Returning to Plan A

My plan for the first couple of weeks after closing the food truck was to rest, relax, and nap. Read a book and meditate. All of this before starting up my long list of things I want to accomplish this winter. But it hasn’t worked out that way, and now I have discovered why. Thank you, LuLu kitty, for the insight.

Every day, I have been going at full steam. For example, in one day I drove to Lugo, bought paint and painted all the doors in the house. Hung the heavy velvet curtains in front of the front door to eliminate drafts. I have tried to order a new front door but it will take a year to get, and then even more time to schedule a workman to install it. So the old Victorian method of draft dodging seems to be footing the bill. Then, I organized my book shelves and started on my office filing. Jeff was tired just watching me.

‘I thought you were going to relax.’ he observed.

‘I have a ton of energy. Why not put it to good use?’

He shook his head and went back into his office.

The next day was the same. And then, the next. Our house is spic and span and completely organized. And the yard looks pristine, complete with my new composting bin scheme on the back of the barn. This flurry of activity makes Jeff nervous because when I finish my list I will begin working on his list – meaning the list I have created for him to do. I can’t do his stuff. Those are his super powers.

One of the things on my list has been getting LuLu kitty vaccinated and spayed. There are far too many tomcats running around here and we need a litter of kittens like a hole in our heads. If this happened I am not sure how we would distribute them. Everyone in the neighborhood is having litters of kittens themselves. They don’t need more feral cats. And me being me, I would not abandon them, and would be taking all of them to the vet for shots and to trying to get them fixed, too. But there is a problem.

In the US, they will spay or neuter your cats when they are 8 weeks old. To avoid the cat producing more cats. And, also, because female kittens will go into season as early 4 months old. A kitten having kittens is not good for the kitten or the litter of kittens. So I took LuLu to the vet and learned that it’s not so easy to get your cat vaxed or spayed in Spain, as it is in the US.

First, they won’t spay her before she is 6 months old. Then they insisted before giving her one vaccine she must be dewormed. So they gave her the dewormer and told me to come back in a month to start her vaccines. So, I brought LuLu back to the vet, right on schedule. They asked what they had given her for a dewormer (shouldn’t they know that?) and since they did the kind that is on the skin, they were able to give her the first set of vaccines. Great! But they will not schedule to spay her until I have given her another dose of a pill dewormer one month later. And only after this will they give her the second set of the vaccines one week after that. What?! All this, while we try to keep her in the house.

‘It’s very important that she stay inside during this time. She could get pregnant.’

Well, duh! This is what I am trying to avoid. Work with me here! But no. And keeping LuLu inside has proved challenging. Luckily, it has been raining cats and dogs (excuse the pun) and she hates the rain. Or, at least water on her paws. She was born during one of the worst droughts in Galician history. She’s more of a California cat, now. Well, still a kitten. So we have to try to entertain her to keep her from climbing the walls. Sometimes, Jeff takes her out to the barn to let her run around. And then, we found out why its been so crazy.

Before opening the food truck, Jeff and I had a routine. He would make me a coffee each morning. During which he would take his medicine. When I opened the food truck I started making my own small cafes con leche. One each morning. It was three days before he realized he hadn’t taken his medicine. Such was his well entrenched routine. And now that the food truck is closed up and put away for the season, Jeff is back to making me my coffee. But, now, rather than the little cups of coffee, he makes me American-sized coffees in our old American coffee cups. 20 oz. cups.

I didn’t realized that the gas in my tank had gone from 1 to 100 octane. I just knew that while taking a morning shower I felt compelled to clean the entire shower and tub, as well as myself. Then organize all the shampoos and shower gels. Efficiency has been my off-season middle name. So much so that Jeff started to notice.

‘Did you clean the bathroom?’ he asked emerging from the upstairs. ‘I thought you were just taking a shower.’

‘I was. Can’t I do both things at the same time?’

Again, he just shook his head and went back into his office.

I was painting the kitchen door when I reached for my big American coffee. The brown brew was a bit cold, but no matter. When I noticed that LuLu had her head buried in the top. Drinking to her heart’s content. I shooed her away, then dumped it out. A bit later, Jeff emerged from his office holding the cat.

‘Can you do something with her? She out of control today. It’s like she’s on speed, or something. Look at her eyes.’ They were crazy Starbucks eyes with dilated pupils.

I looked up at him from the kitchen floor, surrounded by pots and pans. I was organizing the kitchen cupboards.

‘What are you doing?’

‘I’m organizing the pans by size.’

He frowned. ‘I thought you were making lunch.’

‘I am.’ I said, pointing to the sauce bubbling on the stove. ‘Can’t I do both?’

He stood there staring at me with crack addict LuLu, who was trying to get out of his arms so she could wreak more havoc in the kitchen.

‘Whatever. Just, please, keep her from coming in the office. I have calls and even when I shut the door she plays with the door. She’s learned to get it open. If she gets in it’s mayhem.’

I agreed I would. Shutting the kitchen door to keep her inside. He was right. LuLu was out of control. She was jumping and climbing into the cupboards I was trying organize. Finally, after lunch we both crashed. Jeff came out of his office at 6pm, I was just stretching on the chaise in the living room. LuLu was sitting on the end table drinking cold coffee out of the cup from before I fell asleep. Jeff snagged her and took the cup into the kitchen.

‘Well, that explains A LOT.’ He said, upon his return.

‘What explains a lot?’ I asked, yawning after crashing.

‘You and the cat are both drinking that coffee. She’s climbing the walls. You’re cleaning and painting the walls. I’m tired just watching you guys.’

And that’s how I found out I am drinking waaay too much American coffee, and so is LuLu. This week she gets dewormed again, and next week she gets her final vaccinations so she can get her European Pet Passport. Then, we can schedule her surgery, and finally, she can go outside and play. Caffeine-free. As for me, it’s time for a caffeine detox and to return to my previous plan for rest and relaxation. But, I must say, the house and the yard looks amazing.