Eddie and Bubbles are safely tucked away with some very caring people halfway up Kilauea volcano. I'm still a little stressed over the amount of deceit I used to get them into the pet carrier - let's just say it will be a long time before they jump on the bed again to say "morning!". Only a week ago I got them into the carrier at dinner time so now they know no time is safe for them.After dropping the cats off I head into Hilo Town to get a couple of things I need and then remember I have to go into the office to get my laptop and some documents. This throws the left hand side of my brain into utter confusion of course, so after visiting the office I buy some stuff I don't need and forget to buy what I do need. For instance, what I really needed was some washing powder so I could take some clean clothes with me on the trip.
What actually happened is that I visited the section in Long's that's designed for travelers and spent 10 minutes there deciding which small tooth cleaning package I might take and hey, since they had them, a travel-sized pack of washing powder and a mini-pack of bounce clothes conditioners.
I forgot to buy what I really needed but fortunately I was able to use the travel packs to wash my clothes at home this this evening.
Now it's packing time for the upcoming trip and the one thing I really need is an adapter so I can plug my laptop into a British electrical socket. Not a problem I thought, I have about a dozen of these things around the house. You see, every time I visit the UK, which isn't actually that often, I've had to buy a new adapter. This time I thought it wouldn't be a problem because on the last trip I took two of them and I'd be able to find one at the very least. Yeah, right.
Like socks, the two dozen adapters I've bought over the years have vanished into the aether. One day, if I have to move, I'll clear out this house and find that mysterious shelf which holds an airport-shop's worth of adapter plugs and wonder why I thought I'd never forget I put them there. Finding my socks is another matter of course.
So, a final couple of pictures from my trip to the summit last week. The first is Keck 2 opening up after the sun had set. The night before we could see Maui's coastline off in the distance, but within 24-hours that had changed and only the top of Haleakala was visible. The winds down below were pretty strong as well but fortunately weren't that bad at 14,000 feet.
Then Subaru decided to join in the act. I haven't seen them open the dome for months but they have been doing some heavy engineering over the last few months, so hopefully they're now back in business.
I just hope someone turned the light off on their way out. There is nothing more annoying to an astronomer than stray light and not being able to charge a laptop. And forgetting things.
3 comments:
Having two cats who occasionally need to be taken to the vet in a carrier I understand your dilemma in first tricking/trapping the two of them, and then finally getting them into it.
Tricking them consists of closing the doors to every room in the house to minimize their escape. The more clever escape artist has to be caught first and only then, can the carrier be retrieved because I swear they can hear it being picked up and carried from its hiding place no matter how silently it's done.
Placing their resisting bodies through the door of that carrier is like trying to thread a needle with wet spaghetti. Especially difficult is getting the second one in, without losing the first one. It took me years to finally figure out that gravity can help if the carrier is placed on its end, and the cat sort of dropped into it rather than trying to urge him forward.
Then of course when at the vet, they refuse to come out of it and it has to be tipped upside down to get them to exit.
The way home is a lot easier. They charge back into the carrier after their examination.
Cats are crazy and wonderful beings.
I hope you enjoy your trip.
Wow, Hilary, I can't imagine getting 2 cats in one carrier. I have visions of trying to get the second one in only to have the first escape. Each cat gets his/her own, and I only wrangle two at a time max.
The pathetic noises are heartrending but luckily my cats do eventually forgive me, after disappearing for a while in a huff. I think they feel it is only fair to listen to my heartrending and pathetic "please, sweetie, come on out" calls for a while before they deign to slink out from their hiding places.
Tom, leave the adaptor in your suitcase when you come home and unpack. You won't remember it's there until after you have gone nuts looking for it and shelled out the money for a replacement, but at least you'll get the "oh, there it is" moment when you go to pack :-)
Gah, the adapter thing. You're so right. They are definitely related to socks!
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