The Calendar...

...it's a terrible thing to waste. That noise you heard last night around 10:00ish Atlanta time was me screaming...in Lynne's ear nonetheless. We've had this trip to Las Vegas planned for her "big" birthday for awhile now. We toyed with several dates trying to get three couples together for the weekend. But between lining up babysitting, schedules, etc., it ended up only DH, me and the birthday couple were going to be able to go. Bummer.

When I turned my calendar from May to June, I realized I had written the wrong date. I had penciled in June 19th as our departure date. I knew that couldn't be right because we were leaving in July. So I rescheduled it for the third week in July - depart on the 17th, return on the 20th...happy birthday Lynne. Had babysitting all lined up; DH had vacation all lined up. Taking it easy until time to pack.

Last night, Lynne and I met at the park to walk (or play...). She called when she got home and got the crabby four in the bed. The best laid plans went a-rye when their neighbor was outside when she got home and they talked in the driveway until 9:30...which just happens to be an hour and a half past the babies' bedtime. Oopsie!

So we're talking on the phone and she's telling me about her neighbor having to transfer to Ohio because of work and he has to be there on July 14th, which is the day after we get back from Las Vegas. "No, it's the Monday before we leave for Las Vegas," I reply. "NO, it's the Monday AFTER WE GET BACK FROM LAS VEGAS!" "NO, WE LEAVE THURSDAY THE 17th". "UH NO..."

It took us a couple minutes to realize that neither of us was kidding. Oh, brother. DH is sitting on the couch listening. Then he realizes what I've done...planned around THE WRONG DATE! But the real kicker...there is no way, no how, notta, nuttin doing he can get off work next week. It's the one week his plant is shut down and he works doubles all week fixing all the machinery that breaks during the year. Geez. Panic starts to set in.

Of course, he's fine with me going without him...go, have a good time...see ya when you get home. But there's a little issue of a plane ticket with his name on it that he's not going to be able to use. Having flown ONCE in my entire 42 years of existence, you know why I didn't make the arrangements. So Lynne and I start racking our feeble little brains trying to figure out who can be the fourth person to go on the trip. Juju immediately comes to mind. Juju is the wife of the third couple we were trying to get to go with us. Their only hold-up was getting babysitting for four days. If she goes and hubs stays home, she only has to find babysitting for two days. Hello? Oldest Child? What are you doing on Thursday and Friday of next week? Yes, the day after you return from DANCE CAMP...Have I mentioned lately that I have been carting you back and forth to dance team practice this whole summer? And I provide a roof over your head 365 days a year? And I will pay you handsomely if you go move in Juju's house and babysit for me (I mean her...) for two days...great, I knew you would!

So guess what I've been doing today! Rearranging babysitting for OC and YC. Starting to think a little more seriously about what to pack because I got a week cut off my plan time. And, of course, charging the batteries in my palm pilot and making sure the calendar is up-to-date.