Mama's 80th Birthday

Mama celebrated her 80th birthday on November 15th of this year. After telling her I was unable to make the trip, I surprised her and showed up anyway! It was pretty epic to see her and Daddy's reactions when I walked in the door! But, I'm getting ahead of myself. First, there was the trip to the airport.

I had to leave the house at 4:45 am. Larry was at work, and I didn't want Sarah driving at that hour, so I took myself to the Sunset Transit Center, and left the car in the parking garage for Larry to retrieve later. I swear I fell asleep on the MAX train during the hour's ride to the airport - that's a first! I slept again on the flight from PDX to SFO, and appreciated every moment. Changing flights again in Dallas made for a very long day, but you do what you have to do, right?

In typical fashion, I had to fly in through Gulfport because Mobile's ticket prices are so ridiculously high. I chose not to rent a car because my trip was so quick and I really didn't think I'd need one. That meant, of course, that someone had to come pick me up. Laura volunteered to do the honors, and, after a full day of travel, we headed into Mobile to surprise the parents.

On Airport Blvd., just a few miles from the house, I started hearing a funny noise coming from the front right of the car. "Oh, it just makes that noise sometimes," was Laura's response. But, after slowing down and gradually picking up speed again, I was convinced it was a tire. Moments after Laura's assuring me that the car was not pulling to one side, it indeed started doing just that. Yup, the tire was going flat. We pulled off and took refuge in a well-lighted spot in front of Applebee's, where we assessed the damage - flat as a pancake. What to do? No AAA membership. We couldn't call Daddy; he'd have been minimal help, and we didn't want to spoil the surprise of my arrival. Matthew? Justin? Who knew where they were or what they were doing at 11:00 on a Friday night. Nothing to do but change it ourselves. At least it wasn't raining!

Laura was dubious, but I assured her we could do it. (Thank you, Larry, for insisting I learn how to change the tires on my car...) Alas, we did need help loosening the lug bolts (damn pneumatic bolt tighteners!), and, indeed, received help from a departing Applebee's patron, who was happy to "loosen and leave". After that, we were home free. We got the car jacked up, removed the flat tire, replaced it with the doughnut, jacked it back down, tightened everything back up, and we were done. Girl Power at its finest!

That near-crisis solved, we headed to Mama and Daddy's house. They were so surprised and delighted to see me, it cemented my decision to come in for the occasion, despite the fact that I would be missing Sarah's actual birthday  - for the first time ever. At least I'd be home for her party with her friends.

I spent Saturday doing some shopping - new tires for Laura! - and visiting with everybody. Dinner with the family, including Ruth Ann, then off I went to Daphne to see Tommy and Tricia.

Sunday was party day! Friends and family were invited for Brunch at Courtland's Restaurant in the historic district near Oakleigh. Forty or so people attended, and it was delightful on several fronts. We weren't responsible for any of the preparations, so could just sit back and enjoy; the almost 100% guest attendance proved just how loved Mama is; and the food was really yummy! My shrimp and baked-then-fried grits was pure decadence!

Fay Gold

 

Mama with Marge Kotnick

Mama and Daddy

    

Mama with John Adam and the Brutkiewiczes

Mama with Tommy

Harold Cohen

Pollman's did the cake, of course, and it was a beauty. I seem to be the family's now-traditional cutter of cakes, so I had the dubious honor of mutilating, I mean cutting, the cake.

On the way home, while I was so close by, I stopped and visited briefly with Susan. It was great to see her, even if it was quick. Back home, Mama opened her gifts, and we settled in for a lazy evening. I would be leaving the next day, so this was our last chance to catch up on the latest happenings.


Thankfully, the trip back to Gulfport was uneventful - especially since it was raining by then - and I even had time for lunch with Laura before heading to my flight. The weather made it a bumpy trip home on more than one leg. In fact, I thought I'd lose my dinner on the approach to Portland, but managed to hold it in check. My options for getting home from the airport past midnight were limited. Again, Larry was at work, MAX had made its last run, and Sarah wasn't an option at that hour, so I took a cab. $65 later (!) I collapsed in my bed. So glad we'd arranged for Sarah to get herself and Emily to school that day - I was wasted!

It took me two weeks to recover from that quick trip between three time zones, but I'm so glad I went. Mama will only be 80 once! Happy Birthday, Mama!

Arizona Trip 2010

Well, it's been nearly seven weeks since our trip to Arizona, and I'm just now getting around to blogging about it. Life does get in the way sometimes...

This trip was a pretty big deal. 1) Sarah and Emily haven't been to too many weddings. Here we were going off to Arizona to attend one. That's pretty epic. 2) The girls and I were taking off on our own, without Larry. That's rare.  3) They were missing two days of school. I NEVER pull them out of school. For Sarah, this was especially huge. Junior year has turned into a very challenging time, and she had some big assignments looming... She was nervous and a bit concerned about getting behind.

Near crisis: On the MAX train en route to the airport, Sarah realized she'd forgotten to pack her power cord for the laptop. The computer made the trip with us so she could try to keep up with homework while we were gone. Not a good way to start our trip. No power cord = no computer. Good thing they have those kiosks at the airport selling electronic accessories for a fortune. Crisis averted. (By this time price was no object. We simply had to have a way for her to access her computer...)

Arriving in Phoenix was like returning to familiar territory to me. It's so easy to get around there with the grid layout of the streets. I was proud of myself and the ease with which I drove our cute little rental car (see below) from one location to another. A map was hardly necessary...



For Sarah and Emily, though, it was like a foreign land. They remember so little about their early lives there. After all, Emily was only 2 when we moved. Sarah, being five at the time, has some sketchy memories, but not much. I took them to the neighborhoods we lived in when each was born, and showed them our former homes. Both remembered our final home to some degree, and Emily remembered playing with the digger at the neighborhood park. I showed Sarah her preschool, and looked for the school where I used to teach, but it is no longer in existence. They even saw the hospital where they were born.

We went to downtown Tempe where they were impressed with the upside-down pyramid that is City Hall.




I also checked on the performing arts building that I helped design when I was President of Tempe Little Theatre. It is still in use as offices for TLT and Childsplay.



 Both girls were amazed at the saguaro cacti just growing along roadways and in people's yards. We had to stop and get a picture with them alongside one of these behemoths. This one is probably 200 or so years old.



I found a killer deal on a room at a Days Inn near the site of Kerri's wedding - the reason for our trip. It was in a great location for getting around, and was only $52 a night. The room was on the ground floor and opened out onto the pool, mere steps from us! I especially enjoyed the hot tub. What a find!



Emily made herself at home and had a relaxing time. Sarah, not so much. The computer became her constant companion.



Kerri's wedding was beautiful. She was a beaming bride, and she and Bob looked so comfortable together. Their colors were black and white with a touch of red. The wedding was formal, but not stiff, if that makes sense. It was held in a place in downtown Mesa that specializes in weddings. The building has been converted into two long narrow spaces. The ceremony was held in one side. The front part of that space was set up with chairs and an archway behind the bride and groom. It was lovely. Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres were served afterward in the rear while pictures were taken of the wedding party in the front. Then everyone moved to the other side of the building where there was a buffet, tables, and a dance floor.

Kerri and Bob chose a unique theme for the reception: The Movies. Tables were named for different favorite movies of theirs. Everything from The Sound of Music and The Wizard of Oz to Star Wars and Pee Wee's Big Adventure. The seating chart for each table was detailed on a filmstrip. We were seated at Indiana Jones along with much of the groom's family. Our cue to go to the buffet table was when the theme song to our movie was played. Very clever. Good food, lots of dancing, beautiful cake, friendly people. We felt so special to be included in this event. Thanks, Bob and Kerri!





Sarah and Emily looked so dressed up and beautiful. Emily even matched the theme of the wedding. Of course, they had to get a little silly, too...

 


We had enough time during this trip to see some old friends. We stopped by Rock and Nancy's house and had a nice visit with them. They both look great. I showed Rock how to access this blog on his computer. Hope he gets to see this post!



The wedding was Friday night. On Saturday, Kerri's mom invited us to their home for brunch. That night, Norma and Roger held a party for us at their home in Gilbert. We invited a bunch of friends, and everyone brought an appetizer to share. What a great way to get to see all our former Arizona buds!

Susan and Terry Ponder

Barry and Lisa Siegwart

Patti Pompa

Sharon Gonwa and Norma

Bob and Younda Mandelbaum

 Joyce with Norma

Susan brought Emily a tea cozy which soon became a hat! (I suppose with no other kids there, they had to find some way to have fun...)



Thanks, Norma and Roger, for sharing your home with us!

The trip home was uneventful, but we were wiped out. It took Sarah weeks to finally feel caught up from the time she lost. Was it worth it? Totally! Will we do it again any time soon? Not if we can help it!