Stuffed Animals
Acquisitioners Tales

This time the trip through the shower is quick.  I toss on some clothes and head to the StuffedZoo.  Fortunately the LA traffic is only heavy…which means it keeps moving and includes the usual friendly acknowledgements along the way.  I get to the StuffedZoo about 2:30PM and head back to Finn’s office.
Finn, Karl, Zoe and […]

Continue reading “Back At The StuffedZoo” »

Sleep overcomes me instantly.  Even the pile of mail blocking the entrance to my apartment door is a just barely identifiable nuisance.
I toss my duffle bag on the living-room couch and head straight to the shower.  This is my standard routine after a long flight.  I stand under the hot water and let it bathe […]

Continue reading “V’s First Day Home” »

The flight home was a lot more fun than I expected.  Even when I was sleeping it was great to know that Karl was there.
Karl told me all about her adventure.  Evidently Karl’s mission went a little smoother than mine.  She got out of her pontoon plane, walked about 15 feet,  saw the perfect wolf […]

Continue reading “Owl Eats Harry Potter - V:Mission 2 Episode 24” »

“See ya Nick…I mean Consul Taubman..I mean…”
“Just ‘Nick’ is fine V.  I think we can skip the formalities at this point.  I hope the rest of your trip home goes well and he gives me his big sparkling white smile.  The restaurants at the Frankfurt airport aren’t that great but you can get a reasonable […]

Continue reading “Owl Eats Harry Potter - V:Mission 2 Episode 23” »

The Marine guard gets on a phone and speaks to someone inside.  I can’t really hear the conversation.
Dinu says, “We’ve got to go now.  Travel safe,” and then in a lower voice, “especially through our lovely airport facility.”
He smiles and waves as he gets back into the truck and then he and Nicu are gone.
The […]

Continue reading “Owl Eats Harry Potter - V:Mission 2 Episode 22” »

I feel woozy from the lack of sleep but last night’s party was one of a kind.  Dinu, Nicu and a number of their friends, with lots of Romanian food, came over to celebrate.  There was lots of laughing, and lots of fingers pointing my direction and then to Dinu’s head.  Everyone was having fun, […]

Continue reading “Owl Eats Harry Potter - V:Mission 2 Episode 21” »

Dinu sits upright continuing his deep chuckle.  “You did a nice job on the bandage, I think?  What do you say, Nicu…does it become me?”
“I think it’s a definite improvement.  Maybe you should wear it all the time?” Nicu banters back.
I feel my blood pressure rising.  After all, I practically killed myself hauling Dinu’s carcass back […]

Continue reading “Owl Eats Harry Potter - V:Mission 2 Episode 20” »

I partially unzip my duffle bag, put my hands in the Stuffocator grips and say, “Zoe, I know I already owe you big-time but do you happen to have a knife or some scissors you could send me.  I need to get Dinu off the dolly and to his friend’s house quickly.”
“No problem,” says Zoe’s […]

Continue reading “Owl Eats Harry Potter - V:Mission 2 Episode 19” »

“Get out your Stuffocator.  Then point it at the owl.  Once your hands are in the grips and it’s locked on the owl say the word ’lights’.  Finn added a feature that spotlights the Stuffocator’s target zone.  The light should freeze Horatiu long enough for you to stuffocate him,” Zoe’s voice says in a light muffled […]

Continue reading “Owl Eats Harry Potter - V:Mission 2 Episode 19” »

Circling the clearing a couple of times I finally pick up the start of the trail back to the truck.  The uneven ground makes pushing the dolly hard work.
I set the dolly up one more time and re-tape the flashlight to point toward the back of the dolly.  It’s not great but it allows me […]

Continue reading “Owl Eats Harry Potter - V:Mission 2 Episode 18” »

“V…is Dinu able to walk?” Zoe asks.
“I’m not sure.  Sometimes I think he’s with me and then he seems to slip off to another place in his mind.” I respond.
“I’ve got an idea but it’s a little crazy.  Point your Stuffocator toward the ground again but keep it up about 3 feet.” Zoe says.
I follow […]

Continue reading “Owl Eats Harry Potter - V:Mission 2 Episode 17” »

Patrick makes such a great cup of coffee that Karl asked for another cup.  I think fried tofu is probably next…but we’ll see.

Continue reading “Stuffed Animals Tell Tales - Episode 1, Part 2 Patrick makes breakfast for Karl” »

“Thanks Zoe!” I say, scrambling over to the first aid kit.
I quickly rip open the cellophane wrapper and look to see what items I have available that might help.  I scoop up the bottle of iodine, some gauze pads and tape before returning to Dinu.
My first aid skills aren’t the strongest and I start to […]

Continue reading “Owl Eats Harry Potter - V:Mission 2 Episode 16” »

Suddenly I hear Zoe’s pleasant voice, “Is everything okay V?  I’ve got alarms going off all over the control panel here.”
I hadn’t realized that my hands had slipped almost instinctively back into the grips.  “Zoe…it’s so great to hear a friendly voice.  Dinu is hurt.  The owl gave him a nasty gash to the forehead.  […]

Continue reading “Owl Eats Harry Potter - V:Mission 2 Episode 15” »

I use the flashlight to search for the latch that opens the barn door. Giving it a solid tug the door opens easier than I expect and slams with a thud into a door stop.  The meadow lawn is still shimmering silver in the moonlight.
I grab Dinu below his shoulder and we stumble together into […]

Continue reading “Owl Eats Harry Potter - V:Mission 2 Episode 14” »

We cross the field quickly and then penetrate the dark resistant forest.  A narrow path meanders purposefully through the trees which are so thick that the full moon rarely finds a resting spot on the forest floor.  We continue this journey for about 10 minutes before Dinu slows to a near stop. 
I can see light […]

Continue reading “Owl Eats Harry Potter - V:Mission 2 Episode 13” »

By the time we get back to Dinu’s friend’s house it’s getting dark.  A brief conversation interspersed with lots of laughing and we’re almost ready to go.  But first Dinu’s friend comes over to pump my hand up and down vigorously a few times while saying something in Romanian that was clearly supposed to be […]

Continue reading “Owl Eats Harry Potter - V:Mission 2 Episode 12” »

We clearly have been sleeping quite some time.  As the world comes back into focus I can’t figure out where I am.  There’s a river and trees and shreds of paper…
“Hey V!” Dinu calls, accompanied by a loud chuckle.  “I think we just found our first owl.”  and he points up into the tree.
A quick […]

Continue reading “Owl Eats Harry Potter - V:Mission 2 Episode 11” »

Walking up to the house you can already guess it’s deserted.  Knocking repeatedly on the door doesn’t seem to change the situation.  Dinu steps back into the small yard surrounded by a fence to figure out what to do next.  Then he says.  “We’ll wait.  It is morning anyway.  The owl will be easier to […]

Continue reading “Owl Eats Harry Potter - V:Mission 2 Episode 10” »

A very modern bus and very empty bus pulls up about 10 minutes after we get to the stop.  The sleepy bus driver opens the door.  We get on and Dinu pays our fare and we move to the middle seats on the bus and sit down.
We’re still in the center of the town.  At […]

Continue reading “Owl Eats Harry Potter - V:Mission 2 Episode 9” »