Be Happy Anyway

Be Happy Anyway
From Brave Girls Club

Monday, October 27, 2008

The Adventures Continue

This weekend I decided to be adventurous and travel with a three year old and an eleven year old without the assistance of their father to get me out the door in one piece and help maintain my sanity. What made me think I could travel 2 1/2 hours and stay away from home for 3 days without completely losing it? Who can say?

The usual Annemarie Antics began when I was ready to get on the road and realized I hadn't hired a dog sitter nor reserved a kennel. I then began examining my resources - both fiscal and personal. A kennel was going to be pricey. There was no room in the car, and my hostess already has two dogs in her dog run. The weather was going to possibly be cold this weekend so leaving Zoey outside with an automatic feeder and waterer was out of the question. Asking my aunt or mom to come let the dog in and out was not only unreasonable, but also asking for trouble because the house was a mess. What to do....Suddenly it hit me. My next door neighbor loves dogs and is very nonjudgmental. I quickly ran over to her house and told her my sad story. She agreed without hesitation. ---- One problem down, several more to come.

By this time, I still had to run around town moving money from bank to bank so I could pay bills while I was away leaving me just enough time to drive from here to my destination and meet MerryHeart (Certified Paper Freak) for lunch at Olive Garden. (Start humming "On the Road Again.) The kids are wondering when the actual trip is going to begin since we have been in the car for 45 minutes and still haven't left town.

I have made this trip hundreds of times on my own and with my family. I know exactly how far I have travel when I reach certain landmarks. I can estimate how much farther I have to drive and how fast I need to drive over the speed limit in order to get where I need to be on time. So imagine my chagrin when I am 45 minutes from home and realize that I have left my purse at home. Now comes the negotiations I make with myself.
Okay, Annemarie. If you turn around, you will be 1-1/2 hours late for lunch with MerryHeart. You remembered your debit card in your back pocket. Your driver's license is in the overhead visor, and the insurance card is in the center console. You don't have a camera to remember the entire trip - an important factor. Call mom and ask her what she thinks.

"Hello, Mom...."
Forty-five minutes later (anyone seeing a pattern here?) I am pulling out of my drive way AGAIN, calling Merry Heart to relay the story to her and reschedule lunch for 2:30. I figured out exactly how fast I needed to drive to get there. 80 miles an hour on the straight-a-ways; follow the signs in the Speed Trap towns of Santa Anna and Bangs. I didn't, however, take into consideration that my 3 year old would need to go to the bathroom along the way. Blast those small bladders!

2:35 I am pulled into Olive Garden - I told you I have made this trip many times. I then wait anxiously to meet MerryHeart for the first time. We had a great time and went to her house after lunch. Talked scrapbooking, children, spouses and all the things SISters talk about when meeting for the first time. When it was time to go, we said our goodbyes, and I got in the car. WAIT! Could you believe it???! I didn't take any pictures! I had to get out and find the all important camera that I drove all the way home for. Two and half hours of visiting and this is the only picture I have of Merry Heart and me:


The weekend continued with the usual Homecoming merriments. Just add in a grouchy three year old and a silly eleven year old into the mix, and you have the remainder of my time in my dear old college town. Many of the pictures can be seen in this collage I put together for a photo scavenger hunt for a SIStv challenge.


I will be making a couple of Scrapblogs later about the weekend, but for now, I had better hit publish.

5 comments:

miruspeg said...

I love the bit where you called your Mom.....how precious!
It is one of my 'pet hates' to have to turn around and go back home after forgetting something....boy do I get peeved with myself!

And how funny are you to nearly forget to take some photos.....anyway you did, and it is an excellent one.

I think this post could have been called Learning Lessons or Lessons Learnt.

I thoroughly enjoy reading your antics Annemarie....great post.

Peggy

Unknown said...

Oh my pal Sandra!!!
How cool, envious lol
So glad you guys met in real life and had a wonderful time!!

MJ said...

Ah ha! Now I understand your encouragement with going with my logical head regarding adopting a puppy! You've had similar challenges finding dog-care. I haven't adopted yet; I remain on the fence.

I enjoyed reading your post and understanding your predicament when discovering you forgot vital stuff! Made me reminisce about the first trip I had with K & N and forgetting the licorice! Motherhood bonds!

Still, you had a good trip and managed to make it home! Great stuff!

Jan said...

Oh how funny! At least to read, but obviously not so funny to experience - having to go back home! Not to mention that, at least for me, it's not too fun driving in our home state - not a lot to look at - can get boring. So add an extra 1 1/2 hours to the trip and, jeez/ugh! Then having to stop for the 3 year old to go potty. Again, in our home state, I guess you could at least be glad there was a place to stop. My Mom used to carry a potty in the car when I was little (jeez/ugh!). I was glad to see that there was at least one teepee left at homecoming. As I mentioned, I didn't know if they were still allowing that to be part of the festivities. Hope you had an awesome weekend, and thanks for the post!

letti said...

hi! I hope you had an awesome time at homecoming. I would have been poor company last weekend anyway, seeing how I was zonked out in bed most of the time with a cough and bad cold :)

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