Report: Zippy Pants Weekend, 2007, No. 1

First, a few highlights A. and I encountered prior to ever setting our feet in the creek:

• Two changes of oil in my car.
• One fucking asshole swerving on the highway to hit animals on purpose.
• One malfunctioning pickup truck.
• One deadbolt lock neither A. or I were aware of.
• One attempt to set the cabin on fire.
• One attempt to flood the cabin.
• One giant spider.

But! BUT! This really was one of the most wonderful weekends I've ever had. And it was my first trip to the family friend's cabin.

Leaving town on Friday afternoon got off to a rocky start when the mechanic put the wrong oil in my car, hence the second oil change.

Then, about midway to Worland to meet A., I got behind a goddam shithead that thought it brilliant to swerve all across the highway in an attempt to run over the prairie dogs and grounds squirrels that tried to cross. First, I was utterly shocked. Then, disgusted. Then, I was angry. I was bolted from anger to sorrow when I saw him hit half of a prairie dog. OMG!!! I started to cry. (Shut up, as Black Sheeped would say.) Then I swung back into full-blown anger. Needless to say, the minute I got within cellphone range, I called the bastard in to the highway patrol. I found a kindred spirit in the enraged dispatch officer. I felt my anger was vindicated, a little bit. And I am sooooo tempted to post his license plate number for all to see... Bastard.

However, once I arrived in Worland, A. had a sweet, romantic evening planned. It was so lovely. A. is awesome.

I love this man.

Mmmmm.

So it seemed the weekend had turned around. When we took off Saturday morning for the cabin, all seemed well. Until the truck nearly didn't make it up the first hill. And every subsequent hill on our way through the Big Horn Mountains.

Hmmm.

Any worry that I had that we would be stranded was pushed from my mind when we pulled up to the cabin. It was nestled in-between Lodgewood Pines and surrounded by loads of blooming wildflowers. A. and I bounded up the steps to the front door. Then. He quizzically looked at the door, perplexed by the BRAND NEW DEADBOLT that had appeared. That he does not have a key for.

Hmmm.

So, I tried to think like a criminal and break into the back door. The deadbolt hadn't been locked, but the chain lock had. I found an old piece of wire and fashioned a little hook. I could get a hold of the chain, but just couldn't jiggle it loose. I am a shitty burglar.

A.'s stepdad asked us to pick up a ladder from another cabin in the area while we were up there. So, we decided to swing by and pick up the ladder, hit a stream or two, and head back to Worland.

The couple that had the ladder knew where the spare keys were!! Woo hoo!!

The electricity and water lines were both shut off in the cabin. I got cranky at the idea of using a spider-infested outhouse all weekend. So, A. turned on the electricity, including the switch to the crawl space so he could see to turn on the water lines.

Um, did you know that if you turn on an empty water heater you can burn out the element and potentially burn your house down? Me neither. But now both A. and I know that!

A. opened the water lines, and I ran around the cabin closing off all the faucets that had been left open. But after I'd closed them all off, I still heard water running and it sounded like it was running inside the wall.

Hmmm.

I ran into one of the bedrooms and flung open the closet doors to discover 1) that, indeed, there was a washer and dryer at the cabin; and 2) water pouring out of the hot and cold water hook ups that WERE NOT HOOKED UP TO ANYTHING.

So, after we got ALL of the faucets shut off and I mopped up the bedroom, we gathered our things and went to a nearby creek. To fly fish.

Because, despite all evidence to the contrary, this was not a straight jacket weekend, it was a zippy pants weekend!!

The fishing was awesome. This is only my third summer fly fishing, but I fell back into it much more gracefully than I did last summer. But, I did lose a ridiculous amount of A.'s flies.

After catching (and yes, releasing) loads and loads of Brook Trout (including 10 from one pool!! That's right, I rock!), we lazily hiked back to the truck and headed back to the cabin to curl up to in front of a fire and watch American President.

Hmmm.

It was a great weekend.