Though the trip was twice as long as last time, the visit was still all too short.

The colors were beautiful; Fall is in full swing in North Carolina and Virginia and all the trees are dressed in Autumn's finest.

It was great to see everyone, especially Mom. I know she's not happy about being where she is, but she is making wonderful progress and should be home before Christmas if all goes well.

I got to see some old friends, and missed some others. I completely missed every opportunity to hash even though I really wanted to see all my old friends from my former kennel. Oh well. I'll be up again sometime and will try again then.

I'll take making that drive with two people over going solo with two cats any day. Good company, good music, good scenery, and cuddles and smooches during the potty/gasoline stops. No better way to travel. ;-)

Today, since I was still off, I was at the house catching up on cleaning that didn't get done while I was gone. Interestingly, the messes continued to be made. At least the cats were fed, and their flea problem seems to have taken leave of them. Whew!

Neighbors took note of my presence and the fact that windows were open to air out the place, so I was interrupted at least every 20 minutes for some inane purpose or other. But they brought me boxes for my upcomming move, too, so that was good.

I go back to work on Monday, so I still have a weekend left to relax and recover. Going to have to do a whole bunch of laundry. Let's see, $3 per gallon to drive to Yaw's house and use his stuff for free (about 1/2 tank which equals about $18), or $2.75 per load to wash (at least three loads before adding in the dirties from the trip) and $1.25 per load to dry 3 blocks away? For a $2 difference, I'll talk to Yaw, but he leaves again tomorrow for on-site work with a new client. Sigh.

I'm very much looking forward to my new place with a washer and dryer RIGHT THERE in the house!

Rob says she sounded like she was in good spirits when he spoke to her yesterday. Jan says she's heard that being there is causing her stress.

I will see for myself in a matter of days, whether she is Queen Rose in audience at the place where she is healing, or if she is tired and scared and just wants to go home again.

It tears me into lots of teeny tiny pieces to know that she has gone through this painful time and I have not been there at her side every second, to comfort her and do everything I can to make the healing go faster.

And I know that it tears up my Father even more that he had to make such a hard decision - to put her in that place so she could heal, and have people right there at hand all the time just in case anything happened.

He's always been so strong, so forceful, in his conviction that he must be the protector and make everything right. Maybe that's where I get it from. I feel I have in some way deserted my family because I have not dropped everything and run up there ages ago. It doesn't matter that they told me I should stay here and keep my plans to be home at birthday/Thanksgiving time. They promised to tell me immediately if things went south and I should come up.

It took every grain of self control I had to not ditch the rent payment and fly up after her hip broke. Even more self restraint was required when I heard she was feeling unhappy there.

This is the woman who held me when I cried for absolutely no reason as a teenager; who, when I was separated and feeling so insane and unstable, sat on the floor of my room beside me in spite of the pain it caused her to sit there, and rocked me in her embrace until the sobbing subsided and I could breathe again. When I was losing my baby, she was there, at my side, crying too, but giving me all the strength I needed to get through each moment. This is the woman who sat through each concert or play that I performed and made sure I had the most beautiful gown, who supported me the entire way.

How in the world can I sit here one second more knowing she might need that same support from me? I tried calling her, but must always be timing it wrong. I know she has Dad's phone, but I don't think she can check the messages. I just want her to hear my words; to know I'm with her, that the miles between us mean nothing.

I can't wait to see her. My Mother. Queen Rose.

Hmmm...

I don't have anything to say, really.

I was just busting Mayberry's chops for not updating often enough, so I felt I should update my own.

Then there's the Coolest Thing Ever that's been on Hiatus since ... FOREVER. I can't post a comment on that one, though. They don't let you. :=(

Must I be the blog police?

Spanking for everyone! (Note the lack of a plural. That means something.)

I wonder if the chicken soup I made is cool enough to put away yet so I can go to bed. If not, who knows what craziness I will inflict on the blogs of my friends and relations!

Oh yeah. And about those fleas. Two weeks my sweet a... That stuff lasted about 4 days and the cats (and I) are still being bothered by the little fiends.

I'm seriously considering selling all the furniture, or heck, just giving it all to charity, and buying the blow-up furniture they sell as gags. Or maybe just camping furniture. They make a full variety now; you can get beds (on a metal frame), chairs, folding tables, side tables, pretty much anything you'd want.

Then I'll shave the kitties once a week so the fleas can't hide. And rip up the horrible brown-puke colored carpet that comes with the apartment. I'm sure the management won't mind.

Yeah, that's the ticket.