Totally "Exhausted" on a Monday!

We are BACK in the "Red Stick."
But we are extremely tired.
What a LONG trip! I don't want to do that again for years.

When I called my sister and Mother last night to inform them we had arrived home safely, I told them....."NO ONE CAN DIE....I'm not coming back."
Hopefully everyone will cooperate in that mannor. HA!

My husband, Miss Priss, and I started back on Saturday and only made it as far as Columbia Missouri, arriving somewhere around 6:00pm.
It was an interesting night in several ways.

First off......MIZZOU were playing KANSAS that night. It was a major game and we were staying in the hometown of the University of Missouri. Although they were playing this game in Kansas City at the Chiefs stadium.

Thank GOD "some" Tigers won. HA! This is a GREAT win for the University of Missouri. They will be the Big 12 Champs now and go onto a big bowl game. I think it's a lot of "firsts" for them and I am glad for the team, and my childhood home state. Fun!

We were so disappointed the day after Thanksgiving when "our" Tigers lost. To make matters worse....we were at my husband's sister Jacque's new home which is only 43 miles from Lincoln Nebraska...and everyone there with the exception of one person were big "NEBRASKA" fans.

Nebraska lost.
Of course. I mean they can't help it, they are in a loosing streak this year.

Well......wouldn't you know.....they had to RAZE us about LSU. Ugh!!
ESPECIALLY once they lost their game!!
That was one stressful game too.....don't ask me why but we were really INTO it.
I think because we had been all season for some reason this year. It's hard not to be into it when it's happening in your CITY!!!

My family (just us from Baton Rouge) hated that they lost. When my kids left to head back over to Iowa they were so upset for LSU.

I can't even go there........ still. I know, I know, "it's just a game."
But it was a huge game. Ugh!

Good thing for us......on our way to Missouri the next day (Saturday) we caught some odd AM Radio "Talk show" that was called
"Therapy for LSU Fans" or something of the sort and we needed some "therapy" ourselves so we listened.
I don't know if it really helped comfort us much though. HA!!

Upon arrival in Columbia....we start to look for a room to stay the night.

We checked a couple places and thought we would try the "Comfort Inn Suites" there because we love those things and stayed in one in St. Louis on our trip up even.
They give you lots of pillows usually....VERY nice rooms and they are reasonably priced.

Don was pulling into the "Comfort Inn" driveway and I noticed "CRIME SCENE" tape everywhere so I said....."Oh my gosh Don...there's police tape everywhere".....but it was too late to turn around and we were already in the drive way area....
Don stopped and a Detective with a badge around his neck came to the car and was very nice....Don said......"I guess your not taking reservations for the night?"

The Detective said...."No. Sorry, we had a homicide here today."
We gave him our condolences. I mean what do you say?

It made us sick.
I called my Aunt Pat during the game halftime and asked her if she knew what had happened....they live right outside Columbia, but she hadn't heard.

We watched the news that night after the game and learned that the poor desk clerk had been robbed and shot point blank in the front of the head by her murderer.
Think about it.....the lady saw him shoot her.

It was so surreal for us seeing all the crime tape and being right there where someone's life had ended so violently.

My Aunt who lives outside of town in a smaller little township, told us that crime is "up" in Columbia.

While watching the news that night it was sure evident. They had THREE shootings that day.
This isn't a huge town and it's always been a nice town.....

What is the world coming to?

I feel SO bad for that lady's family. They have arrested someone for her murder I just read online in the Columbia paper today. He was young too. Such a waste of lives. His and hers.

We woke up yesterday to begin the SECOND day journey in the car back to B.R. to "freezing rain" .....lovely.....it was going to be a long day because we hadn't advanced much the first day.

About 13 hours later........we arrived in Baton Rouge. Pooped out. Stressed out from driving in that storm all day long. The freezing rain only lasted until near St. Louis but from Memphis to Baton Rouge we fought "pummeling rain" the entire way.

Thank GOD for a safe journey home.

I've tons to say.....some photos, but not nearly enough. I'm disappointed that I didn't think to take some more. I thought about them while I was driving in the monsoon rain and wishing I had taken some "specific" shots even. Oh well.

I was just too busy everyday while I was there to even think straight.

I need a vacation now. Big time.
I'm thinking....hummmmmm....
"Caribbean beach."

It's gotten cold here since we got back last night. It was 67 degrees when we got in.....it's like 10 degrees colder today and apparently going to drop more.

Brrrrr......

The bonus for my family on this trip was....it even snowed while we in Iowa.
That was picturesque and fun and cold.

More good stuff later!
And photos.