Smile! You're On A Business Trip

Day 14 (con't because I haven't gone to sleep yet)
Mood: Relieved

Okay, I'm back. Phew! This whole getting the post done each day can really stress a girl out.

So where was I?

Oh yeah, camels. Funny creatures. And they seem to be popping up out of nowhere this week. At this point, I think I would be completely unfazed to see one cross my path as I exited the plane tomorrow.

Did I mention I was going to Florida? Staying at this swanky place... Now before you go getting all jealous, it's for work. Which means I need to arrive at the airport tomorrow morning before 7:00 a.m. (NOT Mamma's favorite time of the day) where I will need to paint on a perma-smile as a number of my clients are taking the same flight I am. Said perma-smile will need to remain in place through Friday afternoon with only short breaks to be had when I return to my room to sleep or change for the next event. Now if I put on some dark shades and my iPod around the pool one afternoon I may be able to pretend like I'm there for vacation for at least an hour.

While I'm excited to be able to check out such a nice place, it's bittersweet when you do these things without the people you care about. How much more fun would it be to have my guys tearing ass around the grounds uprooting sod from the Championship golf course? Yeah...okay so it might be nice to get away. But am I the only Mamma who fantasizes about trips and then when they actually get here begins to panic because:

a. What if there is a plane crash and my children have to grow up without a mother?

b. If the plane does crash, Mr. 2 won't remember me so whomever Shakey remarries will become his "mom."

c. I won't be able to kiss all my boys goodnight or hold them in my arms for five days.

d. Maybe they'll all decide it's much more fun without me around and I'll return to an empty house.

e. Did I mention the plane crash thing?

I used to love to fly. I'm not actually afraid of flying it's just that I found out I was pregnant for the first time right before 9/11/01. The confluence of those events have made me just a tad more sensitive to the fact that the plane I'm boarding may just be blown out of the sky. And well, that just bums me out.

So I'm excited to sleep in a king-sized bed all by myself. I'm excited for warm weather. I'm not excited about the potential of a plane crash or for having to wear a perma-smile for three days. Looks like a draw.

The thing pushing the trip over to the plus category is that I'm ending my trip with a detour over to the west coast of the state to visit my home town for what will probably be the last time for a long while. I'll get to see my parents, drive by some of the old haunts and maybe visit with a few old friends.

Now if I could just lose 30lbs by tomorrow morning, I'd be all set.