Coming Home @ MindSay

Curiously, each time I've crossed the state line back into Minnesota, after a few months of being away, I experience the same sensation. There's a part of me that relaxes, like a breath that I didn't know I was holding, and unbidden, the thought comes in, "I can die here."

Not that I'm so very focused on death. But this is my home. Seeing the things of home, it's a safe place to die, if that makes sense. There are trees all over the place, in surprising variety. The land is so green and full, because prairie soil "could grow grass on a cross-cut saw." The water is everywhere - there are lakes, and streams, and random little ponds where the ducks and geese hang out.

Crossing South Dakota, you come to Chamberlain, which is just about the halfway point, and sitting on either side of the Missouri River. Dad and I hit this area about suppertime, so we went off a bit to track down something munchable. As we were driving over the causeway, I was watching the waves move, and almost teared up then and there. This is the first time in months that I've seen that sign of the water breathing [1], and it says "home" to me. There's a peace born from the water, from watching it, then listening to it after the sun falls and you can't see it anymore. There's a joy and a reassurance deep inside you, when you immerse yourself and take the long strokes to remember the water. There's a fierce exhilaration of life, in the instants between you leaving earth and hitting the water, as the rising mist brushes past your skin in whispered promise of what is to come.

I have something of a love affair going on with the water. I love the woods - absolutely love them. Have to spend time in the woods to be whole and happy, I think. But, very likely as a byproduct of where I grew up, the woods don't seem complete unless they somewhere touch the river, or the lake.

If I had to make residence somewhere out of state, I could live in this little town [2] in the middle of South Dakota  - as long as I could come to the water sometimes.

[1] I know, I know, it's just how I think of it. I was a kid before I was a scientist.
[2] I actually don't know if Chamberlain has a hospital where I could really be of use. One of the advantages to Mayo is that it's like working on the Death Star - it's so huge, there's got to be somewhere that they'll need you.

So, I was a little excited when he went from being near Baghdad to Kuwait.

I was quite excited when he came back to the States (he’s been up in AK for the last month).

But it hasn’t quite gotten here that he’s coming home. I know it, but I don’t quite get it.

He’s going to have my hide for one or more of my misadventures, or the ones I’ve been planning, while he’s been gone. And I love him for it.

I take so much pride in him for what he’s doing, what he’s pursuing, and the character he wants to be.

And he’s coming home tonight!!

She's coming home. My best friend is actually coming home in the next two weeks. I have been over come by such a sense of euphoria right now, I have almost completely forgotten that I still have a little pain from being shot down by my friend. At least its gotten better, and now the pain from rowing kinda overrides what ever I feel from him. I don't know how this could get any better.

I think i could possibly die happy..

Dotcom had an extremely uncomfortable night last night.  I didn't sleep.  He threw up bile 3 times, still couldn't pee, and was in pain.  I called as soon as the vet opened this morning to get him in early, and he was taken to emergency surgery.  He had a blockage - more commonly known as stones.  At first, the doc sedated him and done some x-rays after he cathaderized him to drain his bladder.  He said that there were two very large stones that had to be removed.   I have never been so scared, but there was no way that I could let my fear for him get in the way of his health and comfort.

 

An hour and a half later, he was out of surgery.  The vet said that both stones were successfully removed - one is being sent to the lab for analysis.  The other, he saved for me.  He also said that there was a lot of sandy-like particles in his bladder, so he flushed his bladder as well.  

 

The end result - most importanly, my baby is doing fine.  He can come home with me in two days, and he will wear a pain patch for the next 5.  Although, he has always had the best diet that money can buy a doggie, we are going to have to change his diet and put him on a special food to reduce the chance of re-formation of the stones.  I will also be buying him bottled water from here on out.  As I said before - that boy is my everything.  He is my life... and I am just thankful and relieved that this was not more serious.  I mean, it was serious -but it could have been much worse.  At least he gets to come back home with his mommy :-)

 

And I get to go visit him in 30 minutes... so I am off to do just that.

I've been here for 6 weeks, but I have to go home next week.

*sigh*

This is such a cool place.

I will miss it.