The Prodigal Blogger

What?!? 

You mean you didn't get the many posts I've written ..... in my head?  

Easy to wonder why some people don't put out a "Gone Fishing" sign on their blog... more discouraging to realize I went and  did the same thing.

What an adventure!   Tom and I only had to threaten one another with eviction on two occasions.   I'm not going to bore y'all with all the dirty details ..... but let's jus' say I won't be quashing my own instincts anytime soon.  

M'friends, if ever given a choice, do not opt to travel Interstate 10 (v. I-20).  Ever!   Were it not dark and (me) ready to burst into tears, I'd have shared the roadside sign outside Lake Charles: "Road Construction next 538 miles." 

Call me obsessive/compulsive!  Nor will I fail to make room reservations ahead of time.   Day #2:  Having travelled 557 miles, neither of us counted on Fort Stockton, Texas (aka, middle of nowhere) having no vacancies.

Two circuits 'round the city, we were faced with a) driving another 312 miles to San Antonio, or  b) spending the night in the Wal-Mart parking lot alongside a multitude of RVs. 

Just once more?  Thankfully Tom found a Super 8 with one room available for the modest (not!) price of $230/night.  'Never thought I'd fall victim to price gouging, but sleep deprivation makes folks do stupid things.   I'm not convinced we would've arrived alive, had we tried to make it onto San Antonio. 

On the Bright Side, Macie and Grace travelled beautifully on the little platform Tom built behind our seats.  

Whenever put in the car, Grace has always caterwauled and carried on like she was being skinned alive ... but a little egg and sausage biscuit and her own bed did the trick!     

Just as well Tom wanted to get to son's place in 4 days.   I don't even want to know how many violations the car carrier-guy may have violated!   My Camry wasn't picked up in Phoenix until Wednesday, and it arrived piggy-back at 7am Saturday!   Happy 68th Birthday to me!

From son and family

Day after. 

Why, yes.  Yes, I did!  First donuts I consumed in probably a decade.  Good for the soul!

So! 97 boxes more-or-less unpacked ... never mind Macie's diarrhea ..... we're getting sort of settled.  Tom's most unhappy about the way the movers stuffed boxes, willy-nilly in the store-room.   This weekend he discovered his check-book out there, inside a box of nuts, bolts and random tools; last night he brought me a plastic cereal keeper containing a Walkman and my dad's mustache coffee mug.  I'm praying the quilt my mother made is going to be discovered sometime soon.  It's a process, for sure.    

I've already purchased knee-high rubber boots ... not necessarily  snake-proof, but close enough to settle my nerves when I step out back.   A weather radio's on the short list.   Not sure which -- snakes or tornados -- is more terrifying, but deep down, I'm ridiculously happy to be HERE.

For the first time in 24 years I was able to celebrate Easter with my family!

  DIL Lois, Chloe and Sarah

Blessed, I tell ya!

Someone (aka, cranky-pants) is growing impatient, and here I've gone on too long already.  I promise there won't be any 5-week 'fishing' expeditions from now on!

Hugs from Coosada!

Myra