preparing for the return journey

This is one Hobbit who's ready to "Get the hell out of Dodge". Currently, I am in the basement with Rocko at 7 AM, having been up for the past hour dealing with Lisa's pain and trying unsuccessfully to get back to sleep. Now I'm down here in full Winter mode - sitting in front of a propane heater wearing two pairs of pants, a woolen military watch cap, and a t-shirt under a long-underwear shirt under a hooded sweat shirt and a warm coat.

Rocko's happy that I'm down here and wants to go out to pee. Luckily for him (and for me) I also have a nice pair of relatively warm Thinsulate gloves that I bought at the local farming supply store a couple of weeks back. Next time we come up here I'll also have long-underwear bottoms.

No point in sleeping in today. Ruth has another appointment this morning and I need to pack the car, clean the gutters, sweep the basement and vacuum upstairs. Her cleaning lady will not be able to come this week and Ruth's hair phobia means that we (read: I) must ensure that the place is a hair-free as possible. Anyone who's been to my Florida house knows how hard that is for me. I shed, Lisa sheds, the dog sheds.

So, anyway, the plan was for Lisa to take her mom to the doctor so she can sit in and ask the doctor so many questions that her own mother will probably tell her to "shut up, I can't hear the doctor." It doesn't look like Lisa will be up to it. The cold weather, combined with two weeks of activity, forced her to stay in bed all day on Sunday. Then yesterday she was mostly recovered and became manic. Last night she was in terrible pain again and took a couple of extra Percocets. She won't be in any condition to drive her mother to town, so I'll do that along with all of the other chores. Once we get home to the warmth of Florida, as much as we hate the place, the higher temperatures will be good for her health.

I packed a few things last night, but we only have enough stuff to fill the trunk of a 2010 Elantra. I can pack it all and be ready to go in half an hour or so. We're going to make it an overnight trip again. Last time I drove straight through; it should be a 10-hour drive, but with rest stops (that always take too long) and a stop at an old friend's house, our last trip home took 14 hours. Getting home at 2:15 AM was a miserable experience that I'd prefer not to repeat. Especially with the house cleaning I have to complete before hitting the road.

Ahh, 7:30 AM. Ruth is up and about and the coffee will be ready soon. I've been letting her take care of more and more around the house and it is good for her. She is still undergoing physical and occupational therapy for her broken humerus while healing from the pacemaker that was implanted on 14 October.

The home-health nurse visited yesterday and Ruth's blood pressure and heart rate were profoundly normal: BP 121/68 with a heart rate of 60 BPM; numbers nearly as good as mine, and I am in spectacular health with a BP of about 105/65 and a resting heart rate of 60. Prior to receiving the pacemaker, Ruth's BP was on the high side of 180/100 and her heart rate was 30 BPM. Now her color is better, her thought processes clearer and her step more sprightly. I can hear her flitting back and forth upstairs as I type.

I am sure that I will bitch and moan about Florida once we get there, but we'll be back here soon - perhaps too soon. Lisa wants to repeat last month's schedule, wherein we went home for a couple of doctor's appointments, one day of work for me, and then turned around after two weeks and headed north. Her sister is coming from Germany this weekend but will need about a month to get settled before heading to NC, so Lisa wants to get back here to take care of a woman who can handle everything except driving (because of the broken arm).

I don't get it, and am not looking forward to taking care of so many people again. I would rather rest for a month and a half, and with luck earn some money, before coming back. Especially if we will have to stay in a freezing 8x10 cell like we have been doing.

Besides, we haven't visited Dad and Velma for close to a year. You'd think after Dad bought me a car we'd find time to drive 45 minutes to their house, wouldn't you? We'll be back here for Christmas - most likely renting a fully-furnished basement apartment from Cathy Warren (of the Warren and Henson clans). Cathy set up the apartment, complete with full bath and kitchen, for her late father. He passed away before he could use it himself. She was one of Lisa's best friends in high school and they still get along very well. Her dog likes Rocko and we I think we could get away with keeping Jack there.