“My level of patience depends on how much coffee I’ve had.”

Today was mostly a read day. 
I found a detective series set in Tennessee and went through what books the library had. 
It’s not good. 
The detective makes fun of how we talk, how we look, how we live.
He’s from New York, and I’m fairly sure the author is too. 
Still, it’s fun reading about places I recognize. 
Today they even mentioned my town-though they probably meant the highway with the same name about fifteen miles away. 
We’re not on any map.

Badger has kept to her room today.

I finally poked myself in gear and got Badger and Cowboy an optometrist appointment. 
I hate talking on the phone! 
Cowboy insists he doesn't need one, but he drives like a drunken sailor these days. 
He can't keep it between the lines. 
He's downright scary. 
I think he's afraid of what they'll see. 
He's been lying about his cataracts for a good ten years now. 
They also have wanted him to go to bifocals, and he refuses, says they'd mess up when he welds.

I chased down a new dentist today. 
I spent nearly 50 minutes on the phone with our insurance, and I wish that were an exaggeration. 
I even managed to start a new blog and add some coding before they finally got back to me. 
They aren’t taking new patients until the fall. 
It’s not ideal, but at least they accept this insurance, which no one else seems to do.

The rest of the evening was spent curled up, alone, with my books. 
Well, with my tablet. 
My books are on the tablet now.

Tomorrow is town day. 
Once we’re back and Cowboy is off to work, I’ll need to get the house ready for the littles. 
Friday is the last day of their spring break, and I can almost guarantee the other parent will send them down early. 
She’s already given up on the one‑week‑on, one‑week‑off routine between Eins and Zwei

Badger says it feels like preparing for an invasion, while Cowboy insists we’re just crazy. 
But if the cat tree isn’t wrapped, they climb it. If the kitchen stool isn’t taken out, they spin on it. Leave anything unlocked, and they prowl through it -scissors, knives, poison, medication. 
They waste soap and toilet paper, so those have to be hidden. 
Even the cats and dogs must be locked away, with too much risk of them slipping outside. 
And the littles? 
Rough and loud.

It's not as simple as opening our door and saying welcome.