Relax the day away

Ahh...what a nice day it's been. Especially after all the driving, it's been nice to not have to get up early to make some appointment or get back on the road to make it to the next town. Don't get me wrong; I enjoy driving and it's good to be busy. But there are times when it's good to spend time just sitting around, relaxing, and amusing myself.

The noon hour had almost come and gone by the time I finally rolled out of bed this morning. And when I left the bedroom and prepared to meet the day, I was greeted by some wonderful eggs, toast, and orange juice Dolly prepared for me. I've always enjoyed Dolly's cooking, and I always savor the morning meals she prepares. Dolly didn't eat anything until we ate in Little Current this afternoon, but she did sip on coffee as I enjoyed my morning meal.

Not long after breakfast, Ross came to me and asked me if I could give him a lift to his grandparents' place. I agreed but told him it would take me a little while to finish my breakfast and get cleaned up. Ross had asked for us to leave by about 1:15, but we didn't leave Dolly's house until about 2:15. The time difference didn't seem to bother Ross, though. In the meantime, I finished my breakfast, took a shower, and even had time to play some more Guitar Hero II. I didn't play that many songs, but I have built up to some proficiency playing The Police classic "Message in a Bottle." My new personal high score on that song is about 170,000. I'll continue to work on that song to see if I can take my scoring to new heights.

Not long after I returned to Dolly's house after dropping off Ross, Sharlene, and Nathan, Dolly and I headed to Little Current. There was some grocery shopping Dolly wanted to do, and she figured we'd be able to find more of what we wanted in Little Current rather than at Andy's in Wiky. The roads were wet but otherwise clean, and we were able to make it to Little Current in about 25 minutes.

Before we shopped for groceries and before the white stuff started falling once again, Dolly and I grabbed a quick bite to eat at one of the Little Current restaurants on Highway 6. I had a grilled cheese sandwich and a small order of poutine. Dolly enjoyed a plate of French fries with gravy.

We didn't know it at the time, but the Little Current ValuMart was scheduled to close at 5 p.m. Fortunately, we arrived at about 4:30 and we were able to finish our shopping just before the store was going to close its doors. I'm surprised Dolly purchased as much as she did, but it really makes sense. There are always lots of kids over at her place, and there's always plenty of food for everyone.

Neither Dolly nor I went out for the remainder of the day; it's been nice to spend so much time hanging out at home. We've spent a good deal of time snacking, enjoying meals, and watching TV. And I've indulged myself in more guitar heroics as well. My repertoire has expanded beyond "Message in a Bottle," but that song remains my favorite. And I'll continue working on it in the coming days.

It truly has been a nice, relaxing day, and I feel like I'm catching up on sleep and rest. It's not as though I was frazzled before I came to Wiky, but I can already sense that this visit is going to help me unwind, especially after my recent gastric illness. This week is going to go by quickly, I'm afraid. But I'm going to savor every minute here as I always try to do.