Takin' the Blog for a Walk
Join Waukesha resident Brien Lee and his blog, Sir Fido, as they explore the city and report on the interesting things they find.
Email Brien at howlinblog@yahoo.com.
I need a dog?
The cat probably thought he was going to the vet.
I often used to take the dog along in the car for company, and he loved it. I wasn't about to open the window so Pepé could stick his head out sniffing the air, but thought he could handle a short trip to Illinois with me Thursday morning.
Wrong. He meowed the whole way there. He was all over the steering wheel when we were careening down the freeway at 65 mph. He would have jumped up on the dashboard or down by my feet if I let him.
I don't know if he was mad at me for not letting him take the wheel or if it was squeezed it out of him in the struggle to take control, but I soon noticed an odor not unlike cat urine. Was he marking territory as a reminder to never return to this place? Of course, my sweatshirt and pants were wet . . . and it wasn't anything I spilled.
We arrived at the truck stop just south of the border in Russell about 6:00 a.m.. I'm one of many who hop the Illinois line to avoid the heavy WI tobacco taxes. Cigarettes are about $20.00 per carton cheaper in Illinois. Unfortunately, even though the truck stop is open 24 hours, no one told me they didn't sell cartons until after 8:00 and I had work to get to.
Crossing Russell Road to a Citgo station found they had smokes, sold them 'round the clock, and were also far cheaper than WI.
I wasn't fond of buying them somewhere I wasn't familiar with, but the greeting I received was friendly and I wouldn't be late for work. Before I could buy them, though, a woman walked through the door looking for help. She had a bad car tire that needed changing. I gladly helped the motorist in distress, I had the time, but had to apologize for the litter box smell to my clothes. It looked like she was from Oregon. Hopefully I left a good impression on her about helpful people in the Midwest. She was kind enough to offer me a large coffee for the long trip home, and I accepted.
Pepé was quiet for the return trip and must have gotten driving the car out of his system. I kinda got yelled at for taking him, and in hindsight it probably was too dangerous. I don't know if I'm ready for another dog just yet. It's hard to afford anything extra right now. Maybe in a while.
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