Simply livingā¦ and sharing the view.
My time here in northern Illinois began with utter chaos when a tornado hit shortly after arriving. Handling the repairs and dealing with Auntie Mās insurance company has taken a lot of my time this summer - and Iāve lost count of how many times Iāve had to remind her it even happened. With her dementia, she didnāt even remember a tornado blew past her house! Yesterday, I took Auntie M for aā¦
Every time I leave the hotel for a bit, I'm thankful I'm not at the campground with no AC. It's not hot but it sure is humid. If I had to live in it 24/7, the humidity level - combined with a high dew point - is beyond my ability to contain any amount of grumpiness. Meanwhile at Krape Park... Flagstaff Hill is closed but the lower level is open. It's the perfect place to sip on the coffee I justā¦
I seem to be an all-or-nothing kinda gal. My entire life has been like this. Iām either in a phase where Iām chillinā or a phase where Iām drillinā. Thereās usually no in between. Lately, Iāve been in Drill Sergeant mode, acting like I need to accomplish all my goals faster than the speed of light. My body was telling me to slow down. But did I listen?!? Heck no. Several days ago, in the midst ofā¦
I woke up this morning wondering where the past week has gone. What did I do? Where did I go? Why has time gone by so quickly? I donāt have an answer for most of it. But what I do know is, the weather has been decent this week and Iām thoroughly enjoying hotel life. Maybe itās because the hotel staff treat me like a queen. Or maybe because I enjoy coming and going without having to do theā¦
Todayās extreme heat warning says thereās dangerously hot conditions with heat index values up to 117 degrees š„ As for the humidity?!ā¦ to say itās very humid is an understatement. Nikki lives in south Florida and even her weather isnāt this hot. Itās like Mother Nature decided to blend Arizona level heat with south Florida summer humidity and toss it into northern Illinoisā¦ just to see whatā¦
I needed more coffee, so I wandered down to the hotel front desk to pick up a few more coffee packets. Leaning up to the counter waiting for my packets, a gentle voice behind me asked if I had a daughter who went to T-C School. I turned and my mind raced because I knew those eyes. Without warning, I blurted out āMrs E?!?ā She was Nikkiās sixth grade teacher. One of her favorites (and mine). Sheā¦
Thereās no kitchen in my hotel room. Just a microwave and mini-fridge tucked into a cabinet. If Iām gonna be here until the end of August, I need to find a way to make food that meets my needs without getting sucked into the fast food arena or buying those highly processed microwave meals that I havenāt eaten in at least 15 years. Eating in a hotel room without a kitchen should be a piece of cake.ā¦
I booked this hotel thru August 31, hoping the heat and humidity ease up by then. Being at the hotel lets me stay cool and come-n-go without having to do the dreaded campground shuffle . I love my time at campgrounds but the shuffle has always ruffled my feathers. Iām about 20 minutes from Auntie M ā¦ an easy commute compared to the hour away I wouldāve been at the extended stay hotel that didnātā¦
When trying a new hotel or campground, my general rule is to stay just 1 or 2 nights. Some places donāt give refunds once youāve paid and, by staying 1 or 2 nights, itās no big deal if it doesnāt work out. My track record is pretty good but sometimes I end up leaving because I just donāt like the place or, more likely, because of my MCS . I booked a new hotelā¦ The extended stay hotel was inā¦
The extreme heat and humidity let up last week but it was followed by a couple rounds of severe thunderstorms. One night, I spent an hour in the bathroom ready to hit the deck because tornado warnings were blasting on my phone. In my hotel room, I figured the safest place would be the tub. My room has a sofa with big pillows so I grabbed one to put over my head, if needed. Thankfully the stormsā¦