dreams: dashed

So this lady won my mountain house. A lady named Penny. Insult to injury! If you need me, I’ll be pouting in the corner.

trip part 8: waterworks

1. In hotel after J.Lo's from wedding, seeing pictures, letting it hit home that I missed it, can't get moments back.

2. At reception, in unoccupied front room, too sick to move, listening to bride and groom's first dance, to Jack Johnson's "Better Together."

3. Irish BBQ, covertly, watching K.Lo dance for crowd of approx 70, wondering where she gets it from, this extrovertism, this spirit, this charm, this crazy-ass compulsion to always, always dance. Love her for it, more than words can describe.

trip part 4: worries

Pre-trip

• Motion sickness? On the plane, in the rental car, wherever (didn't happen)
• Bug's mood, general well-being, behavior (was the best, even when sick)
• Getting There: Driving to RDU, flying Jet Blue to JFK, renting car, driving to Stamford, finding our way around (precarious at times, but we managed)
• Reading at the wedding, public speaking nervousness (obviously did not happen)
• Forgetting something (didn't)

Actual Trip

• Using a broken car seat, thanks to National car rental
• Our own sickness
• Baby N.Lo's well-being (p.s. he's fine)
• Getting others sick, i.e. anyone we came into contact with, but particularly my nieces, the newlyweds, my 90-year-old grandmother, my parents who were so absolutely helpful during travel, all the rest of our family and friends, the bride's family and friends, anyone who stays in our hotel room after us, the poor cleaning lady who had to change out our sheets and towels while K.Lo and I sat on the couch like death warmed over, anyone who flew on the same plane or rides in the same car....
• Missing wedding, most of reception
• Getting the hell home without dying.

trip part 6: stats so far*

Those who caught the Hellacious Virus at this past Thursday's play group:

3 mommies, 2 of them pregnant
2 kids
3 spouses

*2 mommies, 3 toddlers, and a newborn as yet unaccounted for.

trip part 1: things broken

• Bottle of warm vanilla sugar body spray, not packed in suitcase well
• Eyeglasses, also not packed in suitcase well
• Skin on foot, when after airport security check (return trip), stupidly unfolded stroller w/o shoes
• Piece of crap carseat rustled up by National car rental agency after mere hour of searching
• Spirits, after missing brother's wedding.

trip part 2: things lost

• Patience at National car rental counter as we were served and then forgotten, standing there apparently invisible, as our customer service rep literally vanished for over half an hour, only to return and wait on someone else, almost impressively unphased that we were all still standing there, no car, no car seat. All other employees either ignored us or played completely dumb to the issues at hand.
• Blood sugar, remaining patience, as more time passed (2 1/2 hours) on the road from JFK to Stamford, none of us having eaten lunch, and no obvious place to stop.
• Pen's stomach contents, many times over, from approximately 11PM Friday night (post-rehearsal/dinner) to 11AM Sunday morning
• Bug's stomach contents, sometime in the deep dark of Friday night through Saturday afternoon
• J.Lo's stomach contents, from Sunday afternoon through Monday evening, all through travel home
• Also, for all parties: energy, strength, appetite, sleep, will to move, possibly will to live
• Pen: 5 lbs, soooo healthy during pregnancy
• Pen: irreplaceable moments, events, memories, i.e. sibling's wedding, most of reception, the vows, the tears, the dances, the music, the food, the pictures, the conversation and laughing, the fun.