We'e back from Houston and Beaux is sleeping under my desk

So all is OK with the world. We could have come back same day but six hours in the car is a bit much. We're going to go back to the doc once a year like any cardiologist visit, just to check in and be sure nothing has changed. Now we know what we're doing it will be much easier and less stressful.

Dana has a condition that is not common but neither is it rare. It essentially makes her veins and arteries flexible which one might think is good but actually can result in weakness and potential issues if the pressure gets too high. So she needs to keep her blood pressure low, which she was already doing, and nothing that results in raising it locally. Her neck vessels, for instance, are prone to buldging so no downward dog kind of thing. Or neck massages, or cross body bags that might get caught on someone walking by and quickly pull at her neck. The vessel might tear.
Other than that nothing really changes. It is just that we know what is happening now and can monitor it. Nothing dramatic.

All in all a good outcome. The doc was very ADHD as am I so we clashed a bit but worked it out. She's a cardiologist who specializes in FMD and vascular medicine so seeing her once a year makes sense and having her as a resource if some other crazy doc starts saying we HAVE to do this or that is nice. We ran into one already who decided that Dana should be on some strong blood thinners. I killed that quickly and this doc agreed that Dana does NOT need to be on blood thinners. It would have caused a lot of problems. So now I've got someone to point to and say 'ask her'.

Our VRBO apartment was kind of crap and we ate at the world's worst seafood restaurant but now we know where we need to be I can find a better set up next year.

Buc-ees

I had to make a separate post.

When we were young we used to drive out to Oklahoma waiting until it was really hot so we could all enjoy the station wagon with no air conditioning all the way out and back. One of the places I always wanted to stop at was Stuckey's. My parents were smart enough not to stop there. Actually I don't think we stopped much of anywhere.

Today I made up a bit of that. We passed a Buc-ees and stopped. If you don't know, Buc-ees is a huge gas station with the best bathrooms anywhere and some of the nicest staff and stay that way 24 hours a day. You can walk into the 2 acre Buc-ees store at 3AM and be greeted by someone who will 'welcome to Buc-ees' all cheerie and stuff. That time of morning is special. We were there this morning but it was 11ish and not insane. But the people watching was a treat as always and the shelves were perfectly stocked, the food was hot and ready, and the bathrooms were immaculate. It is a finely tuned machine. I'm sorry I can't send you some Watermelon Cotton Candy but I can send you pictures:



The kitchiest wooden wavy placks I've ever seen just outside the bathroom. This one dimensional photo does not do them justice.

FOOD FOOD AND FOOD:




















This is a picture standing in the center of the store looking one direction:



Same amount of room going the other way.



This is an entire wall of every kind of food you can think of. Across from this wall are rows on rows of shelves filled with chips and such. This wall has candy and jerky, and such.




And, of course they have T-shirts commerating the Buc-ees Nascar entry:




And who could go on their camping trip without a double burner, three basket, oil fryer. Turkey and fries!!!!



There is so much more. So much.

And the people who buy it all.

I used to drive up from San Diego to Venice Beach so I could sit on the sea wall, drink a beer, and watch the circus go by. Buc-ees reminds me of that. More clothes but similar people.