I'm Here After All.

My cute little eye doctor didn't get all the info from my DC/VA doctors so we moved the appointment to March 21st. 

We leave on Saturday. We are taking a late flight - 7:25p - 11:25pm. 

We have a layover/change of planes at Dulles Airport. 

Ah, just a few miles from our old home we just moved from. 

(It's gonna make me feel more homesick I think)

From Dulles, we fly into Cleveland. My mom lives in Erie PA, 90 minutes east of Cleveland. However, to fly into Erie it would have cost me more money than our flights to Cleveland and our 2 hotel stays. Just for the flight into Erie. 

So we are going to fly into Cleveland and drive into Erie the next morning. 

Because everything in Cleveland closes at 10pm we can't even get a car rental pick up. So we have to overnight at the airport hotel and then have them shuttle us back to the airport in the morning to get our rent-a-car. Sleepy little Cleveland. 

I found that funny. But it works out just fine because neither of us loves driving for 90 minutes after a flight. Especially at midnight. 

So we'll rest up and begin our day the next morning.
I received an email from United Airlines giving me a checklist of things I need to remember for my travel. Do people really need this? I realize I spent over 25 yrs in the travel industry but I don't think most people need all this info they sent. 
Perhaps it is more CYA for United. (CYA -cover your ass)

Have I mentioned in the last hour that I hate this idea of a super spreader/plane and family? Yeah, we both are very concerned. No one in my family aside from 1 sister and my mom has been vaxxed. All have had covid. None wear masks or take any sort of precautions. Dumb asses. They think because they lived after having covid they are done. The rest of the world knows that isn't true. As my mom said, they refuse to listen to reason so it is what it is.  

Silly, silly people.

It will be cold and I think their cold right now is not that bad. Like our winter was the 40s and 30s. I just don't want to hear them say 7 degrees. Brrr.....

A friend in Cleveland told me it was 7 degrees the day I spoke to her and I shivered.

Every time I go up there it is winter. 

Every major event I have to attend is in winter. 

Every funeral has been in the dead of winter. Each aunt and each uncle. 

What the hell is with that?

When my dad turned 80 we went to dinner and it was so damn cold and windy. 

The snow was slapping our faces and it stung. The wind was just horrific and it was never above 15 degrees during the day while we were there. 

Prior to my father's 80th, I was up there for his brother's funeral 1 year before. 

A big ole Italian funeral with military honors to boot. 

So it was long and there were taps playing, gun salutes, etc.

It was a blustery day. I remember standing at the casket as one does and again, snow blowing so hard it hit your face and stung.  I was just miserable. 

I was wearing a skirt and the wind blowing up my coat was miserable. 

Why wasn't this inside? Why didn't I wear pants? 

At Dad's 80th party I asked him if he could pass away in spring or summer okay? 

He laughed his big hearty laugh and said, "Peg I'll do that for ya!" Thanks, Daddy!

It became a joke. Once when I called he answered the phone and he was coughing. 

I said, "Are you okay Dad?"  

"Yeah, Peg I'm fine, besides I can't die yet, it's not summer."

Oh my goodness we both laughed. Damn, if he didn't wait until spring. 

His funeral was in April. Still chilly up there but not snow-filled winter. 

That made me laugh. No one, I repeat, no one in the family has a funeral but in winter. Rick says it's because it is always winter up there. 

That could be the reason too. 

Yesterday Rick spent the day making his rain barrels. He got the barrels from some guy on Craigs List and then he went to Lowes and bought all the things to make the downspout go into the barrels so we have water to use to water our 2 - 18ft long raised garden beds.  You can't see the 2nd barrel behind this one but you can see the fitting (white) from the barrel in front that goes to the one behind it. They are connected via this plumbing line so when one fills it goes to the other. It's supposed to rain for the next couple of days so I am anxious to see how this goes. I call him Mr. Green Jeans. (old enough to know that reference?)

Rick said I am now making him paranoid with my feelings about Craig's List. 

The location was also out in the middle of nowhere and this guy was a bit scary, missing teeth, grumpy, and had firearms on his porch. (really necessary?) 

When he pulled up to the place it looked like an abandoned property.

Rick walked up to the house and didn't see life there. 

Then the man came from around the backside of the house. 

Rick said hello and he grunted. 

Then he said to Rick, come to the barn with me. As Rick was walking behind the man to this distant barn Rick said I was playing in his head, 'be aware of your surroundings, have your phone, if you have a gut feeling this is not quite right, leave!' 

But it was all fine and he was a perfectly fine redneck Rick told me. Whew. 

I do think I got to Rick but I don't think it's a bad thing as he does.

We have a lot of planting to do don't we?

We have found our water bill here is a lot higher than in Northern VA.  A lot higher. I do more dishes but aside from that nothing has changed. Not doing more laundry than before. We are not showering more so we don't get it. Everything is the same. But the bills are a lot higher here so the water barrels will water our raised beds of plants. Hopefully, that will be helpful. 

He had a mix of 50% dirt with 50% compost delivered. Rick put down a tarp and they dumped it there. Then he had to shovel it into the wheel barrel and then bring it to the raised beds. The first day he did 3/4 of one bed. He came inside dripping wet with sweat. His shirt was stuck to him. 

He was so funny. He announced he was very sore and couldn't do another thing.

He then said, "I remember when I could do this all day and then build something. Now, I'm just whooped, Margaret" 

So being the ball buster I am I said, "so you don't feel like fooling around right now?"  I love when I make him laugh that hard!! 

I worried about him on his knees planting. 

I suggested raised beds on legs so he didn't have to. But he scoffed at that. 

I normally am the one who plants anyway so he probably figured, let her get down and try to get up. Knock on wood, no issues there just yet. 

Rick went on to share that he just had to stop for the day because he just couldn't go further on this day and it really bothers him. 

I'm sure there will be a post later telling you how he got down but couldn't get up or his knees are killing him or some such thing as I heard daily from his job before retiring. I know this to be true. The poor guy hasn't a clue or is in complete denial. 

I do think it's both. 😛

He took a shower after he finished filling the beds and sat down in his ugly chair and boom - he was out like a light.  I chuckled. 

I know it bothers him. I get it but I also think there is the macho/male factor as well. It's hard for us to admit we are this old. I get it. But it's even harder for him. That night guess who got a back rub? Lots of Voltaren cream. (that shit is good!) Then the next day he finished the 1st bed and began on the 2nd. He came inside and said I am not a quitter. I just need more water and I'm not stopping until it's done. 

He didn't. He's stubborn and clueless, but he's my stubborn ole fool.