Back home, at last

I'm finally back home. The past few days have been difficult - traveling, shopping, dining out and being a tourist, when I've spent the last couple of years being a shut-in.

There were still times I stayed behind in the hotel when the family went out, but I really did try to take part.  I don't want to be tired all the time. 

One of the places I went:

And further down:

I've rafted the river below the falls twice. Back, before, you know...

I hardly recognized myself when I got home and looked in the mirror.  I actually got some sun the past few days and am not my usual shade of pale white that comes from being in my room 24-7.

I'll try to keep it up. I really did push myself. For every moment I sat waiting alone in the car or the lobby or the hotel room, there was also a moment I uncomfortably endured the crowded restaurant and park and shop.  It can only get easier.

But for now at least, I'm home with my kitty:

Midnight...rambling...

I finally hooked up my new scanner/printer/copier...
The first thing I wanted to do was find something to scan in, because it's been such a long time since I've been able to do that...and then I got caught up looking at pictures for an hour!
Here's the picture that I finally decided would get the honors and be the first one in:

This is my daughter and me at Cumberland Falls, Kentucky, about eight or nine years ago.  Do you see how close we are to the falls!!!  I can't believe I did that...there is a viewing area much further back, but my grandmother had talked me into going under the ropes and hurrying out there on the limestone shelf so she could get a picture of us before one of the park rangers saw us.
Obviously, I can't ever let my daughter see this picture, I don't want her to get any ideas.  I also obviously can't let her hang out with my grandmother too much...LOL!
I go to Cumberland Falls at least once every year...because:
1) It's one of the only few places in the world where you can see a moonbow...it's quite something to go to the park during the full moon, and stand with a crowd of people in the middle of the night, waiting for the moon to rise above the trees so that you can see colors arise out of the mist at the base of the falls...

2) It's a great place to go whitewater rafting...you start your trip at the base of the falls and travel down the Cumberland River...and it's family-friendly (meaning NOT HARD)...
and
3) Because I love it!  The falls and the hiking trails and the river, it's one of my favorite places in the world.
(This is me talking...my daughter also loves it...D, on the other hand, is a person of this variety..."WHY do we have to go there again? What else is there to see that you haven't seen a hundred times before?"...But he loves me, so he always goes along and doesn't complain TOO much! LOL)

I can't stop the world...

I checked my grade online, and I got an A-...yay!  I guess that means I got an A- on my paper.  It also makes me wonder if my professor actually read my paper, because it was actually 14 pages of desperation and not really deserving of an A.  But I'll take it!
Now, my daughter only has two more days left of school, and then, thankfully, school is out for her too!  I say thankfully because this has been a VERY hard year for her, and I'm just thankful she made it through okay.  She went to the doctor today and we have some new things to try and hopefully this summer will be a good, healing one.
I have her in day camp for most of the summer...I wish so much that I could be home with her right now, but I have to work.  The best summer I've had in recent memory was in 1998, when I was laid off in May, had the whole summer off, and then went back to work in August!  At first, of course, I didn't view being laid off as a blessing, but it turned out to be just that, as we had a great summer together. 
I've been going to the gym and working out pretty faithfully since last December, and now, for once, I'm kind of looking forward to the summer.  I was pretty much the most out of shape person in the world when I started working out.  The only reason I started was because I was taking my daughter to the Y every time the doors opened, it seemed, and one of the workers there just really badgered me about just sitting there when I could be doing something...(to which I said, I am doing something, I'm READING!)...
Why didn't anyone ever tell me about this whole working out thing before?  Maybe they did, actually, but I never paid attention...  I can't believe I didn't do it sooner, and I'm so mad at myself for all the time I wasted.  After five months, I'm stronger, I have more stamina, I look better, I feel about a million times better, and I'm even more coordinated (had nowhere to go but up, there)!
So this summer, I'm ready!  Mother-daughter hiking excursions, here we come!  And I'm really excited about whitewater rafting, it's something I always love to do in the summer, but this time I may actually be effective at it (I've been doing the row/rear delt machine, you know!). 
Only three problems remain with this summer and my new active outdoor lifestyle, now that we've gotten the whole shortness of breath and gasping for air issues out of the way:
1.  THE HEAT.  I would prefer to live in Alaska, but since I can't, I'm going to suck it up and be happy.  And maybe duck into an air-conditioned room every chance I get.
2.  THE BUGS.  I guess my problems with bugs are pretty well-documented here.  I resolve to use OFF and ignore the smell and stickiness!
3.  THE SUN.  I usually only go out at night...I'm one of those cave-dwellers.  I can use sunblock, but it's the whole principle of the thing...the sun is just far too bright to comfortable be in it.  (you know, heavenly hurt...)  But I will try very hard to be a sun-lover this summer and leave the cave-dwellers behind!
I hope this summer can be a new beginning for my family, and for anyone else, who really needs this...