unexpected benefits (m)

Saturday.  My husband and I are planning a trip to Sam's college in New York for his hockey game at 3 p.m.  We have to leave our house by 11 a.m.

This is a 12-hour day.  Four hour drive up...two-hour game....two-hour dinner...four-hour drive back.

I do a quick errand to the grocery store to get H set for the day (lactose-free milk, something for lunch) and make it back home at 11:05.  We are "late" says my husband.

I drive so as not to get carsick. My husband spends the first half hour on his Blackberry, takes a little nap and then wakes up.  I am hungry and did not pack lunch .  "No time to stop," says T.  Food is on my mind.  I ask him what meals his family ate when he was growing up.  He names basic American fare --roast beef, pot roast, pork chops, American chop suey, and lots of fish since his father owned a fish company.  I almost throw up hearing about something called "salmon wiggle."  I regret asking about it.

We get to school at 3:15 p.m.  I leave my husband off in front of the rink and park the car.  The lot closest to the rink is full.  So is the bigger lot down the street.  I drive around some more.  Nothing.  I drive through the big lot and head towards the baseball field.  Packed.  I keep going and finally find a spot near the football field.  I get out and realize I'm quite a ways from the rink.  I decide to go in the back way, through the swimming pool area.  I walk to the door.  Locked.  I notice a side path between the pool and the building where the rink is.  I don't have my glasses on, but it looks like a smooth path.  Wrong.  Six inches of snow.  I trudge through, slipping and sliding, until I find a door to the arena.  I try it.  Locked.  At this point, I decide to risk waiting for someone to let me in versus going all the way back to the front of the rink.  A student comes by and lets me in even though the door says "for emergencies only." The good news is the alarm didn't go off.  The bad news is that because the snow blocked the door, it only opened a few inches.  I would need a can opener to get in there.  Somehow, I squeezed myself into a pancake and slid through.  Forty pounds ago, that would not have been possible.

The game is fine (they win).  The best part is seeing Sam, his friend J, his high school friend (also named Sam) and Abby's daughter M.  A nice surprise all around.  My husband notices that Sam's friend big Sam has lost weight.  He used to weigh over 300 pounds.  He's down 33 pounds.  I don't think my husband has noticed my 43 pounds but this, he notices.

After the game, I walk back to the car.  It's a hike, but I think I'll get a little excercise in.

Now, the choice for a restaurant for dinner.  Sam and Big Sam are joining us.  How about Outback, they ask.  Fine.  I know exactly what to order there (small filet mignon, baked potato, steamed broccoli, salad with vinegar and 2 tsp olive oil).  We get there and it's packed--one hour wait.  We are in an outside strip mall so we walk down the hill to The 99 Restaurant.  30 minute wait.  Okay...but none of us are excited about this choice.  Sam calls Uno's which is up the hill.  20 minute wait.  Let's go, everyone decides.  We walk up the hill to Uno's (also named America's Healthiest Restaurant chain...did you know this?).  By now, my face is red and I'm a little winded.  We order dinner (I had grilled chicken, steamed broccoli, brown rice, iced tea, salad with vinegar and olive oil).  Perfect.

We get out of Uno's.  Where the hell is the car?  We had so many iterations of restaurants that I lost my bearings.  We walk uphill a bit and find it.

I say goodbye to the Sam and Big Sam and give them the haul from Costco.  I get in the car and realize I've worked out today (I can see Sam rolling his eyes as he reads this).

Just as we're taking off, I hear my Sam holler, "give this to Mom."  My husband grabs something from Sam and passes it to me.

I open it.  An unexpected Valentine from my firstborn son with a beautiful personal message.  It brought tears to my eyes.

Sometimes, things just fall into place.