Why Mom Can't Leave Kansas

Ha rooo! It’s me – Stormy! I keep laughing about Dave’s banana post from the other day. That was pretty good. Of course, that prompted all of us in the Ao4 to exchange other fun stories – and I told Dave one of my favorites. He’d never heard it; it was from before he’d joined the family. He laughed so hard over it - he thought I should share it with you today. Not a bad idea! Ha roo roo roo! I’m laughing just thinking about it.

This happened a long time ago - a couple months after Zim got here. He was just starting to learn the house rules, earning more privileges. He was at the “free reign if Mom’s home” stage, provided he’d been well-exercised and was “too tired” to get into mischief. (Mom’s words, not mine. I mean … he’s a Siberian. Define “too tired” and “mischief”!??!)

Mom and Dad left Fort Riley, Kansas the first time in '93, for Dad’s next assignment. One of the farewell gifts Mom received was a pair of "ruby red slippers" (à la"Wizard of Oz"), so that she could "get back home". They were VERY cute -- a highly creative person took some pumps, spray painted them red, and put red sequins all over them. Those shoes went with Mom to Maxwell AFB, Alabama,then on to Korea. In '96, they got the word -- reassignment to Ft. Riley, Kansas! Wow! Mom shot off an email to the friend who had made the shoes -- "The ruby red slippers WORK! We're on our way back to Kansas!" Ha roo roo roo. An intra-state move and retirement from the Army later, and here we all are.

Mom had (note the past tense....) the ruby red slippers displayed on a table on the stair landing with a big bouquet of sunflowers. WELL.... she came out of the shower this one day to find one torn up ruby red slipper in the middle of the living room floor. I had made myself at home in Zim's carrier, Amber was asleep in the breakfast room, and again, Dave hadn’t adopted us yet. …Mr. Innocent himself was snoozing by the living room fireplace acting like he had been there the whole time.

I taught him that – never get caught and always have an innocent look on your face. So how did Mom pin it on Zim? In her words, “You just haven't lived until you reach down to police up your Sibe's pooper and it's glittering with red sequins!!!!” Ha roo roo roo! I should have told him not to swallow the evidence! Ha roo! But it was a sight to behold! Mom and Dad were standing there looking at it, laughing like crazy, while people drove down the street staring at them wondering just what in the world could be so funny about poop!

So now you know why Mom can never leave Kansas! How would she get back? Ha roo roo roo.

But wait - there's more!!!!! Please ….. tune in tomorrow for the rest of the story!!!!!

Tail wags,
Storm