How to have fun on obligatory trips:) April/May 2016

Sometimes you plan vacations and sometimes they plan you.  This was the second version.  My older daughter needed some minor surgery but had a husband who was deployed a week earlier to Afghanistan and a two year old in the house with bedrooms on the second floor.  Added fly in the ointment, we had previously purchased plane tickets to be in Memphis/Oxford area in early May to be there for my stepdaughter who was going to deliver our second grandchild.

And I had a daughter back home in Denver who had recently stabbed herself in a suicide attempt.  Oh to be able to be two places at once.   We felt we had her stabilized with new meds, therapist and psychiatrist.  She knew that the other daughter didn't have anyone else who could go help her.  So I planned the trip, and the husband was still there to support this daughter as needed for her own back issues as well.

Onward to Carthage, NY.  I decided to pack for the Memphis trip as well because I didn't know if I would make it home to catch our original flights from Denver. Since it was April 9th, I decided not to take my heavy winter coat, only to find out it would be snowing on my arrival date.  And it snowed three more times as well.  So I had Memphis in May, shorts, summer shoes and blouses, and winter gear.  *sigh*  It was checked bag time after all.  Thankfully, American and Delta both allow a bag without extra money!  So nice.  My favorite was Delta.  That was old school flying, with deeply cushioned seats, lots of leg room and full sized trays, plus free snacks.

The grandson was recently enrolled in daycare on post at Fort Drum, so our first visit was to the base to get a pass for me to be able to bring him while she was recuperating from the surgery.  Hiccup number one, they only allow a 3 day pass and we needed two weeks.  We would lose her spot in the day care and have to go back on a waiting list if this happened, plus, how was I to minister to her post surgery with a two year old in tow for every up and down the staircase trip?  I would also end up impaired if I even tried to attempt that with my own back issues.

Thankfully, the chief security guy was compassionate, understood our dilemma and went ahead and wrote it out himself for the two weeks.  Nice to know the Army does have some folks with a heart.  So she spent the first three days stuck upstairs.  Then we had day one pain management.  The doc sent us home with Tylenol.  Seriously. Abdominal surgery and no Percocet for even one day of pain management?  She lived on ibuprofen already from this pain we were attempting to mitigate with the surgery!  I was furious.  We called as directed because it was out of hand and got her the one day's worth of pain meds she needed.  I was not impressed with this doctor and figured the only reason he was a no on meds was that he may have AMA problems or sanctions.  Bingo. Looked him up and he'd darn near gotten his license revoked 10 years earlier. Next time, different doc.

I had fun visiting with the grandson, playing with him, chasing him, attempting to get him to eat and gain the weight he needed to, watching him play with trucks, colored markers, his Kindle games, riding his riding toys, playing with his blocks, his stuffed animals, and hiding in his tent.  He runs laps around the downstairs.  He is tough to get to sleep.  He likes and sometimes hates his baths.  He is talking more and more and still no sentences at this point.  He has the best shoes and clothes and he likes wearing hats.  I got to see the neighbor relationship turn from antagonistic to friendly and for grandson to begin to hero worship the 6 year old boy next door.  So cute!  Grandson is adorable and quirky and it was a tremendous gift to get to spend three weeks with him.  I found an ice cream store that's open in winter and we frequently lunched at the cutest cafe a block from her house as well.  And there's a quaint antique store that is kid friendly three blocks from her house.

Once daughter was better and weather was better, we did a day trip to Syracuse and visited the big mall and some antique stores and made a day of it while grandson was in daycare.  Daughter got some ridiculously priced mid century modern end tables that stack, and is going to put a beautiful wallpaper on top of them that looks like a tortoise.  It will be a lovely addition to her living room while she studies and completes her interior design homework.  And the neighbors are caring for her plants and garden while she's away and they will be picking her up in Syracuse when they fly back.  All is well.

Then I flew to Memphis to connect with the husband.  We were able to partake of a couple of days of the Memphis in May Beale Street Music festival!  After stepdaughter's Oxford wedding outside in July the year prior, I was terrified of the heat in the south, so this was his way of making it up for me to be visiting in late Spring:)  We were so blessed!  On the ticket the one day I went were Nathanial Rateliff and the Night Sweats, Paul Simon, Indigo Girls and Beck.  We missed out on Beck because it was late when Paul Simon finished and we were toast, but what a great day!  And most of the mud had dried out from the previous days' rain.  Then it was off to Oxford, MS, an hour away to be with stepdaughter during induced delivery.  Baby boy was too big to stay in, and they induced on her due date, STAR WARS DAY!  May the 4th be with you.

I cleaned the entire house, did some meal planning, cooked for two weeks and got to play with the amazing new grandson.  He did not actually want to leave, so it was a C section after all, but healthy and active at 8 pounds 8 oz.  We all noticed the incredibly long Booth family fingers, but other than that he sure looks like his daddy.  Mommy suffered, as all new mommy's do, with tears, blood and sweat on top of no sleep.  Then miracles, he slept a six hour stretch.  Boing!  Mommy was smiling!  Then more blood, sweat and tears.  Breastfeeding was not easy.  Pumping became the new hobby and Papa (grandpa)'s new job was to feed Mommy while she was pumping or feeding baby.  Mommy was losing weight too fast, so I made up a smoothie I called an "Elvis".  Peanut butter, half and half, frozen banana and honey.  Mommy liked the Elvis.  We made trips and trips to weigh the baby.  Finally, he began to gain weight and Mommy was pumping like a pro!  One day she pumped 6 oz in a sitting and we knew everything would be ok.

Then we went back to Memphis to prepare for our flight home, but we squeezed in the Memphis in May World BBQ Championships first.  The bro in law secured "tent tickets" so we could go IN to a tent and eat the BBQ.  Otherwise, it is a very weird set up.  23 acres of "tents", some of which were 3 stories high, with live music and DJ's both, and each tent was private.  No one who bought a ticket to enter the festival could eat any of the BBQ unless they had a tent ticket.  Weirdest contest I ever saw.  And HOT.  And no SHADE.  So you walk around smelling and drooling with no respite.  The "food court" area of the contest is the only place you can eat.  Enjoy your hot dogs and corn dogs and funnel cakes.  The tents are elaborately decorated and there are also prizes for that as well.  I walked us right into the judges tent without lanyards and nobody stopped us as we cooled down for a bit while waiting for the bro in law to come after work with our tent tickets.

The tent tickets are the bomb!!  Free BBQ food buffet with award winning BBQ, free beer, free jello shots, a second story view RIGHT ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.  We watched paddle wheel boats sail back and forth, listened to the music, enjoyed the sunset over the Mississippi and looked down upon the Plebes who did not own the tent tickets.