And I'm back

I've been off the blog for a few days and it feels good to be back again.  Last weekend I needed to return to La Crosse for a clinic appointment with my doctor to review my CPAP usage.  But I do have my priorities and arranged to have lunch with Judi and Beth.  Judi's sister Karen also joined us, so we had a table for four at Pickermans.  Oh the joys of one last bowl of loaded baked potato soup one more time before leaving the area!

Then I went to my appointment and they ran the computer chip that is in the machine to determine the usage and success.  My report was glowing and he suggested framing it and becoming the poster child for CPAP machines.  There were only a couple of air leakage gaps and I told him that no doubt was due to the cats playing with the machine.  There was the instance when Gracie sat on the machine and pushed the button to start it up.  They both gazed at the blowing air coming out of the headpiece.  Great.  Now they consider this their personal cooling device.

It was nice to be able to run some errands in the old stomping grounds where you know where you are and can move about easily.  One of my goals was to take my latest little quilt into the Rivers Bend Quilt Shop and ask them to show me again how to use the binding tool.  Chris was a bit stumped at first also so we watched what she considered to be the best YouTube video on it.  There came that moment where the one missing step was pointed out and we both went "aha!". I made notes and printed them up when I got home, along with photos of each step so I can use it again next time.

Thanks to my friends Al and Kathy I had lovely accommodations for the night I spent in town.  They left the front door open for me and warned me about the dog.  They "babysit" for this dog often and it seems to be with them more than the owners...lucky dog. 

After getting past the barking and growling package of fur and teeth I parked my stuff downstairs in the guest room.  Then I spotted the bathtub.  It has been about a year since I've soaked in a bathtub, so I grabbed my pajamas and book, found a towel and proceeded to settle in.  Wanting to be sure there were no unpleasant surprises, I locked the front door.  I mean, this is their house; they have a key...right?

Since the tub was filling with water and I was singing my ode to joy of bathing I didn't hear my cell phone ring.  Nor did I hear the doorbell.  Or the shouts to open the door.  It seems that their friends had picked them up to go out to supper and they didn't think they'd need a key since the front door was OPEN.  They finally did locate a key and got in.  Boy, talk about the house guest that makes themselves completely at home ...and locking out the owners.  I'll probably not be invited back there again!

But all was forgiven and we went to the Farmer's Market in the morning followed by breakfast at Fayze's.  I wanted to pay for the bill to show my gratitude but Al snatched it up before I had a chance.  The waitress apologized to me as I had told her I wanted to have the check.  I told her I would not be back again for at least a year for that insolence!  Then explained that I wouldn't be back for a year anyway.

Then it was off to Art Fair on the Green to see all my artist friends.  I saw my tent in one area and my tables and grids in another, each being used by their new owner.  It was so nice to say hi to all my friends but it did feel a bit odd.  It's like having been part of an organization that you've left.  You have all the warm fuzzy feelings but you don't belong any more.  Very bittersweet.

I had considered staying a second night but found myself getting very homesick and missing my kitties.  So, it was a bit before noon when I drove away to return to my RV.

Sunday brought a sense of lethargy and I was trying to work on a sewing project I'd started before.  We did a little shopping and such but pretty much had a quiet day.

Monday was spent stuck in a mental fog.  I couldn't get going, nothing seem to be working...everything I touched fell apart.  I set off to return some items and do more shopping by myself.  The restaurant I was excited to try was dismal and I left and ended up at a fast food Chinese place instead.  The shopping I was so looking forward to was the same. Nothing I tried on seemed to fit or look right on me...I hated my body...I was so tired I could hardly hold my eyes open.  I could feel the spiral into the descent of depression that I battle with from time to time.  Hello Darkness, my old friend.

 So, skipping out on grocery shopping I went home and crawled back into bed for a nap.  That made the early evening feel like a Twilight Zone episode and I just couldn't come to.
So we watched Criminal Minds and ate left overs and went to bed early again in hopes of a better day on Tuesday.  Tuesday was the day we planned to take down the EZ Twist tend and start packing stuff up.  During the night and early morning we listened to the continuous sounds of rain.

Today Left Brain takes the car in for its oil change and Wednesday he takes the RV in for servicing very early in the morning.  That is the day I will be sitting in the car with two cats while he is gone.  It will also be the day I turn 62.  I wonder if the cats would agree to wear  little party hats and share cake with me while we park?

We are both suffering from Hitch Itch and are anxious to get the rig on the road again.  We've been sitting too long in one spot and it's time to move!

Long Live the Queen of the Ups and Downs