Held captive in ND

Well, the best part about going to ND was coming back home. The trip was supposed to last Friday to Tuesday. So long 'bout Spokane I asked Steve's uncle Loren-the-chauffeur when on Tuesday he thought we'd be back. "Tuesday?" he responds incredulously. "We're not coming back until next Saturday or Sunday!" Imagine my surprise. And my fury. All while trying to maintain decorum.
The countryside was beautiful and green and FULL of critters. Everything from prairie dogs and pheasant to wood ticks that really liked Katie and me. The child was entranced the whole time. Just loved it. We made some new friends, the Johnsons... lovely, wholesome, funny people. We took long walks and expored. We also met crazy cousin Ray from Minnesota. Wooo-whee. What a character.
But the house... oh, my. The mice traps were quite active throughout the visit. The shower was an exposed pipe spurting water. No sink in the bathroom. Everything frozen in time from 35 years ago, including grandma's partially used deodorant (she passed away a while ago, now, but nobody seems to want to throw away anything). If you use the oven, be aware that it will smell of a decaying rodent that is stuck in there somewhere that nobody seems to be able to reach.
So yesterday we got home. With Katie spending the night at Steve's parents' house, and Steve on a business trip, I had the house to myself. I had my favorite dinner of popcorn and wine, watched Ocean's 12, took a yummy hot bath, and felt human again. I need to do that more often.
I did have time to do a lot of thinking, so on an existential level, the trip was good. I learned a lot about myself, which is never a bad thing.