Hybrid part 2

Sometimes I feel like a hybrid, too. A cross between maybe a human and something fey.

There I was, in a brand new house, alone, with two beds and four folding chairs. Late has only recently bought the house, and they haven't furnished it yet. It was about 6 pm, and again I was very tired. The subdivision is huge, and I barely understood how to get in there. I wasn't about to try to get out in the dark. There are no street lights there, and it's in the middle of nothing. One wrong turn, and the buzzards would find me in a few days. Maybe.

I decided to make myself comfy, since I couldn't make dinner, and get online. Oops. No can do. I still don't get it - I sometimes had a five-star unsecured signal, but I could not tap into it. I tried to get on, gave up, and spent time clearing out some old files on my computer. It's amazing how much junk accumulates when you don't look, isn't it?

I read a book. Most of a whole book. Late called to say she would be late due to the snowstorm I managed to miss. We had almost a foot of snow the day after I left the state. Hey, it wasn't my fault! Still, I was secretly pleased. Don't tell anyone. It's always a pleasure to be some place warm and miss a snow storm.

About 2 am I convinced myself that I really needed some sleep. I drugged myself and went to bed. Late told me in the morning that she came in around 3 am, but I heard nothing. That is rare for me - even with a sleeping pill, I wake up at the drop of a dime.

In the morning we decided to eat, walk, and shop. I need to eat something in the mornings due to medication, we always walk, and she needed to pick up a lot of stuff for the house. I drove, figuring we would be gone just a few hours. She directed me about 40 miles away to a little restaurant, which we hit about 3 pm. By then, I really wasn't even hungry any more, but I ate a little. I reminded her - walk, then shop.

She directed me to a Target store, where we bought four of everything. Of course, it was dark when we left the store. No walk. I managed to drive through the mountains in the dark without any street lights and get back to her house, where we unloaded her stuff andset it up. Most, of course, was kitchen stuff. It was kind of fun, playing with all new things. We opened packages and boxes and put things away. We made sandwiches for dinner, and sat down and talked for a few hours. 

The next morning we got up and walked. I was determined to do that! We probably walked only 4 miles, but at least it was nice out. Her subdivision has walking trails throughout it, with little water stations for people and dogs, plus little doggy doo doo disposal posts, complete with little bags. Very cute. There were occasional playgrounds for children, too. Afterwards, a friend we used to work with showed up, and we went out to lunch together. We went to a Chilis. I was happy to get a huge salad.

Late and the friend went on to some furniture stores, but I begged off. I had driven separately, and I wanted to try to get on the Internet while waiting for another local friend of mine to show up. I never did get online, but he did show up. We went for a beer, then for a hike in the Saguro (I spelled it wrong, didn't I?) National Park. I believe we walked in a gully wash or something like that? It was my fault we didn't go farther into the park - I was getting edgy again about driving in the mountains and all. I am such a northern girl sometimes.

When I returned to Late's house, she wasn't there and didn't answer her phone. I rather expected that, so I got my book out again. She returned, we had dinner, and then we went outside.

We went in her backyard first, but the porch was in the way. We walked out onto the driveway, and looked up. The stars were just incredible. I was highly impressed. I have seen stars in a lot of different locations, but that was the most beautiful I have ever seen the sky look. The Milky Way was very evident. I could clearly see the sword of Orion - I don't think I have ever seen those three stars so clearly. I was totally awed. I can only imagine how beautiful they must be farther out in the desert, or on top of a mountain. The trip was worth it just for that few minutes of standing on Late's driveway in my socks.

I told Late that her casita was to be called Susita's Casita, because it is mine. I left something of mine there to stake my claim, but she said she went in there and didn't find it. That makes it mine, right?

My last morning there, we went for another walk, about 4 miles again. I packed up, and we drove back towards Phoenix in tandem. (Late returned to her house that night, and just came home tonight from AZ.) I was meeting another friend; she was meeting another former co-worker. We all met at a mall, but not in the same places. My friend and I went to dinner.

We had a great time, laughing and giggling and drinking and eating. I had to go to the ladies' room, and as soon as I opened the door I almost ran into Late. I had no idea we were eating in the same restaurant, and neither did she. She and her friend came back to our table to say hi for a few minutes.

By this time, I was getting very jumpy. I had already driven 100 miles again through the desert, and didn't want to get back in the car and get on the freeway in the dark to find the offsite car rental return area. I really, really did not want to do that.

My friend got in her car, let me follow her, and led me to the airport, and then all the way to the rental site. She was my angel that night for sure. Once I parked the car, I didn't want to move. I just sat still and breathed for a few minutes. I don't know why that made such a wreck out of me, but it was my second meltdown over one trip.

There is a good chance I will be returning to AZ in the next couple of months. I hope if I can swing it, that I will get to hike a lot more. I feel I get more from a new place when I am on foot than any other way.

My fears on doing another airport security check were unfounded. No one felt me up, no one made me stand in a separate area looking guilty. One nice man noticed my sling and lifted my suitcase up on the security counter for me, after asking me if it was my shoulder or collar bone. He has been where I am, and he said he felt my pain. I thought that was sweet.

As far as my luggage that I had to drag all over, I only had a pilot bag and a carry bag. My purse would have fit in the carry bag, if I needed it to. I travel light, and even more so when injured. In fact, I was oneshirt short. Late loaned me a pj top so I didn't have to wear a shirt twice. It sort of looked like a regular top. The pilot bag has a handle that allows the carry bag to hook onto it, so I only had to drag the pilot bag. However, I usually switch hands off and on, and I had to totally rely on my left hand this time.

We left the Phoenix airport about half an hour late. I got to the Detroit airport about 6 am, and was home in my house at 8 am. We sure did have a lot of snow! It was snowing when I was driving, but I am used to driving on icy bridges. It's desert roads I am not accustomed to.

Molly was not in great shape when I came in. The dog sitter had left about 2:30 am, to take herself and her dog home to sleep. She assumed my dogs would just go back to sleep after she left. (She sat 3 days, Waldo's brother sat 3 days.) They didn't, from what I could tell. I was obviously late for their first outing of the day, and they were very hungry and highly stressed. Molly needed 2.5 times her usual dose of prednisone, and I am not sure that was enough. I had to give her 2 times her dose yesterday, and 1.5 times today. We took a 2 mile walk with Waldo and his mom today, and I think Molly is back to herself now. Today was a little warmer here, around 45 degrees, and the snow was melting.

Baby is still leaving me little packages every time I go out of the house. She is, I think, expressing her displeasure at my having been gone.

Tonight I picked up the third lesson of my class, since someone else had to teach the first two lessons for me. The class is the email and Internet one, and no one in the class has a clue. It will be great; they will learn so much by the time we are done. I should have taken pictures in AZ and emailed them to my sub, who could have shown them to the class, but I didn't. I will, next time.

We are back to normal routines here. I think I need to plan another trip! I have a new dogsitter and I plan to use him all I can.