in which I venture out

That's Chris saying a few words. 

My aunt Chris had a milestone birthday (60!) and is retiring, at least temporarily, so she threw herself a big ol' party in Michigan, and it served as my return to the world as well. The doctor cleared me for the drive (3.5 hours each way), so Mike and I set out on Saturday for an overnight trip, with sort of mixed results.

The good: The party was fun, if loud enough to preclude any in-depth conversation. The food was tasty, and I had a great time seeing my family for the first time in quite a while and watching everyone dancing and having a great time. And Sunday morning, Mike and I got to enjoy a delicious breakfast with my parents before we headed back home. I text with my mom regularly, but I hadn't seen my folks since a brief driveway visit in early December, and I missed them, so I was glad to catch up.

The lights really messed me up; they made
everything look out of focus and weird. Not a fan. 

With my mommy, uncle Brian, and cousin Dylan.

Cousins Dylan and Cole

The rest: I stupidly picked a hotel based on the brand and location, and didn't bother reading individual reviews, and when we arrived, we discovered that it's a hotel in the last gasp before a major renovation, so our room left a little to be desired. Not the most glorious or comfortable accommodations we've had, by far. I requested an accessible room, and sure enough, there were grab bars in the bathroom, but the toilet was LOW. Like it would not have been out of place in an elementary school. I inquired at the front desk whether they maybe had a public handicapped restroom with a higher toilet, but alas, the toilet in the public handicapped bathroom was just as low. "We have a lot of old people, and they're smaller," I was told. Ummmm ok. So I guess tall old people and people in wheelchairs and people with bad knees and people with bad feet are just out of luck at this particular establishment? Hopefully they address this in the remodel! 

Anyway, I'm so glad to have dipped a toe (such as it were) into being a functional human again, and I came home sore from my exertions and with a renewed appreciation for just how hard it is to have even a minor handicap in a world that isn't designed to accommodate you. It's frustrating and unnecessary. I personally will be fine, because at least in theory I'll be even more mobile next time I go somewhere, but man oh man some thoughtful design is needed pretty much everywhere.