more miles, more smiles

This summer is turning out to have a bit of travel in it for me!

I left Minneapolis a week ago Friday evening and stopped at a friend’s in Watertown which is roughly half-way to my parents. I spent Saturday morning visiting a couple of friends and then headed East again. I detoured through Lake Geneva and took a picture or two of the lake. I love it there! but I didn't want to waste too much time since I had made this a two-day trip... :(

The first part of last week I was able to help my mom prepare the house for 14 people before my Dad had pilonidal cyst surgery on Wednesday. I didn't realize my parent's house was so big until I had to clean it! I took care of dusting, vacuuming, bathrooms, ceiling fans, etc. We also went to the grocery store...hmm, fun!

On Wednesday, the surgery went well and Dad made it home to recover in only a few hours. He did really great the day of and day after surgery as he still had lots of pain meds in him, but he slowed way down each day after that. Of course, there was a lot of excitement around the house as my new niece, Lily, came for a visit the same day. Anna had picked up Jake, Meg & Lily from the airport in Indy and they drove up and met us at the house.

Funny story about the waiting room...

Mom had gone back to sit with Dad before his surgery. I waited in the waiting room and when Mom returned, I headed out to get us some lunch. When I came back we left some of our things (bag of snacks, water bottles, and a book) on a chair and went to a kitchenette area to eat our lunch. We ate and chatted but didn't get a chance to go back to the sitting area before a nurse came to get Mom because the surgery was over.

I went to wait in the sitting area until she came to get me. I didn't go sit by our things because a lady was sitting next to the seat with our things and I didn't need them. I had my phone and was checking email, facebook, etc. I looked up a few times and noticed the lady had gotten interested in my book. No harm, I thought.

I didn't think much of it until I heard rustling of a bag and looked up to see her rummaging through our things and unzipping the bag with our water! Ok, I guess I should move the stuff out of her way... I walked over and very sweetly said, "I can move this out of your way."

As I had approached her, she had put her finger in the book and moved her arm across the back of a chair. She said something about wondering what it was and maybe something else, I don't really remember because I was eyeing the book. She was acting like it was hers... "I guess, I need the book, too." I said...and finished in my head, since it's a library book.

She very hesitantly said, "It was just getting good." I didn't explain that it wasn't her book because just then Mom came to get me to go back to see Dad. I just smiled and walked away. Thankfully she was gone by the time I came back out to go get the car to take Dad home.

Anyway, back at the ranch...The rest of the family trickled in each day for the next two days: Jen's arrived late on Thursday and Jess & Luke arrived late on Friday. All 14 of us were together so we were able to get a family picture on Saturday morning (I’ll be sure to post it when I get a copy! I think Jake's editing it for us).

I had to leave Sunday to make the 9 hour drive back and the rest of the family trickled out throughout the rest of the day and also today…except for Lily and her parents—they get to stay until Wednesday.

Hopefully my dad will heal quickly and then be able to have surgery for his herniated disc. He’s been in a lot of pain from that since Easter. He describe the pain that goes down his legs like a “220 volt”.

My trip home was mostly uneventful. I did stop in Watertown for a couple of hours and catch up with the Kurschner sisters. Oh, and when I arrived back in Minneapolis there was lovely construction greeting me when I was only a few miles from home! I was detoured downtown with no further signs of assistance. Now, I do work downtown, but not in the area where I was diverted from the highway...so my trip lasted a little longer than planned.

It was good to be back and sleep in my own bed!