Sometimes its gets so busy around the Inn that something can be forgotten. Yesterday was no exception. After I left the Inn, I saw RJ and Mike by the woodpile. Mike had backed his Ford workhorse of a truck onto the yard in front of the “little” house. Something was awry. The wood was stacked on the racks, but the guys were just standing around.

     “Hi,” I called out.

     “Hey,” Deb, come over here,” RJ hollered back.

     Mike laughed and dropped out of sight behind the truck bed.

     “Let me put this in the house, and I’ll be right out, okay?”

     He nodded. Mike popped his head over the truck bed and dropped out of sight again. I opened the kitchen door and put my bags on the counter.  Closing the door behind me, I slipped on my gloves and gingerly crossed the field of ice to Mike’s car.

     Mike chuckled, “You’ve heard of the “Gutless Wonder?  This is it!”

     “What’s happening?” I questioned.

     RJ chimed in, “The tires are on this sheet of ice, so we are going nowhere.”

     “This truck is so light. It was fine with the wood back there, but now the tires are just spinin’.”

     “What if I stand in the bed? Do you think that would help?”

     “Sure,” RJ said. “Just be careful.”

     I crawled into the bed, ducking under the metal bars that encompassed the truck bed. Holding onto the gram, I stood over the tire that was nestled in the wheel well and destined to spin helplessly over the pool of ice.

     The driver’s door creaked painfully, as Mike pulled the door ajar and slipped into the driver’s seat. The Ford roared to life as he pushed in the clutch and stepped on the gas. Releasing the clutch, the rear wheels began to spin out of control spewing ice chips in its wake. The Ford rocked back as Mike pushed in the clutch, then lunged forward as the clutch was carefully let out. The rear wheels continued to spin gaining no purchase.

     “Wait!” RJ hollered.  He put a large tarp under the rear tires. “Okay!”

     Mike let out the clutch… and the tarp whipped under the tire and shot out the back, leaving the tarp behind the truck totally useless!

     RJ laughed as Mike stuck he head out the truck’s window.  Grabbing a plank, RJ stuffed the wood under the rear wheel.  “Try that,” he called to Mike.

     Nothing. The truck doesn’t have enough weight in back to move.

     “Deb, do you want to drive?” RJ asked.

     “Sure,” I replied.

     Mike opened the door and I grabbed the wheel, pulling myself into the seat of the cab. The steering wheel is huge as is the stick.

     “Try second gear,” RJ directed.

     I slipped into second gear and gave it some gas, as Mike and RJ push from behind. The rocking, pushing, and rolling went on the quite a while, until the guys were able to push the truck close enough to the driveway, so RJ could get the Tahoe and pull the ol’ Ford off the ice and onto the asphalt.  By now, it was getting dark. We had lost our light and it was too late to pick up another cord of wood. It would have to keep until tomorrow.

     “Mike, do you want to have dinner with us?”

     “No thanks. I have some friends coming over to visit and play cards.”

     “Maybe next time?” I asked.

     “Yea, next time sounds good,” he replied.

     RJ and I said goodbye to Mike and collected the trash to be taken to the street. I dumped the cat litter into a trash bag and brought it outside. RJ and I take the trash barrel and the recycling bins up to the street for tomorrow trash pickup.

     It was getting late, so we decided to call it a night and read in bed for awhile before turning in.  Sleep came easy after RJ stacked all that wood and pushed Mike’s truck off the ice. I was just tired from working at the Inn.

     I woke up to Bentley needing to go outside. I let him and Cooper out. As I walked into the dark dining room, I slipped on something. I turned the light on to see that Cooper had upchucked his entire dinner on the Oriental carpet. Great! So there I am at some ungodly hour, scooping up dog puke. I have some carpet cleaner, so with my rag and cleaner, there I am spraying and wiping “yuck” off the carpet. I let the dogs in and they, of course, go immediately to their beds, which take up large blocks of floor space.

     I yawned and made a stop at the bathroom before returning to bed. May as well take care of business while I’m up. I may get to sleep through the rest of the night.  I’m noted for not turning on lights. My bathroom carpet was partially curled up. I leaned over and straightened it out, took a step, and kicked something with one foot and stepped on something with the other. Hmmmm…. Time for lights. Oh my God!  Sam, my Maine Coon Cat, decided my bathroom carpet was a great place to poop! Awe… This is not what a signed up for in the middle of the night! Then it struck me. I never refilled Sam’s litter. So after cleaning up the bathroom, I went back to the kennel and filled his litter box. I can’t believe it. Sam even used the bathtub. That’s enough for one night. I’m going back to bed. See you in the AM.