Monday, February 2

I got back this past Thursday and am still recovering.  Nothing likem16 hours of traveling to remind you about your age.

I had a great time.  We had absolutely perfect weather until the last day in Buenos Aires when it rained, hard at times.  We had one bad travel day when a flight was cancelled and we spent all day and half the night at the airport before we got to fly to Santiago.

I went to see Cowboy on Friday and my daughter and the dog went too.  He held me a long time and we both almost cried.  Cowboy is doing OK.  Seems very stable right now.  He loves the dog and we went outside and let him work with her.  He loved that.

I am going back today to see him.  Will  be back on a schedule of twice weekly.  Leaving when I finish this.

Now for the bad news.  While I was gone my daughter, who sometimes sleep walks, apparently got up during the night and turned on the faucet in the bathroom full blast.  It was hours before she got up and found it.  She cleaned it up with every towel in the house.  Then she discovered it had seeped down to the first floor and wet the ceiling so she mopped up some more.

I didn't hear about it til I got home.  She didn't want to spoil my trip.  Neither one of us realized the serious nature of it but I knew I needed to have someone look at it.

Turns out not only the ceiling  but the walls got soaked.  I now have holes in the ceiling, cut outs in the walls and these huge noisy fans going all over the house.  They had to take up part of the floor on the second floor to dry out the sub floor.  What a mess.  They tell me it will take 3 to 5 days to dry everything out and then there will be reconstruction to put everything  back together.

The insurance company offered me a hotel room  because I do not presently have access to mine but I chose to bunk upstairs.  I have too much to do and need to stay here.

Am off to see Cowboy.  More later........