plans went awry

Well they were not too well-made, but at least there was a plan. The weekend before last I planned to spend half of Friday with my son's summer camp group at the Georgia Aquarium and Coca-Cola's World of Coke and then spend the rest of the weekend at the Blogging While Brown conference, returning home Sunday with my nephews, to spend the week with Grandma. While I would be away, hubby could be relaxing quietly at home while recovering from a voluntary procedure (blog about it later) and my son spending the weekend with my mother.
The only parts of the plan from above that actually happened were that my son did spend the weekend with my mom and my nephews did spend the week with her too. Everything else...not exactly...


1. I should have know when the notice stated the bus was to leave at 8 AM that CP Time had been allocated. The bus pulled off at 9 AM. Son and I had arrived at the departure location at 7:30 AM. Had I known, I could have gotten more than 1.5 hours of sleep that morning. In all the drive, I followed the charter bus, was uneventful. I did have fun with the kids at the aquarium and the Coca-Cola Museum. The 4-D theater was a unique experience.





2. I expected the kids to leave early enough in the day to be back before normal pick up time. Did NOT happen. They left around 5pm, nicely giving me a lift near my parking deck on the way out. It had started to rain.

3. The time is less than an hour before the conference's 1st event and I am no presentable condition to socialize. LoveBabz to the rescue. She lets me shower and change at her hotel. I got lost on the way (1st time).

4. We, LoveBabz and I, arrive at the event an hour before it's over and actually never went to it. At the same location, we met up with Raw Dawg Buffalo (RDB) and Mizrepresent (Miz), and ahh... never made it to the group. It was real cool hanging with the ladies; RDB split after introducing us to Kevin Ross, host of The Kevin Ross Show, who interviewed RDB and others, where in the interview RDB clarifed the word "dis-in-gen-u-ous (5 syllables)". LOL

5. After making sure Miz reached her car safely, LoveBabz and I left to drop her off at her hotel. (Lost again, 2nd time) Had to call my brother, former resident of downtown ATL now in BROOKLYN, NY!!! to make my way correctly. After dropping off LoveBabz, my great brother made sure I made it back to the expressway to go to my other brother's house, where I held my accommondations.

6. Made it to my brother's place without getting lost, he talked me directly to his family's house. Peeped in on my sleeping nephews, got to bed around 1AM.

7. Awakened at 4:30 AM by hubby, he is in pain. Half asleep with only 5 hours of sleep in two nights, I did NOT actually hear that he wanted me home. Slept a few more hours to prepare for the long day ahead. After daybreak, new plans, while brother and wife desperately prepared their sons to leave a day early, I was to attend any morning conference sessions as possible and they were to meet me to "off-load" the boys. LoveBabz actually got a pic of me on the crackberry trying to work out a meeting place. BTW, I missed my exit on the way to the World Congress Center that morning. Was trying to give mom details on the change of plans. Got lost again (3rd time). Stopped to ask directions (only women do this! LOL).


8. We met at RDB's place, A Store For Dogs, for the exchange. (Got lost again, 4th time).
While the grownups had a tour of the store, the boys fell in love with Famous. Didn't get a chance to see Lil Momma, but how RDB's son sleep through all that ruckus is beyond me.
Picked a few items for my "directional-saviour brother in Brooklyn"'s dog, Ripley. For her birthday in September, she gets a UGA dog bowl, her dad and I are grads, a squeaky toy, and an inflatable dog bed with washable cover.

For my reading collection, I got Bloggers' Delight Volume One Love and Redemption and RDB's Dirt Behind My Ears. Did not get lost. Brother and Sis-In-Law led me to the expressway.

9. Made it home safely. Hubby was feeling less pain within 5 minutes of my arrival. If he had just called the doctor that morning like I suggested, he would have needed to do what I did, and he would not have been in pain ALL DAY. But that will be the next post.

10. My Crackberry died last Friday evening. Could not get it replaced until Sat afternoon. I had withdrawal symptoms. But thanks to the kind folks at Verizon, I got my fix back on.

Lessons Learned:
1. Even though you lived in the suburbs of the ATL for 10 years, worked downtown/midtown/buckhead area over several years, once you leave and return, park your car and Go Marta
2. When you ask hubby if you should cancel your trip after he has unexpected surgery and he says 'Go ahead', DON'T GO. They behave like kids with a splinter.
3. Don't depend on RDB for directions until he remembers the street names.
4. And thank God your nephews did not sing, 'WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GET THERE?' to their own tune until y'all are 1.5 miles away from your mother's house. The alternative to 'ARE WE THERE YET?'
5. Do not fill your crackberry media card with pics and not bring your laptop to off load them. Eats your phone memory starting with call log and received messages.