Sunday, August 2, 2015 -
Monday, August 10, 2015
Sunday the 2nd
Church, lunch, and getting ready to go.
After church, Ron surprised me by suggesting we go to the Mexican restaurant for our lunch. He doesn't particularly like Mexican, but he just didn't want to go to the Barn or Bob Evans, so ... there it was. He tried another dish, and he will find one he likes eventually. He will!
After that, it was home, and I did laundry, packed, and got all the paperwork/accounting done for the meetings I was going to miss while gone, made the pertinent phone calls, and did all that kind of stuff as well as getting the dishes done and cleaning house (why? Ron would be home...) that I do before leaving on a trip. It was a busy, busy day, putting two weeks' worth of getting ready for a trip into one day, let me tell you!
But -- I got it done mostly before Josh and family got there to pick me up around 5:30. They had gone to the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and were picking me up on the way home. Since we were leaving early Monday morning, it was best for me to be with them! They did have to wait for my load of laundry to dry (since my dryer is so slow), but it was less than half an hour. I finished that little bit of packing with nice warm clothes and off we went!
We spent a nice evening playing Wheel of Fortune on their Wii, and went to bed early so we could rise early and get this party started!
Monday the 3rd - Wednesday the 5th
SMOKY MOUNTAIN VACATION!!!!!
We got up and got the car packed and hit the road bright and early - half an hour earlier than planned (who can sleep when there is vacationing to do?) even!
We get down there, and our first stop is the SkyBridge, which is in Sevierville. Then on to Pigeon Forge, where we stop at Chelle's favorite winery (Mountain View Winery, right there on the right), then on to our cabin. After we get the car unloaded, we go on in to Gatlinburg and go shopping in The Village, then go up on the SkyLift, which is the one that looks like a ski lift. Last time we were here, it wasn't working, and we are very glad it was working this time! After that, we just walked the streets of Gatlinburg, then went back to the cabin.
Tuesday was our "hiking day." We had planned on two hikes, but after we did a Quiet Walkway trail, we went to hike up to Laurel Falls. This is listed in the guides and books as "easy" and "not steep." THEY LIE!!! Oh, do they lie! Those words may be true for experienced hikers, but they are not true for the everyday tourist. Some of said tourists (not us, we were smarter than that) were wearing flip-flops or crocs, even!
They definitely need to re-write, or re-word their guides and books to differentiate for hikers and tourists. But that's just my lowly little opinion.
I did make it up to the Falls, even though it took me a while, and quite a few people passed me, but I. DID. IT.!!! It took me even longer to get back down the mountain, I think....
After that, we decided not to trust the "easy" rating of the other hike, and didn't go do it. We went instead to the Sugarlands Visitor Center and then to Cade's Cove. We didn't see any animals at all in Cade's Cove except horses. Phooey!
On Wednesday, we got up, got the car re-packed, and left the cabin. We went and did a bit more shopping (the Christmas Place!!!) and other places, then stopped at the Apple Barn for a bite to eat before leaving. Since it was the middle of the week, we got right in and it was a very enjoyable meal. We then went over to the little Christmas store in that complex, and after that I went over and sat on the front porch of the restaurant while they shopped the other stores. Then, after a stop at the Russell Stover store, we hit the highway and were on our way home.
We got home around 8:15 or so at night, so I decided to spend the night and let them take me home tomorrow.
Also -- on Tuesday, I found out that one of my friends had passed away. Just like that, everything has changed.
The friend who comes over to "play" on the Wii with me and we play for 3 or 4 hours at a time?? No more. Laura has gone on to an eternal life. I was so shocked when told -- I just couldn't believe it! We all knew that she was so allergic to stinging insects, but we never thought it would really happen, but it has. It is most distressing. But...there it is.
Thursday the 6th
I get home around 1:00 and spend the rest of the day doing up my laundry, putting things to rights in the house, and that kind of stuff.
Friday the 7th
A most stressful day. There was already a funeral at church, and I had committed to being lector for it, and now Laura's funeral is today. Her family had chosen to have her funeral up in Georgetown rather than wait until Monday to have her funeral at our church (since the other funeral was already scheduled). The first starts at 10:30, and Laura's at 11:00. I was a bad girl, but fulfilled my committment to the Bereavement Committee and the family at the funeral, then flaked out early and went to Laura's. I really, really hate to leave church early (early means before the priest) but today is special, and I think God understands. I was late to Laura's funeral, of course, but not too late - I got there not long before I left the funeral at our church (if you know the Catholic Mass, you know what I mean). After the funeral, the ladies of our church were putting on a luncheon for the family (yes, at Georgetown's church) and I stayed for that, too.
I finally got home close to 3:30 and went to lay down for a while. My brain just couldn't take any more.
Josh and Chelle dropped Corgan off after they got done doing some shopping (Ohio's tax free for school shopping!) and Ron got home soon after, and our normal Friday evening started. I needed normal, and so that was good.
Saturday the 8th
When I got up, I did my weigh-in. YAY!! A loss! Only 1.3 pounds, but it's a loss, and I'll take it! I guess that tromp up the mountain did some good. If only I could have not eaten since.....
After that, I called the guys in off of the mowers and we went to run our errands and to meet Bert for lunch. I won't list all the errands, mostly because I can't remember them all now, but there were plenty -- the Wals, oil change for only $20.00 (that was a surprise), gasoline, etc., etc. -- and we had lunch down at Hibachi because Bert had never been there and I had coupons. (Thank you, Kroger!)
Saturday evening, we went to the Pig Roast up at church. It was pretty good. The meat Ron and I got wasn't quite done, and we thought maybe things could have been hotter (but how?), but for the price, we weren't about to complain! I bid on a box of Christmas bows and bags at the Silent Auction, thinking someone would outbid me at the last minute, but I ended up winning it. Yay, me!
Sunday the 9th
Church and lunch
We didn't go out for lunch today -- we went to our friends' house instead. We came home quickly to cut up mushrooms to add to the salad we were taking, and off we went.
We had our lunch and spent the afternoon playing dominoes. We didn't get home until after 8:00!
It was a wonderful relaxing day with friends!
Monday the 10th
Happy Homemaker Day. Yippy Skippy Doodle.
I did run uptown to have my lunch - I went to Gold Star (I wanted to see if they had any Bengals schedules (they didn't) - bummer) - but other than that, it was Happy Homemaker shit all day long.
Blah.
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