Jonesing? ME? Naw...

Well. Not any more, anyway.

Midweek, we got the great good news that Walter was going to be passing just south of us here, through Wausau on his way to a delivery in Green Bay.

Miss Livey's been agitating for a Walter visit. When she talks to him on my cell phone she says, --Where are you? Montana? Arizona? North Carolina? Okay. Now you can come here!

*Here* is so remote, that wasn't likely to happen. In the old days when we actually owned the company Walter drove for - different story. But you can't ask a major trucking firm to let you drive their truck all over on little side jaunts. Do you know how much fuel COSTS these days? Egads!

But we could easily meet him in Wausau...And to my complete and utter astonishment, Walter agreed to meet Livey.

Old World schooling and charm notwithstanding, Walter's not much of a people person. Like my Babycat, he's a one-woman kind of guy, and most of the rest of humanity is just background. Those I love, he takes an interest in. Yet I couldn't talk him into meeting Livey. I tried everything. Like this: You claim your appearance, all road-weary, is holding you back? Okay. What if Livey says she won't put her face on?

No dice. All my negotiations failed. He's on to me by now.

So I handed her the phone. He capitulated in two seconds flat. Whee!!!

Walter had to get from Seattle to Green Bay in a short three days. It was chancy. Too chancy. He just couldn't get through on time to stop and have dinner, or breakfast, with us in Wausau, on his way to the delivery.

argh!

I could meet him in Green Bay after the delivery, but Livey can't do that. It's about 3 hours driving, and her fractured, bone-spurred, messed up neck can't take much driving. It bounces her around enough that she's got that white face of intense pain by the time we get home after much shorter jaunts than that.

So they didn't meet after all. Drat!!!

But us? Yeah, we did. For the first time in 5 months.

The *new* truck, which had been horridly contaminated with huge amounts of cleaning and scenting products when he picked it up in Atlanta, was finally aired out enough that I could go in there and see it. Another first. I arrived after midnight so we visited a bit and then went to sleep, all snuggled up like a couple of cats.

Like heaven. Just like heaven.

He didn't even get dispatched until midday the next day.

Ah, people. After five months.

I can't find the words for this. I know that some of you understand, from your own experience. I'll leave it at that.

And I've gone walkabout, haven't been back in the Northwoods since then.

I sit here now in Door County, in a little Starbucks-type cafe in Sturgeon Bay. I'm driving all the way around this peninsula. It's every bit as beautiful as I've always heard. I've seen a lot of America, but this is my first time here.

It's the first time I've been in an *internet cafe* type place. I just had my very first panini, too. It was good.

My camera ran out of juice and I didn't bring my camera charger. At least the computer is charging up! I'm off again soon, with my trusty Microsoft Streets & Trips pulled up and sitting on the passenger seat, as I beach-hop my way around the island. One of my all-time favorite things to do.

I am content.