LOW my ass!

For the past week, I've been on LOW.  Lack of work.  Corporateamerica forced me to take an unpaid week off.... so the precious shareholders get their quarterly dividend.  Just not in love with that idea.  Particularly since part of the building did not have to submit.  Does this mean that I, we, are less valuable than the other part?  I've been turning that over and over in my mind, and I don't have an answer.  
It may be because the week has been just a weird portion of time, like the time-space continuum shifted and no one told me.  The parents visited last Sunday, a planned visit.   What was not planned was Bandit's illness.  Coming home on Saturday the 9th, after a semi enjoyable afternoon with friends, we found Bandit vomiting, and covered in feces.  He had lost control of his bowels, panicked (at least that's what it looked like from the smears on the floor) and more or less left a trail of turds to the door.  It didn't get better.  A call to his vet...... went totally unanswered.  They still haven't called back.  Fuckers.  My vet stepped in, and on Monday we decided that it was simply time for Bandit to join Dakota at the Bridge.  He went peacefully.  I think they do when they are in pain or are suffering.   But, while waiting to get him to the vets, Mom and Dad and I went to... Charlestown.  The trip had been planned, and I can't complain about the results, but sitting at the penny slots, mindlessly spinning and spinning.... not really knowing if I was winning or losing or whatever, just trying to be everything to everyone.

Particularly hard for B, as she and Bandit had been together for over 13 years.  Follow that up with eye surgery on Tuesday for B, and it's no wonder that she experienced some pain and problems afterwards.  Wednesday was for rest, but a long planned trip to the campground was on the schedule for Thursday.  A few days up there was what I guess we needed, as I came home 8 pounds lighter, and we were all in a better mood.  And here it is Sunday, one week from the start of LOW, back to Corporateamerica tomorrow.  Pffft.  It's hard to muster up enthusiasm.

So, one good thing did come out of that Wednesday rest day.  Mom was back up, yeah, I know, twice in one week!, on a quick overnight while she was traveling.  Dinner was at a local 'landmark', The Cozy Inn.  The food was, well, OK.  Nothing spectacular.  But we spent some time in the 'Camp David' museum.  Trout Run is for sale, or was for sale.  The VP 'residence' in the Catoctin Mountains.  That got me thinking..... suppose, just suppose, that it was purchased and turned in to a retreat for women?  And that the women who bought it lost their 'jane of all trades', who more or less left in the darkness of night.  And that the main character knows these women and just comes up to get away from her mom...... and ends up........yeah, there may be a setting there.  One that's familiar to me, but will let me stretch some, and let me include some of my own loves in the story line.   Damn, its a start!!