Thanksgiving - Surprise Visitor

Thanksgiving was quiet.  I have to work tomorrow.  The Head squirrel is gone, and I am in charge of the division, so I'll have to work.  But still, a day off with Partner in Grime was enjoyed.  We had no plans, but to play a few board games, tinker in the shop, and make a simple supper and get to bed early.

Then I dropped a Happy Thanksgiving note to one of the Indy Bloggers, who actually lives in Chicagoland but would visit his parents in Indy during cancer treatments. He and his teenage son had stopped by the Range  here up North when they were in the area after school but had missed my husband on those trips, and with my many trips to check on Dad out in Washington State when I had a long weekend or vacation, I'd talked to, but not seen David in two years.

When I met David through the Indy blog group, doctors gave him 2-5 years to live, and his wife left, not wishing to deal with it.  So in the middle of his chemo, with the support of our guys, Midwest Chick and I actually bought dresses and "make me write bad checks" very high heeled pumps and went on each arm with him to a date at the symphony.

That was several years ago, and despite what the doctors told him seven years ago, he is still here though he is on daily dialysis as the aggressive chemo took out his kidneys. I had figured he would at his parents in Indy for Thanksgiving, having spent one delightful Turkey Day with them when Partner was on the road, and I was on call down there one Turkey Day.  But I  told him, if not, he was welcome to come over for dinner.

Turns out, that sadly, his Dad passed this last year and his Mom recently went in a nursing home, so he was just home reloading, while his son was with the ex.  So the invite was ON! The holiday food was prepped and we looked forward to his visit.

So he came over for dinner.  He used to work in the same industry Partner in Grime does (but for a competitor) so they had all kinds of things to talk about, and there were several antique firearms in the shop getting reworked and restored to keep us from going into a coma after the meal and fudgy brownies (sorry, NOT a fan of pumpkin).

When he  left, Partner looked at me after the door closed and said: "You have the COOLEST friends!"

Indeed I do and I'm grateful for all of you as you see me through life's ups and downs.