The TRIP!!!!

Brent and I had an easy trip down to Atlanta on Thursday.  Flight to Tampa was rather bumpy, but not too bad.  We got into Tampa around 5pm.  Got a Toyota Yaris in my luck-of-the-parking-place ALAMO lotto.  Pretty nice.  Lame manual stick adjustors for the side mirrors that necessitate you lean up out of position to move them, so it is quite a game to get them positioned as you need them while you drive, but nice steering and good pick-up otherwise.  Per plan, we drove out to Madeira Beach to eat at Waltz.  Life in Tampa is different in March than it is in December.  Between the snow birds and the spring breakers, things were hopping.  Parking was a bit of challenge, but as I took care of that, Brent popped in to get the last two seats available.  We had delicious pinks, boiled in beer with horseradish dipping sauce, beans and rice, and grouper cakes (much like crab cakes but made with grouper)!!  Delish!  I think I mentioned that on our last visit in December, I talked to the chef and some of the wait staff as we were leaving....we were some of the last patrons....telling them that it had been a real treat and letting them know why we were in Tampa in the first place.  One lady in particular had been most gracious and encouraging...telling us that Walt himself, had just recently been hospitalized with a stroke and that if he could make it so could I.  At any rate, Thurs night, as we were there, the same lady came in and told the staff that she had Walt in the car outside.  They all rushed out to chat with him, returning smiling but tearful.  Turns out, he has been hospitalized all this time and on the very night we returned...he was being discharged from the hospital and heading home for the first time since his ordeal.  It was very touching for me and Brent, as well.  Guess you just had to be there....but....we wish you all the best Walt.  Hang in there!!!

Then, we were off to our La Quinta home-away-from home...newly renovated I might add.  Up pretty early to make our 0730 start with requisite waffle made and delivered by the Brentster!!  To the CRU (clinical research unit) for IV start (done REALLY well by a great nurse!!!) and huge blood draw (16 tubes....my nurse kept offering juice, afraid I would be faint...not to worry lady....waffle on board!!!).  Back over to the MD office to see the NP.  Apparently, I am the vitiligo queen.  Now it is so easily noted that even the untrained eye can see it (my babies trace it gently with their fingers as I examine them).  My providers spontaneously noted that I was 1 of 4 in the study with it...but the others had just a bit....one lady with some on her forehead..and a couple of others with a little scattering here and there. Brent had already noted that it had really increased just since December...but anyway....  Nothing else much remarkable in the visit.  Back to the CRU for the infusion.  It was uneventful except for a sudden onset of itching and a specific, obvious blotch (hive/urticaria) to my right cheek about 20 minutes in.  It faded in about 30 min or so....not sure what that was about.  Perhaps I should premedicate with some Benadryl next go round. 

Off to the airport...with gas fill-up at Dale Mabry... We have our little routine.  A little worried about our flight because of bad weather in Atlanta and further north...thinking our flight might be delayed because of problems landing....but no.  Off without a hitch. (Unless you consider having to be felt-up by a stranger both coming and going a hitch!!!!  Note to self...or terrorist of any sort: Travel with a dog....or child.  If you do so...the waves will part and you can simply walk right through the metal detector with your drug/bomb...granted plastics only...housing canine....no worries!!!!)  So, we were off....flight actually less bumpy than the one down...except for the landing...which was a bit of a carnival ride....though done very well by the pilots under the circumstances.  Skies were cloudy, but no big deal...so Brent and I decided to go by DeKalb Farmer's Market.  We took a most circuitous route in Atlanta rush hour traffic. (Why men argue with the gps and why women believe the men is a whole other blog topic...or book for that matter!)  But our LONG and winding route allowed us to see that spring has sprung in Atlanta.  The Bradford pear, forsythia, daffodils, camellias, red buds, and even a few azaleas were just beautiful...as was the double rainbow that Brent kept wanting me to look at while dodging crazy ass Atlanta drivers!!!  Fun time in DeKalb.  Shopping for food or shoes....count me in!!  Twice!!! 

As we started home, we began receiving texts from Fred, Rose and friends...."Where are you?"  "Are you aware there are tornadoes in your area?"  Rose was adamant, "There is a huge storm with purple and red in it....that means high winds and huge hail...crossing I75 at Rome!!!"  "You need to stay in Atlanta...just make sure you are south of Georgia Tech!!"  With so much against us...we turned back toward Atlanta and made our way to a covered parking garage we knew of in midtown, thinking to just wait out the storm.  But, our watchers made it clear it was a string of storms that was not going to end anytime soon.  When they announced that all lanes of I24 were closed because of downed lines....and my knees and ankles were beginning to ache and the rest of me beginning to wilt....we made the decision to stay overnight in Atlanta.  We ended up staying at Twelve.  It was awesome.  I highly recommend it to anyone headed for a night in Atlanta.  Plus, we had to take a suite because their other rooms were full...but that gave us access to a full size refrigerator that we could store our DeKalb purchases in and not have to worry about them spoiling.

After a good rest...despite the thunder and storms that raged...we finally made it home on Saturday.  All was well here.  Just some limbs down in the yard...possibly due to the windy storm we had experienced just before we left.  However, plenty of destruction in an area in the northern part of Chattanooga as well as all the other places in Kentucky and elsewhere that have been shown on the news and weather stations.

To all the storm victims....so sorry.  Hoping for a brighter tomorrow for you and yours. - c