Sunday I was up at 6:30 am to go walking with Liz. We walked around Discovery Park and then decided to walk over the freeway to Starbucks. We had a great chat and just caught up on what had been going on in our lives the last few months. She seemed pleased with her house purchase and we made a plan for me to go by and see her new house later in the week.
I got back to our house just after 8 am. I was waiting on the cable guy who never came. It seems they had written the address incorrectly. So in the end he was rescheduled for Monday.
Mitch and I went to find a storage unit. He is the king of spacial awareness, so I needed him to tell me how big of a space I needed. Once we were back at the house, we packed more stuff. After I discovered the cable guy wasn't coming, around midday, Mitch, Mom and I went to run some errands. We went to buy some dining room chairs, a bed skirt and a few other bits. We also ate at Oregano's.
We came back to the house to work some more. Mitch and I decided to go to the casino and lose our shirts, but we had a great time together. I'm so glad I don't live very close to gaming. It's a dangerous place for anyone with obsessive compulsive behaviors.
Monday, I was up at 5 am because I just couldn't sleep. I had coffee with my mom for a few hours and then we were back at the house to do some more work. The cable was set up, stuff was delivered to storage, and the beds were delivered. It was all coming together. I can't even explain to you how hard my mom has worked to make this happen for us. If my brother, Mitch, hadn't been there, the Tetris game that was disguised as a storage unit would have kicked my butt.
We took a break and went to lunch. We also bought a few more items on the 'list'. We went back to work for a bit and get the upstairs cleaned up so the carpet cleaners could start up there when they arrived the following afternoon.
Of course, once the work was finished, Mitch and I hit the casino again. This time my dad went with us. We spent a few hours there and then decided to call it a night.
Tuesday was another day of working, lunch and some shopping for the house. The carpet cleaners came at 1 pm and we left shortly after. I left a check for them and was not aware until the following morning that they didn't clean the carpets in the guest room. My mother was none too happy and called the following morning to get them out immediately.
It was Mitch's birthday Tuesday, so around 5, Mitch and I met Connie and her son Gavin for happy hour before going to another place to meet up with the Bunco Babes. What a fantastic night we had. Jennifer, Marion, Marty, and Brenda joined for the fun. We celebrated both Mitch and Gavin's birthday. There was a lot of laughter.
We decided to hit the casino one last time. I was beyond tired, but the fun bus came by so I had to get on. Sadly, I fell asleep at one of the slot machines. Luckily I didn't fall off the chair, just had a bit of a body jerk. We didn't get home until 2 am and I was up at 5 am to meet Julie and Mary for breakfast.
After a lovely catch up and breakfast with Mary and Julie, I headed to Walmart one last time, or so I thought. I bought another set of sheets for one of the day beds. It was useless because my mom had actually gone to Walmart on Tuesday evening and purchased the second set. So, in the end, I had to return he sheets. I discovered this when I got back to the house. The guy who serviced the reverse osmosis system was waiting to be paid and the internet guy showed up and did his work. We continued to put the finishing touches on the house. We were virtually finished by the time my dad picked up my brother Russ from the airport. He was coming in town for the Final Four, seeing me was a bonus.
When we finished for the day, we headed to Oreganos again and had a wonderful time. The five of us haven't been together like we were in a very long time. We laughed and enjoyed each other's company. We went shopping for a bit and finished packing my bags, keeping fingers crossed that they would not be overweight. We relaxed at home and then decided to head to Starbucks for a nightcap. We rode in the convertible Russ had rented. We sat outside and I wore the new Central Arkansas sweatshirt Russ brought me, knowing that I wouldn't be wearing it again for a while. The weather was cool and enjoyable. I was falling asleep at the table.
We headed back and celebrated Mitch's birthday with dump cake. Again, I was asleep on the sofa, but woke up long enough to sing 'Happy Birthday'.
I got to bed just after 11 pm. When my alarm went off at 6, I just wanted to throw my phone against the wall. The house was all but finished. The mopping of the tile floor was all that needed to happen. The delivery truck informed us they would be there between 7 and 11 to deliver the new washer and dryer, which was a relief.
We headed to the house just before 8 am and the truck showed up with the washer/dryer just after 8 am. They removed and replaced the units in about 20 minutes. By 9:30 we were finished and out of the house. It was a bit bittersweet. This venture is hopefully a means to an end.
Russ took me to Liz's to see her house and deliver some mail for her. I had finally finished the gigantic 'to do' list for the week. What a whirlwind of a trip I had!
We decided to hit the outlet mall on Thursday, and for a late lunch we went to a new Chinese restaurant in Gilbert. We then came home and played Mexican train (dominoes) until it was time for me to go to the airport. My bags were very heavy, but once at the airport they weighed in at exactly 50 pounds a piece. Whew!
The flight was relatively uneventful. I was fortunate enough to be in a row by myself from Philly to Doha, again. Thank goodness for travelers being few this spring break. I was very anxious to get home to Stuart and the kids. They had a full week of entertainment from Janie and Digby, friends of Grandma and Grandpa's from the U.K., and then Grandma and Grandpa. The pictures below depict their fun.
I arrived on Saturday at about 10 am and went through customs rather quickly. Then I saw my babies and they were so happy to see me. I was almost teary. Millie kept telling me how much she missed me. Of course they both wanted to know what I brought them. I got out a couple of things for them and they were thrilled. We got a coffee at Costa and headed home. I filled Stuart in on the happenings of the week in Arizona. We traded stories all the way home.
Once we were home I unpacked and gave the kids more presents. Of course I hid some things as well. Once all the items were away and I was showered, I headed to the sofa. The kids played and I had a bit of a nap. Stuart woke me around 6 pm so that I would still be able to sleep through the night. The kids got ready for bed and once they had finished dinner they were off.
Stuart ordered Chinese for us. I barely had my last bite around 8 pm and then drifted off to sleep. At 10 pm I went to bed. It was a very busy week for sure, but also very productive. Hopefully I will be back to normal soon.
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