Back in MO Mode

This is a photo I took from the Prudence Island Ferry on Friday morning ... the photo is not that great, but it's of the gorgeous 12-Meter "Heritage" (US-23) under sail in very calm weather. 12-Meters hold a special place in my heart based on my childhood memories of the America's Cup races that used to be held out of Newport Harbor. Plus, they are just plain beautiful boats.

Back to me: arrived back in MO around 9pm last night after almost a full day of travel (RI to DC short leg, 3-hour layover, DC to MO long leg). Very tired! Read “Maneater” by Gigi Levangie Grazer in its entirety … pretty funny, laughed out loud more than a couple times … perfect airport travel and/or beach read … with that name, the author coulda, shoulda been any one of her Star Chamber.

The worst part of any vacation for me is the air travel, so of course it bookends all of them. As I get older, and more planes crash, I dread it more and more. I know take-offs and landings are the two most dangerous times, so grind through them in extreme agitation, concentrating on not hyperventilating while Machine Head runs through my mind, “breathe in, breathe out!” Thank you, Gavin Rossdale!

It prolly wouldn’t be so bad were I not a total control freak … if I were actually piloting the plane I’d be fine! Instead I have to stare straight ahead at the bulkhead toward the fore of the plane while my stomach clenches around whatever is in it. For someone who never got seasick in years of sailing as a child (and in some pretty rough weather at times) I’m a horrible motion-sickness sufferer in cars (unless I’m driving or have shotgun) and planes. Bleh. Anyway; survived just fine, par usual. But it’s when I get back to MO each time that I decide I’m driving the next time!

Brig, of course, was waiting at the gate, so we got my baggage and then I (quite selfishly) made her come to Walmart with me to restock on the way home so I wouldn’t have to go back today (I know myself well enough to know I ain’t leaving the house day after I get home from vacation!). Thus lengthening her day by an hour or so, because she still had to drive back to her house afterward … sorry, Brig!

The menagerie is extremely happy to see me (always most awesome!) and hasn’t let me out of site for more than a few minutes since last night. Joey’s eaten quite a few times, and the girls have been laying practically on my feet with their rawhide treats … even Maddie didn’t wait the usual requisite 24 hours before she deigned to “notice” my reappearance in her life.

Good to be home.

Now, about the picture below … in keeping with those from my blog on the 8th, this is the house I spent most of my childhood in. It looks much, much different these days. When it was ours it wasn't shingled, but rather was painted a light gray, with pale green garage and front doors and dark green trim everywhere else, and we had a beautiful Maple tree in front of the living room windows on the left. In fact, the living room windows were completely different (two large on top, two small push-out on the bottom). And although we did have the double driveway (natch, with the double garage), we didn't have the additional parking lot to the right (in fact, over there we had a lovely evergreen tree that eventually towered over the house) ... and we had bushes and other shrubbery along the right side of the house and under the front picture windows. Oh, and the shed in the backyard to the right wasn't there.

What I'm saying here is this house ... formerly my home ... was much better when we lived there! And I totally admit to being completely biased here. But I'm also right!