Sunday, September 28, 2008
One Shitty Weekend
This weekend has turned out to be a complete bust. I should have just stayed in bed, under the covers, watching mindless t.v. than dare attempt to interact with anyone, anywhere.
Saturday I was supposed to go to the DMV and get my address updated on my license and voter registration. From that point I was to go to a wildlife rescue that I signed up for last weekend. Well, early Saturday morning, the power went out and was out for about 7 hours. Not only did I not have the slightest idea what time it was, I was about ready to boil alive from the humidity. I slept in small doses and fits, tossing and turning, terribly uncomfortable. Finally, after deciding that we would never have power again, ever, for all eternity, it came back on. I turned on the t.v. It was 11 o’clock.
Crap.
So I hurried to get ready but now needed to skip the DMV to get to the rescue place in time to make a difference before it closed. Now, this rescue place wants you to focus on a specific animal. Granted, all animals need to be fed and cared for but they want you to pick a certain animal to watch, interact with and get to know so that you can assist in notating any changes in the animal’s behavior, diet, appearance, that sort of thing. Since I have loved wolves from the time I knew what a wolf was, I chose the two wolves. I know a bit about wolves, certainly not an expert, but enough to know that I am not going to be able to waltz on in there and start scritching them behind the ears.
I decided to stop at the grocery store to pick up some disgusting beef and chicken livers and chicken hearts. The quickest way to a wolf’s heart is through their stomach, I surmised. So, I got those items, as well as some strange looks from the checker and bagger ladies, (what? it’s food!), and headed on my way to the rescue. On and on I drove. (It’s not that close to me.) Drove, drove, drove, drove, drove, drove....and at last arrived.
I walk in and meet a volunteer. I ask her if the owners are there. One is, she says, the other is not. I ask her where the one who is there, is and she replies, simply, “I don’t know.” I looked at her for about 5 seconds waiting for more information or more talk but received none.
I said, “Ok. Um, well, I’m Serenity and I’m volunteering here now, today is my first day. I am supposed to be working with the wolves but am here to help with anything you all need. Oh and here, I brought some food for the wolves so that we can get to know each other”, I said, shaking my bag of wolf goodies in her face.
Volunteer: “Oh. Ok.”
Me: “........”
Volunteer: “.......”
Me: “........”
Volunteer: “........”
Me: “Ok! So, I guess I’ll start with that! If you or the owner need me, I’ll be down there, getting acquainted. Just let me know when you need me to help with something.”
Volunteer: “Ok.”
Yah.
So, off I went to the wolves. They saw me coming, bag in hand and practically lept towards the fence. I called them by name, shook the bag at them and said, “Doggies! I have some kibbles for you!”
One of the wolves is “friendly” towards people and eventually, apparently, I’m supposed to walk her on a leash. A wolf. On a leash. Walking. On a leash. A wolf. A wild animal. This won’t end badly.
The other wolf is extremely shy and no one can get close to him so that’s what I’m there for. I’m to work on gaining their trust so that I can give them their meds when needed and be able to move them around when the enclosure needs to be groomed. This is going to be a long process, hence why I started with the goods.
Within 10 seconds, other volunteers approached with some of their friends in tow to check out a lion cub in the pen next door. This poor little cub has some issues and needs help. Unfortunately, I got the distinct impression that these volunteers were here to show off to their friends their vast world knowledge about animals, (which wasn’t anything you and I don’t already know if you spend one day watching Animal Planet), and doing their best to ignore me. And this means that they looked at me, with that look that says, “I’m better than you because I work with animals. You wish you could, too.”
Um, yah. I work with animals dumbass. Not only am I starting here but I do it every fucking day in my job. Twits. They had to enter a gate between the wolves and the cub to get to the cub and despite the fact that I’m there with the wolves, with food for them, trying to get their undivided attention so that we may start the bonding process, these assholes decided to call the friendly one over so they could give her a cheek rub. All the while looking at me in that superior way.
Snots.
Then they entered the cub’s little den area and stood around him while one of them blabbered on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on oh GOD make her STOP! This was extremely distracting to the wolves and myself. Look, wolves are skittish creatures to begin with. They don’t respond well to a whole lot of chatter and noise. I’m not going to make any headway as long as someone is around, blabbering on in a loud voice. It’s not going to work. I need peace and quiet and while I understand that the cub needs help, it would have made sense if they were actually helping the cub with anything and not just standing around it, blabbering. Incessantly.
After awhile I was so disgusted, I went back up to the front. I spoke to the first volunteer girl again to ask where I might wash my hands. She pointed in some vague direction over her shoulder and said, “the feed place is that way”. I fucking hate it when people do that. I get this in the stores all the time. “Excuse me, will you please tell me where I might find this item?” I always get some lazy ass mother fucker who wants to point randomly in the air and say, “They’re that way.” That does not fucking help me because a LOT OF THINGS are “that” way. Dipshit. Lead me to it, you pustil filled moron!
I eventually found a bathroom and washed my hands. I then asked if the owner was back yet. “I don’t know.” Jesus F. Christ, girl, what the hell DO you know?
So I went back to the wolves. Finally the team of show offs started to leave the lion cub. More looks in my direction, those smarmy, stuck up looks, and then they walked off. No one bothered to introduce themselves. Didn’t ask me why I was there, who was I, what was I doing, did I need help, what did you feed the wolves, etc. Nothing. Wow. This is how you take care of animals? How do you know I’m not here to sabotage your work? Maybe I’m poisoning the wolves. Did you think of that when you walked by me so arrogantly? Hmmmmmm? McFLEA!?
I got about 10 minutes alone with the wolves and began talking to them and then I talked to the little lion cub for a minute or so as well. Here comes the first volunteer girl again. Fuck.
I waited and she went up to the gate, petted the one friendly wolf again, basically other than a smile and a look, said nothing to me and again, my bonding with the wolves was interrupted. Look, I’m so very fucking thrilled that you all know the wolves but if you could be kind enough to either BACK the fuck off when I’m trying to know them and they me or, here’s an idea, HELP ME OUT here, I would appreciate it.
Again I asked if the boss was around and again I got, “I don’t know.”
At that point I had had it. This was not going to be a day to do shit around here because either no one knew jack fucking shit and didn’t even try to find anything out OR, they wanted to march around, snotty like, and ignore me. Yah, fuck this. I can get this at home.
So I left. By that time it was too late for the DMV. That was ok, I’ll do it next week, I thought. Besides, I need to get back because a neighbor is having a charity gathering tomorrow and tonight we are starting the celebration.
So I get home. Neighbor still at work. I unwind, get myself close to ready and wait.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Ok. Well, so much for that. There’s always tomorrow.
And that brings us to today. Sunday. We were supposed to go to the charity event, big gathering, lots of fun. Actually, I was supposed to be picked up to go. I did some things while waiting until I realized, “hmmm...seems to be getting a little late to be going.” I went by the neighbors house...car is gone.
Oh how lovely! I have been forgotten. This sort of thing has happened to me before and I cannot even begin to tell you how awesome that feels. You should try it one time. It feels fantastic. I guess my donation money is good enough but my presence is not. This will not be forgotten.
So I decided to go to McDs for the first time in a very long time.
Kids. You have limited choices. You get a hamburger, a hamburger with cheese or you get some chicken. It’s not that hard. So, please explain to me why I sat in that fucking line for 20 minutes while some douche bag bitch talked and talked and talked and talked and talked and talked and talked and talked and talked and talked about her order. WHY is this so difficult for people? WHY????????? I fail to understand. Is this your first fucking time to McDonald’s? Really? Get your stupid burger and MOVE.
Finally I got to the food window and because they always fuck it up, I asked, “This is Diet Coke, right?” (Not because I’m on a diet, I just like the taste better.) I was assured it was diet.
Stupid me. I should have held up the line to taste it because, of course, it was NOT Diet coke. The fries were soggy, the cheeseburger was cold and all around the whole experience sucked ass.
So, now I’m home, where I should have been this entire fucking time instead of out there, wasting gas, money and dealing with idiots. Of course, now we have thunder and lightning as well as rain so who the hell knows if this will even post.
At this rate, nothing is surprising me anymore.
