Adventures in Ebay-ing

Yesterday I scored a vintage mid-century modern chair on Ebay that I plan to re-upholster.  By re-upholster, I really mean enlist my friend D to do the dirty work all on the premise of "learning" from her.   But I'll totally buy the fabric!  Anyhow, it was a local seller so after I won the auction I contacted her to schedule the pick up for this morning.  I drove about 45 minutes south of the city to her suburban home where she sells her wares--apparently mid-c furniture hidden under a tarp in her yard is considered her "store".   That was kind of weird in itself, but what happened next takes the cake.  

I walk into her backyard through a HUGE wooden gate, seriously 25 feet tall.  I am greeted by two insanely large dogs that I am told are some sort of wolf/hound hybrid but totally nice!  so sweet!  don't worry about them!  Sure, lady, sure.  They did turn out to be lovely dogs, insistent on smelling my butt and everything, but that did not prepare me to come face to face with a COYOTE (ok, there was a chain link fence between us but still!  A LIVE COYOTE, people.)  She launches into some story about saving the coyote and raising it and she couldn't have just one since they like packs so now she has SIX coyotes, in pens in her yard, in the Chicago suburbs.  ?????  I'm all for animal rescue but methinks she's lost her mind.  I asked her what her neighbors think (the houses are less than 100 yards apart) and she giggles nervously.  I didn't ask any other questions.  

Then she asks if I want to PET the coyote...hmmm, let's see, what part of me looks like I want to pet a coyote?  Sorry lady, I didn't dress in proper petting zoo apparel today.  Good god.  I paid for that chair and hightailed it out of there, but only after she tells me that the cash I gave her is going to help her buy food for her coyotes and I have done a good deed for the day.  Super.  I am an enabler.