lessons from Rainman (m)

Doubleheader today.  Wake up to overcast skies, stiff  breezes and rapidly falling temperatures.  I could feel in my arthritic bones that rain was on the way.

We eat at the breakfast buffet at the hotel.  I have lox and bagel and some eggs, oatmeal and strawberries  Eating for two games, after all.  Besides, I can't face another egg white omelet.  Now I can't eat until dinner and only have a couple of points left.  I have it all planned out.

Get to the fields and it starts to rain.  Steadily.  I can see from where we are in the car that the team has not taken the field.  I hear thunder in the distance and spot a little bit of lightning.  There's no way this game will be played.

My husband, ever the dutiful father and fan, gets out of the car to "see what's up."  What could be up?  The rain is coming down heavily at this point.  Even if it stops soon, the fields will need to be groomed again.

I sit in the car, reading More magazine and listening to the radio.  I see a great leather tote bag featured in the magazine and order it over the phone.  This is fun.  Motown comes on the radio and I start to sing.  More fun.  Look for some lipstick in my purse and find a WW chocolate peppermint.  I eat it.  Most fun.  Now I have very few points left for the day.

I see some of the other parents from the team, scurrying out of their cars and headed to the field.  They look like the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland.  Rush rush rush.  I'm having fun watching them get soaked.  Lightning strikes.  Good thing they are taking "shelter" in the metal stands.

My phone rings...it's T....the game is off.  Now there's a surprise.

Sam wants to spend the afternoon with us.  We go to lunch.  I feel like Rainman, thrown off kilter by the change in schedule.  I want to block my ears and rock myself and say, "No, no. We can't eat now...I already used my points for the day.  This is an unauthorized food stop .  We already ate brunch".

Instead, I suck it up, go to Bob Evans (on the approved list of restaurants under the austerity plan).  I order a chicken quesadilla and eat one small section, have the rest wrapped up and give it to Sam to bring back to his house to share with his friends.

It is 6 pm and I am at the airport, writing this blog.  I am done eating for the day.  My plan is to finish the blog and check out the fuzzy slippers at Brookstone (made with the same material as that 3-pack of socks that I love) and then, the bookstore.  After that, we'll board the plane for Boston where I will drink water on the plane and maybe have a WW chocolate pretzel  bar.

This is not how I planned this day, food-wise, but if Rainman can adapt to life on the road, so can I.