My Litle Girl Is Back Home

     It was along day yesterday as I ended up driving to get my daughter. She had no classes at all today and my long stretch meant a full extra day home with her. Her car pool wasn't leaving until after 4:00 today and with three other drop offs, she would be home until nearly 9:00. I think in hindsight for DD1 and that we should have got her home at least one additional time a semester rather than the long stretch's to thanksgiving one year and then only home at spring break. DS thrived away at school-if he only came for holidays, and even then he was probably OK, he was fine. The girls like their own space much more. DD1 and DS were at a large urban school, people everywhere. And even though DD2 is at a small school, the  confinement of dorm living had her yearning for her old space at home, so giving her the extra day felt worth t to me. Plus, I had lot of uninterrupted conversation on the way home. DH and I will both bring her, and a friend back on Thursday morning. They are both working at the camp the college runs next weekend, missing four days of break. 

     Today I'll help her get laundry done-she filled both her Ikea bags with it. While laundry is free, there is only four washer and dryers for 7 floors of kids, and her timing is not always conducive. If she can get a load done here and there, she will be set until coming home for a few days at Thanksgiving and then again at Christmas. I want to get some baking and cooking ahead done today as well, though I may need to fit in a nap. We pulled in at 12:30 a.m. but I still needed to be up and out early for an 8:00  orthopedic appointment for my knee. I went to Aldi afterward.

     I changed insurance this year which meant I had to change many of my doctors. The out of pocket costs and the quality and attention is so much better. While I may be slightly inconvenienced in that our new clinic is the next town over, there seems to be such an easier path to get in with specialists. My new orthopedic doctor is very young-probably about the age of my older children. I liked her though-she was friendly, but direct and  clear. The osteoarthritis has progressed much farther than my last x-rays showed. She and I agreed we want to hold off the thought of a knee replacement as much as possible so she did the cortisone shot again. If I don't see much relief, there is a new injection option with another drug she thinks we could try. I'll also do another round of physical therapy, focused on the knee specifically. I am keeping hope that the combination of the two will get me to a good place where I can sleep without throbbing pain and not be wore out at the end of the day. 

     Since I was two towns up the highway, I went to a different Aldi. The set up was very unusual to how the one I normally go to, and the one near the lake. However, I think I hit a perfect time as I was there right as they opened and all the produce seemed freshly stocked. I spent just a few cents shy of $100, bringing me to $266 for the month-but I am loaded! I don't know yet what I will make when, but I bought a whole chicken as I have been seeing several YouTube meal plans using a whole chicken and getting four meals from it. I like that cook once-eat four times. I bought some vegan  burgers and beef burgers as DD1mentioned she might come over for the game on Sunday. It is supposed to be nice so I thought grilled burgers might be tasty. I'll figure everything else out at some point. 

     That is my Friday kick-off to my weekend and extra days off. What's on your calendar this weekend? Any good chicken recipes out there?