I’ve had lots of Thanksgivings over the (mumble mumble) years and more and more I realize that I have SO many things to be thankful for… Thinking about this year… my RA is reasonably managed and I haven’t been hurting a whole awful lot… I got to be with almost all of my family on Thanksgiving… Amandya seems to be controlled with her seizures and her kidney stones (thank goodness) aren’t currently causing any issues (pee test part 2 to come soon).
This year, though… there has been so much more.
Peanut tolerated a 24 hour “road trip”… 24 hours literally… stops for gas, a couple rest area stops and a couple quick meals…. Thank goodness for the water bottle I got when she was a puppy… we made good use of it. Unfortunately, most of what she enjoyed on the trip was laying on my pillow on my lap. She is a little dog, but she sure gets heavy.
The first really awesome place we stopped on the way up was a rest area in Ohio. They had Hickory Nut Trees!!! And there were a few nuts on the ground. It was chilly enough to need a jacket and the dot was thrilled to get to take the run.
Amandya actually got the biggest smile on her face than I have seen in a long time when she saw the Welcome To Pennsylvania sign. Not happy enough to get her picture taken with the sign, but happy.
It was amazing the ‘we are home’ feeling… there were no leaves on the trees. There were no flowers blooming. Houses (many many many many houses) had up Christmas lights all over the houses and trees. The houses are normal houses. They aren’t ‘new’ buildings. They aren’t the houses that people build because they didn’t feel like living in the one they had or because the color of the carpet went out of style. Some of them could use a coat of paint. Some could use the yard cleaned up because there is a lot of (literally) junk sitting around in the yard. Most of them have leaves in the yard and the feeling of being lived in and loved in and homes not just houses… or showcases.
Also in Ohio, I got to have my Sheetz hotdog fix (go def-dogs) and Sheetz coffee. I’m not so thrilled with their espresso… but their coffee is still Sheetz coffee and i will take it over the coffee that is three or four times the price hands down. Okay okay… I still LOVE Dunkin Donuts coffee (especially the yummy pumpkin coffee in my freezer and the iced coffee with cream and sugar… or their hot coffee with cream and sugar… but hey…).
A few more hours and we hit Greensburg. Hoss’s for dinner…
Kids thought the sign was really awesome. It was. It didn’t really still rival the IHOP one in Amarillo that said “Senior Citizens Buy One Get One Free With The Purchase Of A Drink” but it is a close second.
After dinner… Overly’s Country Christmas! The bonfire was great, and very welcome… it was chilly and windy.
Then to the hotel to crash and burn. 24 hours is a really long drive.
A Figment Of Fitness 