The Traveling Steve's

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving with my family in Roanoke this past week.  It was nice to be off work for four days, and travel to and from Roanoke was on-time and stress-free, probably because I traveled up on Thanksgiving day, and returned on Saturday.

My Mom has been in a rehab center the last few weeks due to a fall she had while setting up some things in the kitchen, but she was allowed a ‘day pass’ to come home, and my brother Andy, sister Jenni, and I all pitched in to make the Thanksgiving feast.  Mom was so glad to be home, if only for the day!

Mom is looking and feeling much better, and is able to walk using a walker, and we hope she will be living back home before Christmas. I took some small animated musical bears I had bought here several Christmas’s ago, and put them in her rehab room during my visit to Roanoke.

She is missed by everyone it seems judging by all the ‘Get Well’ cards she had on her rehab closet door.

I felt bad for Dad, because at 84 (as is Mom) he has always relied to Mom to cook, clean, do bills etc, and he’s a bit out of his element, not to mention lonely now.  Fortunately he has moved in the new house which is up the street from my brother Andy, and only a mile or two from the rehab center where Mom is staying.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner in Mom and Dad’s new home, and quite a feast it was! Here my brother Andy and sister Jenni are preparing food in the kitchen,

while the actual dinner was captured in this selfie below.

We had a great day together with the family, and were so thankful for everything we have – and especially Mom could be there.  Meanwhile DOS was celebrating Thanksgiving in Sarasota with his Dad and neighbors there; we Face-Timed him to say Happy Thanksgiving!

On Friday, I had quite a busy day with my Dad trying to assist wherever I could. My parents still have their old house to sell, and have quite a bit of work left to do to get it ready.  I went back to the old home with Dad on Friday and we had a nice day trip, driving the half hour ride across the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway, being on the lookout for deer, and the bicyclists enjoying the day.

While they had movers take most of the furniture, there are still boxes and boxes of things to go through and box up, so while I filled his car up with as much as I could carry, we both agreed they needed a company to pack up the rest and move it over to the new house.

I took Dad to lunch at K & W cafeteria at Tanglewood mall before going over to visit Mom.  I worked at K & W cafeteria when I was in high school, although at the other location in north Roanoke.

On Saturday my brother Andy took me to the airport, after first stopping by his Church for some organ practice, and rehearsal with one of the choir members.  Andy is quite talented and has played the organ for churches since he was 16, yet he still practices each week!  Talk about dedication in the middle of his full time job during the week – labor of love for him, especially around the holidays with special music.

I flew back to Orlando Saturday night, (via CLT) and had 3 nights at home with DOS.  Both the Charlotte and Orlando airports were all decked out with Christmas decorations as shown below.

DOS and I had dinner at home each night, and enjoyed the Christmas decorations we had previously put up.  I also had to pack for 3 back-to-back trips:  Chicago on Tuesday, Jekyll Island next weekend, and Cincinnati next week.  As I am not coming home in between these trips, I set up 3 different bags for the different trips, and quite a few extra things (mostly Christmas decorations) for our upcoming weekend at Jekyll Island.  More about that later, but my brother Andy and his parter Art will be meeting us there next weekend, as well as some friends we have on the Island, for a pre-Christmas celebration.

For now, it’s Tuesday morning, and I’m waiting on my 11:30am flight to Chicago where I’ll be the next three nights.  I probably should have dressed warmer that a short sleeve Polo shirt and sweat jacket, but it’s still shorts weather in Florida, and living here it seems odd that only a two and half hour plane ride will bring me chilly temperatures when I arrive.  It looks like it will be mid 50s when I get there, although down to the 30’s at night.  Brrrrrr!

So once again, on the road again.  Only 3 more business trips this year!