Wherever life takes you, you take life
Just when you think a long week-end is a great way to get away from it all, life laughs at you. We drove to Long Island, NY, for sea duck hunting, a fun 18-hour drive through 4 states. Pennsylvania, is the fraternal twin of Kansas, except Pennsylvania has more hills. Ohio turned into WhOA-hio, with a lake-effect snow blizzard near Lake Erie. More cars were off the road than on, including us, in a near miss. To add more bliss to the near miss, our engine was missing a beat.
On day two of our week-end, Assisted Living in Illinois called. Dad had a stroke of sorts. He sat listless, unresponsive, and dazed, but hey, he was sitting! The head nurse and I agreed that ER was not going to do anything but run tests and observe. We opted for the wait and watch plan. Still, I rummaged through my head how to fly home fast, if needed. Hunting continued for the guys; we girls ran by the Amityville Horror House and learned the real story; then to the movie, “August: Osage County.” While Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts never disappoint, this was perhaps the darkest, dysfunctional film I’ve seen in a while. A really fun day of downers, though! (Except for the stroke part…)
On day three, Dad improved, returning to his pleasantly, confused state as if nothing had happened. The hunting continued on the Atlanatic bays and salt marshes, while we girls hunted Broadway Tickets. We snagged 4th row seats – just minutes before curtain time. YES! As requested, I powered off my phone and thoroughly enjoyed “Kinky Boots.” Oh stop it, it wasn’t trashy. After the show, I powered up and saw new voicemail. My heart sunk again. Our dog sitter, Jennifer, began, “Lily is fine and the house didn’t burn down…” (whew) “But (and this is a BIG but) the heat’s off; the house is 55 degrees. That’s not bad until the Vortex blows through town tonight.” An emergency repairman made the house call and re-booted the pilot. We had heat again. Now we are looking forward to a car repair bill for the missing engine and heater repair bill for the house call. Ch-ching.
Day four: Home again, home again, jiggity-jig. I purchased AAA insurance for the return trip home. What joy to think we’d possibly be waiting in mid-Pennsylvania for a tow truck! My 3 concerns, Dad, the car and the house all, maintained their mojo. What a week-end. Still, (still) it was good to get away. But do we ever totally get away? Maybe in Swahililand where cell phones don’t work. There are so many clichés I could use, even though I’d rather not, but there they are, wherever life takes you, you take life.
“Things run in threes.”
“Just when you think it can’t get any worse, it will “, and my favorite,
“You can run, but you can’t hide.”
In spite of life following us wherever we may go, I will continue to take little or big week-ends. And so should you.
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