On Thursday morning, Paul, his brother, and I head to Minnesota to showcase our exercise machine to an inventor's convention. It's the machine that's evolved since we were students. It's time to commercialize. We're taking some of our prototypes to demo at a convention but mostly we're hoping to get lots of good new info on the licensing process, etc. A one stop shop full of workshops and also exposure for our machine. Between the 3 of us, we should come back full of good plans!
My mom's coming to stay with Anna while we're gone and they're both psyched about that. I come home Saturday night but Paul and Ken have to stay till Sun morn, and I hope their plane is on time because Anna's dance recital is Sunday at 3:00. They're first up! After her dance, we leave early to get home for celebration cake (and Sunday is also Paul's birthday! Happy birthday, we are soooooo happy you were born!)...then at 4:45 a car is coming to take me to the airport for my flight to Trieste, Italy. It will be a little sad for me after such a special day but I know it'll be ok in the end. I'll be in Italy for a week for a conference where I get to present a paper I'm currently writing for space station science. Then I catch a train to Venice for an overnight stay in Venice's oldest hotel while on my way to Bonn Germany for the entire next week. I've decided to take the long train ride from Venice to Bonn since it goes through scenic Switzerland! In Bonn
I have a day off before I cover some programmatic meetings. So unless an act of nature spoils my travel plans (think my Berlin trip in April!) I will return home June 25. That's 2.5 weeks away from my baby girl, 2 of it overseas.
I still doubt this adventure will take place. Too good to be true.
I don't speak italian or german. I have the iPod translators and I hear they speak good English over there so here's hoping for the best. I am super excited about the conference, the meetings, and the new travel! But I will totally miss my little family. Anna is super attached to mommy right now, so it will be good for her and Paul to bond. on fathers day I will be gone and he's taking her to the camp at the swamp with his parents because she's been asking to go so much.
But I am cutting out on paul's birthday and going to be absent on fathers day. Frankly I think we're ok with that since we don't take that stuff too personally or seriously. But let me tell you something about my husband. When it comes down to it, I'd always rather be with him than without him. We would be happy to be around each other 24 hrs a day and never need a "break". How lucky is that? I am so lucky to have had him in my life for so long. Pre-Anna and pre-clinic, Paul would have come with me on this trip. Especially because it's seriously not as fun if you don't share it with the person you love to be with. But in the past 3 years I have accepted having to do some things (like the heavy travel) alone, and I've learned to enjoy it as best I can. Partly because I tell myself that one day he'll come back with me. And maybe Anna too. Because when she's old enough she'll be able to enjoy it with us, and that's part of the fun of having a little family:
hopefully it's having more people you love to spend time with.
Unless your kid's a brat. Then I imagine you want to run far away :)
On that note, I hope Zo keeps her lite boy in her uterus just a day or two past the due date so I can be home to visit in the hospital :)
What else? I am still going to bible study as long as I'm in town but now I will be gone eery weekend till July 9. And the bool we're studying (20 Christian Beliefs, which I hate) is done. Frankly I got no new revelations from my attendance and so I'm not sure I'll be going back. But give me credit for m attempts to learn something about Christianity for almost 6 months.
I'm still running at 4:30am and this week starts boot camp as well. Well at least till the travel starts, then I pick up on it again through July. I did a few days last week but had a cold come on too so it was extra draining. My arms were so sore I couldn't reach for the sore throat spray from my bed at night.
I wonder if it's not a strategic move to start another week of boot camp right before I have to showcase our exercise machine??? Ouch!
Goodnight!
2 comments:
Ooooh, the train ride sounds awesome!!!! You'll love it.
Hope you enjoy Venice.....let me tell you that it is not stroller friendly though! HA all those dang bridges. Also highly reccomend you get a good map when you get there. We got lost on our way back to the train station and missed our train to Milan. Turned out not to be that big of a deal because you are allowed to change tix if you are within 1 hr of the departure time without an extra fee but it was stresful. Also bring some sunscreen because it will be hot in Venice. The trains are awesome. If you can, pack snacks and drinks with you as the food cart is pretty pricey.Even though its expensive, food/drink in the trainstation is still cheaper than when you are actually on the train. Oh yes and get some gelato! In the Venice trainstation there is a stand that sells very good gelato! YUM!! What else.....oh yea, have fun :)
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