bad car-ma

Friday the 20th we went to Indy to visit family and for Thomas's scope in Cincinnati. I was so proud of us -- we picked Mike up from work almost 30 minutes earlier than we normally leave for the airport. The past few times we've headed to Las Vegas the traffic has been horrible and I've been sweating making it to the airport early enough. My paranoia stems from one really bad Atlanta airport experience with security lines nearly snaked outside the building and missing our flight. Not fun.

All was going fairly well - stop & go traffic, but not bad and not feeling antsy about making the flight at all. Then the air conditioning stopped working. I looked down and the temp gauge was on the H. Crap. Dang Taurus. We were not even planning to still be driving it - stupid title issues with the new Honda! So we made our way off the interstate with the temp gauge fluctuating between the normal range and hot. We were kinda near the strip, so we dumped the car in a mall parking lot across from the Trump. Mike called the number on a cab that was parked in the lot. The company actually called that driver and he came out and drove us the rest of the way to the airport. We checked our bags and Thomas and I went through security. Mike stayed outside the secure zone hoping to be able to hook up with his aunt who lives in Vegas and hand off keys to her. No dice - she was off work that day and they were off playing somewhere. So Mike arranged for the car to be towed to a dealership and came on through security.

Our flight was late and we got to Indy around 1:30 am. Got our luggage and went down to the car rental place. We had a car reserved with Avis, but they had left. They're *supposed* to stick around until their last flight gets in so they don't leave people stranded. Niiiiice. Fortunatly Thrifty still had agents at the counter and they honored our Avis rate.

Got to my mom's at 2:30 am and were able to sleep in a little the next morning. Mike and I spent some time with our respective best friends and we hung out with my parents a good bit.

My best friend just got engaged so we spent part of our Saturday at a David's bridal flipping through the wedding gowns. Since when did it become impossible to make gowns with sleeves?? Seriously, not even the plus sizes had sleeves. We asked and you can get them with sleeves, but they have none for you to try on with sleeves. What?? How are you supposed to know what it will look like? Who wants to gamble with their wedding dress for crying out loud?!? Whatever!

Carrie and I also went to Cheesecake Factory for dinner that night. We were hovering in the bar area by a column hoping to get a table there so we wouldn't have to wait so long. Nearly got accosted by some women claiming there had been a line for the tables. It was first come, first served, nutters. We let them have the table because, really, not worth it. We got the next table that came available a few minutes later anyway. When we were done with dinner, but waiting for dessert (Dude, I do not go to the CF and not have dessert - that'st just wrong.) stinky-too-much-perfume-wearing-middle-aged-ladies came up asking if we were going to be leaving soon. We said we had just ordered dessert but would be leaving after that. So they stuck around and HOVERED over our table. WHAT?? It got worse. Their socially-inappropriate husbands came over and began admiring our desserts. Seriously, one guy literally stuck his head between us and said "Oooh, that looks good! Is it strawberry shortcake?" with his face 2 inches from Carrie's plate. WHAT??? I had to just put my fork down and wait for them to get the hint. Idiots. When we got up to leave one fo the ladies said "I hope we didn't disturb you too much." CRAZY!!!!!

Thomas's scope was Monday and that went off without a hitch. We got his biopsy results back a few days later and he was all clear. So we get to keep that group of trial foods and re-try a set that had been "iffy" before when he was also off prevacid. Also Monday, Mike fed-ex'd the keys to the dealer so they could work on the Taurus.

Tuesday Mike came back home. The car wasn't ready so he had to take the shuttle from Las Vegas to St. George and get a cab back to the house. Mike worked Wednesday and then drove to Phoenix to stay with his parents and go see Purdue play in the Sweet 16 game. When he passed through Vegas, he picked up the Taurus from the dealer and parked it at the airport so Thomas and I could drive it home Sunday.

Thomas and I went to stay at my sister's and had a good time with the cousins. Thursday Carrie met up with us and took the kids to Krannert pool and to Cracker Barrel for lunch after. Turns out Krannert pool is the Nazi pool - no fun for you! When we walked in and paid we were told no pool noodles. Okay, I can see that - a zillion kids with pool noodles = mayhem. So we took the noodles back to the car and walked in. As we were walking in, one of the lifegaurds saw my niece's swim mask. "You can't use that kind of goggles here." What?? Turns out they won't allow face masks with a nose piece "because we've had some kids go under water and try to breath with those on." Um, okay. Seems like that would be a sort of self-correcting problem. Nose full of water is no fun, so don't do it again, kid. When Carrie asked about that and the noodles, she was told that they could use one of the life vests if they wanted. So she had one and was just holding onto it, floating. "Ma'am, you can't use a life vest like that." And, just so you know, we were the only ones there besides one kid who was there with his physical therapist. Crazy.

After a late lunch at CB, I took the kids to see my grandparents in the nursing home. It's so depressing. My grandpa looks worse each time I see him. He's the one I'd like to visit with, but between his hearing and my grandmother's constant interruptions, it's hard to have a conversation. My grandmother had saved some Mardi Gras junk from the activities room for the kids - silly hats and beads. Then she proceeded to fuss constantly at the kids about not breaking those beads. Lady, it's plastic fused on a string. If they break it, they won't have a necklace. Lesson learned. At one point, after I had told her this, she actually treatened that if one of the kids broke their necklace she was going to take the rest of them away. Seriously. All of a sudden it got to be time for us to leave.

Friday, I had dinner with some friends from high school. That was fun. Saturday was my sisiter's step kids' birthday party. So lots of family was out at her place and the kids all had a fun time together.

Sunday, Dawnn made a huge breakfast and Thomas and I packed up to come home. Our flight was delayed a bit and it was really, really bumpy. We had a stop in Denver and the next leg of the flight wasn't full, which was nice. The leg from Denver to Las Vegas was even more bumpy, though. They had to stop beverage service twice. Some guy a few rows in front of us was hurling his guts out. My back is still sore from being bounced around so much.

We got to Vegas and found the car just fine. Except that I *just then* realized that Mike had sent my keys to the dealer. Aw crap. Used the handy-dandy keypad code to get in the car, unloaded the luggage and checked the console and the glove box for keys. No dice. Crap. We went over to the edge of the parking garage to use my cell phone. I had bars, but the call wouldn't place. Crap. I've never successfully used my cell phone at the Vegas airport. Went back to the car and though to check under the floormat. Score. The wind was crazy and it made me really nervous driving in that.

Thomas's legs fell asleep from being cooped up so long, so I pulled off the interstate for him to stretch. Mike has me programmed to not turn the car off for a stop like that in the dessert - why risk that the car won't start back up? But when we got back in the car, things were wonky. My ABS and brake light were on and the traction control light said it was off. Weird. I gave the brakes a few test pumps and drove cautiously on. As we were nearing Mesquite, NV the headlights went out. I flipped the knob from 'auto' to 'on' and back to 'auto' and they came back on. Weirness. That happened one more time before I stopped in Mesquite to get a little gas. I was thoroughly freaked out by this point and had decided that if the car was still acting funky that I'd just get a room in Mesquite and wait for Mike to pass through. He was still in Phoenix. Purdue lost the Sweet 16 game, but he had stayed to watch the rest of the games and his boss had given him an assignment to call on a customer in Phoenix Monday before he drove back. But, when I started the car back up, all was fine. I'm thinking it was some electrical weirdness, maybe something blew into a connection from the wind?? Whatever, the Taurus was fine the rest fo the way home and I don't think I've ever been so relieved to be home.