I wish I could've hung out with you, but we still had great fun... and there's never any problem ridding oneself of Champagne and brownie cake, lol.

I'm SO glad we saw Carla and folks who were going to see you! I'm glad you got your celebration goodies and hope you thought them yummy.

Did Max the Moo come? BeeBee enjoyed the ride and one reststop in particular, lol, but he played 2nd fiddle at RU, what with the cats especially!

I was so glad to meet Patricia and chat with Jody and her husband [Dad always finds engineers or military men to chat with at these things!] It all went so fast there late afternoon...

I came away with 5 beauties, restrained but this trip was extra, lol.

My back didn't kick up till later, which is excellent to me, but I've been resting since. At one point going home I took my meds but Dad wanted to drive longer before we ate, so I got to play hide-the-loopiness with the non-filtered brunt of the meds. Wowza... that hasn't happened in a while and is a tad embarrassing ;] Now I know why I eat all the time.

Congrats congrats on your surgery again, and you'd better list who all you got!

max didn't make the trip - he wasn't allowed to stay in the hotel so I left him in the capable care of his auntie and groomer...
I am so sad that I missed Beebee - I'll bet he was far cuter then those furry cats roaming around!
My neck did ok on the drive, but by the time I got there it was a goner. Then Saturday, with the storm coming in, I woke up with an unhappy neck and it never really got better, despite quantitites of pain meds and beer at RU! So leaving early and heading for the hotel was all I could do, else I think I would likely still be there. I made it an early night on Saturday and drove home on Sunday to ice up and enjoy wonderful chocolate cake and champers with my DH - thanks again sweetie!!! (I think part of my problem Friday and Saturday was that I had to do a trillion errands before I left Friday, so didn't get to really recover before the big day on Saturday, but by the time I got home on Sunday I was resolved to wait another 12 weeks before attempting a drive like that again.... having moaned and groaned, though, let me say IT WAS WORTH IT, AND I'd do it again!!!)

next trip, let's try and plan a bit better and maybe nail down a time to meet, leaving plenty of time for rests and talks and rests and eating and talks and talks and talks!!!

Yes, I want a meeting with comfy chairs, preferably with neck support... but when do I not notice the chair situation, lol? I understand completely about your neck... I can't do an errand day and then anything else the next day still.

BeeBee sends his love to you and Max. I should've brought his muzzle anyway... when he's a 'barky butt' he gets 5 minutes in it. Makes him remember how to listen next time I say hush - fancy that, he's not really deaf! Barking around folks is his vice, he says... "I want them to know I'm here and see them!" Yeah, we got that!

Sounds like everyone had a blast. I so want to go next year. Been saying I will for years now, when I was still able to work. Looking at my member page, I've been using this name since 2001, the year my back got bad & I stopped working. Can't believe it's been that long.

I may not have been there but my RU roses came a few weeks ago, I got Daddys Girls (in memory of dad) which is blooming and smells wonderful; Burgundy Iceberg which I had to have to see if it was the same as one of my Brilliant Pink Icebergs (it is; so it sported) and Amber Queen, for my daughter.

Do you guys drive with a heating pad? I have a plug that goes in my cigarette lighter so that I can use a regular heating pad in the car. So nice to have. If it wasn't for the heating pad, I wouldn't be able to drive 30 minutes.

Sue, that's a great idea! You can get 'regular plugs' for the car? I'll check that out.

No, I usually just go full out on patches and meds, and I try to make the seat as supportive as possible with things used as 'armrests'. It's the arm thing that gets me, or if I have to turn my head a lot.

Other than very short jaunts right up to close stores, I keep my driving to 1-2 days a week. Trips over 45 min require a driver :(

Back working fulltime, the commute was a huge part of why I just can't do that. Just driving like that twice a day is enough to have to rest/med up, seriously.

Dumb question time: is it legal to drive with a neck brace on? That might help more [I can turn my head in mine] but I was scared it'd be considered a hazard or something...

Maybe next year you can all meet at my house on Friday evening! I live in Greenville very near to California Dreamin' off of Pelham Road. I didn't think of it this year (slappin' forehead) but it would have been a great plan!! It should even be pretty providing we dont have another late freeze.

Food, drink, roses....Ya'll come!!

Mere, I bought them from Best Buy or Comp USA 3 or 4 years ago, got one for dad too. Originally bought it to use the laptop in the car. It was $50, got it 1/2 price.

You sound like me. I do the same thing as you but add the heating pad, I wouldn't be able to drive otherwise. Serious spasms, then sciatica. Keep crutches in the car for those times when I have to drive 30, drop the kid, turn around and come home. I also get driven anything over 30 mins.

The best heating pad I've found is from Target. The ones from Walmart burn out too fast.

Here is a link that might be useful: TRIPP LITE Power Inverter

Thanks, Sue!!

Ronda, please please! That sounds like great fun. Hey, if Ashdown does their big summer sale this year, I'm coming down again, BTW ;]