Everyday with dan...: Weekend trip home

Monday, March 25, 2019

Weekend trip home - solo

I made a quick trip back "home" by myself this weekend. Jane may have suggested I do it - so she could do our taxes, and since I've been dragging my feet fulfilling my part of the 'checking in on the parentals.' One or both of us would like to visit my parents at least every 6 weeks, if not more. I was overdue for a visit.

Anyway, my mom was happy. She had a list of small jobs for me to do: Purchase and put up a new flag for outside (oh, the irony of me buying an American flag - in Walmart of all places!), pick up sticks in the yard, put the tops on the various bird baths she has all over, carry some old paint cans up from the basement and set out for somebody to pick up, assemble a shelf, rearrange the two bedrooms upstairs, and repair the upstairs toilet. I was able to get everything done between Saturday late-morning to late-afternoon. I knew she also wanted help cleaning out their garage but.... what it really needs is a dumpster and for her to be gone! Ugh, they have so much... crap!

Anyway, some other tidbits from the trip...

I wasn't feeling overly good health-wise. Nothing serious, but a sore throat and just a run-down sort of feeling. My throat was swollen and sorer on Saturday, and I kind of had that clammy feeling. It didn't hinder me much, but probably just made me a little more irritable than usual.
I worked at the Y 5-9 am Friday, then left for Buda around 1 pm EST. I hoped to miss the bulk of traffic along I-80 between Gary, IN and Joliet, IL (they are an hour behind us). It wasn't bad until I got near Joliet where I-55 crosses I-80. This seems to always be a hectic section, and it was again. It was stop-and-go, bumper-to-bumper for several miles. I know there was at least one wreck, it also goes from 3 lanes down to 2. So I was kind of just spacing out, stopping and starting, and then BAM! A guy in a pick-up truck rammed into me from behind. It kind of woke me up and took me a minute to realize what had happened (not that I was sleeping, but just not paying attention). Anyway, since traffic was already stopped, I got out, and he got out. We didn't see much in the way of visible damage - a little dimple in my back bumper plastic - so we each gave a thumbs up and got back in our vehicles. He offered to give me his phone number but I didn't think it necessary. And it wasn't. Whew!
I didn't do anything Friday night. We had Casey's pizza and watched NCAA basketball tournament games. I went up to my room around 9 pm I think. I did some reading and am not sure what time I fell asleep. I didn't wake up until like 10 am the next morning though! It felt good to sleep in.
Saturday afternoon I had to go to Kewanee to get a part for the toilet. On the way back I stopped in at Brothers Pub to see if the owner was there. He was, but he wasn't working. Instead he was drunker than drunk. So he bought me a couple beers and made me do a shot of Patron with him. He's a good guy, and I usually like talking with him. He's one of those who considers himself an atheist or agnostic, but ALWAYS wants to talk about God and religion. He also asked me several times if I would want to buy the bar. It actually has a couple apartments above and another room beside that could be a restaurant or... I've always thought would make a great church/community center sort of thing. Anyway, I finally made it out of there and once again just watched basketball with my parents until I went to bed at 10 pm.
I ended up leaving Sunday morning when my mom left to go to church. It was an uneventful trip back to the Fort, even though it rained off and on. My throat still hurt and my neck was sore, but I stayed awake pretty good.
I guess I did go for a run Saturday afternoon. I only needed to do a 5k on this day, so I ran a little over 3 miles and walked another mile. It was the first time I'd run outside in a long time. Ugh, I was feeling it in my throat and chest, but it also felt kind of good. I took some of these pics along the way.