My Year of Meaningful (2011)

Good LAWD, it's raining blessings!


So just as I was having a mental breakdown about squeezing 400 days of activities into 3 short weeks at home, organizing get-togethers in 5 minute blocks, disappointing people, double-booking and arguing with the Mr. over how much WORK (as in office work) we're probably going to have to do while we're on "vacation".... the heavens open up! A virtual isolated thunderstorm of awesomeness ensues, and all "hail" breaks loose (to paraphrase SC JT) with each fat coconut-sized ball of stupefying wonder going KONK on my head, I realize there's far more to be grateful for than I realize.... and why dont we all just quit the bitchin' and get to celebratin'!! Seriously it was enough to make me want to give myself a spanking for letting stress and nonsense take over.

First of all one of the things I was really starting to sweat was how we were going to get onto Manhattan from JFK when we're arriving before 8am and our 2 friends (KC and Xena) that we want to see during the day we're there both have to be at their respective places of employment at that time and both said "get a cab!" and so I say fine, and then find out... "what the what!? a cab is $45 one way!" (I seem to have to keep reminding people we are spending African bucks, here, meaning essentially everything gets multiplied by 10 for us). That cab also needs to take us back in the evening which means $90 which means before we've even been in the country for one day we've spent nearly a hundred bucks USD... this does not bode well for a 4-week holiday that includes multiple "incidentals" such as this ahead of us. Nevermind the whole part about "what's the story with baby seats in cabs in NYC these days".... And KC warned me about the shuttle taking 2 hours to get to Midtown as well as being notorious for some reasons or another, so we were basically looking at a public transport headache (with luggage) as our welcome wagon into the country.

But then the awesomeness... just another reminder that I sometimes need, that I do happen to befriend my friends for a reason (because they are great!) and that they aren't just ordinary yahoos that I haven't managed to ditch along the way.... KC emails me yesterday "I'm sending a car service to fetch you. Driver will be standing at arrivals with your last name on a card. Just go with that guy. He'll help with yur bags, the car will have a carseat for baby, and he'll bring you straight to my place", and that I must not even attempt to pay for it b/c she's already put it on her Mastercard. WOAH. How freakin awesome is that? That is called true McCartney treatment. And I'm talking McCartney as in STELLAR. All this after she was already leaving her key with her doorman for us so that even though she has to work that morning, we can get to her place, let ourselves in, shower, nap, re-group, re-charge, re-programme the baby and just relax and invite anyone else we want to see in NYC (only 1 other person, Xena, really) over, and come and go as we please until she gets off work. She's also already offered to stock her fridge with baby-friendly stuff like applesauce and yogurt (I didn't even ask) as well as diapers and wipes so that we wouldn't have to tap into whatever source we were packing. As well as leaving her membership card to the Central Park Zoo (which is within walking distance of her digs) so that we could see the exotic red pandas if we so desire. Notwithstanding the fact that I don't believe in zoos, I thought this was super sweet since she is not what I would call a baby person but was clearly thinking in kid-speak for our benefit.

Then there's Uncle Brandong who's packed me up a sweet ass care package that he's mailing to said NYC friend KC, that will contain my USA phone number and recharge card as well as his other Garmin! Fan mail waiting for me on KC's coffee table when we arrive - just like he did for me last time at SheofDC's place when we flew into DC. Crazy generous AND HOW!

Said Garmin of Uncle Brandong is going to help us once we land in KC and pick up the Bwuddaman's Jeep.... which brings me to bless-ed Mister Bwuddaman who as I already mentioned, got his gf to come and meet us at the KC (not the friend, the city) airport that night at 0-dark-thirty and drive us all the way across the greater KC metro area where we get free run of Bwuddaman's apartment as we require for that night and the next day since he's on a work trip.

There was also the issue of transportation running me down. As I had mentioned before, The Bwuddaman's GF (who again I don't know but who was kind enough to offer us use of her car for the whole 3 weeks and she would confiscate her dad's) had to politely withdraw her offer the other day because she had not been aware her sister was coming into town for the majority of th time we're there and had already called dibs on their dad's ride. So I was a bit bummed by that because the way we are back home, there is no way we can survive without a ride as we need to be here there and everywhere ALL THE TIME, and yet again we'd be looking at big time USD in order to rent a car for that long. And VOILA again with the storm of good fortune - the Bwuddaman steps in and says take my Jeep as long as you need it, I'll use a work car. Holy mother of sweet soft tops!! Now that's what you call a winning streak!

THEN one of my friends from back home that I haven't been able to make time to see on any of my trips back since what, 2002, sent me an email asking if it's ok for her to drive allllll the way up from the southern part of the state for an afternoon to see us and bring her 2 cute little girls along because they would all like to meet LJJ and see us. And she says she knows we're probably overbooked so any day we want she will make it happen. That means no driving down there for us (which we were considering doing because that town, SPFLD, is where about 5 of my friends live and it would be fun to see them all at once but DAMN how do I fit it in!?) which means -whew- a few extra hours of relaxation instead.

This followed by a FB message from another of my friends also in SPFLD who offered to also drive up and see us on another one of the free afternoons we have. That's 2 offers from 2 friends to drive an 8-hour round trip just to hang out with us for not even 1 whole day. I'm just shocked and humbled! Not to mention feeling light as a feather right about now because these are 2 people I really wanted to see and was truly suffering under the weight of how to possibly fit it in, and seeing virtually no possible way short of spending 12 hours on the road the day of my fambly reunion because the only day left open that we would be able to swing a road trip down south would be the day before that - meaning one long-ass haul up to the very northeast of the state, from the very southwest of the state, in one go.

Then I had a very auspicious skype conv. with my mother whom, I had been worrying about facing.... wait, make that DREADING... because I was certainly convinced she would have at least 900 expectations of our time and I was sure that this particular conversation would be where it all came out. But rather just the exact opposite occurred and she literally came right out and said the words "Look, I am not planning anything for you other than dinner with the F's on the 1st and the couple hours with the A's on the 4th. I just want you to know that." Wow. I just hope none of those lightning bolts of FANTASTICO didn't hit any of those flying pigs on the way down! Hell, she even encouraged me to leave the hospital where my Gramps is in KC early in the afternoon on the day after we arrive, (I was just SURE she was going to insist I spend the night there to look after the Gran) and come back to the hometown that day. What the...!?

So anyhoo, let it be said I am in top spirits about the upcoming holiday and no amount of work-work that I'm going to have to do (and The Mr. is going to have to do) is going to bring me down as clearly the powers that be are sending me all the signals that say it's all systems go for awesomeness. And the fact that I'm going to be busy hanging out with all of my friends every single day that I am back is NOT actually something to be afraid of stressing me out, it's something to look FORWARD to because let it be said that my amigos are FANTASTICO!!

Labels: mis amigos, trip planning