Vacation

All I ever wanted. Free and escaped from the Hotel for more than seven days. That alone is enjoyment!

To start off this week of merriment, Bubba and I hopped in the Family Truckster (not an actual truck, we call it the big fat Silver Bullet) for a whirlwind trip to Memphis. Thanks to the fine Friendly Neighborhood Tire Store, the Truckster was cleared for takeoff, tires rotated and balanced and away we went.

Dahey got some important correspondence (aka the check the boss said was in the mail since the fourth of July) late Friday, so we left at 0800, since we had to visit our friends at the local bank. After that business was transacted, with our special mix of candy in hand (Swedish fish, saltwater taffy and Jolly Ranchers included), we took our time driving down the highway.

Some people used to count Slug Bugs when I was a kid, but not anymore. Bubba decided to bring the iPad along when he got tired of counting dead armadillos (still not too common in RehabLand) and use up all of my high speed data for the month (luckily, that message didn't come until we were nearly home). Sadly, we noticed 10 armadillos who died on their way to meet Elvis.

Our trip was uneventful and we made decent time, so we decided to head straight for the night's lodging. I decided to try something different, as the captain and chief hotel steward: we went for glamour and fun. As a result, since Bubba wanted to go to see Memphis's favorite pandas, Ya Ya and Le Le, we figured we'd better see some other famous critters while we are there. The Zoo has packages where you can stay at the famous Peabody Hotel downtown and see the ducks, in addition to tickets to see their zoo.

We took them up on it, and had a blast. Bubba was roaming around in the terry cloth robe looking like a Rockefeller wannabe. Thankfully, he didn't drink any of the expensive water in the room ($7) or take the rubber duck toy package home (a mere $9.95 plus tax). He wanted to keep the robe, but at $50, he didn't want to part with his allowance he had saved.  He was happy he had internet and the Travel Channel so he could watch Ghost Adventures.

However, we did leave the room. We are baseball fans, so who doesn't want to go out into a heat index of 106 and see Santa Claus? We did since it was Christmas in July at the ballpark. The players had an ugly sweater uniform (thankfully not wool), they played Christmas songs, and Kris Kringle himself was available for photos. Bubba looked funny and Santa had a good time holding his BBQ nachos (a park specialty). For a moment, I thought Santa might eat them.

The other bonus to the hotel proximity: no driving to and from the ballpark. This was especially appreciated, since I chose to indulge in a couple of cold frosties while I was there. Also, since it was so beastly hot, I made sure to have some iced water at the top of each inning. Bubba ate a huge snow cone, so that helped him, and neither of us got dehydrated. Thankfully, the home team won, and after the game was over, we had fireworks. It was a fun time, even though Bubba missed Dahey a lot.

On Sunday, we finally got to make one of  Bubba's longtime dreams come true: he got to meet a panda. It wasn't like we expected (only one of two showed up in view), but he was happy he got his selfie with Ya Ya while she was behind the glass. Ya Ya must have had one heck of a Saturday night, because she slept right through our visit. As the keepers who do some education outside the exhibit mentioned, pandas like to eat, sleep and poop.  We got a great view of the sleeping part. Maybe next time we'll see the rest.

Bubba was happy to hit the road, but he was hungry and nothing looked good at the zoo. Never fear, our kid loves barbecue and the sides that go with it. He has yet to find a place that doesn't have mac and cheese as a side, so we ordered that as a side for the trip. We got a slab of ribs plate for two to take home for our dinner. They were excellent!

All in all, we had a fun time on the road. Just wish Dahey could have been along for the ride. He was busy this weekend keeping an eye on a coworker wandering over the border in Tijuana.

Stay tuned. Vacation continues...

How you know it's Monday

Signs in the Hotel that it's Monday.

1. Patients are moving around. Can you say bed bingo? No one is where you expect them. I really wish Santa would have brought us private rooms instead of so many doubles (thank goodness triples fell out of vogue).

2. Coworkers get flat tires. Not one, but two of them. Craziness.

3. It rains yet again. I don't care if it's knee high by Saturday, it will get mowed when I don't have to go to work the next day.

4. You find things you don't need to see (or hear about) in the office photo copier, especially things that are not yours.

On we go with the rest of the week. Stay tuned.

Exercise, errands and sleep deprivation

Sure, a staycation is fun, if it doesn't involve cramming in as many things as possible.

Recently, Bubba and I finally made it to the eye doctor, after a couple of misses due to doctor being trapped out of town and some scary weather. We were at the office for a while (in the middle of the most beautiful day so far this year) but Bubba was reasonably happy and passed his vision tests. He's getting a new headache med, too, so more fun.

He was, however, not thrilled that he had to get a blood draw, due to some other issues. I had to hug him from behind while two phlebotomists held him still. Just touching his arm made him jump. Finally, we got the job done with a butterfly (which is one of the few things they let us have at the Hotel for our clientele).

Most of my errands got completed. I also got a wonderful deal on some tires for the family truckster after shopping around. This was a good thing since we were 1/32 away from having bald tires (at least that's what the indicator says). Outside of that, the truckster is lubed, adjusted and happy.

Bubba and I have had fun at our local rec center. I finally caved in and joined, so the whole family can get in on the fun. It also helps that membership makes Bubba's summer camp experiences cheaper (and pays for our summer membership months). Now, I've just got to make time to go over and exercise. There are a few classes I like: kickboxing being one of them. I haven't taken one of those in years, so I look forward to it.  It's a great stress reliever, especially from the Manglement shenanigans at the Hotel.

My day is winding down, so we'll be visiting our orthodontist. I'm hoping soon we're to the point of less visits (getting really close). Cross your fingers!

Wild (and wet) Wednesday

No, it wasn't raining, but the humidity was so heavy this morning,  it looked like fog burning off. I walked a mile before 9AM and I thought I was going to have to wring out my shirt by the time I got to my destination. Thankfully, I hitched a ride back and picked up my car from the oil change place.

They recommended tires on the left and maybe tires on the right. The tire place kindly pointed out that the ones on the right were dry rotting. What does this mean? The Wild Bullet I drive got a brand new set of tires and an alignment thrown in. Happily, Ye Old Tyre Shop is right next to a strip mall...and a couple of good restaurants. So while it was early, I decided to get lunch before they finished.

Then it was back to working on the final project. I saved it in some obscure directory. I thought I deleted it. Oh thank you patron saint of lost causes! I really thought I toasted my three hours of work when I turned off the laptop to come home.

Now, I'm just going to relish every minute of freedom I have before I go back to work...me and a cold beverage

Stay tuned....