Vastness

Nothing so exciting as the great 2010 snow fall has occurred in the last week. Although, a couple days of sunny weather might come pretty close!

Unfortunately, the cloud cover and cold temperatures have returned here, as well as in Wichita, Kansas.

I left the partly sunny skies and warmer temperatures Friday for a weekend trip to Wichita to visit my husband. I had great expectations (or at least pretty good expectations) of a fabulous, fun weekend. The dreary February weather and my own physical health may have contributed to my less than positive perspective of the city...and Kansas in general.

In Kansas' defense, I probably picked the worst time to visit. Also, I came down with a cold Sunday evening, so I'm not in the best of moods. Also, apparently the stress of reuniting with my husband only once a week for the last many, many months is taking a physical toll on me. (And since I am obviously a skilled doctor...or at least an intelligent woman who can use the internet adeptly and confer with multiple friends and coworkers...I think I have diagnosed myself.) I seem to be developing horrendous reflux that sends my stomach into spasms of burning pain and causes me to feel there is a rock sitting in my stomach at all times. I will get hungry, but can only eat a tiny bit before the fire starts again and I feel like I'm going to explode.

Oddly, the reflux only happens on the weekends. During the week I'm fine. Thus, I have also diagnosed that this is most likely stress-related. I hate that reuniting with my husband is so stressful, but there you have it. In actuality, it's our entire living situation at present that is the root of all the stress.

(Just to be perfectly clear, I love my husband more than anything forever and always. I just wish he didn't make my stomach hurt. Things look to be better in a couple months.)

OK, so, besides the physical agony, Wichita greeted me with temperatures hovering in the 20s, gusty north winds, and dark gray skies as far as the eye can see. And the eye can see a long way in the vast flatness of Kansas.

The snow was not big and pretty, but small, wet, and blowing sideways. Rather than sticking around and making the world white, it either melted or was just plain ice/sleet instead of snow. The vast landscape in Kansas right now is a scene of gray and brown. It really is The Wizard of Oz...before everything turns to color in Munchkinland.

(I would have taken a picture of the landscape for this post, but why?)

Out of all the places I've ever visited, this is absolutely my least favorite.

And, I know, you can spend all day telling me how gorgeous it is when the trees are blooming in the spring or when the leaves change colors in the fall and how there are all kinds of cool activities to be experienced, as my husband has already tried to do. I will have a hard time being convinced to go visit again.

Although, just before my stomach revolted on Friday night, I enjoyed one of the best meals I've eaten in a long time at Sabor in Wichita (thank you, John!), so I can highly recommend that restaurant.

They'll most likely have to express mail the food to me if I'm ever to enjoy it again, though.

(This post will be sadly ironic if we we actually end up having to ever move to Wichita. Chances are slim to none at this point, but it would be an irony.)

Thank goodness my next trip promises to be 180% better: San Francisco and the Wine Country in California. I love me some California!