Realizations

Realization #1:  The last week+ has been the usual state of frantic life.  I hate it.  We had our vacation(s) then we have to return home and pick right back up.  I discovered that while on a normal basis I enjoy working my new job, it is a job that I cannot easily take time off of.  That kind of stinks.  I thought I would be able to kind of check out and it would be there when I got back.  NO such luck.  I ended up working just as many hours as I usual do, only this time it was in a more frantic pace.  Trying to cram those hours into an evening and Saturday morning and a few hours on Friday just made me feel like I was completely behind, and overwhelmed.  Next time I need some time off, I need to figure out a way to do it differently.  Realization #1:  So, apparenlty I have a job that allows me to take as much time off as I want, however, trying to actually take that time off is problematic.

Realization #2:  My two oldest children have experienced Europe and may decide that they are good with living far, far away.  Kirsten LOVED England.  It sounds like she was an amazing traveler.  Dean said she never really got flustered when they were lost and enjoyed all the sights and sounds that England had to offer.   She mastered the public transportation system and was off and running.   Josh has so far traipsed around Paris and now onto Florence, Italy.  He sent a postcard, but other than that, our interaction has been purely thru Facebook postings and seeing his posted pictures.  I am just thankful that Evy stayed here otherwise, he might not return.  Realization #2--two of my children are all grown up and able to experience the world on their own.

Realization #3:   Dean's Mom recently fell and broke her leg and ankle.  What started as a difficult break turned into a really difficult break when she had massive swelling and the swelling resulted in a very fragmented ankle.  Two surgeries later and she is headed to the health care center for what will probably be months of rehab.  The possibility that she may have a hard time returning home alone after this looms.  We anticipate a full recovery, but suddenly we were thrust into the 'what ifs'.  My mother on the other hand seemed to be finally gaining some confidence.  She is out and about, spending time with others and getting involved a little bit.  Then we had a little mix-up and she scheduled a somewhat routine intestinal hernia repair surgery on my annual girls' weekend.  Oops.  That weekend is my sanity and it is sacred...I don't change it, without the death of someone near and dear involved.   I didn't put it together until this morning and there was no way I could back out of my weekend (I leave Friday).  My first thought was 'oh F***!', then I thought it wouldn't be that big of deal.  Dean could get her there and he works a few blocks from the hospital. I was scheduled to fly home the evening of the day of surgery, so I could pick it up from there.  She wasn't so sure.  She just called me and told me that she decided to reschedule her surgery.  She didn't feel like she could do it unless I was in town and at the hospital.  So, Realization #3:  My children may be growing up, but our mothers are more dependant on us than ever.  We have officially entered 'that stage'.

Ah life...

Mini-Vacation

I'm listening to Annika snore (again), only this time it is the morning of our last day of official vacation.  We have had a great time.  It has been more entertaining that I thought it would be..showing Annika downtown Seattle for the first time has been a kick. 

She has been in Seattle many times.  After all it is probably my favorite city to spend a quick weekend at.  After all, it is where all my favorite extended family reside.  And after all, it is where Josh attends college (and where Kirsten will be attending college as well).  We have taken the kids to the waterfront, to Pike's Place Market, to the Seattle Art Museum, to Pioneer Square and many other sites, but Annika has never stayed DOWNTOWN Seattle. 



Downtown is a nostalgic place for me.  My first grown-up job was in the midst of the city, 6th and University.  Every morning I would drive from my apartment on West Queen Anne, to my co-worker's apartment on Lower Queen Anne and we would walk from there to our office.  My lunch hours were filled with time hoofing it around that downtown grid.  I loved to frequent Nordstrom and use my beloved credit card with the $300 limit.  You have to understand that I was 18 when I first started working downtown and my starting salary as a law firm receptionist was $850/month.  I shared a one-room apartment with a college friend and we paid the exorbitant rent of $325/month.  I LOVED that time.  I felt so 'adult'.  So to be able to spend a few days downtown showing Annika the center of the city has been a kick.

We splurged a bit.  After all the justification was that Josh is currently living it up in Paris and Dean and Kirsten are in London.  We booked a room at the Hyatt at Olive 8.  Luckily we scored a really nice room rate.  We had tried other hotels, but Annika needs to swim as part of her therapy, so our options were narrowed down a bit.  Upon our check-in, we were greeted with this beautiful lobby:

Annika was 'WOWED'.  First, she was shocked that you just pulled your car in, handed the keys to the valet and they went and parked for you.  She was a little unsure of this, especially when I told her that we wouldn't need the car for the next three days...WE.WERE.GOING.TO.WALK.EVERYWHERE.  Now, Annika is not big on walking, or hiking, or anything in between so she was a little worried.  Until that is we actually got out and started walking.  When she realized that everything we would need or want was within a few block radius, she LOVED.IT.

Then we checked into our room:

Now, our kids have stayed in many different hotels before, and I will readily admit I am a bit of a hotel snob when it comes to staying in hotels (although I have no problem staying in less than a 3 star when I travel outside the country), but this room made her gleeful.  Especially when she got to look out the window at the sights of the city.  When she found out we could order room service, she was hooked.

Then we went swimming:

Have you ever gone swimming in a saline pool??   Me neither, but I really liked it.  The first day we headed down, Annika got to experience something new, NAKED.PEOPLE.  No, no, don't get me wrong, people in the pool were fully suited up, it was in the accompanying bathroom (although I don't think that word sufficiently describes the beauty and amenities of this room).  See, the second floor of the hotel was the pool, spa, yoga room, fitness room and yes AMAZING bathrooms.  These bathrooms/locker rooms included a steam room, sauna, beautiful showers, and every luxurious amenity you could imagine.  Towels, body lotions and soaps, hair care products, hair brushes, even mouthwash.  Annika decided that she wanted to check out the steam room.

The steam room is a room with marble tiled steps that you can sit or lay on.  Eucalyptus infused steam is pumped into the room.  You leave that room luxuriant-feeling skin.  Annika opened the door and looked in.  She quickly backed out of the room when she saw that a lone female was laying on a step in all her naked glory.  She rejoined me pool side and began to giggle.  'That I could have gone a lifetime without seeing', she said.  She went on to describe her shock at a woman laying naked in a steam room.  She waited a while and decided she would head into the sauna. 

She returned in about 15 seconds, bursting with giggles.  'Uhm, those two older ladies that were out here swimming, they are in the sauna, NAKED.'  We decided to remain poolside for a while.  We watched the older gentleman swim, or his version of swimming.  The guy had laid out towels along the edge of the pool where he placed his newspaper.  Then, he got into the pool and walked over to where he had left his newspaper and proceeded to stand there and read.  I'm not sure if he had promised someone he would go into the pool and this was the best he could manage or??  He stood there for about half an hour and then got back out.  He walked over to his robe and proceeded to drop his swim trunks.  Poor Annika happened to look over at THE most inopportune moment and was blessed with viewing the full meal deal.  The man quickly put on his robe and left the pool deck.  Annika, however, is scarred for a while.

Yup, it has been an entertaining stay.

Strange Dreams

So Annika and I are on our little getaway Spring Break.  She is currently snoring away as she grabs a little cat nap.  Our sleep last night was interrupted.  Staying at an airport vicinity hotel always is like that.  We tried to go to sleep early.  Lights were out at 9 pm, but then the 4 of us got the giggles and laughed for a while.  Finally we were asleep until 3 am.  Then the first round of vacation started--Dean and Kirsten got up and I ran them to the airport at 4 am.  Back to the hotel where Annika and I watched 'Out of Africa' until about 5:30 am until we were able to go back to sleep.  Back up a few hours later and we started our day.  It has been a great one so far.

As I sit and listen to her snore, I am reminded of some of the strange dreams I have been having lately.  I am sometimes a rather vivid snoozer, but lately I have had some doozies.  I thought I would share just a couple.  Maybe one of you three that still read this can give me some psychological input on what they mean.

Dream #1:  I dreamed the other night that I was wearing a v-neck shirt.  Not unusual, I often do that.  We we traveling with an assorted cast of characters.  At one point, I was riding in a crowded van that stopped abruptly.  I was sent flying to the dash because I had no actual seat and instead was simply perched atop others.  I returned to my perch and we continued on.  Then we were walking down the street in a group.  Suddenly my brother-in-law from California was there.  He walked over to me and said simply 'uhm your boob is hanging out of your shirt'.  I looked down and sure enough my boob had popped out of my bra and out of the v-neck and was just flopping around there.  Everyone else seemed to be ignoring the incident, even Dean.  I.WAS.HORRIFIED!  I looked at my brother-in-law and I asked 'how long has it been that way????'.  'Oh about 1/2 an hour, I was just curious if you would notice.'. 

Dream #2:  I dreamed the other night that I was at the Dr.  They said that I should really have a picc IV line put in my hand.  I said no problem, I can do that and they agreed.  I spent what seemed like a half an hour trying to insert my own picc line.  I was SO proud of myself when I succeeded.  I forgot the dream until later that day when I was visiting my mother-in-law in the hospital and I saw the nurse flush her picc line out.  STRANGE.

Dream #3:  I was dreaming something nonsensical.  Thru-out the dream I kept hearing my cell phone ring.  The ring was the ring the kids set for Dean--the theme from Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail.  I never could find the phone.  Later I woke up and Dean was right with me and my phone was put away, so it definitely was not ringing in my sleep.

I hope tonight's dreams are more restful.  I also think I shouldn't wear a v-neck for a while.