Bereavement leave for miscarriage?

Wow, I was challenged today at work. I mean, I'm really struggling with this one.

I received an email from a supervisor in our organization asking if bereavement leave could be used for an employee who recently miscarried. (For those not familiar with bereavement leave, it is time off that some companies provide after the loss of a family member.) As the leave of absence administrator for the hospital, I should be able to make that call. However, where do I draw the line between my personal beliefs and how the professional organization would handle such issues?

I thought it best to forward the issue to a Director within Human Resources whom I have worked closely with in the past and think very highly of. She just called me and said, "Yes, we've been working extensively on this case... what do you think?"

What do I think? "I think this woman just lost a child..." (and should be granted time off work!!)

She continues, "So, at what point do we count that? I mean, a viable pregnancy, when a baby could be delivered, is 22 weeks..."

I hesitated, "Right, but she was pregnant, I mean, she was with child, so..."

She went on, "Right, and I have been through this myself many years ago, and while there was a recovery process after the DNC, it was mostly physical and psychological recovery..." Um, did you not mourn your loss?

I urged, "I agree, so while she could use her sick leave and paid time off, she DID just lose a child, right?"

I fear I'm not being strong enough here.

She said, "Well, I'll pull you back in on this, we'll see what some other folks think too." Valid point. I get that. I mean, at the end of the day we do have a business to run. But part of me also does not understand why this is even a question!

She is going to set up a meeting on Monday with the hospital's chaplain. Maybe God's light can shine through this situation afterall.

I'll keep you posted.

The fed-up-with-it-all FLU season

This flu season may just kill me.

Not because I get the flu, no... because of the debacle that is flu shots. There is a short supply—-everywhere. I work in the Employee Health department of the hospital and get to share in the joy of answering everyone's questions about the flu shots: do you have the flu shot... what about H1N1... when will you get more... can I get it... why can't I get it... BUT... what if I get it elsewhere... should I wear a mask... do you have the flu shot? do you have the flu shot? do you have the flu shot? ARRRRRRGHGHGHGHHHH!!!!

Mr. Employee, when I tell you that you can’t have the shot, it’s not that I don’t like you or that I’m lying to you, it’s because a) you are not a direct healthcare provider, b) you are too old/don’t qualify for the nasal mist (which is all we have right now), or c) we’re out of the injectible, which you have asked specifically for. Yes, please go call whatever higher power you feel will do any good—-we don’t have what you are looking for. I'm very sorry.

Don’t be rude.
Don’t yell at us.
Don’t storm out.
Don’t have your mom call (I'm not kidding.)

Simply shrug your shoulders, thank me for answering your question (and please do not ask if you can call here everyday for an update), and kindly walk away. Please watch your email for the MASS communication that will inevitably go out when more of the flu vaccine becomes available for our employees. (sigh)


All the pestering and dumb questions... believe me when I tell you that I really, truly DO love my job. It's just the people that are hard to deal with sometimes. Ha!

Happy 2nd Anniversary to US!!

Two years, already!? Wow!! September 29, 2007 was one of the best days of my life so far... and each new day with John gets better and better.

This year we continued our tradition of going out for sushi on the night of our anniversary. This year we went to Sushi Den, one of the best sushi places in Denver; and I had not been to it before. The best sushi I ever had was in Kauai on our honeymoon, and John compared the quality of that to Sushi Den (at Sushi Basho prices--a small sushi place in downtown Littleton; good for the price!!) Anyway, he wasn't kidding, this was G-O-O-O-O-O-D. Mmm, mmm, MMM!! The server was awesome and brought us ice cream afterwards with a candle to wish on for our anniversary. Very sweet, and did I mention YUMMY?!

After dinner we continued the trend of spending our anniversary night in the same suite we spent our wedding night in at the Hilton Garden Inn in Highlands Ranch. The guy at the check-in desk was very sweet and said, "Well, I wasn't here last year when you two came, but I've heard about you... Happy Anniversary Mr. and Mrs. Stone." So cute!!

This year John surprised me with chocolate covered strawberries. And the hotel threw in champagne, too! John doesn't like champagne, so we brought it home to be used at a different occassion (anyone celebrating anything??)

The day after our anniversary we both take off work and spend the day together. That way, we can sleep in and enjoy a relaxing day. Usually we take advantage of the free breakfast at the hotel, but this year we went to NoNo's Cafe. We got there just in time to get breakfast--close call! My sister used to work at this restaurant and it's always fun to see the owners (her old bosses). They both came out to say "Hi" and are so sweet (both from New Orleans, still have their suthun' accents.)

After breakfast we headed West in hopes of getting a glimpse of the fall colors that Colorado does so well. Turns out it was a bit early for this, as we saw mostly green and yellows; there was very little orange or red. However, when we got into Evergreen and saw this, the drive was worth it:



The skies were beautiful, it was a very mild day; perfect weather to spend together.

We figured out that we were really close to the casinos, and while neither of us are gamblers, our old neighbors and good friends both work for a casino. "Let's surprise them!!" We found our way there and eventually met up with them. They both walked us around and showed off their place (he is Director of Compliance (kind of a big deal) and she is in charge of the wait staff, gift shop, and recently the new hotel opening.) It was fun to see them in their element and so proud of where they work. I lost a few bucks on a slot machine (not as much fun as they look), and John took a turn at a poker table... I think he prefers the video poker we play at restaurants with fake money. I'm just sayin'!!

We left the casino in time to make it home, change into our Rockies gear and make an evening game at Coors Field to watch our boys win. :) All in all, it was a GREAT day, fun anniversary, and good start to the third year.

Go Rockies!!

It's always exciting to be a sports fan in Denver. And lately I've shown my spirit in person. The other day (9/2/09) the hospital got a bunch of free tickets to the Rockies game. The seats were up in the top deck, but if you've ever been to Coors Field, you know that there isn't a bad seat in the house. With last minute notice, I called my friend Talena whose husband works some nights during the week, and mine was doing the same. Girls night at the ball park!



We didn't make it in time for the first pitch (and I miss the National Anthem more than I ever hear it), but we did get there before the hot dogs were out, and the beer was still cold. And I of course bought peanuts off the street vendors--how can you not?



The Rockies won, I learned that we acquired Jason Giambi (former Yankee) the night before, and he got MVP of the game. YAHOO!!

Bears 27 | Broncos 17

Here are the facts:

1. The Chicago Bears came to Denver for a pre-season game.


2. John is a Bears fan. Correction: John is a BIG Bears fan.

3. Abby is a Broncos fan. A loyal Broncos fan.

4. Abby is the best wife in the world for buying her hubby tickets to this game.

5. Denver had the lead at one point (er, three points).

6. John's team won (and I was a good sport.)


We had a blast and have a few great pictures to show for it. I can love my team and still be a good sport... maybe we'll even have a good season in spite of our loss on the home turf.

Collectible or sellable?

In preparation for yet another garage sale, I am going through every box in the basement that I can get my hands on--some are too heavy to move, some covered in spider webs. I cut through the tape and tear open each box--as if it's Christmas!!--to see if its contents are garage sale worthy (not hard to qualify for, it seems.) However, most of these boxes are John's or rather, his Mom's, treasures. My dear husband has held on to so much of his Mom's things for so long and is just now starting to let go--difficult, I'm sure. I think the turning point came when we moved and he pulled it all out of the crawl space after 8 years of being in there (and a number of years stored up in Illinois before that!)

I am torn though... He has stated himself that we are not honoring his mother's memory simply by having her things in boxes in the basement. But is it disrespectful to sell some items? He emailed his sisters about his mom's spoon collection that used to adorn the walls of his dining room in the old house (that is, before I moved in and began redecorating) and they didn't bite.

He is partial to an old dish set that he asked I not "just give away," so I have found my way to a website that specializes in replacing pieces and parts to discontinued (or old) collections and dish sets, china, silver, etc. I have found that this website will set a cup and saucer set of China for $9.99 and gladly buy the same pieces from me for $0.50. <--NOT a typo. Hmmm... Craigs List here I come!!

But still, I'm torn. My own mom convninced me not to sell the few Hummels we have (a collectible), but the one Precious Moments piece will likely be on Craigs List soon. I have decided to hold on to the China set until furhter notice, but will try and get top dollar for the other dish set. While one small set of dishes will go in the garage sale, I have decided to keep a few other treasures:



They are darling!! My sister celebrated her daughter's fifth birthday last year with a tea party, and went all over town (so I'm told) looking for old cups and saucers. Who knew I had these right under my nose?! I think that if I have a daughter someday, maybe I could do the same... and how special would it be to use her grandma's pieces!





So for now, many of these delicate items will be wrapped back up and taken back down stairs...


P.S. I have vowed (as every other woman in my family has done) to not have another garage sale... Well, at least not for a few years. ;) You will not see neon signs with arrows pointing my direction next summer. Mark my words!!!

He's FREE!!! Look at him go!!

When we bought our new house, there was no fence. We knew that this was just one more expense in buying our new home, but one that had to be made. John got quotes from three different companies: $7,000, $6,000, $3,500. NO WAY. Surely we can do it for cheaper. Granted, if we had shelled out that much money, it would have been done faster and with much less work and stress on us... but there is a sense of pride that comes with building our own fence.

Yes, I hammered a few nails myself (the rest we did with the nail gun!) My dear old dad helped set the posts, and started the rails and pickets with John. I helped finish the pickets (finished one side solo, thankyouverymuch!) and nailing the mesh to the back split rail.

So with one VERY tired husband, we now also have one VERY happy puppy dog...

"Let me out, Mom!"


...And there he gooooooooooooooooeessss!!!!


At first he didn't know what to do. Before the fence was done, our poor pooch was sent outside on a 15 ft. cable tied to a stake in the ground. It broke my heart every time. When we finished the fence and let him go free, I had the cables all wrapped up so he wouldn't see them. I think he was a little lost, though. :)


All I had to do was yell, "Wrigley! RUN!!" And he was off...




He circled the yard, charging and darting every direction. He stopped to smell E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G, which was cute to watch.


Then he wore himself out pretty quickly:


He's a great dog though; I'm glad we could do this for him. We never expected to get Wrigley in the first place, but I do love having him for a pet... He's really part of the family, now actually!


(If you're lucky to hear it, John does a great impression of what Wrigley is thinking all the time!!)

OH WAIT!! I suppose I should show a picture of the finished product, eh?

Etiquette vs. Manners

Do you know the difference?


eti-q-uette (noun)
1. conventional requirements as to social behavior; proprieties of conduct as established in any class or community or for any occasion.
2. a prescribed or accepted code of usage in matters of ceremony, as at a court or in official or other formal observances.
3. the code of ethical behavior regarding professional practice or action among the members of a profession in their dealings with each other.

Examples: Table etiquette, social etiquette, wedding etiquette, dining etiquette, business etiquette, etc.

man-ners (noun)
1. the prevailing customs, ways of living, and habits of a people, class, period, etc.; mores
2. ways of behaving with reference to polite standards; social comportment

Examples: say "please" and "thank you", take turns, don't interupt someone's conversation, be a good sport, be on time, say "excuse me", bless someone after a sneeze, show respect and interest in a conversation, etc.


You can have one without the other, but the best kind of person has both. Do YOU have etiquette and manners? There are certain situations that require good etiquette and/or manners.

A few examples:
1) Resturaunts
- Always place your napkin in your lap
- Wait for everyone's food to arrive before digging in
- Excuse yourself from the table if you need to step away or take a phone call
- Don't monopolize the conversation (this goes for any social setting)
- Do not "primp" (apply lipstick, brush your hair, adjust your clothing) while at the table, excuse yourself to the bathroom.
- Always tip 15% or more depending on service (if the service is bad, don't just leave a bad tip, ask to speak with the manager... there may be other things going on that you are unaware of that lead to the poor service and it could be rectified before you leave.) On the same note, compliment great service!

2) Shopping at a store or at a doctor's office
- End your phone conversation before approaching the counter or register.
- If the person behind you has one item, and you have 18, let them go before you.
- When walking down and aisle or hallway, stay to the right
- Always be aware of your surroundings and other people in your area (this goes for any public setting.)

3) Bathroom
- ALWAYS wash your hands afterwards!!
- When possible, do not go in the stall immediately next to one that is already occupied, although sometimes this is unavoidable.
- DO NOT talk on your cell phone while in a public restroom (who wants to hear that!?)
- ALWAYS use the toilet seat liner when available (maybe not etiquette, but just good hygiene and it had to be said. Protect yourselves, people!!)
- Unless you really know a person, avoid carrying on a conversation while you're "taking care of business."
- Open the door with a paper towel, and hold it open (even with your foot) for the person behind you so that they do not have to touch the door.


There is much more to be said about this, OF COURSE, but do you have good manners?

I took a quiz on www.lifescript.com to see how well-mannered I am.

Here is my RESULT: Miss Manners Applauds You
Either you grew up in a household with parents who insisted you have good manners, or you simply have good taste because your manners are up to par. You don't buy into a mentality of "It's a new generation and things are changing." You always strive to be polite, considerate and look your best. You are aware that your behavior and actions can have a significant effect on many areas of your life, and you try not to do anything that will jeopardize your opportunities or reputation. Because you are so well-mannered, you probably receive more opportunities than others. Other people have a lot of respect for your social graces and admire you for them, and more people ought to follow your lead. Keep up the good work!

A diet that works?

The girls that I work with found this CRAZY soup diet that you go on for seven days. You cut out a lot of carbs, sugars, and all that crap you shouldn't be eating anyway. I read the diet plan (abbreviated below) and laughed at them for the idea! The soup mentioned is a particular cabbage soup (let me know if you want the mouth-watering recipe), even I could make it myself at home. But I couldn't imagine eating this stuff--totally opposite from my regular menu--for seven days. It sounded like torture!! But hey, it's only seven days, so a little discipline might be a good thing. It says that after the third day, if you haven't cheated, you will have lost 5-7 pounds. FINE. I'm in it for three days, and I won't cheat, but if I haven't lost 5-7 pounds, it's back to what makes my pallette happy. Here goes nothing...

Day 1 All fruits (except bananas.) Eat only the soup and fruits.
For drinks: un-sweetened tea, cranberry juice or water.

***After Day one, I lost 2 pounds.

Day 2 All vegetables. (Stay away from dry beans, peas and corn.)
At dinner time, reward yourself with a big baked potato with butter. No fruit.

Day 3 Soup, fruits and vegetables.
If you have not cheated, you will have lost 5-7 pounds.

***After Day three, I lost 5 pounds. BINGO. And darn it, I'm in it for four more days, that was my deal, right? So keep going...

Day 4 Bananas (up to three) and skim milk.
Drink as many glasses of water as you can, along with the soup.

***Day four was the hardest day. I mean, I love bananas and milk, but c'mon, that's all I can have??? Oh, and we went to Qdoba with some friends for lunch after church--I had my banana and milk with me, and it was painful.

Day 5 Beef or chicken and tomatoes. Eat the soup at least once this day. Try to drink at least 6-8 glasses of water this day.

Day 6 Beef or chicken and veggies. (You can have 2 or 3 steaks with green leafy veggies.) Eat the soup at least once this day.

***I couldn't stomach the soup yet again on day six, so I didn't. I think that was my mistake, as my weight loss kind of peaked at this point. 6.5 pounds lost so far though!!

Day 7 Brown rice and veggies, un-sweetened juice. Eat the soup at least once this day. (Ugh, okaaay.)

The end of the seventh day, if you have not cheated, you will have lost 10-17 pounds.
***Almost there, I lost 8.5 when all was said and done. 8.5!! Not too shabby... or flabby for that matter!

Definite no-no’s: Bread, alcohol, carbonated drinks (no diet drinks) Stick to water, un-sweetened tea, black coffee, un-sweetened fruit juices and skim milk.
***I only drank milk on the day it specified to do so, and stuck to water and cranberry juice.


Recommendation: Each time before you eat, drink 1 tsp vinegar in warm water to aid in digestion. (Uh yeah, no. I didn't do this.)


So there you have it. In seven (fairly quick) days I lost almost 10 pounds. Now granted, I haven't kept it ALL off, but I feel great. If nothing else, it really made me think about what I eat. As I said, this diet is the complete opposite of anything I normally choose at mealtime or in between. Vegetables? I don't eat my vegetables! I had to Google a list of 'em just to see what I was supposed to buy at the grocery store!! Leafy greens!? Do green skittles or M&M's count? Leafy greens... the fruit days were fine, Jamba Juice has an all-fruit smoothie with no sugar or dairy added--perfect! And the soup was OK. I'm not a big soup person, nor do I like most of what's in it, but after the first few bites I was able to finish a bowl.

As for the other girls at work, only one of the two stuck it out with me. She lost 9.5 pounds total. The other girl quit on Day 3 because she and her husband went up to Cheyenne Frontier Days, and she couldn't resist the food (something about a funnel cake...)

This diet is mainly used for obese hospital patients before surgery to help them lose weight. It says that you can do it as often as you like (but if you lose more than 15 pounds, wait two days before starting it again.) We're talking about doing it again in October, so maybe I can get fit before the holidays.

[Insert clever title HERE]

I'm a blogger. There, I said it.

But do my mindless ramblings every few months really qualify me as a blogger? Whose idea was it to blog? Isn't it kind of like sharing your journal/diary with the world wide web? I think that maybe when I have kids I'll blog more... you think? Or maybe I won't, because I'll have even less time! Or not, depends on if I'm working after we start a family...

I always thought I would be a stay-at-home mom like my own Mom was. My mom is a great mom, and I really appreciated the time we spent together when I was growing up. She was always home when I got off the bus, she was there at school to volunteer, she took me to practices and friends houses... it was great!! I think that maybe she's even the reason that tulips are my favorite flower. When I was in sixth grade, my school changed to year-round and we were on a "track" system. I would go to school for 9 weeks, then had 3 weeks off. (Summer break could be longer than that depending on what track you were on... I was on B track). Anyway, on my fall break in October, mom and I planted tulips together. We didn't tell anyone else in the family, it was our little secret until Spring time. So when I started to see the tulips peek through the ground, I was so excited!! Something mom and I had done together was blooming, and I didn't have to keep the secret anymore!! So fun!! Mom and I went to lunch together all the time on my breaks, shopping, movies... we saw "Cool Runnings" together in the theater. I felt so special.

So that all being said, I know the advantages to being a stay-at-home mom--from a kid's perspective, anyway. But as John and I start trying to have a family, and I've just accepted my dream job (more on that to come...) I'm hesitant to make that decision right now. Who's to say that when Junior pops his/her head out, that I won't eat up every minute of those 12 weeks off, but decide to continue working? I know there are advantages to kids being in day care too (if the day care is right, that is). I mean, kids can be more social, learn more in that kind of environment, develop leadership skills, etc. I know, they can also pick up other kids' bad habit and sicknesses, but still. Weigh the pros and cons and figure out what's best for you and your family... that's what we'll do. But then, I could also see that sweet little face, tiny little fingers and toes, hear that cooing and decide to never pick up that briefcase again.

God only knows.... really.

Now where did I leave that...?

Blog! I have a blog!?

Yes, I've been a little absent, and I apologize. There has been so much going on lately, and while I've thought to myself "that might be int'resting to blog about," I don't do it. Obviously.

I've barely kept up on my Facebooking...!!

So, here I am. I'll fill in some of the gaps, and there may be more to come later...

As of January 15, 2009, our house is FOR SALE. For the past almost three months, we've kept it clean, uncluttered, and open to any prospecting clients and agents. It's exhausting. For someone who has sold a house before, you know what I'm talking about. But I have never done this, and am about done WITH it!! Our contract is up with our realtor next week and we are currently trying to decide whether to go another month on the market or settle in and stay.

Let's back up a little, though... Just before this, John and I drove around Highlands Ranch looking at houses to get ideas of what we might like and what's out there. We didn't expect to walk through and fall in LOVE with any houses along the way. But after driving around for a few hours grabbing flyers and not seeing ANY Open House signs, we were ready to call it a day. Heading towards the road to the highway, I spotted a sign for an Open House and John made a quick u-turn!! We walked in, and before even seeing half of the house, we both declared that this was "it." We had found our next home. I walked around that house for about 45 minutes decorating it in my mind and placing our furniture in every room. My parents even came by to see it. Seriously, I was ready to move in. The only obstacle here was selling our house first (we cannot afford to take on two mortgages!)

So that brings us back to today: on the market with no offers. We've had close to 40 showings, with two interested parties coming back for a second showing. Still no offers. (sigh) I have to think that maybe God has a plan for us to stay here a little longer. The feedback we've received is mostly cosmetic, but helpful. We've started to make improvements, and will continue to do so whether we stay or sell, and that can only help us down the road when we try to sell again. I don't see us being on the 20-year plan in this house, but maybe the 2-3 year plan wouldn't be the worst thing.

We LOVE our neighbors (this is them plowing our driveway!):

...and have family and friends up North here that we wouldn't want to leave... (But I know that we'd see them just as much as we do now even if we moved South of Denver.) So, we'll wait for our contract to end with our realtor and decide the next move then (no pun intended).

In the meantime, this house...Home Sweet Home... is getting a make-over!!

Everything comes down to Love

Music has always been a passion for me, whether it's singing, dancing to it (sometimes not all that well), or just letting the words penetrate my heart and speak to how I'm feeling. I love music. Certain songs stir up such emotion in me (for instance, John just played 'Canon in D' on the stereo in the bedroom, held me close, and I couldn't hold back the tears). Other songs make me think of friends, a memory from my past, or both: like making up dances to NKOTB songs in the living room with my sisters!

Lately, this has been my song; for whatever, this song has really been meaningful to me, and just happens to come on K-LOVE everytime I need a little hope, or reminder that I am not my own...

Hope Now
By: Addison Road


If everything comes down to love
Then just what am I afraid of
When I call out Your name
Something inside awakes in my soul
How quickly I forget I'm Yours

(Pre-chorus)
I'm not my own
I've been carried by You
All my life

(Chorus)
Everything rides on hope now
Everything rides on faith somehow
When the world has broken me down
Your love sets me free

When my life is like a storm
Rising waters all I want is the shore
You say I'll be ok and
Make it through the rain
You are my shelter from the storm


(Pre-chorus)
I'm not my own
I've been carried by You
All my life

(Chorus)
Everything rides on hope now
Everything rides on faith somehow
When the world has broken me down
Your love sets me free

(Chorus 2)
Everything rides on hope now
Everything rides on faith somehow
When the world has broken me down
Your love sets me free

You've become my hearts desire
I will sing Your praises higher
Cause Your love sets me free
Your love sets me free
Your love sets me free

Grandpa + driving = long night

Whew... long night last night! (Get ready for a long story...)

On my way home from work last night, my mom called to tell me that my grandpa was missing.

My mom and dad were on their way to my grandparents' house in Englewood to check for his car and check on grandma, and my aunt and cousin were out driving around looking for him. John and I went home (Arvada) to let Wrigley out and hit the road back to Englewood. Grandpa had gone out around 2:00pm to run some errands (pick up his case of Brandy from the liquor store), and didn't come home. My grandma started to get worried after about 3 hours (3 hours!?!), so my cousin called my parents.

So we're all driving around last night--it's dark, it's snowing, there's a 90 year-old man wandering the streets of Metro Denver--and we have no idea what's going through his mind. Where could he be? My cousin stopped by two liquor stores, one of them had seen him around 3:00pm. My mom and dad, aunt, and cousin hit all the hot spots: grocery stores, gas stations, Wal-Mart, liquor stores... my mom even went by his barber. John and I decided to hit the obscure places like alleyways and side streets or dead ends, just in case grandpa took a wrong turn somewhere and didn't know how to get back out. If he got far enough away from home, he may not know how to get back. But how far away from Englewood do we drive??

About 8:00pm, John and I finally hit Wendy's, since we skipped dinner to find grandpa. Well, I'm about to dive into my fries when my mom calls--they found him. WHEW!!! Yes, the tears came, I was so happy and relieved!! He had been gone six hours now, and made his way over to Lakewood, at a gas station at Wadsworth/Jewel. He stopped there to ask for directions; he told the clerks that he needed to get to Englewood, but didn't know why. Thankfully, the gas station attendants called the police.

So two Lakewood cops show up at this gas station to find grandpa, a bit confused and very obviously lost, and then called grandma to see if she'd claim him. She did, told them we were worried and out looking for him, and the cops agreed to send him home. What!? He went to the liquor store that's 5 blocks from their house and ended up across town, what makes you think he can make it home!? After grandma calls my cousin to let her know that grandpa is safe and on his way home, my cousin races back to their house to call back the police officer. She asks tells them that he can't (shouldn't) drive, to keep him there, and that someone is on their way. My parents were closest, and when they got there, the two cop cars with lights on were surrounding my grandpa's van. My mom jumps in his van and drives him home; boy was he a sight for sore eyes!

We all met back at my grandparents' house and replayed the night's adventure. I don't think my grandpa understood the big deal though. He thought he had only been gone a couple hours. He said that he thought he had a delivery to make... but he told my mom he was looking for an address... he didn't think he was lost... he said he'd never been to that part of town before... he doesn't really see the problem here, as nothing like this has ever happened before... Grandpa, you're 90. Bless his dear heart, he didn't think th was gone that long. To make matters worse, he didn't have a coat, his cell phone, and was probably hungry and running low on oxygen.

We're trying to figure out now what we can do to get him to stop driving. If you have any ideas or experience with this, please share!!

P.S. Grandpa didn't even share his Brandy with us when we got to their house... didn't we deserve to partake!? :)

Williston... the rest of the story

So about a million years ago, I took my first business trip solo to Williston, ND. Rest assured, I am not still there (thank you God!!) I alluded to the icky hotel room and bad flight, but may I start at the beginning? (Then we can move on to what's happened in my life since the trip from... Williston (same thing.)

The ticket counter for Great Lakes Airlines is at the FAR end of all the ticketing counters, that should have been my first clue. I didn't need a confirmation number, credit card, anything, just gave the man my name. He handed me a boarding pass that looked about the quality and size of a McDonald's receipt. So I walked all the way back to the other end of DIA's main terminal and towards Concourse A. My gate was A57, okay, not bad. But when I got to Concourse A (which I chose to walk to rather than taking the train), I just kept walking, and walking, and walk--where am I going!?! I get to what seemed to be the end of A, then down a flight of stairs, then more walking. I looked around me to make sure I was not alone and that there were other people going in this direction as well (I wondered for a second if I was even supposed to be down here!?) Then I saw my gate--without an electronic board, intercom system (Betty yelling announcements for all to hear is NOT an intercom system) or many chairs, but I made it. I checked in and was given seat 7A and asked to wait. I find a seat and immediately wish I had stopped to get a bite to eat, there is NOTHING down here. After spending some time on Facebook on my phone, and after eating all the Starbursts in my pocket to tie me over, a little man opens a door and hollers, "we're boarding!!" Oh boy, really!?

I walk out the door onto the tarmack...uh, what? Following a painted walkway to the plane, I look up to see a bunch of very small planes around me, all with propellers. No way. Approaching our plane, my eyes immedately well up. I can't do this. If I wasn't make this trip for work, I would turn around right now, hit the National Car Rental counter, and drive to North Dakota. You want me to get on this plan, really? I have never had a problem with flying--until now. I see folks handing their larger bags to two men standing right below the propellers, so I do the same (no one gave me any directions here!) Then I look over at the stairs I'm to climb to board the plane. I swear they're attached with paper clips!! I step on--yep, they're pretty unstable! You've GOT to be kidding me here!! And yes, the tears are coming... oh my goodness.

I duck to get in the plane and am greeted by the unfriendliest flight attendent ever (at this point, I'm wishing for my cousin Tara or friend Becky... heck, anyone I know that can calm me down right now.) I count seven seats towards the back and sit down in 7A, the only seat in row 7 on that side of the plane. This is a problem for me. I have immediately realized that I REALLY don't like small planes--and we haven't even started going yet. Miss Stewardess instructs us not to turn our phones on on the plane at all... too bad, I'm calling John. I call home, let him know I'm on the plane, that I don't like it, and I'll call back if we make it to North Dakota. We agree we'll both pray for this flight (oh, I have been!!) Then Stewy comes back to tell me to hang up just as I am doing so... this is not starting out well.

As the propellers start going, the tears that have been welling up for 20 minutes start streaming down my cheeks. I hear the engine start and we begin rolling. Before I know it, we're airborne, but never really get that high in the air. It's an hour to Gillette, WY, where we stay for 10 minutes to unload and load more passengers.... I cried the first 20 minutes to Gillette. Two take offs and two landings later, I'm in Williston. I swear to you, the terminal is the size of the first floor in my house--and that ain't too big!! It's dark, and I can't really see beyond the airport parking lot, but I soon learn that the lights I can see are to my hotel. The client I'm flying out to see picks me up, graciously takes me through McD's drive thru, and back to the hotel.

The hotel, er, Airport Inn, is old, dirty, and sketchy. I get an actual key to open the door to my room, and immediately lock and chain it shut. While the room appears to be fairly clean, it feels dirty. I put phone books at the base of the curtains on the window sill just to keep the drapes closed, plug the clock back in and set the time, and turn on the tube. I choke down my cold McD's and get ready for bed. As I sat in bed, with my pillow wrapped up in my own t-shirt (just to be safe), I quickly realized that I had no power cord for my laptop. This trip REALLY isn't going well. So what do I do? Not work! No, I update Facebook and blog a little. Oh yes, productivity at its best!

The next morning, I woke up late (when had I set the clock, I used the time from my cell phone, which didn't update for the time zones--GREAT!) and met our client at my door. The rest of the day didn't go so bad: we had breakfast, went to our meeting, I killed time afterwards using the rest of my laptop battery on Facebook, we had lunch at Subway (one of three major restaruants in town), then back to the airport. The ladies at the office asked about my flight, and I did share with them my new-found fear: small planes. I also told them that I had called the airline to see if I could get on the earlier flight, and that I was heading to the airport to check in. The ladies seemed to be amazed by this, as they've always been on very full flights to and from Denver. I told them that the gate agent indicated about 10 open seats. I should also mention that they asked me when I'd be coming back to Williston, "You comin' back twice a year...?" I laughed--whoops.

Once I got on the plane (yes, early), it turns out that there were only 10 seats occupied. To boot, we all sat in the back to even out the weight. A great start to the trip home. I did take a picture of the plane as I walked out to it from the Williston airport:

Alas, I made it home. No offense to anyone from North Dakota... but I don't think I'll be making that trip again in the near (or far!) future. Sorry.