Home Again

We have returned!

Thank goodness.

The short version goes thus:

Left Tuesday. Managed to find resort before dark. Small child, thoroughly wound up from the excitement of an "adventure" did not go to sleep until 1:00 a.m.

Wednesday. First seminar--fantastic. Very cool. Will blog more about it later. Chas had signed up for wifi access. Wifi-access emitted death rattles in the afternoon as I jumped on while small child napped heavily (see above). Wifi gave up the ghost in the evening. Dinner in the nearest town (yummy) and back to the hotel for a dip in the pool with Angie and Chas. I even spent some time in the exercise room. (Anyone know how many strides in a mile?) A good time was had by all.

Thursday. Second seminar--okay. Ran into Chas and Angie on break. Angie clung to me and begged me not to go back to work. At some point I reached my learning limit. Left early (I never do that, ever) by what should have been a half an hour. Learned the next day that they ran over (I had guessed he would and that is part of why I bolted). Too many sports videos shown as examples of leadership and emotional intelligence. Fine. Lovely. Y chromosome remains a mystery to me. I don't think the extra half hour would have helped my understanding. On the way to dinner, we stopped to look at the dam. Was stung by some flying instinct before I could trounce the evil bug. Angie learned a few new colorful phrases. Dinner was yummy, pool afterwards was nice. Foot hurt like the dickens.

Friday. Final day of conference. Foot really started hurting in the afternoon. Seminar topic the least appealing of the three days, but the speakers made the subject considerably less painful than it could have been. Our group voted to skip the afternoon break and finished early. We hit the road for our "Surprise"--a trip to my Brother's house. Foot turned pink and swelled. Foot stayed in bucket of icy cold water with baking soda in it. Smallest nephew determined that there were fishies in there with my foot and pretended to feed them.

Saturday. Foot in bucket in the a.m. Swelling much larger. Defying common sense, I agreed to stick with the original plan and venture to an artsy-crafty town in Indiana. Foot swelled beyond pregnancy width and so we did not take a train or canal boat ride. Did feed a particularly mean flock of ducks--they ignored the food and appeared to be attempting the drowning of one of the ducks. Then we had a picnic at a nearby dam. Kids played while dear Brother found a bucket of ice cold water in which I could soak foot. Angie fell off the swings twice, eating playground sand on one landing. Not sure that she has an aptitude for gymnastics despite the flip she accidentally performed as she slipped.

Oldest nephew apparently told Angie that he was going to "get her" which, in her exhaustion (normally she just laughs at him), set her screaming. Nephew's younger sister and brother each hit him for upsetting Angie and they smothered her in hugs to comfort her.

Back to house, Angie way over stimulated was semi hysterical. In pain and feeling a bit over-stimulated too, I hobbled up stairs, following Angie and Chas as they sought some quiet time. Oldest nephew and niece were put to bed. Peace reigned and we went back downstairs. Foot returned to bucket and watched Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets for a bit. Completely exhausted, I climbed the stairs and went to sleep before the movie ended.

Today. Watched all the kids play while Brother and Sister in law were at church (he's a minister so his presence is generally a necessity). We left shortly after they returned and made excellent time on the trip home. Completed reading one book on the return trip. Chas swears he did not speed too much. Plants wilted, house smelled stuffy, but we were home.

Thank goodness.