We kept up our busy schedule on Sunday by moving from our last minute, temporary home in Plain City to the campground we had reserved in Delaware, OH. We were really excited because the trip was only about 36 minutes and since we hadn’t spent any time at home since arriving in Ohio we didn’t really have anything that needed packed up. I ran out for some McDonald’s (it was so nice to have food options about 5 minutes away again!) in the morning, came home and ate, then hit the road. The drive was short and uneventful (Thank goodness). We checked in at Alum Creek State Park and found our spot fairly quickly.
Our first fun surprise for the week came pretty quickly after we started setting up when we realized that our site has no water hookup. When John went back through and looked at our reservation, it shows that there is water available within 50 feet. We took that to mean that there was a water hookup but what it actually meant is that there is a water fountain on the site next to ours (which turned out to be broken). We expected not to have sewer hookups but were not prepared to go without water for the next two weeks. We had previously purchased a collapsible bladder that can be used to haul water but we didn’t have everything necessary to hook up the bladder so we started making a shopping list for Home Depot.
We had made plans to have dinner on Sunday night with my best friend and her husband at one of my favorite local restaurants, Huli Huli Tiki Lounge, located in Powell, OH. We swung by Home Depot to pick up a few things and our storage unit to drop off a few things and were on our way to eat. We had a lovely dinner and a fun time catching up but didn’t get home in time to set up the water bladder that night. So it would be another night of no water for us.
On Monday, we showered in the shower houses at the campground and got started with our busy week. John worked from home so I took the car into town for my errands for the day: dropping off a fecal sample to the vet for Harley on the way to my dentist appointment at 9:30am, a little shopping, Harley’s vet appointment at 2:00, and John’s Lasik consultation at 5:30. We had been experiencing some car trouble for the past few weeks and were just hoping to make it back to Ohio to get the car taken care of and while I was out it died on me several times. While I was running around in the afternoon, John was making arrangements to take the car to a mechanic and get a rental car so we added: “Drop car off at shop” and “Pick up rental car” to our to-do list for the day. John was able to use a service called Turo to rent a Tesla for cheaper than a standard car would have been through a rental company like Enterprise. I was a little hesitant about getting a Tesla but was very curious about it so I was looking forward to picking it up. Unfortunately, picking up the rental car was scheduled at 4:30pm across town from John’s appointment at 5:30. It was hectic but we made it.
John’s Lasik consultation went well and we set a date for surgery for Friday. We did a little shopping at Easton then headed to the grocery. Challenge #2 of the week hit us as we were getting out of the car at Kroger. Somehow, we had lost the “key” to the Tesla (an access card that is placed on the console to start the car but can then be moved and this must be when we lost it). At this point, I was already stressing out because, while the Tesla was really nice, I was absolutely confident that I would not be able to figure out how to drive it and was panicking about having to drive it to run errands until we could get our Kia back. Now we had lost the key and were stranded at the grocery store. John was able to contact the owner of the car and get access to control the car through the phone app. New key cards are $35 so the owner agreed to invoice us for the cost and allow us to continue using the app for the remainder of our rental period.
Starting the Tesla with the app, we picked up our Kia and dropped it off at the mechanic for it to get checked out the next day and John drove us home in the Tesla. For anyone who hasn’t ever been in a Tesla, they accelerate very quickly and, for anyone who gets carsick, this can be a very unfun experience. The car also had been cleaned thoroughly and had a very powerful air freshener hanging from the rearview mirror. This is great for overall customer experience. This is not so great if you are a person who is super sensitive to smells and gets migraines from certain fragrances. (ME!)
By the time we made it home, I was exhausted. It had been a stressful day and I had another busy day scheduled for Tuesday. I was feeling very sick from the car ride but had to give one of our cats, Poe, a sedative for his vet visit the next morning. John and I were already having a little tension because I was definitely not feeling the Tesla and was a upset that he had made the decision on what vehicle to rent without consulting me (he had always wanted to drive a Tesla and this was the perfect opportunity but he wasn’t the only one that had to drive it) so we had gone our separate ways upon getting back in the house and I was left to medicate the cat on my own. Neither Poe nor myself was excited about this happening but usually I am able to get it done. This time, he went crazy and clawed by arm, bit my hands and tried to go for my face. I was so frustrated that I threw the syringe, screamed at EVERYONE in my immediate vicinity, and left a voicemail for the vet cancelling the appointments for the next day. I laid in bed for a while, crying and bleeding from many scratches and bite wounds, before yelling at John, “I’m fine by the way! Thanks for asking!” and falling asleep angry.
John went into the office the next morning and I stayed home to work on some stuff around the house. We hadn’t had time to get the water hooked up (yet again) but I did manage to gather a few more things to take to storage and put away some of the packages we had picked up from family members when we first got to town. After work, John came to get me and we had a nice talk while he drove us to “niece #2″s band concert. I apologized for losing my temper and he apologized for not consulting me about the car rental and not checking on me after my wrestling match with Poe the night before. Poe did not apologize for anything and feels absolutely no remorse.
John also let me know that the mechanic couldn’t replicate the issue with the car dying so John had to go back over there and demonstrate the issue for them and they said they would look at it the next morning so we still had no idea what was wrong, how much it was going to cost, or how long we would be without our car.
We made it to the concert and got to see some family again. Being a former band geek, I was super proud of my little oboe player!
John enjoyed showing off the Tesla to my dad and I had a SUPER FUN AND NOT AT ALL INFURIATING AND UPSETTING car ride with my sister. There isn’t enough time in the world for me to explain all of our issues but we do not get along and seeing her was not something I had wanted to do while in town. This was really shaping up to be a great visit back home.
Wednesday brought another doctor’s appointment and another unpleasant surprise. It turns out that one of the medications I have been on for several years causes health problems (which I have experienced for several years) and there aren’t great options for alternatives. Add a little more anxiety to my plate.
We ran some more errands but finally got home in time for John to get our water hooked up! This portable bladder can be unfolded in the back of the truck, filled up at any water source, and hauled back to our campsite. From there, it hooks up to a water pump and can be used for our shower and sink in the house. Once it is no longer needed, it can be emptied, folded back up and stored away for another time.
It was so nice to have one stressor off of my plate (and to be able to do dishes for the first time in a week!). We also got word from the mechanic that the issue with our car had just been some gunky oil. We were about 400 miles overdue for an oil change and had planned to get it done while we were here in town and that was the only issue. With the diagnostic, the system flush and the oil change it came to just shy of $200. An expensive oil change but, again, another issue handled and resolved. We returned the rental and picked our Kia up that evening.
I had really been looking forward to my plans on Thursday for a long time- it was New Tattoo Day! I fell in love with the work by this shop and really wanted my memorial tattoo for my Grandpa done by them so I made the appointment back in February and had been anxiously awaiting the day. John worked a half day from home then dropped me off at the Body Stain Tattoo in Columbus on his way in to the office in the afternoon. This was my biggest piece so far but I did well through the appointment and I loved the result – Ailene was an amazing artist and I can’t recommend her highly enough.
I was sitting on the sofa waiting for John to come get me when I started feeling dizzy. I had been at the studio since 1:00 and it was now going on 6:30 and I hadn’t eaten since breakfast so I figured it was just low blood sugar. They gave me an apple juice and I laid down until John came to get me. He was driving me to get a sandwich when I absolutely lost it- my vision went black, my ears started ringing and I threw up in the car. Somehow, I had the presence of mind to dump out a bag on the back seat and vomit into it so thankfully there wasn’t’ much of a mess but it still sucked. I came home, inhaled a sandwich, and went to bed.
I woke up feeling better on Friday (Thank Goodness) and was able to take John to his Lasik surgery at 1:30. I did a little shopping while he was inside and the whole thing went so quickly that we was already done as I was pulling in the garage to get him. I brought him home and, per instructions from the doctor, he slept for several hours. I woke him up to eat some dinner and he was already seeing super well. John woke up feeling well and seeing great the next morning. We were amazed at the immediate improvement and so was the doctor when we went back for his follow-up at 7:45 on Saturday. Aside from having to use eye drops for several weeks and sleep in sunglasses for a week, he was able to get back to normal life immediately.
We spent Saturday morning at Butternut Farms Wildcat Sanctuary where I used to volunteer. Leaving Butternut was one of the hardest things about moving away to live our traveling life and it was great to see the animals again. I have kept up with Rick, the man who runs it, during our travels but it was wonderful to see him in person and get some snuggles from the cats.
After our visit to Butternut, we met with some former coworkers of mine from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium for lunch at Red Robin. We had a great turnout and it made my heart happy to see so many friendly faces at once. I wish we had more time to talk to everyone but I definitely walked out of there with a smile on my face and a lightness in my heart.
Mother’s Day happened to fall during our time in town so we stopped by my parents’ house on Saturday evening for a visit with my Mom, Dad and Grandma and then spent Sunday morning with my Mother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law for our belated Christmas gift exchange and Mother’s Day brunch. We also got to spend time with John’s Aunt, Uncles, Cousins and Grandparents at a cookout on Sunday evening.
Our second week in town brought on more “dates” with friends. We had dinner with John’s best friend and her wife on Monday night, I had lunch with a friend on Tuesday, and we had dinner and a movie with friends on Friday night which was an awesome way to end our visit. We enjoyed food from our favorite restaurants while in town, too! We had Mongolian Beef from Molly Woo’s, popcorn from Al’s Delicious Popcorn, Lobster Roll Sliders from Coastal Local, Stir-fry Shrimp from Mr. Hibachi, The Sticky Maple and the Five and Dime from Maple Street Biscuit Company, and a Lobster Roll and fried dumplings from Huli Huli Tiki Lounge. We have had some amazing food on the road but we really missed some of our favorites from home.
With the second week being less insane we were finally able to get some house cleaning done, catch up on dishes and laundry, and just be together for a little while. It was nice to be home but we are absolutely itching to get on the road again just so we can relax a little bit! Next stop- Pittsburgh!
