PCB /to/ NOLA /to/ Biloxi and back /to/ PCB.

An epic amount of travel for three whole days... but I'm not complaining.  Had to get my biopsy done on in NOLA on Wednesday afternoon (1:00 PM - but I left PCB at 6:15 AM that morning), then ran some errands (picked up a couple of cases of Abita Beer, gumbo file, cajun spices, a small bag of red beans, and some petit fours), grabbed a rotisserie chicken and NOLA-style potato salad (for dinner).  I also provided some pre-mixed cocktails, Long Island Iced Tea (Cuervo Skinny) which were not at all disappointing!!  I wish I took a picture of it - because it was delicious and not the shit-tastic mess I was thinking it would be - at all.  Yum!!  L and I had our cocktails and front-porched it (my most favorite evening thing to do in my old 'hood).

(Looking down my street from the awesomeness of the front porch!!)

The Vee-Dubs was glad to be back in her old neighborhood, too.  I still have the NOLA inspection sticker on the front (even though my license plate is from Florida now).  Since N & L rent out my old house, I street-park now... no more fancy for me!!

(There she is... back where she should be... minor dents and all!!)

After all the excitement of Wednesday night, I reluctantly packed the car on Thursday morning - but it wasn't as dreary as I was expecting.  I headed to Mississippi to pick up one of my very good friends and treat her to a night out (did someone just say "Girl's Night"??  Oh, yesssssssss!!!).  We booked a room at the IP Casino in Biloxi, which is a casino, resort, spa, pool on the 11th floor, and excellent room service.  This is our second visit and it was just as fun as the first time around!!  I had brought some "Hurricane" pouch drinks from New Orleans, and we started with those...

(You know, because I just came in from NOLA - we had to toast the city in our own way!!)

Then, we went exploring around the casino, checking out the pool, taking various elevators (all which seemed slightly shaky and a bit dodgy) and came across this gem (can't say that either one of us was really interested in attending this concert - for fuck's sake, I thought she was dead or in a loony bin - but apparently is still doing the B-level casino concert bit)....

(She's had so much plastic surgery, if she sits near a campfire, she'll either go up in flames or simply fucking melt!!)

Yeah, you read that right.  Liza - in the plasti-flesh.  We had such a good giggle over all that - it was hilarious.  I think that a good portion of the Q-tips may have hit up the box office, though.  The elevators going up there were full!!  

We headed back up to our room, to open our big ol' box o' Franzia (Sunset Blush - the boxed-bagged wine that never stops) and proceeded to have a fabulous time watching "National Lampoon's Vacation" and catching up on all the cray-cray shit that's been going on in our lives.  This, of course, is way better than drinking and texting or Skyping... and we took advantage of it - staying up fairly late (well, really late), ordering room service.  In the morning, we ordered room service and got pancakes with a bourbon-apple sauce to spread on them.  It was a great evening!!!

And guess what?????  I didn't get *dangerous*!!  I could have, you know.  I had alcohol, ice, and a cheaply serrated "knife" that I'm pretty sure (had I been sober enough), I could've ground into a shank.  That never happened.  The proof???  Right here...

(It would've taken me half a week in a prison hole in order to make THAT a killing weapon.  Sorry, C.!!  I did my best to appease the peanut gallery, but I guess I failed miserably at that.  Le sigh.)

So, we check out of the casino this morning, and I was back on my way to PCB.  Got home before the husband did, emptied out the car, and then we went out to one of our favorite seafood shacks.  I don't have a lot of pressing stuff to do this weekend, and the boob hurts a bit, but I'm sure I can just hack it off if it becomes a bother.  

And if you're feeling adventurous or need some kind of entertainment....  play THIS.  It's Dangerous!!!

Sick.

On Wednesday night the hubs came home sick.  How do I know this?  He stopped at the store on the way home and picked up NyQuil and DayQuil - along with cough drops - for himself.  One of his funny quirks is how he'll pick this stuff up and never give me a hint of a warning.  On Thursday, he worked half a day, and on Friday, was feeling back up to snuff.  Yeah.  My immune system used to be like that when I interacted with other humans on a regular basis.  Hahaha.

Friday night, I started feeling off.  Saturday, it was like my throat was lined with needles.  I *knew* the love of my life was feeling guilty when he offered to take me out to lunch and then I slept for 14 hours straight.  Sunday, the husband left to go New Mexico on a two week business trip.  Trust me, the dog cannot read and is not good with fetching meds.  I dragged myself out early on Sunday morning and picked up all the get-well crap I'd need.  Nothing like blowing a shit-ton of money you don't want to over at your local CVS!!! 

Slept on and off all day Sunday.  All the OTC stuff I picked up didn't work.  Today is Monday and I *knew* I had to get in to see a doc in a box (Urgent Care) - but good luck with that if you're too fucked up sick (fever of 102+) to drive.  No taxi service to be found.  Shuttle service to the aiport would've taken me the 8 miles to the doctor - for the kindly fee of $83.  Fuck.  That.  I finally had an epiphany... call my doctor/pharmacy in NOLA and get a script.  They managed (from their end) to call it in to some local pharmacy that delivers (for $10 extra).  Antibiotics.  Cough syrup with codeine - which made me have to eat something or I would've been praying to the toilet god.  I took the doses that a good girl should, and slept for another 4 hours.  However, I don't feel like a gorilla is sitting on my chest and the crap that I'm hacking up is not tinged with blood.  Winning!!

The worst feeling in the world???  Knowing that there's not one person in less than 250 miles of you that can actually help.  Fuck YOLO in my life... there's only YOYO - You're On Your Own. 

This is not an adventure.  This is my life.  Let's give a big ol' Kermit Wave that I'm surviving!!  Better yet, wonder if Life Alert is available at any age...

On My Own.

This is definitely not a *pity party*, so don't mistake it for one.  I was simply looking at my husby's work calendar and it looks like he'll be home for a grand total of 31 days out of the next 90 (and that includes the 4 days that we'll be flying to DC for a wedding in July).  It's not me that I'm worried about - it's him.  Speaking from experience, it utterly sucks to have to live in hotels for 2 - 3 weeks on end, although I will concede that the housekeeping and room services are nice. 

Previous to moving here (and while getting settled in), I was looking forward to inviting friends from different areas of the country to come and spend some time with me while the husband was gone, you know, just to have company and enjoy the beautiful beaches (and delicious seafood, shopping, and amenities).  Now??  Only a handful of people have made the invite list thanks to a "real" eye-opening experience during my move.  There's really only a small handful of friends I want to entertain (CR, JL, LF, S&L, L&N)... and after I make my solid schedules with them, I will be traveling instead of being the hostess. 

In June, I'll be heading back to New Orleans for a long weekend.  I'm so excited to go - I can't wait to see my friends and do the "front porching" thang!!  Since L&N moved into our old house, I can stay there also, if I want to.  There's a list of restaurants that I want to go to and I'm looking forward to seeing some of my favorite co-workers.  I love NOLA!!  :D

Hopefully, on my way home, I can stop and see another bestie - and we can hang out in Gulfport for a night or two.  I'm looking forward to firming plans up and grabbing some Franzia and room service.  Lounging by the pool on the top of the hotel would be cool - seeing the ocean as we swim.  Laughing and having a good time and not having a worry in the world. 

In July, we'll be attending my niece's wedding in DC.  She's actually getting married in Chevy Chase, MD (which makes me laugh - considering how much I love the "National Lampoon's Vacation" movies.  It's going to be a quick jaunt, but we should be able to throw in a little sightseeing.  I'd like to go to the Smithsonian - but with the time constraints??  I should probably lower my expectations.

Since husby is gone for most of the month of August, I may go to New England.  I'll probably skip most of Massachusetts (except to stop and see JL and two of my favorite cousins) and then head straight to Maine.  I don't want to run into anyone - considering how dangerous I can be!!!  ;)

Those are my plans for now... of course, things are subject to change.  I'm On My Own for a little while, but I'm going to take advantage of that and check off a bunch of stuff on my list.  Arizona and California are on the short list also... just depends on how much time I do have and what the flight prices look like. 

Compared to what March, April, and May looked like... summer is gleaming like a gem!!