Going Home

This is my last blog post from Ireland, likely my last blog post from anywhere rather than home or near to it. This trip has exposed the true extent of the advances of ALS. It has worn me down substantially, David too. While we have worked hard at getting along, nerves are getting frayed, differences are showing up plain and clear. It's tough enough to travel with someone, travel with someone who has ALS is even more difficult.

It should come as no surprise that pushing me around, hefting luggage, transfers, all have contributed to the exhaustion David clearly feels at night. On top of that, my style as a night owl is cramping his sleep style as an early riser. It's been a wonderful holiday, but it's time to go home. Fortunately that is exactly what is happening tomorrow morning.

Our flight is at 8:30 AM. That means we have to be at the airport at 6:30 AM. While we booked at an "airport hotel" with a shuttle, the hotel, a mere five minutes from the airport, demands that we be in place for the shuttle a full  30 minutes ahead of our required departure time. That means we have to be downstairs at 6:00 AM. We would have left our hotel in Drogheda at around the same time were we to have stayed there and driven. The only plus is that we don't have to worry about the car in the morning, although David tells me the drop-off is very efficient at the airport.

The other problem is the late hour right now. I am not ready for sleep yet it is almost 10:00 PM. I can't take a sleeping pill tonight; we are getting up at 5:00 AM and I cannot afford to be groggy from Zopiclone. So tomorrow morning will be rough. I plan on sleeping on the plane for the five hour flight to Gander, NL. After that we have a 3 hour hop to Toronto and a 4 hour hop home to Calgary. Sleep will factor largely, as much as it can, but I can see the day being arduous.

Tomorrow I will sleep in my own bed. I will have a good washroom, a good bed, double M-rails, and slings. It will be nice to be home, at least from a mechanical point of view. Still, this adventure has been good. If David could do it, I would happily spend another week here in Ireland.