An Evening in Erie, Pennsylvania

After over a week of poison oak symptoms, I've struggled with difficulty to sleep or maintain a normal routine and still walk around within a steriod haze absentmindedly scratching arms or legs each time the temperature or humidity climbs.

Even so, Jeff wanted to get me out of the house and offered to take me to dinner. We invited my son, Ben, to come along and after dinner to make a stop at the Presque Isle Bay Casino 45 minutes away in Erie. We ate at the Erie, Olive Garden Italian Restaurant.

I stuck to savory chicken dumpling soup and garden salad. The restaurant offer endless bowls of both, but my appetite wouldn't permit me eat more than one bowl of each and two breadsticks.

Days of limited sleep and upset stomach in addition to intense itching has slowed me way down. Dinner was fun and, as always, Jeff engaged in conversation with the young waiter. They found a connection with the young man's training in nuclear radiology. It was a lively discussion about medicine and military enlistment...Jeff was a corpsman in the Navy. Each of us left Olive Garden a bit overfilled, but it was good food.

The Casino was full of weekend goers of all persuasions. We spent a short time at the craps table where Jeff enjoys playing and then went to blackjack, which he likes to watch/help me play. Usually, I win, but tonight was not one of those nights. We go for fun, and relaxing, so we had no expectations either direction. I enjoyed the piped music and diversion from the itching. The air was cool, so I didn't itch until we almost were back home. Ben played slots and even came out $60 to the good.

Jeff and I walked back to the horse track before leaving and discussed plans to return one evening soon to watch the live horse racing running Sunday - Thursday. We have never watched it in the past and would enjoy the experience.

The night air was cooler and now bearable on my hyper sensitive legs and arms and we enjoyed making our plans and soaking up a summer night's calm air.

I wanted to go to Lake Erie to see it at night, My sons and I once had an apartment close by the lake and I often took the boys to the Erie Penninsula where they roller bladed and I biked or took my Siberian Husky to walk.

Realizing the lateness of the hour, I changed my mind and opted to head home to rest.

We listened to Spa music on Sirius radio and talked all the drive to and from Erie.

My feet hit grass at 10:00 and he walked me through the warm dew to the door and kissed me goodnight then to head home let out his dogs, Rabbit and Anyara, and I was content to have left the home, spent family time and had a bit of time away from home.

The itch is back. I sit in air conditioning and muse if I will sleep a good stretch to prepare for the upcoming work week. Jeff will return to pick me up tomorrow and perhaps we will go to Edinboro 25 minutes away for breakfast at Flips Dinor. They serve amazing breakfast food and its usually busy to overflowing with patrons.

Until then... @wandrnrose7 signing off.

Have a wonderful day of rest.

at the track Selfie using my Galaxy Note 8 smartphone camera

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