#4 of the first 6 = DONE!

Thanks to Ruthie, another crazy, silly, funny Tampa trip is DONE! It started with a hike up the hill in my subdivision, in the snow, in our coats, with purses over our shoulders, pulling our suitcase, while we laughed like hyenas, to the top where Brent had parked the car for us the night prior. From there we had a nice drive to Atlanta and a nice flight into Tampa, mostly thanks to a very kind lady who let me have her seat so that Ruthie and I could sit together. After spending over an hour at the Budget rental car office and dealing with the utterly incompetent, Patrick, made more rattled when, after he asked if we were in Tampa for business or pleasure, I replied, "Cancer therapy." My point, which I failed to make was...."Got cancer here dude! Not much time! Need to move this business along!!!" However, after Ruthie almost broke her neck, due to hitting her head so hard on the door frame when trying to get into the worst car ever made...a Volkswagen Jetta....OMG!!! It drives worse than a van I had and slower than golf carts I have driven. Turning around takes a 40acre field and turning the steering wheel more strength than Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime! Anyhow, we were finally off, doing well except for a wrong turn,that somehow made us end up at Saks Fifth Avenue, so....what's a girl to do? We oohed and ahhhhhed over clothes we liked, made fun of those we didn't, found lots of outfits "that would look good on Rosie"...did a little shopping in other stores and had a great time in general. After dinner in the food court, we made our way to our hotel, only to be pulled over by Deputy Goodwin of the Hillsborough Sheriffs Dpt who is a complete and total ASS and not the least bit good!!! Who never could give us a real reason for pulling us over in the first place and only after being completely rude from the get-go said it was due to the fact that our tags didn't match our car...a rental. Then, after a long wait, admitted that there was no problem after all, never apologised and continued to be a jerk. Never fear...his superiors are hearing from a wide range of folk...from TN, TX, and AL!!! Anyhow, after that mess and extricating ourselves from the labyrinth of roads and sidewalks that surrounds USF (The University of South Florida)where we had had to pull over and be lost within, we made it to our home sweet home away from home La Quinta. In the morning, we rushed about, I ran down to the buffet breakfast in my plaid flannel pj bottoms, a tank top, silk blend dressy sweater and pump style walking shoes with wet hair and no make-up. A sight that can only be imagined!!! But, as I tried to get out of a gentleman's way in front of the coffee machine, he informed me to take my time, he knew "the difference between crazy and stupid"...he "knew better than to get between a woman and her first cup of coffee!" I kept wanting to ask him what made him think it was my first...but decided that might not be a good idea. Breakfast up to Ruthie, out to the car, looked at the clock...about to text Brent that we were on our way, then worried that since we were late we probably shouldn't let him in on that fact....when suddenly the light of horrors dawned...we weren't late!!! We were 30 minutes ahead of schedule! I ask you....who wants to get up 30 minutes ahead of time and rush around like crazy people????!!!!!! Anyhow, went on our way to the hospital. Did the rounds....lab/IV start with Jackie again. Visit with Dr. Weber who was thorough as usual. Ruthie found him to be very intelligent and caring. He answered our questions, basically telling us that the granulomas, though difficult, were good signs of an immune reaction. He also agreed that the white patches that seem to be developing on my arms, while not hugely obvious, do seem to be vitiligo (an absence of pigmentation) and a good sign about how my body is reacting to the medication, since patients who did well with the other immune stimulator type medicines had occasionally experienced the same thing. Then it was back to Jackie, for ice, shots, and IV meds. Once done we headed back to the airport and found ourselves there at around 2:30 for a flight that was scheduled to leave at 6:45. While we agreed that it would be no big deal for the two of us to sit and chat for the next couple of hours, we decided to ask if there was an earlier flight that we could take. Sure enough a dark haired, dark complected gentleman, carefully studied his computer, and after a great deal of time, decided that we could indeed take a 3:16 flight that was leaving in 30 minutes. That seemed a bit close, but I figured if we missed it, we could always get back on our original flight, so I agreed. Then he proceeded to type in this and that and make concerned faces, finally asking for help from a co-worker in order to make the change on his computer. At 3 o'clock he hands us the tickets and with incredible understatement, says, "You'll have to hurry. They're boarding now." I tell him, "He's the bomb!" Probably not the best choice of words given his complexion and his location in an airport, because his face changes, and Ruthie grabs my arm while telling him, "She just means,'You're nice!'" and we take off running....up the escalator, around the entire building to our designated train, show our credentials to the grouchy Hispanic lady who is ALWAYS there, ride the train, rush down a hall, through the area cordoned off with zig-zagged ropes to security where we end up behind 2 very slow and pitifully decrepit old men and a slow and anal young girl who required a separate plastic box for every item she possessed (and there were MANY!). We were finally in position to rid ourselves of all our belongings (including our shoes) and pass through the metal detector. I sent Ruthie ahead, saying I would pass our stuff through and she could collect it on the other side. She dashed though and as I started I was stopped by a man in uniform who said absolutely nothing, but just stood in my way. I was very confused, and told him, "But, sir! I haven't failed yet!" Inane I realize, but I was trying to let him know that I had not gone through the metal detector, making it beep. I had just walked away from the baggage thingie! With as few words as possible, he made it clear that: A) He didn't care if I had "failed" or not. B) I had to go through the scanner. Meanwhile, we hear our names from the overhead speaker, telling us that our plane is leaving and it is our last chance to board. Simultaneously, Ruthie starts pointing skyward, yelling, "They're calling us!! Come on!" and looking at me like I'm crazy for taking the time to chat with this man. While in the same moment, I'm thinking of Brent's admonition that I should just let them do a pat down rather than be scanned given all the radiation I have had and will continue to receive....when I mention that I don't think I should be scanned, the man, with a definite smirk, says that's fine with him, I can be patted down, "But that will take much longer!" What a jerk. Luckily, the slow, but now nice girl in front of me, who didn't get to "fail" either, but had been placed in the scanner, leaps out and tells me I can go ahead of her, which I do. I dashed off after that with Ruthie who was running, carrying everything, like a crazy person, and never even thanked her. So thank you, meticulous, slow, girl...you were very nice! We are assigned seats at the jet way, by a man in no hurry, but I figured he had connections. We rush onto the plane. I'm looking for row 32 while Ruthie is in row 18 and am slow to realize that the plane is pretty empty. Ruthie politely asks a grumpy lady if anyone is sitting in the two empty seats beside her...who looks at her like she is crazy since we are obviously the last two to board the plane....but somebody could have been in the bathroom!!!!!....to which she answers, "No." The bins for luggage are closed. Cell phones have already been turned off. The attendants are strapped in and one of them less than 3 feet from me, says, over the loud speaker, "When all passengers are seated, we can proceed to the taxi way!!" Seriously, all passengers, or just the two, crazy, sweating blond women who are the only people standing up?!!! Ruthie is frantically shoving away at the suitcase, never even hearing the announcement I learn later, and I quietly tell her to just sit down, which we do, trying to breathe, dry off, and laughing like hyenas!!! Poor Rosie. We didn't even get to tell her that we were headed her way much sooner than expected. We phoned her when we landed and she was my gracious girl, willing to change her plans to meet us, but with Atlanta traffic at rush hour, she was fine to finish what she was doing and meet us in plenty of time. We had a good supper together and made it home with no further craziness!!!

Ruthie got back home just fine on Saturday. Thanks so much for being so sweet and taking such great care of me and for putting up for all the craziness that seems to follow me around!!

Freddie came home for the weekend and helped me veg out on the couch all day Saturday, though I did jog 3 miles with Brent and Z today.

love - c