Ever have one of those days where you will be leaving for a business trip mid-day, and yet before that happens, one of your children winds up getting stitches in the ER, and another comes home sick from school?
Yeah, Wednesday was that. I had a speech scheduled Thursday morning in Nashville, so I was leaving Wednesday mid-day. My daughter fell out of bed, perhaps (she claims not to remember what happened). She was screaming for me, there was blood all over the place, and she had a giant gash on her chin. My husband took her to the local ER (we are starting to be regulars!) and she got 8 stitches put in. Fortunately, the cut is on the underside of her chin, so I do not think the scar will be too visible.
There was that drama. My 8-year-old had said his stomach hurt, but they were taking the PSSAs (state standards tests) and I was not sure if it was just test taking anxiety. Apparently he had a rather urgent bathroom episode at school and I got the call from the nurse just as I was heading out the door for the airport. I put my stuff in the car and raced to the school to get him (I did not want our nanny to have to wake the baby up to get to the school). I dropped him back off at home and drove to the airport where every close garage was completely full. I went to the economy lot, which also seemed entirely full, but I finally found someone getting in his car. I took his spot. I was cutting it close by this point, so I raced to the shuttle bus only to look in my bag and realize I did not have my wallet in there.
I knew it was in there when I left the house, so I ran back to the car — realizing I was lucky that I found this out before I was in the terminal! I got my wallet from the seat, ran to the bus, and got on, only to find out that the American Eagle terminal does not feature a TSA Pre-check line. And so I waited in the nice long regular one. I got to the gate without much time to spare.
But I did make it! The flight was fine (I read Peak, which I am reviewing for City Journal). I landed in Nashville and took a cab to Adele’s, a hip restaurant downtown, where I met Jessica Turner for dinner.
Jessica is the author of The Fringe Hours, an excellent book about making time for yourself. She also runs a blog called The Mom Creative, where she showcases the amazing decorations she makes for kid birthday parties and the like (she has 3 kids, and her youngest was born about the same time as mine). She also has a 9-to-5 in-the-office marketing job. She just manages to manufacture time in her day.
We had a lot to talk about, including the business of writing and blogging and speaking. And also people who complain they have no time to read, and yet as far as we can tell appear to have a lot of time. Jessica ordered this arugula salad as an appetizer, and it turned out basically to be a giant plate of arugula (see picture). I found this hilarious.
Anyway, it was a great conversation and a great way to end what was seeming like a fairly vexing day in the middle. I ordered up my first Uber ride, and Keith in his Town and Country got me to my hotel just fine. Success!
Photo: So much arugula…
I suppose I did have one of those days (weeks) last week. My husband went/is gone on a 10 day man trip. 2 hours after he left my 3 yr old locked he and I in his room (knob turned around for time out). I had to call the neighbor to rescue us. 3 hours after that he woke up with a fever and later that morning I had to run around trying to find childcare. It was a tad exhausting and the number of other things that went wrong since my husband left is long, but we’re all alive and well and my husband got a nice long recharging session (which he desperately needed as a police officer).
@Carolyn – oh dear, that sounds like quite a way to start the trip! I admire your attitude toward your husband’s man trip. 10 days is a LOOOOONG time.
All is well that ends well!
I love that arugula “salad” too – ridiculous.
I also love how you covered your friend Jessica Turner – we could use a whole series on women like this, individual stories of “women who do it all”!
@Sharon – more like an arugula pile!
Jessica is amazing. And yes, that could be a fun series!
How fun! I read Jessica’s book last year. I bet that was an interesting lunch conversation! I hope to get to Nashville later this year, seems like an amazing city 🙂 Where else are you speaking this year??
@Courtney- it was a cool city. Our hipster waiter told us he had recently lived in Austin, Portland, and Brooklyn, and now was in Nashville, which sounded like a pretty good vote of confidence in it being an up-and-coming place!
One place that is open to the public is the PA Conference for Women — it will be in October this year at the convention center in downtown Philly. I may do a few virtual things too. And I will keep the blog posted on other places!
Nothing like making the flight in the nick of time and having an enjoyable dinner and conversation with a colleague to make the day end well. You young working Moms continue to amaze me!
@Marie- it was a nice end to the day! Things usually turn out OK in the end 😉