Yes, folks, once more I am heading to my hometown and visiting my mom, family, and friends. Posting daily to my blog is not always easy so if there are some days you hear nothing from here, sorry! Mom's computer, for which I am most grateful, uses dial-up service which ties her telephone line when on-line. I won't be able to be on the Internet for the longer periods of time I am normally. Not for the blog, anyway. Fortunately, my cell phone allows me to access the Internet for my other purposes, so I can continue to communicate via text messages, Facebook, e-mail, and yes, even telephone! Just not the ideal device for typing a blog posting!
Justin was downright giddy this evening when he was coming home from work. He asked what plans were made for dinner, and I told him he can make whatever he wished. He made reservations! Justin treated me to dinner tonight at Aron's Pizza. What a sweetheart! I had been chiseling away at the leftover ham from Sunday's event but some stromboli would be a welcome change from ham! Earlier in the week he had wanted to do something together before I left, and we had several opportunities to do so.
On the way home from dinner, he asked me to stop at Winn Dixie so he could run in for some dessert pops. For a long while Justin has told me about these Weight Watchers raspberry pops coated with dark chocolate. In fact, he was so enthusiastic about my having one, he wanted to watch my reaction when I tasted it. This treat was quite good, and he wondered if it reminded me of the dessert we used to get at Sarnelli's. A frozen raspberry ball coated with chocolate shell. Very close to that taste!
As excited as he was about treating me to dinner and the treat, he was not excited about helping me get the laptop back up and running. Since it had been purged, many of the 'programs' or whatever needed to be brought back up. I am not familiar with doing this, usually that is done for me. He had to help me (i.e. do it for me) reload Google Chrome and follow the prompts. As I said, usually this is done for me so I was not familiar with what was supposed to be happening.
I needed to print off my 'bus pass' for the ride from MKE to Manty but the computer did not recognize my printer. "Justin...I need your help again..." He clicked, moved, troubleshot, etc., and got my computer to recognize the driver of the printer. Right! I figure I should learn how to do this but it hardly ever happens so I don't need to worry my pretty little head about it.
I am no stranger to frustration, either, and was quite so when looking at my Documents files. With the upgraded Word program, things look different and are moved around from how they are normally ordered. This sort of freaked me out because I could not tell immediately if everything was put back after the 'exorcism'. This will require some effort on my part, to move things around and put them where they belong. It might have to wait until I get back from WI.
At last, I have found a place where our family can eat in Manty on Mother's Day! Luigi's Italian Restaurant said we can come there to dine for dinner. Hopefully we can have the small room off to the side but if not, we will be in proximity to each other for talking purposes. I didn't want to eat too late as the little boys have school the next day but we still have to wait for Lori and David to get there from across the state. Most of the dinner clubs stop serving their Mother's Day meals at 3:00 pm to allow their staff to have the rest of the day off.
Justin got my suitcase out for me this evening after dinner, and I threw some stuff into it. I am ready! He thought I could get by with a smaller bag but because stuff comes back with me in the form of cheeses and other treats, the larger bag is needed. Jill, my sister, told me it was chilly up there, so I threw in a pullover top to wear in the van for the trip to Manty. She will admit me into the building once I arrive, and get me set up in Mom's apartment. Mom and Lynn will be at a banquet when I arrive. I have an 'old' car coat I gave Mom years ago that I can wear once I get there. Hope it's clean!
A couple years ago Justin and I each got a jacket in New York, mine being a wind breaker-style by a well-known designer. Just because it's a designer jacket does not make it warm! Of course, as soon as bought the jackets, the rain let up. I could stick that in the suitcase but as I said, it provides little actual warmth. I wonder where his NY jacket is...Good thing they were on sale, at Macy's, or I never would have bought them.
My purse is purged of excess papers and such, making it lighter for me to carry, and making room for my book. Justin was trying to get me to take the little laptop along but I chose not to stick it in the suitcase. Other than the blog, and the church newsletter, I won't have a need really, since I can do most of my communicating on my phone. Without Internet access, it wouldn't do me much good.
The ham is cut from the bone, at least much of it was, with the bone now in the freezer. Justin thinks he will make a kettle of soup for the night of my return. We shall see...I suspect we can stop at Longhorn on the airport road to have dinner that night just as well! I hope he remembers to munch on the ham, make some sandwiches or something with what I cut off. Too delicious and expensive to allow it to waste!
Judy J. is picking me up for the airport ride. My originals travel plans were made with Justin being available to take me, but then his boss changed the schedule. Rats! We will say our 'good-byes' in the morning and Judy will get her good-bye at the curb. It will be whirlwind when I get back from WI, with Pentecost the next day, Confirmation Day with party, and then Installation Day for the retirement pastor serving Keystone Heights, Richard Schleicher. His wife, Ellen, is my friend, whom I met and fell in love with last summer. And now they are here!!! The service is at 4:00 pm, with an hour drive from OP, so will have to allow plenty of time for the party and then, the drive. Maybe someone will be my chauffeur to Keystone....I hope so!
