This story is not going to be easy to read, please avert your eyes if you have a soft spot for wild birds.
Please don't consider this a guide to anything. We don't recommend it.
Here we are at "the cabin." (It's not really a cabin, but that's what Andy calls it because its cozy and comfy and on a creek and in the middle of nowhere. It's actually the full-size house that I grew up in and where my parents live all the time so I don't think you can call it a cabin.)
We get up in the morning to find a bird sitting strangely still on the porch - where the crazy puppy has been bouncing around. I send Andy out to investigate. Yup, the bird is stuck AND "someone" has completely ripped off one of its wings. It's gruesome. So, I can remember vaguely the strategy of assembling a stretcher of sorts for wounded animals using a shoe box. I do that, throwing a bunch of leaves and sticks and dirt inside to make it comfortable. With big snow gloves on Andy forces the one-winged bird into the bed we made for it. It makes an effort with it's single wing, but really can't move much at all.
The problem is we don't really know what we're supposed to do next. It's guts are hanging out, but somehow it is still breathing. If we take it to the vet, they're gonna think we're ridiculous (because they won't be able to save it) and that we're 12 (26 year olds don't usually spend a lot of time saving mangled birds). So, we go looking for worms. That's what birds eat, right? We dig a lot of holes before we actually find any worms. My family has a few outdoor cats so naturally we're concerned about where we should leave our little ward while we ponder our next move (I'm really trying to resist calling my mom at work - that's what my sisters and I did back when the parakeet got out and was flying around the house with the cat chasing it). We settle on a flower box outside an upstairs window - that's way too high for any cats to get to it. It's safe in the little hospital we've created but we just don't know what to do next. We need to help end its suffering. Andy asks if we have a bb gun. Um, no.
Then, the unbelievable happens - the bird makes a leap of faith - and finds none. Somehow it used its one wing to get out of the box, out of the flower box and fall to the ground. There's no helping it. We can only hope it hopped its little self under some bushes to hide from the many predators.
We're sorry we aren't better at saving birds.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Hey, its been 2 months and we're still on the road!!
Yeah, that's right - Andy played Saginaw Valley State University - they were so excited they were tearin' up the place!
Did you know the Lincoln Park Zoo is FREE?! And when its cold the giraffes hate it just as much as we do...
Booze WAREHOUSE! We heart Chicago (and they're BYOB liquor policies - WHAAAT?!)love, K & A
Thursday, March 26, 2009
ANNOUNCEMENT! ANNOUNCEMENT!
Guess what, dudes?! K & A have a store on Etsy now! You should go there!!!!
http://KandATravelingCircus.etsy.com
love, kait and andy
Monday, March 23, 2009
Did you know Indiana has wineries?
I KNOW, we didn't either, we went to one and look how surprised we are! There are actually 7 and if you go to all of them you get a commemorative wine glass. (We're not doing that so if you are getting excited about the possibility of really cool souveniers you can forget it...)
We have been having some lovely family time (and lots of ice cream - that's one thing that doesn't last in a cooler so its an extra-special treat).
Here is a bit of wisdom we've gained in the past week...
If you are alone at someone else's house and they have a crazy tiny dog who always tries to run out the door - don't assume that it will be any different when you open the door.
If and when the dog goes bolting toward the busy road where drivers are doing more than 50, assume you will be chasing it for at least 20 minutes.
If you realize that you really should drive the car because who knows how many hours you're going to spend looking for the dog in the sprawling neighborhoods, be ABSOLUTELY certain the back hatch is latched before you peel onto the road (where drivers are doing more than 50) and the hatch flies open, letting many of your belongings spill onto the asphalt.
Finally, once you've had this experience and gained this important wisdom - do NOT let it happen again 2 days later with different dogs.
We have been having some lovely family time (and lots of ice cream - that's one thing that doesn't last in a cooler so its an extra-special treat). Here is a bit of wisdom we've gained in the past week...
If you are alone at someone else's house and they have a crazy tiny dog who always tries to run out the door - don't assume that it will be any different when you open the door.
If and when the dog goes bolting toward the busy road where drivers are doing more than 50, assume you will be chasing it for at least 20 minutes.
If you realize that you really should drive the car because who knows how many hours you're going to spend looking for the dog in the sprawling neighborhoods, be ABSOLUTELY certain the back hatch is latched before you peel onto the road (where drivers are doing more than 50) and the hatch flies open, letting many of your belongings spill onto the asphalt.
Finally, once you've had this experience and gained this important wisdom - do NOT let it happen again 2 days later with different dogs.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Ok, in all seriousness...
Let me tell you about the awesomeness of today, no funny business:
1) Great visit with Kate in Atlanta.
2) She gets us on the road with delicious cups of coffee.
3) Stellar oldies station as we drive north out of Atlanta. (I get to sing along with Paul Simon, Aretha, the Temps, that guy who sings "Brandy)
4) We've heard about a Daylight Savings Time special Arby's is doing TODAY only and get free sandwiches, gasoline and bathrooms all in one stop!
5) First Spanish lesson! We've downloaded "Learning Spanish Like Crazy" - awesome, right? No, no hablo espanol. Si, yo camino todos los dias.
6) New playlist on the mp3 thing so we can sing songs like Hotel Yorba and Jailbreak at the top of our lungs.
7) Only $1.62 for gas!
8) Begin our one-act play created with the basis that all proper nouns are named after road signs we've seen along the way.
9) Russell Stover outlet!!! My absolute favorite brand of chocolate! We saw an outlet store a couple days ago and I was so bummed we didn't stop, so today - we stopped!
1) Great visit with Kate in Atlanta.
2) She gets us on the road with delicious cups of coffee.
3) Stellar oldies station as we drive north out of Atlanta. (I get to sing along with Paul Simon, Aretha, the Temps, that guy who sings "Brandy)
4) We've heard about a Daylight Savings Time special Arby's is doing TODAY only and get free sandwiches, gasoline and bathrooms all in one stop!
5) First Spanish lesson! We've downloaded "Learning Spanish Like Crazy" - awesome, right? No, no hablo espanol. Si, yo camino todos los dias.
6) New playlist on the mp3 thing so we can sing songs like Hotel Yorba and Jailbreak at the top of our lungs.
7) Only $1.62 for gas!
8) Begin our one-act play created with the basis that all proper nouns are named after road signs we've seen along the way.
9) Russell Stover outlet!!! My absolute favorite brand of chocolate! We saw an outlet store a couple days ago and I was so bummed we didn't stop, so today - we stopped!
10) Nashville is in Central timezone so we get to go back an ho
11) We get to see Will!
Things We've Learned...
Things We’ve Learned on our Vacation from Being Homeless…
Imagine that your car starts shaking violently as you drive down the expressway…Pull over and have your travel companions take a look. Sure, it’s great that you’ve been checking the tire pressure along the way, but you also should have been monitoring the SURFACE of the tires as well. If they have become so bald that the metal cord is visible, you need new ones…and you should have noticed a long time ago.
If the nice old gentleman who has been hired to bark for an All-You-Can-Eat-Buffet on Duval Street invites you to take a look at the buffet before you commit to it, by all means, take him up on his offer. If you look at the buffet and your first response is: “wow, this looks disgusting,” you shouldn’t eat there.
When signing up to take a boat ride in search of wild dolphins, the most important issue is not whether or not you will actually get to see dolphins, but rather: will the captain of the ship screech at the top of her lungs (in an attempt to mimic the sound a dolphin makes???) every single time a dolphin breeches the surface?
The buskers who work in Mallory Square are intensely desperate people. They will chase you down and yell at the top of their lungs until you fork over a couple bucks. (They will also yell if you don’t stand close enough to their circle, if you stand too close, if you don’t cheer loud enough or if you cheer at the wrong time…)
If you DO decide to eat at aforementioned buffet (even though it costs $22) and you opt to sit outside because the inside of the restaurant stinks, you’ve made a huge mistake.
Imagine that your car starts shaking violently as you drive down the expressway…Pull over and have your travel companions take a look. Sure, it’s great that you’ve been checking the tire pressure along the way, but you also should have been monitoring the SURFACE of the tires as well. If they have become so bald that the metal cord is visible, you need new ones…and you should have noticed a long time ago.
If the nice old gentleman who has been hired to bark for an All-You-Can-Eat-Buffet on Duval Street invites you to take a look at the buffet before you commit to it, by all means, take him up on his offer. If you look at the buffet and your first response is: “wow, this looks disgusting,” you shouldn’t eat there.
When signing up to take a boat ride in search of wild dolphins, the most important issue is not whether or not you will actually get to see dolphins, but rather: will the captain of the ship screech at the top of her lungs (in an attempt to mimic the sound a dolphin makes???) every single time a dolphin breeches the surface?
The buskers who work in Mallory Square are intensely desperate people. They will chase you down and yell at the top of their lungs until you fork over a couple bucks. (They will also yell if you don’t stand close enough to their circle, if you stand too close, if you don’t cheer loud enough or if you cheer at the wrong time…)
If you DO decide to eat at aforementioned buffet (even though it costs $22) and you opt to sit outside because the inside of the restaurant stinks, you’ve made a huge mistake.
Say you are videotaping the sights and sounds of Mallory Square, not focusing on one particular act or performer. Your friends have all wandered off so you are just a guy-by-yourself-taping. You would expect the crazy busker who really only has 2 tricks to choose YOU to be his volunteer for the entire 20 minute show, right? (That's Andy doing the push-ups.)
Friday, February 27, 2009
Vacation From Being Homeless...
Key West...taking a break from the grueling life on the road. Vacationing with Laura, Ryan, Maggie and Jason!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
So, you've purchased a Car Top Carrier on craigslist!
So, you’ve purchased a car top carrier (CTC) on craigslist! Congratulations, now let’s get started!
1) It will come with a lock already in place but you won’t have the correct key to open it. That’s fine, it opens on 2 other sides. Just make sure you have 2 people present at all times to open it.
2) Attempt to place the CTC on your car roof. It will not fit on the car rack attached to your roof, no problem – you only have 2 days before you go, so you will have to make it work. Have a person climb onto the roof and put all of their body weight on the CTC forcing it between the sides of the rack.
3) Step 2 will have caused the bottom half of the CTC to be disproportionately smaller than the top. You won’t think this is a problem until you are traveling on the expressway and can see all of you belongings peeking out the side.
4) At that time, pull over and secure ANOTHER lock and an old lanyard to each latch. (From now on, you will have to allow 30 minutes each time you need to open the CTC.)
5) Now you have the CTC the way you feel it should be secure. (you will know it is wrong if the carrier bounces up and down on your car once you hit 75 miles per hour)
6) If it is wrong do not panic
7) Pull over and tighten the straps (this will not do anything)
8) Start to panic a little bit
9) Observe the cars that are passing you as you travel 25 miles per hour, out of fear, in the right hand lane.
10) Once you have located a car with the same CTC as you have, follow them.
11) Observe how they have managed to do a better job of securing theirs than you have. This will be tricky. Feel free to follow as close as necessary in order to get a good look. Observation of all sides will be required. Important note: it is essential that you NEVER make eye contact with the driver of the other car (especially if there are children in the back seat).
12) If need be, feel free to follow that car till they reach their next rest stop. At that rest stop ask them how their CTC is so secure. (You will probably need to explain that this is the reason that you have been following them for the last 75 miles.)
13) Adjust to match theirs exactly.
14) As an additional precaution, purchase three ratchet straps and/or rope and run it over the CTC and through the back doors. (Don’t worry if you are unfamiliar with fastening a ratchet. When its sink or swim, you’ll figure it out.) Please see diagram A below.
1) It will come with a lock already in place but you won’t have the correct key to open it. That’s fine, it opens on 2 other sides. Just make sure you have 2 people present at all times to open it.
2) Attempt to place the CTC on your car roof. It will not fit on the car rack attached to your roof, no problem – you only have 2 days before you go, so you will have to make it work. Have a person climb onto the roof and put all of their body weight on the CTC forcing it between the sides of the rack.
3) Step 2 will have caused the bottom half of the CTC to be disproportionately smaller than the top. You won’t think this is a problem until you are traveling on the expressway and can see all of you belongings peeking out the side.
4) At that time, pull over and secure ANOTHER lock and an old lanyard to each latch. (From now on, you will have to allow 30 minutes each time you need to open the CTC.)
5) Now you have the CTC the way you feel it should be secure. (you will know it is wrong if the carrier bounces up and down on your car once you hit 75 miles per hour)
6) If it is wrong do not panic
7) Pull over and tighten the straps (this will not do anything)
8) Start to panic a little bit
9) Observe the cars that are passing you as you travel 25 miles per hour, out of fear, in the right hand lane.
10) Once you have located a car with the same CTC as you have, follow them.
11) Observe how they have managed to do a better job of securing theirs than you have. This will be tricky. Feel free to follow as close as necessary in order to get a good look. Observation of all sides will be required. Important note: it is essential that you NEVER make eye contact with the driver of the other car (especially if there are children in the back seat).
12) If need be, feel free to follow that car till they reach their next rest stop. At that rest stop ask them how their CTC is so secure. (You will probably need to explain that this is the reason that you have been following them for the last 75 miles.)
13) Adjust to match theirs exactly.
14) As an additional precaution, purchase three ratchet straps and/or rope and run it over the CTC and through the back doors. (Don’t worry if you are unfamiliar with fastening a ratchet. When its sink or swim, you’ll figure it out.) Please see diagram A below.
DIAGRAM A:
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Things We've Learned in the Past 5 Days
No one EVER has need for a cartop carrier. If you have so much stuff that you think you need one – get rid of that stuff
Just because 4 other people ran out of gas yesterday, doesn’t make it ok for you to.
When driving between El Paso and San Antonio on I-10 – fill your tank as soon as you see a working gas station – turns out most gas stations along that route don’t actually carry gas.
When waiting for a tow truck to bring you gas, and they tell you that it will be 45 minutes, do not wait to relieve yourself 30 minutes into it. They may be a little early.
Texans use dogs to sniff for drugs and immigrants, Californians check your fruit.
Just because 4 other people ran out of gas yesterday, doesn’t make it ok for you to.
When driving between El Paso and San Antonio on I-10 – fill your tank as soon as you see a working gas station – turns out most gas stations along that route don’t actually carry gas.
When waiting for a tow truck to bring you gas, and they tell you that it will be 45 minutes, do not wait to relieve yourself 30 minutes into it. They may be a little early.
Texans use dogs to sniff for drugs and immigrants, Californians check your fruit.
Grossest Public Bathroom: the restaurant at the Quality Inn, El Paso, TX
Our favorite businesses we’ve seen in Austin:
Homeslice Pizza, Hey Cupcake! (a cupcake trailer), Caffeine Dealer
Before you travel in Texas, make certain you have an Obama bumper sticker and one that reads, “Choice on Earth.” Also, if you have a cardboard sign leftover from a carnival party you threw that reads, “Enjoy Your Journey,” make sure you display it in the window. You will have become accidental hippies.
Homeslice Pizza, Hey Cupcake! (a cupcake trailer), Caffeine Dealer
Before you travel in Texas, make certain you have an Obama bumper sticker and one that reads, “Choice on Earth.” Also, if you have a cardboard sign leftover from a carnival party you threw that reads, “Enjoy Your Journey,” make sure you display it in the window. You will have become accidental hippies.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Things We've Learned in the Past 24 Hours
If you’ve never been able to leave on time – don’t think you magically will change that when it’s REALLY important.
Don’t assume that if some gives you a padlock and a key that they go together – you should test it first.
Steve Coulter is always right.
If every instinct is telling you not to go tonight, you shouldn’t go.
If you are homeless and someone offers for you to stay in their condo until the 14th, don’t leave on the 10th. You are homeless.
DO’S & DON’TS OF BUYING A CAR TOP CARRIER ON CRAIGSLIST:
Don’t
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