gps, yellow, drive1, dune, lunch, drive2

I started off my trip last weekend early on Friday morning as I headed out to my sister's.    I had a borrowed GPS and a google map and figured I was good to go.      Unfortunately, the outlet in my car didn't work and the battery on the GPS was dying.    I managed to get to the correct highway and shut it down - thinking I would rely on the google map.    That worked until I got close to her house, and then it turned into a steaming pile of crap and I was lost.   I fired up the GPS, nursing the battery until it died when I turned onto her street.  I was actually early, but shaken a bit.  I really don't like being lost.

While waiting for my brother-in-law to get home from work, my sister and I took a little road trip to see her new office (she has a door, a fridge, and a window with a view - it rocks) and to go to Yellow Springs, Ohio.   Kind of a weird, fun little town.  The sign poles - for example, were covered in knitted cozies.   No idea why.   We checked out a couple of weird little shops and headed back in time to get the car packed and get some dinner before heading out.  

The drive took forever, as usual, and we got in fairly late.    There was a minor dispute involving the sleeping arrangements for me at Grandma's house (she's staying with my uncle and aunt).  Apparently, I could sleep on the floor - which was the only place for me as far as I could tell - provided I left enough room for my parent's dog to get past if she needed to go out in the middle of the night.   Not the first time the dog has outranked me and I knew that my folks were tired from the week of cleaning out grandma's place - but it still rankled me a bit.

Saturday, out to my uncle's for the day to visit grandma.   We got to ride in dune buggy - quite a ride - and had some sandwiches for lunch.     When my parents left to head back to Illinois, grandma had some troubling mood swings which I guess are symptoms of the stroke she is still recovering from.  

On Sunday we went out to lunch and grandma and I did battle over the check.  She's fast, but I was more clever and determined - and I won.   I think she was a little ticked at me - but if Dad was there, he would have fought her over the check as well.

Sunday evening was a trip to my cousin's place for dinner on the grill.  I think grandma had a good time, but asked my uncle to drive her back early so she could go to bed.   We stayed there late playing trivial pursuit - then crashed back at grandma's place.

We stopped by my uncle's place to say our goodbyes before getting on the road again.   

I did a lot of folding on the trip back, then dozed a bit.   From my sister's, I then headed back to akron.    Traffic, in general, was pretty tame - especially considering it was memorial day weekend.   I'm still really tired this morning and not looking forward to the day.

Overall, I'm both pleased and dismayed at the progress grandma has made since her stroke in April.    Mentally, she's better that I thought she would be.   She has good spells and not so good ones, but still had her sense of humor.    Her mood is mercurial and she has some memory issues.   Her vision is still bad in one eye and that has damaged her confidence in getting around.  She is unsteady on her feet and somewhat frail.  

I guess the plan is for her to stay with my aunt and uncle through the summer - then if she's much improved, she'll continue on there.  Otherwise, she'll move to a nursing home.  Meanwhile, her house is being cleared out and cleaned up so that my cousin and her fiance can move in and rent it.     The time table seems fast to me - but it's very much out of my hands/opinions.  

I'm worried about her and I wish I was closer so that I could do more.

(sigh)  Well, at least it's a short work week.   Maybe I need a little more sunshine.

that's it for now - back to work...