Oklahoma City

Yawn! I haven't written in awhile, not because not much has gone on, but because I've been scattered here and there and trying to write has not been the top priority, unfortunately. I am writing in a hotel in Oklahoma City for my youngest son's swim meet.


OK, the biggest news is that the red car died. Well, the first thing that happened was the electronic windows would not work, so two windows are perpetually halfway down. Then it wouldn't pass inspection this summer, so it has been driven anyway...

Well oldest daughter had a blowout tire the day after the last time I posted, which required hubby to change to spare tire and take it to the shop. On top of that, some light had been on the past day or so she said, so it needed something or another that was going to cost 900.00. Well, what with that cost on top of a new tire and the stuff to fix it enough to get inspected ....the car wasn't worth it. Plus, heading into winter (even the lame winters we have get cold sometimes) with two windows halfway down.... The reason it couldn't be inspected was the fact that the car is old and needed parts that were having to be special ordered and rather costly.



So you ask, why would you spend money on a hotel room so son could go to swim meet rather than get car fixed? I have no idea. It is our craziness I suppose. No, seriously here is what happened: We had told youngest son that if dad did not have a job we would not be able to go to this meet. Then dad got that first contract job, so it was already planned for him to get to go, hotel already paid for during Thanksgiving weekend, when the first contract job fell through, then the car thing happened. So in order to get the good hotel price you had to pay up front. So I guess we could have saved the gas money, but with prices at 1.49, the trip will be under 100.00 even with my running all over Oklahoma City trying to find a Walmart. And a Target. To get a couple of presents and get my red Target bags to finish up that tote. Which, by the way, they ran out of. So I am not looking for red Christmas Target sacks to finish it. Maybe back home they will still have one.



Which, of course, is another story.



But anyway, we are here and I've had all kinds of plans to get things done while he is swimming and sleeping but hasn't worked out quite like I planned. Which is normal!



Anyway, back to the car.... of course having only 2 cars, and both of us working has led to all manner of complications. On top of this, oldest son's car has been out of commission this week, too, so he was no help. Since hubby's new contract is far far away in the outer regions of Mongolia (er.. I mean Dallas) he has to leave early and come home rather late. So as far as transporting kids to school, that left me.



Monday wasn't so bad because we'd planned for somebody to pick up the kids from school. This is finals week (they started on Aug 11!) so rather odd schedule after Monday. So, hubby drops off son at swim practice at 5:30 and then heads off to new contract job. I get younger daughter up, check older daughter's blood sugar and she's been throwing up sick all night. She'd called in sick to work and went back to bed. So take younger daughter and pick up son at swim practice and get them to school. Son is a slowpoke and so I get mad at him for having to wait and we are nearly late to school, so in trying to teach him lesson he is denied the yummy breakfast we'd brought him, and he has to starve. Well, we did bring his lunch that he'd packed Sunday night, so do not think he will starve. And he didn't. So went to work feeling bad like moms do when they have to give their kids some discipline. Anyway, worked my tail off at work and then had to leave at 4:30 to pick up son for swim practice before Christmas banquet at swimming. So drop him off and head back home and weather is getting yucky. It is getting colder and a nasty wind is from the north. Check on daughter and she is still sick. No fever, wants a diet sprite really bad. So I tell her I will get her one after the Christmas thing. She was supposed to have made cupcakes for this deal, but due to feeling awful, she just made a cake. I frosted it since she wasn't feeling well. Anyway, talked to younger daughter, waited for hubby to get home, and then we headed off to swim banquet. Well, we were late as traffic was horrible and roads were getting slick in places (not that many, really, though) but the published time said that the younger ones would eat first and then the older ones at 6:45. It was only 6:30 and everybody was finishing up! It was so weird. Well, because everybody in Texas is so paranoid about ice and sleet and such, they were trying to end this banquet early. So L and I and another lady who works in Dallas were sitting there eating the food while people were taking off tablecloths, centerpieces, and basically packing up. Now that felt really uncomfortable. Oh well. The food was yummy. Then when we were not even halfway done, son comes by and says he is ready to leave. Needless to say, there was not much of the cake eaten, so we took it back home. We'd seen the traffic backed up both ways on the freeway, so we headed home the back roads, which isn't that much slower on a good day, and picked up the diet sprite. What a weird day!



Then Tuesday was another crazy day. No swimming in the morning, so let son sleep in since he was exempt from finals. Took daughter to school and then I went to work. Older daughter still not feeling so great. She had dentist appt scheduled back when she had a car to drive, so I decided to switch. My dentist appt was the next Monday with younger daughter's. So went over during my lunch and got my teeth cleaned and tried to get them to figure out how to deal with my new insurance. They are not the most organized people in that office. Anyway, had to leave early again to pick up younger daughter from school and get son to swim practice. Had older daughter put ham in the oven so I made mashed potatoes to go with that. Hubby picked up son from swimming after work and had a nice dinner together (well just the 5 of us that is)



Wednesday was interesting. I took daughter to school and then picked up her up at lunch and took her home. Then I had lunch with an older lady at church that has gone through all kinds of things with her now grown children. Sometimes it is nice for me to talk with somebody that has already been through this stage of life with their kids since my mom is no longer alive and I am not close to any older women. It's nice to get perspective. I told C that if she wouldn't mind having lunch once a month or whatever, I'd love to get her views on life. She and her husband head up the Celebrate Recovery group at church, so she's seen and heard it all! So my life isn't at all shocking to her! LOL. After a long lunch, I worked hard all afternoon at work and then left again at 4:30 to get son to swim practice. I thought older daughter might be going stir crazy from being sick and stuck in the house for 3 days, so asked if she wanted to go with me and after dropping him off, head to the mall with the promise of a Chick Fil A salad or something for dinner. Hubby had a lunch at his new job and younger daughter was going to a youth Christmas party, so not planning to have anything but ham leftovers anyway. Well, she was excited and we had a nice time. Turns out she was craving orange chicken, so for the same price as a salad, she got some Chinese food with two kinds of meats and rice. I wasn't very hungry so had a chicken sandwich. I had some coupons, so this was not too bad. Found a mall place going out of business so daughter picked up a couple of things very cheap and I got a couple of Christmas gifts. It was a pleasant time together, even if we did have trouble getting out of the mall parking lot as it was so crowded. Finished about the time to pick up son, so got him and headed home and packed for Oklahoma City. Had youngest son pack as well, as he was going to have to go with me to work in the morning. He found out that he was going to be on a relay Thursday night, so either I had to leave work at like 11, or ride with another boy. I told him no way I could leave that early, so he found a ride with G who lives near my work. It is amazing how resourceful a 14 year old boy can be when he is motivated.



So, took daughter to school and middle brother was to pick her up as he was off work Thursday. Then son ate and played on computer until 10:30 when I ran him over to G's house, about 5 minutes away. Came back and worked like a dog until 3. Then headed out of town in a fog. Literally. It was SO foggy that it was kinda scary driving. Fortunately Oklahoma City is a straight shot up I 35. Unfortunately I didn't know exactly where I was going and got lost and started going north of Oklahoma City trying to find the hotel. Driving in the fog at night when you don't know where you are going is not fun. Especially when you run into road construction. And your gas tank meter doesn't work. And you think you are about to run out of gas. So I called hubby and tried to get directions, but then I stopped and looked at the map and got my bearings and found the hotel and the gas station. Checked in and then zipped over to the pool and I just missed his race. I knew I would miss the relay, but didn't realize it would be over so soon. Well, figured out that because of the fog several of the teams didn't make it, so the meet was over sooner than expected. So waited around forever after that while he cooled down, talked to the coach, took a long shower and got dressed. Sigh. I drove around trying to find a Walmart forever, too, so we could get some gatorades for him, but we ended up at Sonic eating dinner. And picked up a gatorade for the next morning at a convenience store. I hate paying those prices, but I told him I'd get more Friday morning. The room was huge at the hotel! It could have fit our whole family with two beds and this huge long sectional sofa . I've never seen such a big hotel room except on TV. And for just the 2 of us. What a waste of space!