And So It Ends

A month with the kids, two weeks with siblings and friends, now traveling to our one week “vacation” at Gulf Shores, AL with little “stops” in between - picking up chairs, the Ohio National Sporting Clay Tournament, getting yearly service, visiting the lake, etc.  The time has flown by.

Thursday I went to get my nails done and we stopped at Walmart for groceries.  The next day I noticed my motorhome key fob was missing.  The clip holding it to my purse had broken.  My Jeep fob was still there, clipped on separately.  On Friday Ted went with his brother Kevin to see the athletic department building, built at Elder high school courtesy of Kyle Rudolph of the Vikings, and now a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, and my half brother Kim Knoppe, owner of Autumnwood Homes.  It was very impressive, rivaling professional accommodations Ted said.

When he left there I told him I had talked to the Wednesday evening restaurant and the keys had not been found.  He tried the nail salon, but no luck!  Our last hope was Walmart; after all, they could have fallen off while walking in parking lots.  Ted went to Customer Service and they proclaimed “we have been waiting for Donna to come get her keys.”  I forgot I had a light up key ring saying Donna given to me by my son in law Larry.  It wasn’t enough info for them to find me but made them memorable and easy to identify!  I owe St. Anthony big time for this one!

That evening we met with the “magnificent nine” Ted’s two brothers, two sisters, a sister in law, two brother in laws and us!  This is the group that all went to Ireland (plus Tom and Jeanne who live in Arizona).  I sure would love to do another trip with them!  We ate at a really nice Mexican restaurant, right up the street from us and then went to sister Peg’s house.  Kevin and Ted kept us entertained with old Enquirer stories.  It was Barb’s birthday so we bought a second birthday cake this trip!  A sangria margarita and an Irish coffee helped me sleep really well.  

Saturday was our normal relaxing morning, church at 3 pm and then cousin Nancy and husband John came for a cookout.  We had an enjoyable meal out at the picnic table and sat around the lake enjoying a breeze.  They left just as it was starting to get dark and we came inside.  

Our Sunday plan was to see Karen one more time.  We needed to pick up a Rx for me, find an ATM that would give us cash and stop to buy some more Cincinnati groceries.  We couldn’t get the Rx, it was lunch time so we went on to find Chase banks and ATMs closed one after the other!  So we adjusted our route, found a “closed” ATM near the facility so gave up and went in to visit.

Karen knew us, but not our names.  She had received a crocheted Queen Elizabeth doll from her friend Judy and she kept telling us you can’t touch the nose, she will disappear!  Then she went into the bathroom to talk to her friend who is her own image!  She carries on a one sided conversation.  She found a peanut on the floor and said Ronnie likes to eat them and drops some when he throws them into his mouth.  She threw it away while saying he was working.  He died last Halloween.  She did remember her great grand daughter Jemma had been brought by “her mother.”  I supplied the name Laura and she said yes!  It was hard to say goodbye because I am afraid that mentally it may really be goodbye.  I know what Nancy Reagan meant when she called it the very long goodbye!  

When we left we took a shot at one more Chase ATM.  Turned out to be another bank’s ATM with a $3.50 charge.  At that point we used it to be sure we got back in time to get my Rx.  Of course it was not ready “because it was ready on the 14th and no one picked it up.”  I said “no, I was told insurance wouldn’t refill it before 7/22.”  She just agreed to fill it!  I never had this problem in all these years with Walmart.  Next year I will make sure WalMart is a preferred drug store!  

I had ordered a LaRosa pizza on line for pick up at the one near us that is under renovation.  That was all they were offering.  We brought it home and ate it outside at the picnic table.  Ted took our Magna shades down, put away the ladder and grill, etc.  I did stuff inside and we are ready to roll tomorrow heading south to Nashville for one night.

We were in for the night when we realized we had missed the grocery so no goetta, brats, turtle soup and Skyline chili to take back to Texas!