Trooper Josh

Thursday, July 13, 2023

Shout out to Auntie Jayne on her birthday!! I hope it was a happy day!

There were a lot of things today.

First, I was out walking, because I am still practicing walking for Disney World. My goal is 15,000 steps each day until we go. I was walking around the house – and by that I mean walking in circles around the main level or the basement while doing whatever I am doing. I circled the island, stirring my breakfast pasta (yes) each time I passed the stove. After I finished walking and eating, I thought I would take a few laps around the cul-de-sac while I awaited the imminent arrival of my friend (and her boys – for swimming). I realized I was wearing my crocs as I walked down the road. I don’t usually wear crocs out and about – they are my backyard shoes. My feet do NOT like being without shoes, so I have crocs by both doors to the backyard. I considered my fuzzy lined crocs while I circled around. My other crocs are pink and the holes are Mickey shaped. Crocs are so extraordinarily comfortable that I thought perhaps I should take my pink ones along on vacation. Solid idea.

I went back in the house before the company arrived. I put my crocs by the door. I walked upstairs. I thought maybe I cracked a toenail or something, because suddenly there was a very sharp pain on my second toe. Mmmm. Apparently my toe was rubbing on the front of my shoe and I had a huge, painful blister on the tip of my second toe on my right foot. There was a smaller wannabe one on my left foot. OW! I am not taking my crocs on vacation. What the hell? How did that happen?

OW

Christina came and we talked about all the things and her boys swam and it was a perfect summer day. They left about 2:00 and I went to swim laps. Then I floated a bit. I was thinking about getting out to take a shower and get ready to go to Clear Lake….then I woke up when Keith said it was 4:07 and we should be on the road.

Whoops.

Fast shower. We convertibled to Clear Lake, because the report was that the Northern Lights were going to be out, and I was going to be ready to sit and look for them. Mike grilled burgers perfectly – pink in the middle, but cooked through. Delicious. For the first time ever, I went for a second burger! (I warned Keith he would have to finish it, because I knew I wouldn’t make it through two. I almost did!) Metro Brass Quintet played the Thursday night concert. Dan was the highlight playing Gabriel’s Oboe. So good. I walked up and down the street for the first half of the concert (out of sight of the concert goers, but close enough to hear the music. I needed 4,000 steps). Keith, Mike, and our friend Julie joined in for a 5-trumpet rendition of Bugler’s Holiday. As Keith got out his horn to join in, he bumped his case and really, really ALMOST dropped his horn on the rocky asphalt. I (because I am in charge of screaming) made a screamy gaspy noise. He caught it between his thigh and elbow. PHEW. He might not have known to catch it if I hadn’t made that big noise.

A storm came through, wiping away our northern light hopes, so we lingered for hours. We were chatting up a storm about so many things, when a police car with his lights was back behind us. Keith said apparently it was for us. I did not panic. I thought that was pretty good of me. Trooper Josh came around my side of the car and told us that we had no taillights on. He said we probably just hadn’t turned our lights on all the way. Nope. They are out. He suggested we take less highway-y roads home and turn on our hazards. We were only 4 miles from Minnesota, so we didn’t have too far to go. We blink blink blink blink blinked our way home without further incident. I was sure some other police person was going to stop us.