Seeking Alpha Social Club
4 of a Kind
SOOOOOOO GLAD this had a happy ending!!OK part 2
The best part (and the only real reason to post this) is what I discovered when seeking help from any human who would grant me an audience. All the misdirection thrown at us on the Saudi side was thwarted by grit and intelligence gathered from others in our shoes. We beat the odds. Six cats were boarded, we were pushing back from the gate and after 14 hours would be "home."
When the Dulles option became a reality, I sent a few PCF messages pleading for help in Virginia. After that long haul we needed some help to get rolling right away. No pet service available. No checking into hotels with 6 semi feral cats. 25 hour drive to Aspen Park was the only option. Fun!
Almost immediately after sending the SOS, I read replies from @Lil Tuna @FordPickup92 and @Ben0586 . I had met them a few months earlier in social media. All 3 offered help and I really thought we had a shot to pull this off. We needed help loading these guys and pet supplies for a non stop smokey and the bandit run.
We met Ben, Brie, and Matt at Dulles and split to car rental and cargo. We Loaded up a litter box and supplies brought by our saviors. It was a short meeting but we will see each other again soon. I can't thank them enough. Truly great people to know. I'll be in their debt forever.
We pulled away from the airport and discussed how surreal everything had been so far. I thought the hardest part was over...but I never did a road trip with 6 cats that were just a bit unhappy before. We were 30 hours into the trip, just about halfway.
I wasn't prepared for the cat turf battle...
We had to pull over 3 times before even getting to Leesburg to try and chill these terrified kitties. They all wanted the floorboard space next to brake pedal ...and the wife was having none of that. Great, now six angry cats plus wife...things were escalating. The cats were relentless and the alpha took his spot next to my legs. The rest would fight on and off for the next 25 hours trying to get their spot. Wife would remove excess cats from my lap, claws would penetrate. I was the pin cushion. We stopped outside Indianapolis for 1 hour but otherwise kept rolling the whole time. 5 gas stops, 1 food, 1 rest area, 3 cat discipline stops, 1800 miles after a 14 hour flight and complete missed night of sleep. It was a fun 56 hours.
...and I could NOT be happier.
Thanks again for the help in Dulles Ben Brie Matt
Energy drinks FTW
And I'm not one bit surprised by the generosity of @Lil Tuna , @Ben8257 and @FordPickup92. I've know Matt for a few years and have come to know Ben and Brie over the past few months. They are AMAZING peeps!! They would go out of their way to do anything for anybody in need.
I'm just a little surprised that they didn't bring you a shot of fireball to help you with your road trip!!
CONGRATS on getting back!!