We will first begin with a horror story: I finished the only book I brought on a weekend trip but I am not yet home! Egad! Say it isn’t so!!
To back up, last week Amy attended three days of a painting class at her future high school with her future art teacher. This was the perfect opportunity to practice taking the public bus to get there and back home. Sarah loves buses so she was fully on board (ahem) with this plan of accompanying Amy for these journeys. But then: RAIN! This rain was not messing around. Monday afternoon was cloudy but the forecast said the chance of rain began at 5pm. It was 3pm when Amy and her bestie finished their class, so none of us thought we needed rain gear. Sarah and I met Amy and her friend at the school and walked towards the bus stop. As we were half a block away, the bus went by. We thought that was fine because it was only sprinkling. Then the heavens opened. Amy’s brace isn’t supposed to get wet, so we had that concern, and Sarah was mightily upset that her new favorite shirt was getting wet. Things quickly devolved into a massive upset, all in the continually pouring rain. I ordered an Uber because I didn’t want us to walk several blocks in the pouring rain once we got to our home bus stop. We crammed into the car. Amy was in the front so that I could be with Sarah in the back, but the front seat was so far forward Amy was sardined. The driver didn’t seem to understand what instructions we needed and Amy couldn’t figure out how to move the seat. Eventually our thoroughly wet and bedraggled selves got home. Less than two hours later we were on our way to a meeting about Amy’s upcoming sleepaway camp.
This sleepaway camp seems like it will be lots of fun, and Amy is going with two of her best friends. The only quibble I have is that the camp doesn’t seem capable of making a firm policy about snacks. They say “try not to send snacks.” Am I going to be walking in my house and holding a granola bar when I suddenly trip and the granola bar falls into her suitcase and I don’t notice? Or will it fall into an open box that magically seals itself and addresses itself to her at camp? There is no try! Just say yes you allow snacks or no you don’t!
The rest of our bus rides to the art class were less eventful, although the very next morning after the deluge, Sarah and I were again caught in the pouring rain that began as soon as we got to the stop to go home. Luckily we were prepared with umbrellas and rain shoes and Sarah had a raincoat. She was delighted to enjoy a rain party since her beloved shirt was safely dry.
On Thursday, our family piled into the car to go to the airport bound for San Antonio, this year’s location for a conference dedicated to people with Sarah’s medical diagnosis. This was our third year attending as a family, and it was as wonderful as ever.
The conference largely took place at Morgan’s Wonderland, an expansive and highly accessible adventure park with rides and playgrounds and a splash park. I went on one swing ride and even that was a bit too much, but I did enjoy the train ride around the park. Carl and the girls went on the zipline and a virtual roller coaster while I stayed put.
During the conference presentation time, I got to talk for a few minutes about my book, and I donated copies that could be sold in the merchandise area. I was so nervous while speaking that my whole body was shaking, but I think I said most of what I intended to say. I’m not sure why I was nervous, but this was the biggest audience that I have yet addressed in person.
Amy and I left the conference a bit early so we could fly home in time for her to start the aforementioned sleepaway camp today. Unfortunately, our flight was cancelled. Then we were rebooked on a flight to Chicago with a connection to Pittsburgh that would have arrived late last night. Then that connection was cancelled, and we were rebooked for an early morning flight today. We stood in a very long line last night with the intention of getting a hotel voucher, but when we calculated the speed of the line and the lateness of the hour, we decided to just book the hotel ourselves and try to get reimbursed later. We walked to the hotel and stood in another long line because so many flights had been messed up that many people needed rooms. Eventually we were checked in and tucked in, grateful to get some sleep.
I hope your weeks have not included any unforeseen deluges, delays, or errant snacks sneaking their way into places they don’t belong.
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