Keeping Our MONDAYS Special -- Drive Up the Gorge
Last Monday you might recall Marilyn and I drove up the Columbia River Gorge and went to Multnomah Falls. We had a GREAT walk and took some wonderful photos while there -- very fun!
Today we decided to take another drive up the Gorge. This time we stopped at Starvation Creek State Park. It's a beautiful site, and we literally haven't stopped there in YEARS. We wanted to get some photos, because it was just amazing how gorgeous it was with all the fall colors!
There's also a really amazing waterfall there (!!!) that we took photos of, too.
By the time we left there we were almost starving (joking, joking), so we needed to stop for lunch. We (finally) went to a place we've been passing all our lives and never tried out, Charburger Country restaurant. Really cute, with lots of entertaining decor -- and fabulous hamburgers! I kid you not. The service was wonderful (so friendly!) and they even had free WiFi! How about that?
Then we headed up to Hood River to go to one of our fave Starbucks, where we also played online (Instagram) while having green tea latte treats (grin).
We took the Washington-State-side drive back home -- lovely views. And ran into Keith Frick (whom I last mentioned HERE), the guy we refer to us the 'rock man.' We saw him last September 16 and got some jewelry made of rocks from him that I actually wore during the Denver trip. Today I got a new bracelet and Marilyn got a necklace. Really nice stuff. His daughter was there (and his grandkids showed up at one point) -- and she was helping him sell his stuff. Poor Keith appears to have failed quite a bit (we were both wondering if he'd had a stroke or something). He was so quiet at first, but when we started being really friendly with them he brightened up and was quite warm, if still a little foggy. Both daughter and father hugged me when we were leaving, which made me feel good. Funny, we don't really KNOW them, but we've always liked him and now like her, too. They obviously live hard and work to make ends meet -- and we relate to them quite a bit...
We couldn't get everything we'd picked out, as they only take cash and we didn't have enough with us. But she put our other stuff aside and will 'hold' it for us to bring her the $$$ to pay for it. Good excuse for another drive that way (probably not until November now, though...).
I held up pretty well today! I was in some pain, but not too bad. And was able to 'hike' (well, do a bit of walking) when we stopped for photos and so on. I had to take half a pain pill before we took off and another half later in the day, but I'm hanging in there. Two more days to go on the Prednisone -- so we'll how I do when all of that gets done...
I may stay home from work tomorrow. I'd planned to go in, but maybe I'd be better off taking it easy and staying OFF my leg. The only day I really MUST be at work this week is Thursday, when we have our Fall Board Meeting. Just not sure. I'd love to get Donn in there this week, as Marilyn and I are thinking of taking next week off work -- and Donn will be heading to China in November (!!!) and be gone for some time...
Came home and had a huge nap, by the way. I still feel so worn out. That could be the gout and the meds, but is probably also the low iron/anemia thing, as well. (Which might explain months and months of constantly feeling TIRED all the time!)
I had some trouble sleeping last night -- and couldn't STAND to have even a sheet on my leg much of the time. I've been burning up, too, on and off. Fever is normal...
Here's the really GOOD thing: I've been drinking TONS AND TONS of water (and peeing like crazy). Plus additional liquids, to boot. I have a book (on my Kindle paperwhite) about dealing with pain that really goes on and on about the benefits of water, and the gout book does, too. So we shall see, I guess. (grin)
MUST work in manicures before Thursday night (!!!). Maybe tomorrow???
And that's it for today!