As much as I was not looking forward to being here on the weekend, unfortunately I could not stop time. And the weekend was upon me. At home with hubby I always looked forward to the weekends, because that meant he and I could spend a weekend together, when he would not have to go to work. Yes most weekends we were busy, but we were together.

Saturday morning breakfast was at 8:30am. I should have known this before that day, but at some point missed that. Breakfast as usual. There was a trip I signed up for but ended up not being able to go due to staffing issues. Ok, so I was staying here at HK all day. I will say that it’s not like they keep you here like prisoners, but if you want to go anywhere, you need to catch a cab and go. I wasn’t feeling adventurous. But this gave me time to work on my blog, so that is what I did. Most of the students had gone on that trip, some had gone out with other friends in the area, or others caught up on sleep. Hubby had alot to do, so we talked off and on all day.

In the evening, another trip that I had signed up for was a trip to Olive Garden. We left at 5:30, with many of us not having dinner to eat in the cafeteria. Of course it was Saturday night. We arrived at the restaurant, and discovered it would be an hour and 45 minute wait to get a table. Alot of us, wanted to eat soon. So the staff made a quick decision to go to an apple Bee’s just down the street. So back in the car, and off we go. It was a fairly chilly night. But this area was packed with people and cars. It took 15 minutes just to go down the street. Once we arrived Apple Bee’s was also crowded, but we were told we would only have to wait 20 minutes. While we waited, one of the staff read the menu to me. I later found out that staff is also visually impaired and hearing impaired. Luckily we only had to wait for 10 minutes and our party of 13 including staff was seated. By this time it was around 6:30pm. We were seated close to the bar, which was very busy and noisy, at a long table. I wasn’t at the beginning having fun at all. It was loud, crowded, and very warm in temperature. Plus I was hungry. I was having a hard time hearing anyone speak, and it was no fun just sitting there. Eventually a waiter took our orders, we got our drinks, and we waited for our food. At the end of this table where I was, was two staff from our dorm, the one I already mentioned and then another gentlemen. Come to find out he is not much older than I, and then the two staff and another deafblind student and I started to remising about candy and TV shows we grew up eating and watching. To walk down memory lane was fun. We also asked the restaurant to turn down the music a bit, so I then was able to hear better. By the time we left, I was having more fun. Going out to eat is still not my most favorite. I am stuck in this in-between world, not knowing enough sign to communicate completely, and not having enough hearing to hear conversation in those situations.

We did not get back to the dorm until 10:30pm. I was exhausted, and went right to bed.

Sunday was very much like Saturday. Breakfast at 8:30am. I had signed up for a trip to Ihop, leaving at 9am, but I did not end up going. My MIL and SFIl were going to be on the way to PA to visit my hubby, so on the way they were going to visit. The wonderful thing is that they brought me a heating blanket for nights when it gets super cold here.

Something I had not mentioned until now, is that the heat in the dorm building was not working correctly. They explained what was wrong, but it did not make any sense. This building has been here since the 60’s. And apparently the part that broke is that old, so very hard to replace. So for the first few nights in my room, it was freezing. There was so much cold air just coming in through the windows. I finally pinned up a blanket on to the blinds of the window, to keep some of the cold air from coming in. I had been told that the heat was fixed on Friday, of course it had warmed up temperature wise outside, so my room was not as cold.

Around 10:30, MIL and SFIL arrived. It was nice to see them, to see life form. Not that the people here aren’t alive or life form, but relatives. I briefly showed them around, there isn’t much to see of the dorm. The most exciting part is the lobby and lunge area. I took them back to my room and we talked for a bit in there. They brought me a wonderful heating blanket. I am not exactly sure I can have one, but I won’t be telling them about it. I know..Shame on me! So we visited for a while, about their trip, and just other normal things. They were only here for about 30 minutes. And although I had wanted more time with them, perhaps lunch, they were on their way only after 30 minutes here. Like I said it was nice to see them but, it also made me a bit home sick.

While I was having my morning here, hubby was at church, playing the worship team practice, and then home. He and my BIL had lunch with the niece and nephew. After their lunch, they went to play at the park across the street, until the grandparents arrived.

Of course it was hard to know that everyone was at my home, with my hubby and I was here. It made me even more home sick, more than I already was. Of course lunch was at noon. Again not something I remember what I ate, as meals aren’t memorable now. Don’t get me wrong, they are good, its food, and with people who I consider my friends, they are here in the dorm as I, but it’s not the same.

While hubby and family were together at my home, I occupied my time with writing. The writing, this blogging has really given me the bug for writing, not only writing for educational purposes, but for my memory, for my therapy. I still am not sure I am by any means good at this writing thing, but I do let the words and letters flow from my fingers. Some times that is better than others, sometimes it’s not good at all.

Dinner again at 4:30. If anyone is wondering, why dinner is so early, it’s because of staffing. For the rest of us, it’s the senior citizen meal. 4:30 is early, way way too early for my liking but I eat more because that is when the meal is available. They do put out a snack at 7pm, but I haven’t actually ever gone down to partake.

At 5:30, I signed up for a trip to the Dollar store. I am not exactly sure where this store was, but it took us a long time to get there, like 20 to 25 minutes each way. I know I am on Long Island, so of course the traffic is horrible, but still, it was a Sunday evening. I had a list of items to get at the dollar store, but as usual I spent more money than I had intended. Not much but more than I would have liked. All things I needed, and not of course everything in the dollar store is a dollar. It’s so misleading. We were there for about an hour. It was fun to get out for a while.

Once back in the dorm, I put my things down, took the pup out and then went to bed, as I knew that I needed to get some sleep, for Monday was upon me, and coming quickly.

By no means was it the funnest weekend, but no means was it the worse weekend ever. Of course I would have much rather been at home with my hubby.

While I was having dinner and going to the Dollar store, hubby and my In-laws, went out to eat. Of course they had to go to my most favorite Chinese restaurant. They were celebrating hubby’s upcoming birthday. They arrived home, just before I arrived back from my trip out too. Which worked out so that I could spend some good time on the phone with hubby talking.

And now stay tuned…for the first official week here at HK, first with Monday next!