On The Road Again

I know it's been a long time since I've blogged. My excuse? I returned to work part-time on Jan 3. So noooooo time to blog.

I'm on temporary hiatus from work as we spend 2 weeks on the road to and from Florida doing what retirees do. Which, as far as I can tell, is not much more than eat, drink and spend money. And what, I ask you, is wrong with that picture? Not a thing.

Today.

5:15 a.m. Left home. I had slept NOT ONE wink all night and that is no lie. I've always been like a little kid when it comes to anticipating something fun in my life. Sleep is secondary to the anticipation. Apparently, Florida qualifies.

So, Monday night, in bed at 10.

At 11, wide awake and my mind repeating over and over the words of the Rosary, with no real meaning attached to them. At that point, I got up and went downstairs to play cards on the computer until midnight. If you can't pray, play.

Back upstairs to bed at midnight.

In our dining room on the main level, we have a Westminster Schoolhouse clock. Chimes every 15 minutes. It's downstairs. Our bedroom is upstairs. I'm partially deaf in both ears. Didn't matter. I heard the chimes every 15 minutes. At 1:00 a.m.,I was praying to every dead person I knew to help me fall asleep. By 2:45 a.m.,I was praying to the same people to keep me awake. After all, we were planning to leave shortly after 5 a.m., so falling asleep at 3 wasn't a good idea. My second set of prayers was answered. At 3:15 a.m.,I got up.

Background: Ed had prostate cancer surgery 11 months ago. It left him with an overactive bladder. Or so he says. We were on the road for 4 hours this morning when I finally asked him if we could stop so I could go to the bathroom. He agreed,p since he was hungry ... apparently, his bladder was just fine.

What we discovered was that there aren't many restaurants or rest stops on the road in Iowa (friends had advised us to go via Chicago if we wanted to eat ... but did we believe them? No, no, buckaroo!)

Ed finally pulled into a "Go America" on the Iowa turnpike. I didn't really want or need ALL of America to GO with me, but at that point I didn't care. We were hoping for food as well, but, apart from some overfried chicken under a warming light (and heavily advertised free oatmeal on Tuesdays), there wasn't much to choose from. We left ... sure there would be a Perkins right down the road. Wrong.

200 miles down the road, we finally found a little family restaurant that served a great breakfast. Best "extra crispy" bacon I've ever had. Apart from the guy with the mullet who came walking through, we were pretty sure we had died and gone to Heaven!

Tonight, we are in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, at a comfy Hampton Inn. Right next door is an Outback restaurant where we had a delightful filet mignon and shrimp dinner to celebrate Valentime's Day. Ed is asleep in the bed next to me and I am celebrating the most romantic night of the year by writing to all of you. 46 years of marriage will do that to you.

Tomorrow, we head to Biloxi, Mississippi, and a night at the Beau Rivage casino. More to follow.