A Week's Worth

From left to right: New York Rose, Maine White Pine Tassel, New Hampshire Lilac, Vermont clover, New Mexico Yucca, Arizona Saguaro Cactus Blossom

Oregon Grapes

Nevada Sagebrush

California Poppy

Texas Bluebonnets

Massachusettes Mayflowers

It's snowing again. Pretty, but getting old fast. Today is a good day for it to snow, since I am home and don't have to go out in it. Wednesday morning I was drenched in the icy rain, then headed up to Maine. With the diarrhea. Thursday I was out a good portion of the day in the snow. Cold feet, snow down my collar...Friday wasn't bad, I drove back in the morning and more or less caught up on emails and paperwork, then went home. To warm up. I've been warming up ever since.

Today I read in the hot tub, then I took my book and curled up in front of the fire. Then worked on the puzzle. My goal was to rest and stay warm, and other than washing the trash can and making the bed, I've pretty much achieved that. I'll go watch a movie later by the wood stove which Paul has roaring. Yay team. I'm not even making dinner. I'm still a bit sensitive from that lousy bug I took with me to Maine. Paul is having frozen pizza.

Above are the states in the puzzle that we're mostly finished with. I don't know why we do them. We grumble like crazy:

"Look at this piece. Can you believe it? How do they cut this shape?!"

"Why is the edge like that, for Pete's sake. This is a retarded puzzle."

I guess this is what fun looks like when you're our age.

We haven't put Tennessee together yet, but I'm guessing the state flower is either Lilly or Heather.

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Driving home yesterday morning. Was nice - no ice or snow or rain. Actually had to wear sunglasses. Saw lots of tire tracks in the medians, along with pieces of cars and a tire or two. Oh the stories they tell...

Got lost too. Years I've been trekking this route. Generally I plan my pit stops, and have become familiar with several along the way. I have my favorites. But the need hit me about 9 miles in front of Worcester. It is still 290 at that point, but when you get out of Worcester it becomes 395. That is about a 20 mile stretch that I never stop in, but after the third cup of tea...

The exit sign showed McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, etc. etc. so I took it. Someone was thinking when they started to put the arrows on the sign after you take the exit, so you know which way to turn after exiting. I followed the signs. At first, all I could see was that I was in an industrial park sort of neighborhood. No Mcdonalds, gas station, or anything. My bladder was screaming. I went straight through the next intersection. My phone rang, and I had to deal with some work stuff, and maybe thats where I went wrong, but I never saw a McDonalds. I just kept going, and started following a truck, figuring with some twisted logic that they were going somewhere good.

Miles and miles, I followed and followed, squirming and squirming. We passed a hospital, all the parking for said hospital, doctors' offices, and the typical houses for blocks around a hospital. We passed a tenement neighborhood, where I had to laugh, because there were chairs and buckets and various furniture items on the side of the street where people had shoveled out their cars, then claimed that spot with their lawn furniture and such. I didn't laugh too hard, though, maybe a chuckle to be more accurate. Things were getting dire. Where the hell was I? And why is there no McDonalds or Dunkin Donuts?? Nothing! Not even a gas station. How can this be?

Finally the truck turned, but I chose not to. After he turned, I looked down the street he had turned onto, and saw it was a short little block to the commerce section of wherever the heck I was. Gratefully, I found and took the next turn that main street and to my right were both McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts. McDonalds was closer, so in I turned, and finally found relief.

Getting back into the truck, I thought "one problem solved. now what do I do?" On instinct, I turned right. Don't ask my why. If I knew it wouldn't be instinct. I followed for several blocks, reading any signs carefully. I was looking to get back onto 290. Now here is my problem, (on top of the obvious one that I'm lost) I am never sure which direction 290/395 goes. Let me rephrase that. I know it goes east/west. I just don't know which direction takes me to Massachusettes, and which takes me home. So even if I find 290, which is looking like that aint happening, which direction do I go?

I saw a sign for 20 west. To Sturbridge. Ah ha! I think I could get home from Sturbridge, I've been there before. So I turned onto 20 west. Meanwhile, my phone rings again. It's Foo. "I'm so lost!" I laughed in the phone. I was thinking this was pretty funny. She got on her computer and asked for an address. "Well, I'm on 20 west, I think in Massachusettes. Hold on and let me see if something has an address out front." I found 139 Washington St. She asked me if I was still moving, and I said yes. "Well stop!" she laughed. I just kept going. She's good with maps and was doing a bang up job when I saw signs in front of me - 395 Norwich CT/290 Worcester MA.

I busted up. Wow. That is like magic. And I even knew which direction to go.

When I got off 290 I had been going in the right direction, and ended up getting back on after it turned into 395. I hadn't even lost much time.

This has happened to me over and over again. Somehow I lose my way, but manage without the help of maps or GPS or anything, to get back on the right track. And I don't even have a good sense of direction - two turns and I'm confused. But somehow I pull it off, every time.

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I called Paul on his cell phone on my way home from work earlier this week. We were chatting up a storm, and he was wrapping up his work and getting ready to leave when he says,

"Okay, I just need to find my phone. Where did I put that thing."

Funny.

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Okay, time to do more nothing. I hope everyone is well.

Peace.