My trip

Let me see if I can get some pictures up, then I will write about it.

Me and Dad on the Seawall. 

Me on my annual date with the seagulls (so gauche!)

So, we went to work Monday morning.  It was a mess and, like I told Ron, looked like a giant had stomped on the building where the wall met the roof.  SIGNIFICANT damage.  The place was crawling with construction workers. 

They let us in another door.  We stocked and saw all our usual people, so I feel good about future sales. 

We left and met Mom and Dad in the parking lot.  They drove us home, I got Ron set and grabbed my stuff, put on my sandals, fed the cats, got Biscuit stuffed in his carrier (that was some work), and we went to the vet. 

I dropped Biscuit off and we went to Galveston.  In the meantime, at home Ron was pretty quiet, did not fall or hurt himself, did not destroy much, did not burn the house down or hurt the cats.  DID have severe back pain, DID drink quite a bit, demolished a can of weatherproofing spray.  DID eat BBQ, had a pretty good time except for the pain.  Absolutely CAN be left alone again. 

So we went to Galveston, I checked into my room.  They gave me a nice one, it is simple but nice.  We went to the beach to feed seagulls (I did) and then went out to dinner.  After dinner we went back to our rooms (they stayed in a different hotel) and to bed.  I did talk to Ron, at that point he was fine. 

I had called the vet and they said Biscuit was hiding, but accepting pets, and eating, so I wasn't worried. 

I went to bed, slept horrible but didn't tell my parents that.  I had some digestive trouble in the middle of the night and had trouble sleeping.  The bed was fine, it was quiet, just too much caffeine I think. 

I got up at 7 and took a shower.  The hotel has really nice showerheads with several different settings.  I had a good shower, packed up my stuff.  My Tuesday shirt had a grease spot on it, not sure how I missed that.  So I wore the black t-shirt again.  I ate breakfast on my own (we had agreed to this) and went back to the hotel, they picked me up, I checked out.  We drove around, fed the seagulls again (they were adamant I had to feed the seagulls because I enjoy it).  It was really remarkably similar to feeding the cats in the morning, all of them clamoring for my attention, stealing from each other, etc.  We went out to the 61st street pier, it is way out on the water and very nice.  The lower deck is fishing and the top deck is sightseeing.  Ron could not have done the stairs. 

Then we had lunch at a place the locals go, they really enjoyed it and Dad got a huge meal for $10.  The vet called.  When I saw the caller ID I freaked, thinking Biscuit was sick, but they just wanted to know when to expect me.  I told them around 3.  We drove back.  There was some traffic but not bad.  We got Biscuit.  They liked him so much I wasn't sure they were going to give him back!  He is a lover. 

He got all A's on his "report card".  They REALLY liked him.  He was OK with the boarding experience which is what I wanted to see before we leave town next month.  He will be OK, he peed, he used his box, he ate, he took pets, he was good.  I needed to know that. 

I had spread a towel in bed where he sleeps for about a week, and then put that towel in his stuff.  They put it in his cage and he liked it.  I will do that again. 

He hollered all the way home.  I reminded him I could have had him bathed with scented shampoo but I told them no.  We got home, I said goodbye and came in the house.  Some things in the front room were disrupted but not too bad. 

The litter boxes were not bad but EVERYONE has rushed to use them since I got home.  I will get them in a little bit.  All the cats are fine.  Biscuit liked the seagull feather I gave him (I found it on the beach). 

So it went OK.  I can leave him for a little bit, even the way he is now.  I did make a point of making him his favorite lemonade before I left, and emptying several of his urinals.  My phone was fine for a day without charging (it is on there now) and I think my old charger will work for it, which means I can put the old charger in my travel pack (backpack) and just pick it up and go anytime I want. 

Everything went fine.  Ron is in the back of the house doing something, I took out the trash and ran a load of laundry (Ron knocked a lot of his clean clothes onto a very dirty floor).  I can definitely do that again, that's my take-away. 

My parents were very adamant the whole time I needed a break from caregiving and they were going to give it to me.  They paid for everything (meals, I paid for the hotel) and I let them.  Ron would have balked but I did not. 

That was it!