back to the daily grind... kinda

here i am back in jersey.

in the past few days, i've logged something on the order of 1300-1400 miles on the interstate -- i love it!

wednesday was memphis to just south of chicago where my grandma lives. along the way, there were dozens and dozens of pre-built houses on tractor trailers headed south (presumably to new orleans, there was a FEMA banner on the back of each one), so i was happy to be in the north-bound lanes (although it's a good thing there's houses migrating en masse to get there)

wednesday night and thursday both, grandma and i hung out at the mall. at 80 years old, my grandma is the posterchild for the ultimate mall shopper... well was the posterchild up until this trip. she still enjoys shopping a TON and there's nothing else she'd rather do, but this was the first time i'd ever seen her walk like she's old. the doctor says she has a completely clean bill of health even though her legs hurt her to get up and down and she hobbles noticeably, whereas as recently as when i saw her this summer she was the equivalent of the energizer bunny -- nonstop zipping around and always dressed in pink. as she commented a few times in the couple days i was there, "i'll get done with this somehow -- either i'll get better, or they'll take me out of here in a box... either way is fine with me". maybe because she's in pain, or who knows why, but she wanted to talk about dying and funerals a bit thursday night too... apparently she's been frequently having dreams about deceased relatives, and the nights i was with her were no exception. she commented that she's starting to wonder if dying will be like being stuck in a dream with the dead relatives that you can't wake up from. like i said... an interesting visit.

friday, after g-ma's and my tradition of going out for breakfast at the small diner in her town, i headed east to pittsburgh, and today made it back to jersey.

since getting home, i've
* paid bills/rent that are due in the next few days,
* gotten all my stuff up to my room
* reset the furnace, which turned itself off while we were gone, so instead of keeping the house at 55 like we set it at, it kept the house at outside temperature minus wind plus residual heat from downstairs... oh well... now that it's going again i'm set
* gone grocery shopping

to do tonight?
* open the 20 christmas cards that came for me while i was gone... this is in addition to the dozen i got before i left
* unpack
* do laundry
* figure out what the heck is wrong with my room -- i can sign the computer online, or watch TV, but not both at once... which is strange
* perchance, i'll watch new years eve festivities on TV... in case you haven't gathered, i'm purposefully minding my own business home alone for new years eve just getting crap done and not being irritated by large groups. :) i got myself turkey and dressing for dinner and i'm quite looking forward to that and hanging out with myself.

now to get on with that unpacking...

later dudes. :P