VACATION IS OVER

I am, sadly, back in snow and cold, after a great month on South Padre Island. Texas. The unit we rented was much more lavish than we anticipated; a 3 BR condo was bigger than our house! We did a lot of the touristy things (Sea Turtle Rescue Center, Bird Sanctuary, etc) and did plenty of reading and lounging and working at their huge gym with a steam room and hot tub (inside and outside), and many machines, along with a library, tennis and racquetball and basketball courts. Richie was in gym heaven. All in all, a great month away from winter snow (and we hear we dodged a lot of it.)

We even had a miracle the day of arrival (too long to write about) but we were assured the Ekstrom angels were still in the business of saving us.

Richie took a 3-hr fishing trip and came home with sand trout which were delicious. I'm so glad he had a good time.

Observations:

1. There is too much obesity in South Texas.
2. I wish I knew Spanish. Every server and clerk were Hispanic.
3. The portions of food you get in a restaurant are insane. Thus, #1.
4. Lots of T-shirt/souvenir shops which were cheap and low quality. We didn't buy one item.
5. Met or greeted several NDSU and Viking fans. Apparently there are many winter Texans from ND, MN, and WI.
6. We were able to spend a little time with the best friends of my parents who wintered there for maybe 10-12 years. Oh, how they loved my parents. 
7. By far, the sunsets were the most spectacular I've ever seen in my life. The pinks and purples and blues were too stunning to describe.

I had a cortisone shot for each shoulder before I left. One worked. One didn't. Getting another tomorrow. Dick has me on a strict strengthening routine.....I am getting so weak and increasingly unstable. Lucky for me, I have a husband who says nothing, but took my arm and hand every time we left the car or house to be my cane. I didn't walk a step without him. He is such a jewel of a caregiver. 

Meeting with my oncologist in 2 weeks. I took a 3 week drug holiday while in Texas, but realized after 9 days it was doing nothing to improve my well-being so I went back on.
The last drug holiday I took, a year ago, rendered great results.

We are re-adapting to life in winter. For better or worse, this is home. 

Eating at Pier 19

This was our 27 foot deck

Our building

Dick sitting on our deck

Eating at the infamous Dirty Al's

Richie's fishing boat, pelicans and seagulls hovering

Not many people swimming in the ocean