Tucson and Back to Reality Again

[lavendertook]

I had a great trip for a couple of days visiting my awesome and lovely best friendmererid. She picked me up in Phoenix and drove me down to Tucson to stay with her and her excellent partner R and their exuberant and well-coddled quaker parrot, Baby. Sunday we drove into the Tucson Mountains southwest of town to the Tucson Desert Museum.



There we saw nicely landscaped local flora, and fauna in enclosures, but I especially enjoyed seeing the fauna not in enclosures, and I'll show you lots more pics in another post. My hobbit dolls had fun there, too. We also drove around some of the neighborhoods of Tucson and its signature murals.



Monday, we drove to the foothills of the Catalina Mountains and Mt Lemmon, northeast of town and took the Sabino Canyon tram ride and hiked around little waterfalls in a desert oasis. My favorite meal, of all the good food we had, was at Mother Hubbard's, a native food restaurant, for breakfast where I had the yummiest cornbread and cinnamon waffles, bacon, a hard won hard boiled egg (the wait person was very grumpy about it), and the most delicious decaf even a non-connoisseur coffee drinker like me noticed. We spent the evening watching a couple of movies I hadn't seen. One was by lbilover's rec, Temple Grandin, which mererid saw before, but because she is a big Claire Danes fan, she wanted to see it again, and then we watched Little Miss Sunshine, which I hadn't seen before, and I really enjoyed both. It was just so nice sitting around together and watching movies.

This wonderful time got cut short when I got an email before bed that my uncle was in the hospital for a foot infection and they then found out he has a colon tumor. The surgery for the tumor is this Saturday. Also I started coming down with a bug then, which I still have so a crappy tense night. I feel more reconciled now that I will not be able to go up to see him this weekend. His surgery is Saturday, and there's no way of knowing when he will be awake after it, or if the doctors could speak to me or even know anything yet for the couple of hours I would be able to be there if I did the 6 hour drive up, which wouldn't be good for either of us with me sick. So I'm just calling a couple of times a day and sitting tight for now--he has good friends who are neighbors who are visiting him and I've got to hope that their catching it before he felt symptoms is a good thing.

And I had TSA hijinx coming home. I was a little delayed on the way out as they examined my shampoo bottles and such--all the requisite 3 oz. But on the way back they were confused by my hot-flash gel cooling pad and couldn't classify it, so naturally the thing to do was to give me a total pat down--our tax dollars at work keeping us safe from evil menopausal crones. I asked to do it there in public because I didn't want to be left in a little room, and if anyone got turned on watching a fat 53 year old getting a pat down, they were welcome to their fun. As usual, I find it is really necessary to leave at least 2 hours time to get through the airport without being pressed for time.

A day of scary tornado watches, warnings, and thunder storms yesterday was good for staying in bed half the day trying to sleep off this bug. I called my uncle and his neighbors, unpacked, put everything away, and sorted what needed to go in the laundry, and that was all I was up to. And I feel very lucky I was flying home Tuesday and not yesterday. Luckily I could stay in today and tomorrow teleworking with purry kitties--just not up to going anywhere. I'm woefully behind on commenting on your entries--I'm keeping up reading where I can.

mererid was the best host and I miss hanging with her. So I had 2 really nice days before reality struck with a vengeance and we're off to the races again. Please send your best thoughts to my uncle getting through this.

I hope everyone here impacted by the blizzards and storms yesterday came though well.



Also posted at http://lavendertook.dreamwidth.org/192048.html with comments

Comments

[shirebound]

I'm so glad to hear you're home safely. It's refreshing to have a get-away with someone you enjoy spending time with.

I've always been afraid to travel with my mini-TENS unit (which I use a lot) just in case the TSA folks don't know what it is and confiscate it. :(

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

It's terrible you have to travel in pain because TSA is all such a mess. They didn't confiscate my pad. I wondered if I said go ahead and take it if I would have gotten through quicker or not, but I sent away on ebay for it and it and it really helps me get to sleep.

[addie71.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you had two nice days before you heard about your uncle and starting coming down with a bug. I'm glad you made it home safely before all the terrible weather. *gentle hugs*

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

*hugs back in a noninfectious way* Meh, still sick. And uncle's surgery has been pushed back to Sunday. I wish getting through the Bronx wasn't such an ordeal, but apparently you can't even count on parking near the hospital, so lots of phone calls will have to do. Those were couple of lovely days beforehand though.

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

ah, TSA, fun times, fun times...(not) Those ass-clowns are the least people I'd depend on to keep me safe in the case of a real situation...

I'm glad your trip was mostly fun and that you got to spend time with a good friend (and spoiled parrot :D). I bet it was nice to get back to kitties, too!

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

I look at it as a cruddy job to have and the agents I dealt with were fine with me--the agent who patted me down was polite and gentle--it's just the lousy guidelines they're given and the whole closing the barn gate after the horse runs off approach that sucks.

Baby is quite spoiled and keeps the household singing nursery rhymes, so a job well done. (-: I was happy to see my sweet kitties, though the absence of the sparkly one loomed again. But it was a lovely couple of days in sunny terrain with good company. (-:

[febobe.livejournal.com]

*hugs and prayers*

Your comments regarding the patdown crack me up. LOVE it. That's how I feel. I'm sure once I get prostheses and fly again we are going to have some interesting escapades. I'm hoping a letter from my doctors indicating that I do wear two breast prosthetics will help, but as confused as your gel pad made them I don't hold out much hope.

*snugs hugs* Glad you had some good times. Definitely praying for you and for your uncle. <3

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

*hugs back*

:-D Yeah, that will be fun--hopefully, though, they're better trained about prostheses, but not something to count on.

it was good before the bad. Thank you, hon! His surgery has been moved to Sunday--it's hard to know what's going on because he's not good at taking in info, but another doc said he might not need chemo, and I'm hoping for the best.

[julchen11.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you had 2 wonderful days with your friend, my dear. I'll keep your uncle in my thoughts and in my prayers that all will run well.
I'm all the more glad you made it home safely. Here at the other side of the world be have permafrost and it will stay so the weatherpeople said...
So let's make the best of it, staying inside, cuddling with the cats, baking some cakes and "talking" here with wonderful friends!

Take care, my dear!
*hugs you tight*

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you, my new friend. I have a Tuxie cuddling by my side as I cough. I worked inside today and plan a long sleep tonight into tomorrow and maybe I'll be better when it warms up on Sunday.

[julchen11.livejournal.com]

Sounds wonderful to me, my dear. I hope you had a wonderful sleepy night and a great start for today!
You are feeling better today? *fingers, toes and nose crossed*
*hugs you gently*

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Heee on a crossed nose. (-:

*hugs back*

[grey-wonderer.livejournal.com]

I'll keep your uncle in my thoughts. ( hugs)

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much--his surgery has been moved to Sunday now. Today he got a better prognosis from another doctor, so we'll hope for the best. *hugs*

[elwenlj.livejournal.com]

Getting away for a few days sounds lovely. Glad you managed to make the best of it in the end and that you travelled safely. Hope your uncle's health problems are resolved soon and he is feeling better soon. I know it can be stressful for those on the outside too.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Elwen, and thank you for stopping by again. Did you find me through febobe?

His surgery is rescheduled for Sunday now and we just have to hope for the best. I wish I could be there, but the hospital is in the middle of the Bronx and I'm told parking is hard to get and I work full time down here with used up leave time, so lots of phone calls are the way we're going.

[pathvain-aelien.livejournal.com]

Glad you had fun! I hope your uncle's surgery goes well.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you for both!

[romeny.livejournal.com]

Sorry about your uncle but nice to hear you had an enjoyable time beforehand. *hugs*

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you for both! *hugs you non-infectiously, then back to my tea*

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you had those days to relax before the bad news about your uncle, and so sorry you got sick. I hope you'll be able to take it easy and recover soon.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you, hon. My uncle was in surgery all afternoon--he got through it well and is in recovery now. Not out of the woods yet, but the first step through is a relief. I am finally feeling better today.

[lbilover.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm so sorry to read about your uncle. I'm sending all the positive, healing thoughts to your uncle!! I hope his surgery went well, and I hope you're feeling better, too. *big hugs*

That sounds like a terrific movie double bill. I adored Little Miss Sunshine.

I'm looking forward to more pics!

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you, bb. *hugs tight* The surgery was changed to today. My uncle was in surgery all afternoon--he got through it well and is in recovery now. Not out of the woods yet, but the first step through is a relief. I am finally feeling better today.

It was a great double bill. I loved the way they presented visual thinking in TG and Danes was terrific. I've heard good things for along time on LMS and it did not disappoint. I will work on posting pics of critters and scenery. I have an owl pic for you, too. (-: