A trip to Galveston

I'm going to try to post a photo.  It is recent.  Sorry about my hair, Galveston is pretty breezy. 

Good, it worked. 

So, we got up, went to work yesterday.  We stocked and made sure everything looked good, then went outside with our small duffel bag (Ron wanted to bring some stuff, like his back massager and his digital talking book machine). 

I was happy with everything I brought, but I plan to add a nightlight to the list. 

Mom and Dad showed up, we hugged, I threw the wheelchair in the trunk.  It fit nicely with their luggage (a rolling suitcase and a backpack), and our duffel bag. 

I brought them drinks from the bottled vendor. 

We rode down to Galveston and got there pretty quick.  Now, contrast that to traveling with public transit.  Get downtown somehow, buy a ticket to Galveston, ride the Greyhound (actually I think it is Kerrville transit) to the bus station in Galveston (actually a gas station), catch a cab to the hotel. 

Mom wanted to do "something fun" so we found the Duck tour.  They were full up.  We went to lunch at Chick-fil-a and went back.  Ron got sunburned on the top of his head, waiting.  But I guess he needs the Vitamin D. 

Mom bought tickets for the Duck; and it came back.  It has a set of stairs and is not wheelchair accessible.  However, I felt Ron could probably climb the set of stairs into the vehicle.  I was right, he took his time and got there just fine. 

He sat to the right of the aisle and I sat next to him.  My butt was a little wide for the seat and he hung off the edge, in the aisle area, a little.  He was very nice about it. 

We did the tour, it was fun.  Mom and Dad got to see a little of historic Galveston.  We (Ron and I) also learned some interesting information about post-hurricane Ike.  They had waterlines painted on some of the buildings. 

We got back to the location and Ron got off, very carefully.  He made it down OK (oh, that would have been awful!). 

We went to the hotel and checked in.  I had been a little worried about the credit card because we had had some trouble with it at the vet last year, but it worked fine.  At least, the lady gave it back to me along with a room key. 

We were on the ground floor, in a nice little room with a king bed.  It was done up in teal, blue, and chocolate brown.  I thought it was nice but I wouldn't want it in my house.  They had a huge photograph of ships at dock at the head of the bed.  The bathroom had the famous, and much-loved multiple features showerhead.  I love that thing. 

They had all the usual things like drinking cups, soap, etc. 

They had 2 vending machines up by the front desk area. 

We laid down for a little bit, I thought it would be good to get some rest because I didn't get enough Sunday night (with #6's party with the bouncy house and the loud talking half the night).  I didn't sleep but I felt better when I got up. 

I got dressed, brushed my teeth, and brushed my hair.  I fixed Ron's hair in a ponytail so it wouldn't blow all over.  I knew Mom would want some photos so I wanted to pretty us up. 

They came and picked us up, we went to Landry's.  It is a very nice restaurant right on the Seawall.  The seawall is right on the beach, so Mom and Dad could see the water as they looked out the window at dinner. 

Our server was a little terse but otherwise OK.  I had been drinking diet sodas all day, way over my caffeine limit, and I didn't stop now.  I must have had 4 diet Cokes with dinner.  Ron had one glass of wine.  Mom and Dad each had a glass of wine.  I drank my diet soda. 

Dad had crab cakes.  Mom has gluten issues so she had broiled shrimp.  I had the Mariner's platter.  It had stuffed crab, scallops, some kind of broiled fish (it was well seasoned and good), and some shrimp brochette (shrimp wrapped in bacon and broiled).  Ron had shrimp brochette, they came on a skewer and were easier for him to eat.  He had a good time and didn't make a mess. 

They asked us if we wanted dessert.  Dad had (his usual) plain vanilla ice cream.  Mom had vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce.  I had the bread pudding.  I think next time I get the bread pudding I will get it without sauce.  I didn't like the sauce but I ate most of my portion.  Ron, as usual, didn't get dessert. 

We went back to the hotel, I unloaded the wheelchair (good thing I didn't overeat!) and we went to bed.  The room needed a nightlight.  I was unfamiliar with it and it was too dark with all the lights off, I couldn't see my way around.  I finally left the vanity light on, it was the most subdued of all the lighting choices, but I still slept with a light on.  I didn't want to stub my toe when I got up to pee, though, and I knew I would have to get up a couple times. 

The bed was comfortable and the bedding was in good shape.  This motel gets a little better every year.  It also had some nice hard flooring.  It wasn't laminate, and it wasn't hardwood, some kind of synthetic, but it was comfortable and clean to walk on in my bare feet. 

Ron and I went to bed.  I kept waking up every couple hours, but I did get some sleep.  I was worried I would sleep too late, that happens to me pretty easily in Galveston.  Ron said he didn't sleep because he was worried about disturbing my sleep.  He wants to get two queen beds, next time. 

I'm OK with that.  But next time I need a nightlight.  I think I will sleep a lot better without that vanity light. 

I had a nightmare and woke up around 6.  The nightmare revolved around old issues so I didn't pay it much mind. 

I got up and took a shower.  The sun was rising and I wished I had a window in the bathroom, but I got a couple of good peeks out the window before I showered.  The seagulls were just starting to caw as they woke up for breakfast. 

I discovered my period had started.  Good thing I brought supplies!  I took my shower with the fabulous showerhead.  It has all kinds of setting from a gentle mist to a firehose setting great for rinsing my hair. 

I used the hotel shampoo, soap, and conditioner.  Why not, we already paid for it! 

I made a pot of hotel coffee and had a cup, to wash down the aspirin for my headache. 

I got dressed and decided to go to the grocery store.  I needed to get some bread for the seagulls and drinks for the ride home. 

The great thing about Galveston is it's a small town.  I can walk anywhere I needed to go.  I can't tell you how nice that is for someone transit-dependent from the big city.  So, I walked over to the grocery store. 

I got 3 loaves of wheat bread and some drinks.  I had a headache, but I had taken some aspirin.  I decided to get a pastry from the bakery. 

I paid and left.  I swear the seagulls knew I had bread, they were hovering over me as I left the store.  I walked across the parking lot.  They followed me. 

I tore off some chunks of pastry and threw it to the eager birds.  They cawed and laughed at me.  We had a good time. 

I got back to the hotel.  Ron woke up right about the time Mom sent me a text asking when we'd be ready.  After conferring with Ron, I told her half an hour. 

We got ready to leave.  I double checked and made sure we had everything. 

They came.  I gave Ron the bread and drinks, then loaded the bag and wheelchair into the trunk.  We went through a drive through and got breakfast sandwiches, then went to feed the seagulls. 

Unfortunately, we picked a spot near a Mexican family.  The little girl came over and kept bothering me while I was feeding the birds.  They were afraid of her because she kept making erratic moves and yelling. 

I did get the seagulls to come and take bread out of my hand.  The little girl came over, jabbering.  I told her I only spoke English and she said "Oh" and went away for a minute.  Then she came back again, interfering. 

If I did speak Spanish, I would have asked her to have her Dad or Mom go buy her a loaf of bread from the grocery store across the street.  I kept thinking "I only get one day a year to do this, and I have to get bothered by yet another Mexican kid". 

Eventually, she got bored, or her father called her off, I'm not sure.  That's when the mother showed up with the screaming toddler.  That REALLY freaked out the birds.  I kept moving away from her and she kept following me, dragging the baby.   Take a hint!

I'm not here to entertain your family, lady.  Go buy your own loaf of bread.  It's $1.  Please leave me alone.  You can come here whenever you want, I can't. 

I only get one day.

I managed to have a good time, anyway.  I have a couple of "moves" I like to use with the birds.  First one, hold the bread slice in my hand, above my head.  If the birds are confident (no little kids around), and hungry, they will come and take it out of my hand.  Sometimes they take off chunks, sometimes a bold one will take a whole slice. 

Another technique, and I like this one when Ron's listening, is to throw a whole slice of bread to the birds.  They squabble fiercely over the bread, cawing, squawking, and laughing.  They love it.  So does Ron. 

Lastly, I tear pieces off a slice of bread and throw it to the birds.  I like to do that if there are pigeons or sandpipers mixed in with the seagulls, as I had today. 

I was happy to finish and get away from the rude family.  I have learned my lesson, don't feed the birds if anyone is around, especially families with small children who might feel they are entitled to a "show". 

Hopefully, after I left, the kids bugged the parents to buy them some of their own bread so they could feed the birds, themselves.  I mean, really, it's $1.  How can you entertain two kids, for 10 minutes, for $1?  On vacation, no less? 

I got in the car (I had hit my head getting out but I was OK by now) and we went to work.  It was a long ride and I got into my drinks.  We stopped at work, got out and hugged, and they left. 

I put on my badge (still in my flip flops) and put the bag in Ron's lap.  Then I pushed him into the building.  One of the airlock doors caught my flip flop and I almost did a face plant, but I recovered. 

We got to our area and I saw that woman from last Monday, the one who said everyone hates me.  So I put on my work shoes, I wasn't going to give her rope to hang me on a safety violation. 

We stocked for a couple of hours but it was pretty quiet.  I took care of everything, helped Ron, and then we called a cab home.  It started to rain a little as we waited but we stayed pretty dry overall. 

We got home, I ate a bowl of cereal and I took my medication.  Then I took a nap. 

I had a pretty good nap going until I heard guys yelling in Spanish (what is it with the Mexicans today, Lord?) right outside my bedroom wall.  They were inflating the bouncy house again, so I assume I will have screaming children at some future point tonight, when I am trying to sleep. 

I did manage to sleep for about 2 hours, so I took it.  I got up and got caught up on some things. 

God willing, I plan to get to bed pretty early tonight so I can catch up on my sleep. 

Ron and I think it's a good idea to have a "Galveston bag" all packed and ready to go, so we can pick it up at a moment's notice and have a little escape.  I think it would be fun. 

But I need to get a nightlight.