"Take Me Back To Austin"
Today was a rough one for Mama Duck. It started off with Grace and I driving to a mothers' club meeting in a little suburb called Fitchburg. I printed out Yahoo directions which haven't steered me wrong yet and off we went. It was freezing (literally) outside but the sun was shining so it looked like a nice day.
For those of you unfamiliar with the fine city of Madison there are two sides of town, east and west, and they are connected by an isthmus...think back to 5th grade geography...a thin piece of land that connects two larger bodies of land and has water on either side. The isthmus appears to be a great natural boundary so that the two sides of town don't argue over who has the better Wal-Mart or whose Dick's Sporting Goods carries more guns. However it makes for some messed up travel as ALL the roads on are on a slant and tend to stop and pick up in random places.
Anyway, I was supposed to be on the south side of town (to which there is no real direct route from my house) when I suddenly found myself directly in front of the capitol building. Downtown. Not on the south side of town. Hmmmm, not what I wanted to see.
After using my best vernacular to leave Brandon a message at work (let's put it this way, Eminem would have blushed while listening to it...) regarding what I thought about our new home we finally made it to our destination. Late...but in one piece.
Grace played nicely in the "Kids' Room" and I sat in on the meeting. Afterward some of the women introduced themselves and one made the mistake of asking where I was from.
"Austin, Texas."
"Oh, that's supposed to be really nice, it's different here, isn't it?"
(tears start to well in my eyes) "Yes, it is."
"How long have you been here?"
"A month." (complete meltdown in front of TOTAL STRANGER!!!!!)
"It's all so fresh, I'm sorry....and I'm pregnant!" I blurt out thinking this sounds intelligent.
She was so kind and understanding, as I stood there blubbering with tears streaming down my face.
Grace and I eventually left, got in the car and determined out own route home and I lost it again. Grace is SOOOO good when I cry, she just sat in the back-seat quietly letting her mother bawl her eyes out.
Then later this afternoon I turned on the TV (something I almost never do during the day) and the last three minutes of "A Makeover Story" were on before "Trading Spaces"...the two make-overees get into a convertible and drive up the road...to the TEXAS CAPITOL...IN AUSTIN...then tears and boo-hooing commence again...
Poor Grace must think her mother is a total basket-case.
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Update: Tonight I got a phone call from one of the girls at today's meeting. We had chatted when I first got there (she was running the Kids' Room), but apparently as they were cleaning up she talked to the gal I broke down in front of. She was just calling to make sure that I knew I wasn't alone and to offer any help. I haven't even joined their club and this is the kind of reception I'm getting? I was totally overwhelmed at her thoughtfulness!
For those of you unfamiliar with the fine city of Madison there are two sides of town, east and west, and they are connected by an isthmus...think back to 5th grade geography...a thin piece of land that connects two larger bodies of land and has water on either side. The isthmus appears to be a great natural boundary so that the two sides of town don't argue over who has the better Wal-Mart or whose Dick's Sporting Goods carries more guns. However it makes for some messed up travel as ALL the roads on are on a slant and tend to stop and pick up in random places.
Anyway, I was supposed to be on the south side of town (to which there is no real direct route from my house) when I suddenly found myself directly in front of the capitol building. Downtown. Not on the south side of town. Hmmmm, not what I wanted to see.
After using my best vernacular to leave Brandon a message at work (let's put it this way, Eminem would have blushed while listening to it...) regarding what I thought about our new home we finally made it to our destination. Late...but in one piece.
Grace played nicely in the "Kids' Room" and I sat in on the meeting. Afterward some of the women introduced themselves and one made the mistake of asking where I was from.
"Austin, Texas."
"Oh, that's supposed to be really nice, it's different here, isn't it?"
(tears start to well in my eyes) "Yes, it is."
"How long have you been here?"
"A month." (complete meltdown in front of TOTAL STRANGER!!!!!)
"It's all so fresh, I'm sorry....and I'm pregnant!" I blurt out thinking this sounds intelligent.
She was so kind and understanding, as I stood there blubbering with tears streaming down my face.
Grace and I eventually left, got in the car and determined out own route home and I lost it again. Grace is SOOOO good when I cry, she just sat in the back-seat quietly letting her mother bawl her eyes out.
Then later this afternoon I turned on the TV (something I almost never do during the day) and the last three minutes of "A Makeover Story" were on before "Trading Spaces"...the two make-overees get into a convertible and drive up the road...to the TEXAS CAPITOL...IN AUSTIN...then tears and boo-hooing commence again...
Poor Grace must think her mother is a total basket-case.
*****************************************************************************
Update: Tonight I got a phone call from one of the girls at today's meeting. We had chatted when I first got there (she was running the Kids' Room), but apparently as they were cleaning up she talked to the gal I broke down in front of. She was just calling to make sure that I knew I wasn't alone and to offer any help. I haven't even joined their club and this is the kind of reception I'm getting? I was totally overwhelmed at her thoughtfulness!
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