It feels good to have the windows open and the warm breezes moving around. It has only been six months, but the chill has made it feel like eternity. Our departure from Texas was, again, a huge relief. Louisiana set the comfort levels a bit higher and gave us hope that the 70's we had been searching for were near. The changing landscape of the seasons has given us cause to re-evaluate our way of planning trips. It would seem that the southwest does not hold the desire for refuge during the winter months.
Our visit to Louisiana was a short week and on the cusp of the Mardi Gras celebrations. We spent a day in New Orleans and fed on the culture of the area from watching the construction of floats to witnessing the bizarre concepts of public campaigning. The craftsmanship that goes into the creation of parade floats was amazing and made an artsy guy like me feel like I could settle into an exciting position on one of the many krewes amid Mardi Gras. Sculpting from styro-foam; layering paper maché; painting in brilliant color sounds like an absolute party to me. The downtown energy was thrilling. It is as if this party never stops and we are sure that the tourism accounts for that. Mambo's was our introduction to Creole and Cajun cuisine. Gumbo went over well with me. The blackened chicken was a hot number for Tez. I'd say crawfish is definitely is not my thing, but don't hold back on the gator nachos. As the skies darkened for the evening spectacle, the streets became lined with revelers awaiting the parade of creative floats. As we discovered, the floats that made their way to the streets in the weeks prior to the official day of Mardi Gras were of political and sometimes un-nerving campaigns. If you have a gripe about vaccines, stick it on a float. If you hate how the local government screws the little guy, throw a giant penis on the bow of your wandering campaign cart. Anything goes on the nights that lead up to Mardi Gras. We assume the quality and joy of the floats improves as the day draws closer. It was a fun experience and we are setting forth a plan to arrive in the NOLA area closer the actual day of Mardi Gras next year.
From Louisiana, we took a short, 2½ hour drive to Styx river RV Resort in Alabama. Because of the relatively short trek, this trip became the test flight of our new towing system. With the truck secured to the backside of our rig and Tez in the passenger seat beside me, we made our way cautiously into Alabama. I was glued to the monitoring system for the entire trip and every inch of my body was on high alert, for any unusual bumps, vibrations or otherwise, that would indicate trouble. Good thing it was a short trip, because I don't know if I could have been that tense for one of our longer trips. All went well though. I guess I got everything hooked up the way it was supposed to be. Only one minor annoyance was discovered when I turned on the hazard lights to show my appreciation to a trucker who made space for our beast. The braking system on the truck turned on when I turned on the hazard lights, so there is a wiring issue somewhere in the motor home harness. Just add it to my list.
Our trip to Styx River also lent us the opportunity to look at a new eBike that became available in Pensacola. A short 30 minute trip along the Gulf and I was impressed. When we were using our traditional bikes, it was apparent that I wouldn't be able to use mine on anything but a level grade and only for short runs. My lungs just won't let me go, go ,go! Tez was also finding it hard for her on the really steep inclines though she enjoyed the workout. The bikes we had were free from a holding cell in Texas last year, so letting them disappear was of no issue. EBikes are expensive and require a bit more muscle to load up. This one is 50 pounds. The lasting impression for me, though, was the ability for the bike to take over for me when I needed to just take a minute to breathe. Tez has yet to test out the awesomeness of this eBike as of the posting of this blog, but I am sure she is gonna love it. We bought that eBike the same day and took it home to play with, however, playtime was going to be short lived for this stay. An unexpected visit was waiting in the wings.
On Monday, the day after we brought home that electrified peddling savior, the morning went along as normal with routine falling into place. A cup of jo'. A quiet read of the headlines. Take the mutt for a walk. Feed said mutt and soon plans for a slow pack up of the RV for our departure on Wednesday morning. A quick stop in the loo and we'll be enjoying the beautiful weather in... holy Christ, my head. I was hit with solid pain from my crown down to the base of my neck, and WOOZZEEE! I dropped to my knees at the foot of the bed. I just want to give myself a minute to get my bearings and get my blood pressure monitor. I sat in the captain's chair for a few minutes taking reading of my blood pressure and heart rate. The numbers were a little off and the pain just continued. Tez got up from her desk to warm her coffee and noticed me sitting there. She was concerned and filled with question marks. I told her that I was feeling off and I thought I was having a mild stroke or something. She asked if we had to go to the ER and without hesitation, I said, "Yeah, and I know right where to go." From that moment, she knew it was serious. I didn't put up a fight and I was already mapping out the nearest ER.
Sub-arachnoid hemorrhage. Sounds like underground bugs, but no, it's the fancy way of saying brain bleed. A tiny aneurysm in a tiny vessel of my big head burst and changed the pressure in my skull reducing the ability for both to flow to my brain. The resulting pain in the head and stiffness in my neck cried, "CT scan" to the ER docs and blood was discovered between the membrane and my brain. You know the term, "stabbing pain"? I believe, for me, it can be defined as the desire to stab people because of this extreme pain. This definition earned me a needle full of "La-La" juice and a trip to the Neuro ICU for the week. Another CT scan, as well as an MRI confirmed that the vessel, where ever it was, had clotted and bleeding had stopped. This was great, yet at the same time unfortunate, because a scheduled angiogram would prove difficult to make any necessary repairs to the vessel since there was no way to "see" the little bleeder. Two angiograms were conducted anyways to ensure all was well on my mind and the only three setbacks are: 1. It will take a significant amount of time for the blood that is still on my brain to be absorbed into my body. It ain't like a shiner on yer' eye. 2. It will take at least a month for the clot on the vessel wall to go from a fragile plug to a strong fix, so let's stay calm as the blood bashes away at it. 3. My legs are suffering. Yes, believe it or not, a five day stint in the ICU reduced the muscles from my lower back to my calves to tight and painful boards. It has been a week since I left the hospital and I still can't bend over or walk right without wincing.
Luckily, we have finally made it to Florida. Just saying that word.... "Florida"... ahhh, heavy sigh, makes me feel warm all over and the sun is in my eyes and it is just one of those words that has so many good feelings attached to it. Luckily, Ron DeSantis hasn't ruined that yet. We had to shorten our first campground stay because my mind got away from me, but the rest of our stays here in central Florida, ahhhh, are left unchanged. We expect to be visiting family and friends as much as time will allow. As you may recall, our last visit to Florida, ahhhh, was two years ago in the opening days of the pandemic. The mood is different here now, so we hope to explore more of what was missed before. With any luck, the warm air and lazy life style will bring relief to my pain and lingering blood. After all there is plenty to do now that the sunny breezes are fueling the project engine. Say it with me, "Florida-ahhh."
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