I woke up.  It was over.  YUMMY!  I survived the gallon of Miralax cocktails that had to be drank in about an hour and a half – I was thinking I’d have to puke there at the end but managed not to – the night of the day before was a miserable little bitch as anyone that has gone through this can attest to.  No food for the full day, drink clear fluids, then chug stuff to make you stay almost surgically attached to the porcelain throne, etc., etc.  A totally miserable night where you sleep like shit and hit the throne more than once and then off in the early AM to go through the procedure.  I was really happy to be put out, no pain, no stomach distress, no exhausted feeling, and when they were calling me to wake up, I really didn’t want to.  Sleep was wonderful and I finally felt warm, there place was freezing and it was 32 degrees when we fired up the steed at 5:30AM for the trip.

It was crazy on the morning of the day before because the day before that, there were fine blowing snowflakes coming down in Pahrump.  I went into the local Walmart and picked up gold fish for Tony the Red Eared Slider – since he had to be alone for a few days I wanted him to have edible tank mates – and as I locked in for the night I was thinking about the fact that the weather could be the pits in the AM.  I woke up at 6AM to four inches of snow on the ground and it was still coming down.  I packed up and hit the road, going out 160 to 95 and heading into Vegas that way instead of attempting the Hump.  Listening to the radio I found out 160 was closed coming out of Vegas anyway so if I’d chosen to go that way, I would’ve had to reroute anyway back to 95.

It was a bit creepy, roads were shitty, two accidents on the way, and the Steed slid briefly once when I crossed a small bridge.  Kee-rist!  No cell phone service through almost all of the 25 miles to highway 95.  But I got there about 9ish.  Then I was off to a piercer to have my ear jewelry removed.  I have to admit it hurt like hell.  But the person delivering the pain is an angel.  His name is Charlie and he works at Diversity on the Strip just off of Sahara.  He knows both of my boys that tattoo and he took me right in, took out the jewelry and put acrylic in the inner conch, and told me to come back when I wanted them replaced.  I did today after I had coffee and food and a short nap.  It was much easier than the extraction was.  And I got to see Oz, a tattooer that used to have his own shop some years ago when Josh lived here.  It was hugging and visiting time and a very nice feeling all the way around.  I’m extremely impressed with Charlie, he has such great energy.

Tonight I’m staying in Sin City at the old digs with my son and his gal and then back home tomorrow.  This medical testing had been scheduled for quite some time and weighing in on my sense of spirit and freedom as it loomed closer, now that it’s over I’m greatly relieved.  There are a few things going on but nothing major and it’s a keen sense of relief.  Can’t wait to get back to whatever the hell I was doing before the adventure started.  🙂

So…I’m outa here for now…just checking in…alive and well.