The Night Before…

The night before anything always seems to be filled with anticipation, stress, excitement, anxiety, hurrying, or waiting.  Here I sit, it’s the night before we leave on our trip to the northern parts of Minnesota.  The land of 10,000 lakes, lots of trees, 2 grandchildren, and  their new puppy.  Oh, and my daughter and son-in-law… we can’t forget them!  Yes, Nana and Bubba are coming to visit!

So, as I mentioned before, it’s “The Night Before…” and I am sitting here.  I just got home from my shift at the gas station, and I am tired and sore.  Like most folks when they come home from work.  I know we have a big trip tomorrow, and I should be packing, and organizing, and planning, and gathering, and whatever else one ought to do before a big trip; but I am too tired to move.  I’ll throw a few things in the duffel bag in the morning on our way out the door…  Hubby and I have gotten efficient enough that our toiletries are always bagged and ready to go.  Mandy the Service Dog has her own box of stuff that is always ready for a trip.  It just seems so easy to get ready!

It didn’t use to be like that.  Back when we had 4 little ones to pack for, and feed, and change, and entertain along the way – preparing for a trip was a major event!  And it took a lot of skill to get the car packed and ready to roll.  Oh, and the food and stuff to drink along the way!  We had to pack all that with us.  I remember the first cross-country trip our young family took from Washington State to Michigan.  Six of us.  In an AMC hatchback wagon.  We were planning three days on the road before the first relative stop in Minnesota.  We were so tuned into efficiency!  We bought our first set of insulated coffee mugs.  We packed a can of coffee, and our Black and Decker Coffee Maker with its stainless steel carafe.  We would stop at rest areas and take the coffee maker into the restrooms to make a fresh pot of coffee.  Got a lot of strange looks from folks as they staggered in at 3:00 AM and smelled our fresh brew!

Now, we make pit stops every hundred miles or so.  We stretch our legs, walk the dog, visit the rest rooms, buy fresh coffee, and  maybe a donut or two.  With age, we have learned not to sweat the small stuff.  (Not to mention it’s cheaper for just the two of us…)  Technology has taken a lot of worry out of traveling also.  Cell phones for communicating in emergencies, and the GPS to guide us on our way.

So, as Hubby stated earlier, “the GPS is programmed and I got clean socks… let’s go!”

After a good night’s sleep, Dear.

Minnesota here we come!

 

Finding Our Way

Our big event this weekend was to go shopping for a GPS.  We’re planning a trip to the northern woods of Minnesota in the near future, and we don’t quite know our way around all those lakes and trees.  Actually, it’s not the lakes and trees so much, as driving through the various big cities along the way.  When you have spent the last 18 years living in a little town where three cars in a row is considered rush hour traffic… well, metropolitan driving can be very unnerving.

Knowing zip about GPS qualifications, we decided to start at Best Buy and shop for information from the world’s most helpful and knowledgeable clerks.  We learned a lot about what kind of features we wanted – like ‘lane assistance’ for all that big city driving.  Then we got to play with the various models until we decided which one we liked.  At that point, one of world’s most helpful clerks came back to tell us they were ‘out of stock’.  Ho-hum.  Just our luck.

“Well, suggests I.  Why don’t we zip on over to Target and see what they have.”

A simple suggestion, but as it turns out, it was the flash of brilliance for the day.  Target had our favored brand, and, as I discovered, the upgraded model from the one we had picked out was on sale!  Gotta love those end cap clearance sales.  (The clerk, however, was no bargain.)

So, last night Hubby played with the GPS, getting everything downloaded from the computer, and learning how to operate the thing.  Today we took her for a test run to Wal-Mart.  My goodness, were we ever impressed!  I never in a million years realized that the world rotated and revolved around our car!  And Ms. GPS was so polite!  She never once told us we were going the wrong way, or were off track (like the gps on our former smart phone).  She simply immediately rerouted the map to get us back on course.  We made it to the store and home again with no mishaps, and our self esteem still intact.

Now, if the gas prices would just go down before we leave…

Eh?

Today was my day for a few necessary medical tests.  Age related medical tests.  Nothing really to stress out over, but I managed.

The 40 minute drive from my little cow-town into the big city with all its traffic and streets was an invigorating experience.  I spent the entire trip arguing with the GPS lady as to which way was the best way to reach my desired destination. (not that I really desired to be there…)  At least we got there on time.

Technology has made great strides in improving the comfort level of mammograms.  A nice microwave warmed gown to wear, a few snapshots, and within a half an hour I had my test results and was on my way.  It really does help to study for tests!!

Around the corner and down the block was my next appointment.  It seems that the citizens of my community have developed a bad habit of mumbling when they come into my store.  Hopefully the audiologist would be able to offer some help.  I was all nice and comfy in a little padded room, wearing great big head phones.  I hear the pulse in my head:

“Thu-dub, thu-dub, thu-dub, thu- Zzzzz…”

“BEEP BEEP BEEP!”

Oh, yah, I’m suppose to be listening for the beeps.

Focus.

After sitting in the room for what seemed a very long time, the doctor returned and released me.  She had found the reason everyone in town was mumbling; and, she had a solution.

Yah, I managed to survive the stresses of today.  A two-hour nap, a funnel, and I’m good to go!