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I'm tired. Very tired.

And my muscles hurt.

And my ankles hurt. Both of them.

And my dog is sleeping on my right knee... well, with his head on my right knee... and that makes it all better.

*chuckles*

I was gonna watch the Iditarod tonight, but it was boring. So, I turned it off, came here, and now you're being subjected to my rantings. *chuckles quietly*

Since I haven't talked about the trip much lately, I'm just gonna sum up the rest of it. It was great. Truly. I had a blast and saw some really, really cool stuff.

I came home with a sword, dagger, knife and a cold. *grins*

As Charles and I were driving back from the event, we stopped in Hattiesburg for breakfast/lunch. We stopped at Shonies (or is that Shoneys? I can't remember, don't kill me). I was all psyched for this because I've heard about Shoney's from many different sources and just never had seen one before.

Up here in the Pacific North West, we don't have Shoney's.

ANYWAY, we had breakfast and talked a little and tried to get used to being in "civilian" clothes again. *chuckles* it was wierd to be eating at a restaurant in pants and shirt after a week of camping out in the woods.

AND, I got to go to the bathroom in a REAL bathroom where the stall door actually locked and everything. WOOHOO.

*laughs quietly*

So then we began the long trek back to Dallas. It was good, but we were both tired and ready to be somewhere other than camping. I told Charles that while he was at work the next day, I had every intention of taking a long soak in the tub. *grins*

He laughed at me.

I laughed at me too, don't get me wrong there.

So, both of us had scratchy throats. I was already starting to sniffle a little bit. The Cold had taken hold of me and wasn't willing to release its grip. *smirks*

Anyway, when we finally got back to Dallas, we unloaded the most necessary stuff and kinda chilled out a little, but we weren't up for too long. Both of us pretty much just sacked out. It had been a long, long week and I so wanted to just crawl into bed, pull my blanket up around me and just fade away from the world.

However, Charles wasn't gonna let me get off that easy. He offered me some NyQuil. I refused. He told me he could wait longer than I could. *chuckles* Without any fighting or too many more protestations from me, I finally acquiesced and took the damned Green Death flavor.

I was out and dead to the world less than 20 minutes later.

The next two days I pretty much took it easy. My great tasks for both those days were to check my Email and make something for dinner. Real challenging. *laughs* I slept a lot. *grins*

And, I had a lot of cough drops.

I tried really hard not to contaminate Charles' air with my germs, cause he wasn't showing the same symptoms... but it didn't work. I know I gave him that cold. I know I did. *chuckles*

I'm like that. I just have to share. *grins*

Charles told me to take NyQuil the next night too. And I did. Without the same protestations.

I was talking with my Mom on the phone when we got back. Told her that it was a blast and I'd had so much fun and I was sick and twisted my ankle and it was cold and the rain was wild, so much different than home, but I'd go right back and do it again. Not that night, but in a week or two, sure. *grins*

Anyway, all in all the trip was marvelous. I had an absolute blast. I would do it again. Right now..... well, no, not right now.... I still haven't gotten my life back in order yet... but soon. *chuckles*

And I DO have every intention of going back next year.

OH, when Charles took me to the Airport, he waited around with me for the plane, as long as he could. He did have to go to work, but just before he left, he gave me the book Dune from Frank Herbert. He's been telling me I should read it for about a year now, possibly more. And I kept intending to, I just never got around to buying the book from the book store and my friend at the trade-shop, never got that one in.... no wonder.

Anyway, Charles gave me the book and I laughed. He told me that he knew I just wouldn't ever get around to it. *laughs* I have the best of intentions... but he's more right than not. I would have gotten around to it eventually, but it wasn't a tremendously high priority.

Once he left, and boy, was that awkward... I didn't know what to do. I mean, hell, I'd just spent two weeks with this guy who'd been there through my most pouty and pissy moments. He'd seen me in my PMSing stage, my whiny stage, my tired stage, scared and nervous... all of that. He'd seen me when I could talk his ear off and when I wouldn't say anything at all. *laughs*

Was I supposed to hug him and do some boyfriend/girlfriend type long farewell thing? Was I supposed to cry and say that I was going to miss him terribly? Was I supposed to tell him I didn't wanna go? What was I supposed to do?

Charles, if you were expecting a different departure, I'm sorry.

As it is, we didn't hug or anything. And I'm glad too... I mean... It's one thing to hug your friend goodbye, but it's quite another to hug your FAT friend goodbye. *chuckles* And, it always looks tacky to hug a fat chick goodbye in an airport. *shakes her head* I just..... dunno..... it just didn't look right in my head.

So, we just said our goodbyes, and I told him I'd send him an Email as soon as I got home. And that I figured I'd be getting home about the same time he did.

He got off work at about 11 or so and would get back to his apartment by about midnight. I figured that I'd get back to the airport in Portland about 8 or so my time and after conversation and stuff with Mom, we'd get back to the house around 10 or so.

With the time difference, that's exactly when I expected Charles to get home from work.

As it turned out, Mom and I stopped for dinner and I didn't get back to the house til almost 11:30p, which was the equivilant of 1:30a for Charles. He didn't get my Email til the next day.

So, anyway, when Charles left the airport, I started reading Dune. I read it while I waited for the plane, while I was flying home and then Thursday (the flight was Wednesday) and Friday it was done. It was good and I'm very, very, very thankful.... so, Thanks, Charles. Yet again you're awesome.!!!

I've already contacted the two trade/buy/sell bookshops in town, asking them to look out for the next books in the series, cause I want em. BUT, I'm gonna read em in order. Cause I wanna do it that way.

So anyway... I got home and played with Joey and got to sleep in my very own bed and felt great about it. *laughs*

That's one of the things I told Charles... Since I was leaving... he got his bed back. I know that the airmattress thing was comfy, but I bet he missed being able to sleep in his own bed.

I sure did. *laughs quietly*

Oh, and for Charles specifically... Let me give you an example of what I'm used to for male behavior. This is why I was so continuously surprised by your gentlemanly behavior.

I went with the 'rents up to Everett this weekend. No biggie. We drove up in the motor home. Now, to get into and out of this motorhome, there is a retractable step that makes it possible to get up into the beast without trying to make the first step a 2 1/2 foot leap.

Mom was of the opinion that Dad should put the step up after I'd gotten into the motorhome. He wasn't up for that job. (it's not difficult.) So, because he was being his normal, "charming" self, Mom got out of the front passenger seat in order to put the step up.

When we stopped to let Joey out after the first two hours of the drive, Mom asked Dad to put the step down so I could let Joey out and all that good stuff there. He refused, and just walked away. So, I shuffled myself around until I was in such a position that I could sorta fold out of the beast without tripping over Joey's leash.

Mom was ready to make a big stink out of it, but as I told her... Cmon, this is Dad. This is the person I've lived with for nearly 30 years. I know he isn't gonna do anything even remotely gentlemanly. It's a given. *chuckles*

So, Joey made the leap back up into the motorhome and I attempted the vault. *chuckles* Oh, I made it, but it isn't easy.

YOU try pulling your huge-ass body up 2 1/2 feet when your right foot doesn't want to cooperate. *smirks*

There are such things as opening doors and such... that never happens. Dad's got his own agenda. I'm just not a part of it. Neither is Mom. *chuckles* She should be used to it by now. I am.

That's just the way life is, folks. If I want something, I gotta get it. Dad, the "providor" isn't gonna do it.

So, sorry, Charles.... Two weeks with a gentleman, isn't enough. *chuckles* I'm still a tom-boy and obviously aware that no one is gonna do anything for me. *smirks*

I guess that means that I have to draw this to a close all on my own. *grins*

Anyway, cause I'm tired and can't concentrate anymore.... and because I'm sure that I've lost the point somewhere way-the-hell up there, I'm just gonna stop here and get some sleep.

Peace unto thy heart.