Project 52

[mrs_sweetpeach]

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As I said on the scrapbook page, the big event of the week was IndyFurCon. Thursday morning we got up at the usual time, went and got my allergy shot, then headed to Dearborn to pick up a tray of baklava to bring to the convention. That's one of jebra's things, bringing Turkish coffee and baklava to share with the Dorsai and whoever else hangs out in Ops (The convention's operations center). I slept through the first half of the trip, woke up to an extremely upset stomach and then was miserable the remainder of the trip. I was okay enough to do my shifts later that day but I still felt horrible and went to bed as soon as I could.

On Friday I was assigned badging at the Dealers Den and then watching the door at an under 18 panel (no adults other than me and the person running the group). This was a meet-and-greet for the under 18 crowd and seemed to go well. It was also the first time IFC had a panel specifically for the younger crowd and I enjoyed eves-dropping on them. I was particularly impressed with the young woman debuting her new costume, which she created without a pattern and hand-sewed together. Looking at it, you would not know it wasn't professionally made. I think I also badged at an 18+panel that night but it's all run together. Not helping is that one of the panels was interrupted by the fire alarm. Everyone had to troop outside and wait for the firemen to do their thing and declare the hotel safe to re-enter. Panels resumed from where they were interrupted so for the rest of the day the schedule was off by approximately 35 minutes. Once again I went to bed after my shift concluded.

Around 4 am the fire alarm went off again. jebra was Duty Officer at the time, so I was alone in our room. I stumbled around for clothes and my glasses and my phone and badge, then followed the crowd heading to the parking lot by the side of the building. I saw NikonLion and talked to him for a bit and kept a worried eye on the skyline. Storm clouds were gathering and there was one brilliant strike of lightening before the all-clear was given. Fortunately the rain held off until we were back inside. I enjoyed listening the rain pound the building and the rumble of thunder which started a few short minutes after I returned to bed.

Sunday was doing more security things and packing out of our room. We left the con around 4:30 in the afternoon and hustled home. We still had to unpack and get ready for work the following morning, plus do a load of laundry so that I would have clean shorts to wear to my 8 am Physical Therapy appointment. This was my first appointment both at this particular location and with the goal of smoothing out my walk and reducing the liklihood of sciatica returning. My muscle strength and flexibility were evaluated, and then I got to spend the final 20 minutes of my appointment laying on the split table with 75 pounds of weight decompressing my spine. *That* felt fabulous and I wish my next appointment was sooner than another week and a half. The long labor day weekend plus my person's summer vacation are preventing us from meeting before then.

In other news, last night I received voicemail from my brother Rob letting me know our mom is back in the hospital. This time she's in for diverticulitis and on intravenous antibiotics. She's likely to be in for another few days. I know I should call her but I'm anxious about the upcoming weekend. I've been anxious about it all summer; last fall jebra rented a cabin at the state park where he stays for the bridge walk and I've been worried that the people he told me he'd split the cost of the cabin with wouldn't actually go. Plus I wanted to do the walk across the bridge with him (I have never done) but the bout with sciatica threw off my plans to work up to being able to walk for five continuous miles. Not to mention anxiety has been doing a number on my digestive system. There are no bathrooms/port-a-johns on the bridge and I just don't trust my body to behave.

Scrapbook papers & elements from the kit Bohemian Breeze
For more information about the designers and their work, see
http://mrs-sweetpeach.dreamwidth.org/903338.html".

Comments

[siberian_skys]

I hope you are feeling better and that you were able to have at least some fun at the con.

I'm sorry to hear about your mom.

What is the bridge walk for? I don't remember you mentioning it before, but that could be my rusty brain.

[mrs_sweetpeach]

This the one time during the year people are allowed to cross the Mackinac Bridge on foot. Mackinac is pronounced Mack-in-naw and it's the big bridge that connects Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas. It's also really pretty. (See https://www.wxyz.com/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-2018-mackinac-bridge-walk for photos and more info.)

[siberian_skys]

I know Mackinac. Well, I know the hotel not the bridge. I've always wanted to stay there. My mom and I used to love the movie Somewhere In Time. My dad took us to the replica of the hotel at Disney World many, many years ago to stay. That's as close as I've gotten. I didn't know about the bridge walk. It's a shame you might not be able to do it, but I get it. That's a long way without bathroom facilities, especially when you add the medical issues.

[mrs_sweetpeach]

I've seen the hotel and read a number of articles about it but I have never stayed there. Lovely old historic place.

I won't be able to do the walk, there is no doubt in my mind. I'll have my knitting so I'll be fine while everyone else walks.

[jennlk]

I'm not particularly impressed with the Grand Hotel. (heresy, I know). Yes, it's a lovely hotel and the view from the grand porch is gorgeous, and the Sunday Brunch is very good, but... The only people allowed on the driveway in front of the porch are hotel guests. They charge $5/per person to step onto the porch unless you're a hotel guest or have meal reservations (which makes sense, really -- if the porch is intended for guests, it would be nice if there was space for them).

I much prefer the Iroquois or Bayview for fancy island hotels. Not that I'd ever stay on the Island unless I wanted to spend more than two days there with a family -- it's less expensive to stay in Mackinaw City, even with the ferry tickets.

We will see you Saturday evening, barring catastrophe. We're planning on coming up Saturday and seeing either the Mill or the Fort that afternoon and doing the other of the two on Sunday. (Monday is the walk, and then Tuesday we're going to the Island -- J mentioned last year that he's not been to the Island since DB was in grade school, so we're staying an extra night in Mackinaw.)