I’ve been living the mailman’s creed lately: neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail will keep me from my destination.
The Pacific Northwest has been hit with a pretty big snow system over the last week or two (feels like years at this point). In my neck of the woods, we had more than a foot of snow. In other places where I’ve lived (like Vermont), that much snow isn’t out of the ordinary. Around here, they just aren’t set up to handle this much of the white stuff.
To make a long rant about snow short, it’s been an adventure driving to work for the last week. I had to actually buy chains and figure out how to put them on my tires (and earned myself the title “Queen of Chains” for putting them on two friends’ cars, too). Some days, the drive was scary. Some days, the drive was frustrating. I spun out on the ice twice in one day — not fun!
But simply not going to work has not been an option for me.
I talked about it with a few of my coworkers. The bottom line is that at the cats-only boarding facility, there are lives depending on us getting there. Living creatures left in our care. Some of them just need food, water, and love. Others need medication to keep them stable while fighting chronic health issues like diabetes, heart disease, and thyroid disease.
My friends have argued that a part time job isn’t worth risking my life. And if there weren’t living creatures involved, I would tend to agree. But these cats need us.
This certainly has been a year of cat-centric adventures, capped off with the Great Snow Explosion of 2008. But it’s been a rewarding year, too. I’ve gotten to know and love a bunch of tiny little furry lives with amazing personalities. As far as part time jobs go, this has been one of the best I’ve ever had.