The Vacation and the Return of THGGM

Presently, all is quiet in the living room. I sit on the couch with a laptop and a warm cat who has just experienced what we call "Spa Day". He is well groomed. I'm still frumpy looking.

THGGM just left to go back to work. Back to work HERE. Close to home. Not hours away. I like this.

But, the benefits of his having worked out of town were many. He was given a bonus week of vacation besides an unexpected financial bonus which made it possible for us to do fun things last week. Well, fun for US. I'm sure no one else would consider them fun.

We did a lot of antique shopping. Six different antique malls, some of them more than once. We had our carpets cleaned. Three closets were cleaned out. We bought a new stove. I just could not bare to cook anymore with that oven that had had all the mice running in and out of it in the past. Behind the old stove we discovered a small hole. It is now plugged. This stove has a perfectly flat top. There is NO WAY that even one mouse could climb into it. I am well pleased about that.

THGGM's nine months out of town enabled us to purchase, with cash, a new washer (the only thing the old one adgetated was ME), a new dryer (we hadn't had one in years), the new stove, a real set of pans (mine had been THGGM's grandmother's), a new couch (to replace the dirty yellow one), a beautiful sleigh bed (I could not even begin to describe the condition of our old bedframe) and to catch up on all (at least we THINK all - if we still owe you, please call!) of the bills we had gotten impossibly far behind on when THGGM lost two jobs in one year. Those were fun times. I injured my leg BEFORE his insurance kicked in, and if you want to fall QUICKLY behind financially, get injured without insurance. It will suck you dry and spit you out and then laugh at you while you writhe in pain. Surely it will.

For a year now we have only had one car. It was nice when THGGM had a work rental, but I think we will manage nicely with just one. He still has a few free rental days, and he earned enough points for a free week's stay in a hotel, which we will use in May to celebrate our anniversary. It will be our twenty-eighth. We celebrated our 25th by bringing Burger King whoppers to the park and walking our dog. It really was enjoyable. All the children were already in Illinois for Oldest Son's wedding. But, we will soon get the chance to do it up right. In Traverse City. Where there are many antique shops. And much natural beauty to soak in.

Welcome home, THGGM.