back at home with the critters

We are home!!  Vacation 2012 is over and sadly, I've only got about two vacation days left until 2013.  *sigh* It was an uneventful drive home and that’s the best kind.  No delays for us because of wrecks or construction, no wrong exits or detours either.  I set my alarm for 3 AM this morning and we were out the door by 3:20.  We pulled into the driveway at 12:45 PM and started the wretched task of unloading the van.  It really wasn’t too bad this year.  Someone and both girls helped. 

The drive through North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia has some lovely scenery.  The mountains are lush with thick forests and lakes.  I tried to get a decent shot of Pilot Mountain – the splotches on the photo are dead bugs on the windshield.  J

sunrise over lake in North Carolina

Pilot Mountain (North Carolina)

The best part about coming home is seeing our animals.  As soon as we pulled into the driveway, Gracie came running out of the garage to greet us.  She was so excited that she whined and whimpered, jumped in and out of the van, and ran circles around us.  I think she was afraid we would take off and leave again.  The cats had been left inside by the house sitter and were initially quite aloof (as cats typically are).  Jack sat by his food dish and gave me a cold stare until he was fed, then ignored me the rest of the afternoon.  Molly nibbled and then she and Gracie have been underfoot or by my side all afternoon. 

Jack - "Where the hell have you been and why is my dish empty?"

Molly - keeping her eyes on me

Gracie - "Why are you on that computer..."

"when you owe me a belly rub"

It’s been 10 full days and still no word from the board about my change requests to offer a gift card and include other participants in my study.  It’s so frustrating having to wait on them.  The worst thing about all this waiting is that I fear I was misinformed about the process for requesting changes.  I was told NOT to use the proposal change request form but to send it through as if the IRB had rejected my original proposal.  It makes no sense to do it that way (in my mind, anyway) when a change request form is provided.  When they get back to me, it’ll probably be some sort of comment like “What the hell is this??” and then I’ll have to resubmit and wait again.  I’m going to be 95 years old or dead before this is ever finished.