A Weekend in the "normal" world and a not-so normal Monday

I actually lived life like most of the rest of the world this weekend and it was great. I took Friday off because Kelly was coming in from San Diego and her family was having a crawfish boil in Beaumont. I slept until 10:30 and it was fabulous. When I finally got up and got on the road to Beaumont I first stopped at Shipley's donuts for breakfast. One kolache, one glazed donut, and one chocolate glazed donut. Heaven. I met Kelly and Noah for lunch in Beaumont and then actually went shopping! I didn't get anything, but the idea was nice.

I had dinner with my family and aunt and uncle and then hung out in Kelly's kitchen eating ice cream and cooking brownies. It was like no time has passed at all and impossible to believe I have been away from home for 9 years now.

Saturday I went to the crawfish boil across the street and got to see a lot of neighbors and old friends - good times. I took one last nap in "my bed" (my Beaumont bed) before hopping back on the road for Houston. Saturday night we had our IMAZ post-race celebration party at El Patio and Sammy's. It was great to see everyone dressed up and able to let loose and have a little fun. I had 2 whole margaritas, and one was even blue. Watch out. Mishele joined us for dinner too and I was super excited to see her. Afterwards at Sammy's, we had a VERY weak showing with only Shellie, Randy and myself making an appearance. I let the group know this morning how disappointed I was with the group's performance. We probably stayed out until midnight or so and then I got to go to bed without setting the alarm for the 3rd day in a row, and actually probably the 3rd day this year!

I slept until 11:30 Sunday!! I was shocked! I was briefly awakened throughout the morning by text messages coming on my phone in response to ones I sent the night before to all my tri friends who were good little triathletes and fast asleep. So I guess I woke them up Saturday night and they woke me up Sunday morning.

I went to lunch (breakfast) with one of my best friends and then met up with some old high school friends at the pool for the afternoon. Unfortunately the sun was no where to be found :-( We all went to eat dinner (lunch) at a placed called Mardi Gras where I got some nice greasy Sunday afternoon food. We were on our way for ice cream, dropping someone off at her apartment when another tri friend called and said they were by the pool at the same complex I was pulling into to drop the person off at. What a coincidence? Screw the fact that it was 6:30 or 7 on a Sunday night. I did an Ironman a week ago, I "deserve" to go keep playing at 7 on a Sunday. 7 turned into way past midnight, but it was all worth it. I enjoyed myself a lot this weekend, and enjoyed seeing how the other half (0r 99%) lives. I'm glad I made the most of the weekend as I'm racing the next 3 weekends.

I finally got a small chance to come up for air this weekend and I actually liked what I saw. I am so fortunate to have such a wonderful, loving, caring family, and wonderful friends. Anyone who gets to spend the weekend with her family and with her best friend of 25.5 years is pretty darn lucky.

Things can change pretty fast though. Or well, not change, I still like what I see, but I'm not exactly still up for air. As I sat down to my burnt bagel at my desk this morning, feeling perhaps hungover from my 2 whole beers and not enough sleep last night, I got a message from my dad that my mom had fallen on her morning walk with Scout and broken her arm. Turns out it was pretty bad and she had surgery around 4 this afternoon (she will now be setting off metal detectors with 8-9 pins in her upper arm). Thankfully I have the best boss in the world and she didn't think twice about letting me come home to be with my family. I was here by 5:30, right when mom came out of surgery, and I stayed at the hospital with her until just a few minutes ago. She is doing well, but it will be several months before she is fully healed, according to the doctor, which sucks. She had walked every day this year. Every day. Hopefully she recovers quicker than planned and is able to get back at it sooner than predicted. Scout is going to get awful lonely. We also have a huge family wedding this weekend in Dallas that we were all looking forward to, but as of now it looks like she probably can't go. I'm holding out hope there too, but will understand if she doesn't think she can make the car ride there and back.

So that is what is up with me. I planned my triumphant return to working out today, but it is going to have to be put on hold for another day or two while I tend to mom. I don't mind a bit though. I had hoped to get the rest of my race report done in the hospital, but I'm just about 1 click away from wireless access there. I seem to have it, but can't get any webpages to load, so no dice.

If you have any ideas of what I can do for my mom, please let me know! She'll be in the hospital tonight and maybe tomorrow night, but out from work for about 2 weeks. She may go crazy.