Home Again

We spent the night in Arkansas as planned and after a good breakfast and taking a breakfast bag to go, we were on our last leg home. We arrived about 3 pm.  I immediately started two loads of laundry, went through the mail and checked the closet light, shower sprayer and garage door opener pad installed in our absence. 

Wednesday was unpacking what wasn’t in the laundry bag and working on a few things that popped up in that they needed attention. Thank you for your hospitality cards, birthday card, Hilton rebate, sign up for Southwest Rapid Rewards.  

Our neighborhood birthday luncheon was Thursday.  Since I had most everything under control it was a pleasure to have somewhere to go.  Four of the gals were missing but the group had a good time anyway. 

Friday we planned to return the wheelchair to Irene and lend my floor peddler to Rachel who just had her second knee replacement. Her husband starts radiation and chemo for prostate cancer next week.  An all too often occurrence among our friends. We had stopped there first and continued on to Irene’s.  We had never seen their house renovation so we spent some time with her.  She is doing well in John’s absence but says she feels “off.”  Ted is going to help her dispose of John’s guns, most are old hunting shotguns but still firearms and sales must be done properly.  I suggested she get someone at Home Depot to change the battery in her garage remote.  It isn’t working but the inside button does so I encouraged her to try the easiest thing first. I also promised to go back over and get her sprinkler system set properly.  First I have to determine if she has a rain sensor!  

I am glad to report Irene took all 3 remotes to Home Depot where they replaced batteries to her garage doors.  They are all working perfectly and she thinks I’m a genius!  

We went to church where a family of four sat in front of us after we were seated.  Let’s just say I told Ted to remind me to sit behind some adults already seated!  We went to Local Table afterwards, Ted’s first time to eat there.  We both enjoyed our food and he said we will definitely go back.  

Sunday I got dressed and drove to the nail salon and it was closed!  Ted has his endoscopy and colonoscopy on Tuesday so we just stayed home while he started his first bottle of medicine.

Monday Ted was confined to home and continued his prepping and I had my monthly Canasta game to attend.  My neighbor Anna joined us as a sub.  Neither of us finished in the money!

We had to be at the hospital at 6:30 am on Tuesday. All went well with both the colonoscopy and the endoscopy and by the time I drove Ted home he was ready to eat breakfast.  Pathology will take two weeks but Dr W said there were no findings to be alarmed about.  Wednesday we went to church for the holyday.

I had a routine doctor appointment on Thursday and while I was gone Ted took four small meatloaves to Rachel.  They were uncooked so could be baked right away, which she did, or freeze them, which she did with the other two.  With both down, it is tough to get meals together.  

Friday we both went with Irene to help her get info for sale of a gooseneck trailer and tractor John had in storage.  The tractor was on the trailer and both buyers wanted to know what was in there.  She had two boxes of keys to try!  Finding the place was the hardest part and it didn’t take long since the lock and key were numbered.  Once we fished through the proper size keys and found the right number we were in!  Problem solved.  We were treated to breakfast for our trouble but we were happy to have helped. I did stop at her house to check the sprinklers because they had come on in the morning and shouldn’t have.  I found a few random zones on Programs B and C and removed them.  I told Irene to watch the lawn to see that it is getting enough water and we can adjust if needed.

Kristin is back in Houston and will be here Saturday evening. We are working on our booked Disney cruise with Kelly, Cassie and CeCe!  I am dumbfounded to learn I have aged out on at least two different excursions!  Up to age 70 on one and 75 on the other.  Good thing I don’t want to swim with the dolphins but I did like the idea of the glass bottomed kayak!  

  

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Our Last Week of Vacation

We left Cindy and Tim to get their things in order.  They were driving on Tuesday to Indianapolis because their flight out was Tuesday very early, they arrived in Aruba safely.  They have invited us to visit them in Aruba next April for our 60th annniversary and we plan to take them up on it.

We took laundry back to the condo and I did two loads but not much else got done.  We were “resting up” mostly from the hills and steps.

We did realize that our two freezer packs were left behind.  I texted Tim and he said they would bring them up when going through Cincinnati.  That gave them the chance to see the condo.  They were very impressed!  

Tuesday we hung around because we didn’t know exactly when they would come and really had nothing else in mind to do.  But Wednesday was cleaning day.  I dusted the bedroom and living room furniture, cleaned the master bathroom we had used, Ted ran the vacuum, I mopped the kitchen floor, emptied and unplugged the coffee pot, ran the dishwasher and emptied all the trash cans. Thursday morning I stripped the bed, laundered the bedclothes and remade the bed.  We packed our cooler with the freezer packs, brats, goetta, filets and ham.  We had a refrigerator at Comfort Suites to keep it all frozen.  After loading our clothes and guns into the car, we headed towards Columbus. 

Since we couldn’t get into our room until 3 we went to the Cardinal Shooting complex for Ted to get registered.  We hung around a bit waiting for Kim, Kathy and Dan to meet us for dinner.  We had

 another good visit.

Friday I didn’t go to the range but hung out in the pool and our room.  It was relaxing after a somewhat hectic departure from Elk Lake to condo to motel!  Ted came back to clean up and get me to return for the evening festivities.  They had the most beautiful and delicious display of appetizers I have ever seen for a bunch in blue jeans and shooting vests.  

The next day it was supposed to rain, I had been awake most of the night and over indulged in the “finger foods” so I decided to not go to the range again. I will point out Ted had good scores both days.  I didn’t expect him to come back a second time to get me but he did and there was a dinner for all 600 folks and guests.  We sat around a table with some folks we knew and some we didn’t.  Scores were the biggest topic as well as being asked about Ted’s friend Tal that lives in Bentwater.  He helped start the Ohio State Chapter and was a Master Shooter.  He has had health problems and everyone wanted to know how he was getting along.  He adores Ted and calls him most everyday.  Ted takes him shooting when Tal feels up to it.  The spirit is more than willing but the flesh is weak.  

Sunday we went to church, came back to eat breakfast at the motel before heading back, once again, to the range.  I am Ted’s bad luck charm.  He didn’t do well and fell out of second place in his class.  

No one was more disappointed than him, or maybe Tal, who called as we drove home for the last time.  

There were no festivities except for the winners so we bid Dan goodbye and came back to a restaurant nearby before calling it a day.  Tomorrow we pack up for the last time.  We have unloaded my Christmas dishes for Kelly, a stack of clothes for CeCe, a few Pyrex bowls Kara wanted and about 1000 rounds of shotgun shells, spent and empty hulls, left lying on the ground.

Next stop, God willing, is Forrest City, AR for overnight and arriving home Tuesday by dinner.

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