likely collapse under the weight of all this gear. I press on through my uncertainty and start immediately recalling everything I've forgotten to pack. Why didn't I make a list you ask? I did...it got packed and I couldn't find it to finish packing. Clearly I've been work with "The Mother" for too long.

"The Wife" arrives home and helps me shoehorn everything into the back of her car because now I'm too tired to mess with my truck and she has concurred that this quantity of stuff will sure make the doors fall off the Prius...I'm pretty sure the Prius piddled a little oil when it saw us loading the other car. We make it the parents' house and start to unload everything when I am pleasantly surprised to find that my gear is once again dwarfed by all the gear we are hauling up for Jay. Oh! Did I mention that the RV is back from the shop and ready to roll? IT IS! IT IS! Oh happy day! My delicate flower self won't have to sleep in a tent and will have all the necessary camping comforts like indoor & outdoor TVs, heating and air conditioning, and fresh warm pie and ice cold ice cream...basically everything a cowboy needs to survive in the wild. Now before you get all crazy about the TVs, please note that they are part of this year's plans. You see I found some of Ty Evans' Mule training videos and have watched them repeatedly in order to improve my chances for success with Stuart. I'm also planning to tie Stuart to the side of the motor home and make him watch the videos so he is clear on the expectations that will lead to his success. I figure this "dual" approach will help cement the key roles in the man, mule relationship.

Needless to say everything that was going to get done got done and I eventually slipped off to sleep and dream about what generations of cowboys have dreamt  about...WARM PIE AND ICE CREAM.

Yeeee haaawww little doggies.