[bizi]

Are you going?
glad the flight went well.
I like yellow labs.

[waves]

Hi Mari!

I guess it worked out with the other guest... it sounds like you feel better about being in the living room. Did the dog being there bother you at all? Or reassure you maybe? Labs are usually pretty good dogs... they are people dogs, basically, know how to treat a human. But I wonder how you feel about sharing sleeping quarters like that.

The lake expedition sounds cool. Your brother sounds really passionate about it... and wants to share that with you. I hope you enjoyed it, despite the early hour and lack of sleep. Look forward to hearing about it.

You will recover the sleep when you get home. It will be ok.

Hope the return flight goes well.



waves

[Mari]

My brother worked for an organization like this that helps troubled kids by having them live in the wilderness for 12 weeks in a "therapeutic" environment.
http://www.anasazi.org/youth.html
ANASAZI Programs for Boys & Girls

The adults with the kids were either
1. counselors
or
2. people with wilderness and survival skills.
My brother worked in group #2


During the first evening at his house, brother told me about a girl who tried to commit suicide.
The girl lived.
Brother and I sat in his backyard talking about the whole thing and how "angry" he was for for six months afterwards. He is not angry now. We talked more.

I became disturbed.
I wanted to fly home, especially knowing that I was going to sleep in the basement away from the family down very steep stairs.

====
When he and I walked in the dark to the front of the house to come inside,
he saw on his porch, his old work friend:
the 27 year-old-survivor-skills-chica who helped him to save the girl's life.
The chica (cannot remember her name) had come to town for the triathlon (750 meter Swim - 17.5 mile Bike - 5K Run) and stopped at my bother's for a place to sleep while she was in town.

=====
It was decided by brother, sis-in-law, and me that the chica go downstairs/to the basement to sleep because she needed to wake up at 5:00 a.m. for her competition and we were still busy talking and catching up and being loud.
-Chica was happy.
-I was happy.
-Sis-in-law thought it made perfect sense.
~Brother was disappointed at first because he had worked hard to build that basement and had hoped that I would like it.

The chica came in second in the race.
The second night, brother and her and I listed to music via YouTube.
We talked about her race also.
Then the two of them played a lot of chess.
Around 10:00 pm she left by herself to go to a club for salsa dancing.

========
I liked the lab, "Buddy."
He stayed on the floor near the head of my pull out bed for most of the first night.
The second night, he stayed the whole night.

========
One night the family went out to dinner at a fancy place that the nephew chose
and we enjoyed letting him help us order and talk about how the food was prepared (he is training to become a chef).
========
I enjoyed the morning on the lake.

========
After the lake, I had brother drive the niece and me to Target to get some clothes and
to buy the sis-in-law a new tea kettle because theirs had a burned "whistle."

The 10 yr-old niece picked out
2 t-shirts,
1 pair of shorts
2 hoodies


++++
Hubby met me at the airport at baggage pickup as per my family's system.
"Meet me in baggage," we always say.
I was impressed that he had safely navigated the chaos of the airport's ramps and parking lot.


M

[bizi]

Thank you for sharing. It sounds like you had a nice visit. Buddy helped.
glad that hubby was able to pick you up.
bizi

[waves]

That all sounds pretty intense, Mari.

How are you doing now? Are you still upset from the first night's events?

It also sounds like you and your brother did not get that much time alone... at least not as much as you might have without the racing chica. Do you feel you had enough quality time with him?

Buddy was a comforting presence. I am glad he was there for you.



waves

[Dmom3005]

So glad you had a good trip.

Also glad the arrangements could be changed.

Donna

[Mari]

Brother is fine and I am fine.
I am asking the mods to close this thread.

M.