Almost home

Sitting here in Oklahoma with free wi-fi. We will be HOME tomorrow. This return trip has been really something. We are averaging 500 miles per day. Most of the trip has been good, but we did have one real trial.

When I last posted, I thought things were going to be great. A Honda Civic isn't exactly my cup of tea. In the front there is adequate room, but only our two big bags fit in the trunk. The small ones ride in the back seat. However when we checked the mileage is was 38 mpg. OK

Well back to Wyoming of the last post. Things turned south that night or early morning. G got up to go to the bathroom, and I was vaguely aware. Suddenly he started making the most god awful noise. It was if he had taken a pill, and it got stuck in his throat. But he hadn't. He surely was having a pharyngeal spasm and couldn't catch his breath.

I was scared out of my mind. I asked if he had choked on something. No. I asked if he wanted an ambulance. Yes. I began trying to get lights on so I could see; find my glasses, and then call. I was trying to read the instructions on the phone. I really was unsure WHERE we were, and then which room number. Too much traveling. Too many rooms.

The spasm passed, and he no longer wanted an ambulance. During that spasm he really sounded like a child with whooping cough. So I told him to go in the bathroom, turn the shower on hot, and breath the steam. He did (remarkably he followed my suggestion).

After he came back in he told me to go back to sleep. What? Sure, right away. I did go back to sleep - and I guess more than I thought. At 7 he told me to get up. He was dressed and looking in the phone book I had gotten out to look up hospitals. He then called one to be sure they had an ER.

Guess where we went. Guess who is not a driver of the rental. Guess who was scared out of my mind driving to that hospital! We did get there in one piece, and to make a long story short, the ER staff were wonderful. But it was still noon before we got on the road.

Even with the horrible turn of events, we did manage 500 miles and got into Kansas. Destination made.

So now we are here in the 108 degree area of Kansas and Oklahoma. Houston is next - I hope!

Peace be with you.

Home again, home again - soon?

We are in some town in Wyoming. We are hoping for Kansas tomorrow, then home the next day in what will be considered a death march.

I actually have free internet, but it is as slow as my phone and its hot spot. So ...

I am so sorry about the flooding and the people who are included - I just can't imagine. It makes the cancellation of out return trip absolutely nothing. We are getting there. We had options. We could have flown - I'd rather walk. We could have taken a couple of trains back including the Sunset Limited that we took to California. We are still seeing beautiful things we never saw before. All is good.

I am just too tired to do some of the posting I have thought of.

Good night to you all, and peace.

Another short post

We have been so busy that trying to get to the computer and the phone's hot spot. Wednesday we saw all modes of transportation in Seattle. There was a lot of walking there, and I am really out of shape. Yesterday we rode a steam engine out to the base of Mt Rainer (still haven't seen that!). Today is a day of seminars. Too boring for me - I like to ride. So I am catching up on email and getting things straightened out here. I can't find anything.

Marti -please understand what has happened -that I am going to talk about - is not usual. Don't let this make you not want to ride the wonderful method of travel on the train. On a train, people are smiling - not so much on a plane!

We have been scurrying about pretty wildly searching for another way home. The mid-west floods have caused the Empire Builder we were going to take to Chicago has been cancelled. We could get home by rail if we made several transfers. With four suitcases - two heavy - isn't going to work for us, so we will drive home.

We won't really be late getting home. When you take the train you have to realize it is a grander, slower way. With the train, it's the journey, not the destination so much. You experience so much on a train. You see sights that you could not see by car.

So I finally got this phone to pony up and give me internet! It saved us on our return trip planning, but I don't know how long it will take. I will post things about our experiences when I can until I get back, and then I figure I will have many posts.

Peace.

Thumbnail sketch

Here we are in Portland, Oregon which is, as I was told, the bicycle capital of the world. I also read "Keep Portland weird" which also happens to seem true. I always associated that phrase with Austin, Texas, but I suppose there certainly be more than one "weird" city in the world.

Also I am being charged $9.95 for the privilege of getting emails, read your blogs to catch up, and write this little ditty. But you are worth every penny of the fee.

We arrived yesterday and I flopped on the bed. I didn't rise for the free happy hour nor going to find a place to eat for dinner.

I wanted to catch you up on some of the things we have seen and done since we have been gone. I still plan to write them. I am going to try to write them in office and then move them over. I will just bet that won't happen though. The new office and I don't like one another! And I am finding writing anything on the train is difficult at best. It is meant for looking out windows and sleeping.

The thing this blog is the train. Ah, the train. This is the one that hugs the Pacific Coast all the way, but is really close from about Malibu (I think) until there are more mountains. We saw scenery that would be difficult from a car, although there were campers, trailers, bus RV's down there along the beach. What a beautiful place.

When we got on board and into our bedroom, there was a little welcoming gift on the sink. Everything in that room was new. It was just outstanding. The food was, as I imagined it, Amtrack food. The menu was basically the same, but this train puts a little more into it. We found, too late, that there was a meal served in the Lounge car. This car is the one that has swivel club chairs and then the booths like the diner.

In the diner you most always meet some interesting people. That is for another visit with you.

The afternoon, there was a complimentary wine tasting. That was really interesting. It was wine and cheeses to sample. That's when we discovered that those booths are made for the mini people in this world, to we didn't pursue eating dinner in that car. The food was the diner food - but fewer choices, but done "fancier."

The train really was great - it even got us here to Portland AN HOUR EARLY. That may not seem unusual or something, but when we travel Amtrack, it is usually very late!

So now I am off to see what you guys have been up to. And I haven't had the latest from DIL - things seem fine. She goes to the doctor on Thursday. So we will see how far I get reading!

After I take this post from the other blog. Train brain - must be

Peace.

I have been working on the trip journal, but it isn't completed for the first days. We are in a motel in Oxnard tonight because we are changing trains. The good news is that the floor of this room won't move a millimeter! Trying to get some rest!!

I'll try for a real post on Sunday!

Looks like it's a go!

Well - Shadow is doing well with his cousins and Godparents. I just called to check. There is a bit of hissing, but he has found a new front window to watch out of. If he looks around, he will find there is one every bit as good as the bathroom window and sliding glass door at the SSB for watching wildlife. He may not want to come home!

The next thing is to leave Simone with the vet. She knows something is taking place. She knows there is not this level of activity that is normal around here unless we are headed out for a trip - be it SSB or something she knows nothing of. That will take place in about an hour.

Then our contractor/friend/whatever will be here at 8:30 to take us to the train station that is in such a wonderful part of Houston. Downtown with all the homeless. I think that is under pretty much control now. You see, we get train service only about every other day. Then, if the good lord's willing and the creeks don't rise, the train will be in at 9:15 to take off at 9:50. If it does - I will be surprised. But the last one that we got to take in privately owned cars (that spoiled me forever!) did leave just about on time. I hope the track is better than it was between here are SA. We are supposed to sleep then!

But the real news is this here lil' ol' machine will be going along for the ride. I will have internet service (I think) while we are gone. Yea!

I will have time in the evenings to return to your posts and read them from the time I had to leave them. I am so excited to catch up on your lives - that sounds a little pathetic, doesn't it. But it's true. I have missed reading it all.

So until the next time - Peace be with you. (and a little ps here - if you have a bit of time and a bit of inclination to do so - please say a few little prayers for DIL. I will fill you in later, but this pregnancy is not going as smoothly)

Home to wash

Me things we should have planned this affair better. We got in last night from the SSB. Tomorrow we leave on our two week train vacation.

Not lots from last week, but I am sure there will be stuff from the coming weeks.

I MAY pack this computer. If I do, I will give updates. I think it is looking like that may not be what happens.

We'll see. Hope you all will be enjoying the last days of spring and the beginning days of summer. No rough weather! There's been enough of that.

Peace.

Here I am again

I haven't been away because of our scare with Simone. I have had appointments. I was treated to the pleasure of an EMG. This is one of those little tests that you love - not.

This is the test where they attach electrodes to stimulate your muscles to see how much damage they can find. The first part wasn't too bad. The stimulation felt strange, but it wasn't really bad.

The last part of the test involved needles. Needles AND electrical stimulation. I discovered that the right leg isn't as sensitive as the left. They said the needles were like acupuncture needles. I think that was a little wrong! They hurt. Acupuncture doesn't hurt! And there was blood. Again not the same as acupuncture!

For a while, I thought there might be a question of Peripheral Neuropathy. But I think that was not the case. That is what I hope anyway.

I think I will hop over to one of the search engines and look for that.

Peace be with you.