It's been a crazy week!

So back on the 17th I started my long weekend - a second one in the month.  During August we are typically busy monogramming backpacks.  So I had gone to second shift to help and support the extra business... but it never really got THAT busy.  Besides - it was summer and I wanted to take a couple days off when it was actually warm.  So on Thursday, as a family we went to Aquaboggin.  I had the boys captive in the wave pool and we had a 'quality' water filled chat.  After all - no TV's, no phones, no x-box was in sight - so it was a golden opportunity.  As you can expect - they were less than impressed - and they quickly ditched me for the slides.  Imagine that.  But it was a good day spent with family.

Friday Ron had to work... so Christopher and I puttered about and packed the car for our weekend in Rangeley.  We were leaving around 1, as soon as Ron got home and had taken a shower... so we started to gather things for the trip.  Games, bedding, food, and other essentials.  For those not in the know - Rangeley is where LLBean has cabins that they let employees use at a super super price ($100 for the weekend) and they provide boats (outboards, canoes, kayaks) and all the gear... if you go in the winter they have snowshoes to use... but they are 'off the grid.'  They have power and indoor plumbing - but NO INTERNET, no TVs, no video games... they encourage you to get OUTSIDE.  But they all have cards in case it rains :)

We managed to get everything we'd need piled in the car - it looked like we were leaving home for a week.  Ron did the few things he needed to so we could leave and we headed off.  We stopped for a late lunch at Margarita's Restaurant in Augusta.  I had been craving a margarita for a while... so one was not going to do the trick.  The first one went down smooth... so when Christopher ordered the lava cake for dessert... I ordered a Rosarita.  Liquid dessert in a glass.  Just what the doctor ordered - okay maybe no medical doctor would order a margarita - but many of my friends did!  So on we continued (yup Ron was driving) - but the rain was being persistent.  So we had to make a quick trip to get new wiper blades.  It's important for the driver to be able to see where you're heading!  We made it to the cabins just as the rain started to break.  We hustled everything inside and things started to fall apart... Ron forgot to bring his pillows - and I wasn't sharing mine - he forgot extra clothes (really??? It's raining - you didn't think you'd stay dry all weekend did you?) - but he said he was set... he had his book and underwear... men!  We quickly made beds and put stuff in its place and we figured since we had brought all sorts of food we should eat dinner.

After dinner we played a board game as it was still drizzly outside and then we all went to bed... well I did.  The boys stayed up and did who knows what.  I think they watched a movie on the computer... but I went and read.  The next day we just relaxed over breakfast... with Ron cooking, the smoke detector was going off in no time.  The bacon didn't do it - but the French toast did!  That also managed to get Christopher out of bed.  After breakfast we went into Oquesset for their small town festival and toured the craft booths.  Then we went back and headed out in the outboard.  It was beautiful on the water.  There was absolutely no wind and the sun was broken up just enough by the high clouds to keep you from baking.  After that Christopher and Ron went out in the kayaks while I read on the water's edge patio.  They puttered around on the water for a while - making friends with the geese and ducks in the area.  Then Christopher decided he wanted to go swimming.

The water in Rangeley is COLD!  All the time!  I'm pretty sure that last of the ice melts from the lake on August 1st and it starts to re-freeze on August 30th!  But he managed to get in and I was encouraging him to swim out to the float.  But he was freaking out.  He wouldn't put his feet down because he was convinced the lobster were going to bite him!  He had me laughing so hard at his crazy beliefs - that at one point he was sure the sharks were going to get him.  He finally swam out to the float after Ron got back into kayak and 'escorted' him to the float (which was about 25 feet from the shore!)  It was wicked funny.  We went back and ordered pizza for a late lunch and hung out reading.  We were all ready to cook s'mores over the fire pit when the rain started to POUR down.  My car windows were still open - so Ron ran out and got those closed - the the s'mores were out.  But we had chicken to cook - so he started dinner.  Ugh... no more food.  I passed on the chicken, but the boys nibbled on it. The rest we packed up and brought home and figured it would be an easy re-heat for dinner Sunday.

Our evening plans diverted - Ron started to teach Christopher how to play Rummy.  Christopher is not much on card games - so he doesn't know how to hold his hand - except to place everything in piles on the table.  So the first 2 hands Ron beat him easily.  I was heading to bed to read but stopped to help Christopher along... that hand Christopher beat his dad by more that 140 points!  (Yeah - I like card games and am pretty good.)  Christopher begged me to stay and help him - but my book (number 3 for the weekend) was calling my name - so I left him to his own devices and I think he didn't fare as well without my help.  But with the boys making microwaved s'mores and playing cards in the background, the rain  falling outside and all that darkness... I quickly fell asleep. On Sunday we had to leave - but we managed to have bacon and French toast again... packed up our belonging and cleaned out the cabin and bid the camps good bye until next time.

We stopped at Small Falls and the boys enjoyed the walk up the falls while I read more of my book.  Normally I do all the driving - but Ron and I made a deal that he was driving this weekend... so I enjoyed being able to read!  But it didn't last the whole way.  In Augusta he finally conceded that he had driven enough, so I took over.  He managed to do most of the driving - I just had the last 40 minutes... so I couldn't really complain.  We unpacked the car - dumping stuff in the dining room.  I just needed to chill for a few minutes and then we could take care of everything.  We watched the evening news and then the phone rang.  And this is where the fun starts!

I had planned on calling Ashley.  But when the phone rang - Christopher got it.  I heard him say a couple things - one of which was "I'm pretty sure she doesn't know about that."  Sunday was her last day at her current job.  She was working 60+ hours and just didn't have a life - and who wants to live in NYC and not have a life to enjoy it??  So when I heard it was her - I wasn't surprised.  That was short lived.  I asked her how her last day went - and as last days go - it was pretty smooth.  Her boss and co-workers gave her a party and a gift card.  (Better than I expected)  Then Ashley said something I wasn't expecting.  "By the way, Matt and I are getting married on Thursday."  My heart stopped.  I think I blacked out.  I didn't hear her correctly.  "You're doing what?!?" was my answer.  "Getting married.  On Thursday.  At Whiskey Tavern.  Where we met.  It's just around the corner."  "Hold on.  I'm having a stoke." I remember saying over and over again.  "I mentioned this to you - we've spoken more in the past month than the whole time I've been in NYC."  "No Ashley, we've spoken about your job.  When you mentioned getting married - you said in the future.  In my mind - 'the future' was next April, next May... NOT THURSDAY!"  (I could hear Matt and Ashley's friend Cassie in the background... "I thought you told your mother?"  "I thought I had told her.")  No Ashley - we had talked about you leaving your job... not getting married on THURSDAY... like in 4 days!  I stopped breathing - I knew I was having a stroke.  Ron was taking photos of me because he thought the whole thing was hysterically funny.  I was having a meltdown!

"I thought you might get married in Maine when you came home in September."  I remember saying to her... "But then Matt's family can't be there."  "I don't care about Matt's family!  It's about the bride's family!  How are we supposed to be there?"  "Well I didn't expect my family to be there."  There's that stoke feeling again... I see darkness starting to envelop me.  She can't be serious?  The groom's family is more important that the bride's???  How did this happen?  She used to be such a smart logical child.  And now she's giving her mother a stroke.  "Well I'd like to be there - but it's on Thursday!  How am I supposed to do that?  We're coming in October and I'm coming again in November.  How am I supposed to be there on Thursday?  I'm having a stroke."  There was more to the conversation... but I don't remember much more after the series of stokes started to take effect.  So I finally hung up.  I looked at Ron and he said "It's funny."  Funny?  Are you freaking serious????  I walked into the kitchen and put my dinner in the microwave to re-heat it as during the conversation I has missed dinner.  But after it was in the microwave - I grabbed my keys and walked out the back door.  Christopher came running after me... "Where are you going?"  "Leave me alone, I'm running away!"  And I got in the car and drove away.

Of course I didn't run too far... just to Amber's house.  And as soon as I got there she knew something was a foot.  "What's wrong?  You look like hell."  "I'm having a stroke."  "What does that mean?"  And I proceeded to bumble through my conversation with Ashley.  "Of course you are going, you're the mother of the bride!"  So we discussed the pros and cons... to which she replied "You are going.  I'll pay if I have to - but you are going.  Besides, I have a very reasonable payment play." (This is why we are friends... she has been there so many times for me I've lost count.  But I did pay for my own bus tickets.)  After a couple more phone calls - I went home and booked bus tickets to NYC.  I was going to my daughter's wedding in just 4 days!  How was I going to sleep?  My mind was racing.  Home again... I ate dinner, made my bed and took a shower.  At 9:15 Christopher came in the bedroom and asked if we could play LIFE (because I told him I would after dinner.) and I melted.  He's such a good kid and had no idea how in a simple phone call my week had just turned upside down.  I promised him that I would play after I got home on Monday... I was going back to day shift in the morning and I needed to go to bed.  Little did I know - I probably should have played the game - because I didn't get a whole lot of sleep!

I went to work and started to scramble to get the time off I needed.  My boss was on vacation - so I needed another supervisor to approve my time... not that it was a huge problem - what boss would deny time off for a mother of the bride???  That taken care of - at lunch I checked my e-mail.  What's this?  I've been invited to have lunch with Steve Smith (the new company president) for making a cost savings suggestion that my division is going to adapt!  It concerns overtime pay... so I was wicked excited.  One more thing to make me light headed this week... I'm having problems focusing... can we make the week ANY crazier???  Not possible!

I must have spoken too soon... on Tuesday I went in to work and another message in my inbox... I'm being head-hunted by the Red Cross.  Now I've been with Beans for 2 years this September - so it would have to BE the BEST job offer ever for me to leave... but it made me feel pretty darn good.  Then On Wednesday - the person I nominated for Bean's Best won!  This is totally cool!  I was so happy I was crying like a baby!  Just need to get through a cocktail reception with the United Way.  It was great seeing all my peeps again... or at least most of them.  But I had to bug out early.  I was leaving for NYC at 6:30 in the morning!  I still needed to pack!  I still needed to shower... oh and I think my family wants dinner!  This week has been unreal... and the exciting part hasn't even happened yet!