Monday, June 28, 2010

Ramblings: Hotel Cali and Mustachios

Saturday night we got ourselves all spiffed up (meaning we showered and actually put on unstained, matching clothes) and headed downtown to the Eagles concert. We spent the whole night being amazed that they were the ones behind all these songs we always knew and loved. They kind of ruined the buildup though when they sang "Hotel California" and "Witchy Woman" in the first half of the concert. The crazy part of the night was that the concert was "blacked out," meaning that none of the monitors, jumbo screens, or even the lights in the box where we were at were allowed to be on. We practically had to feel around on each others' faces Helen Keller style to figure out who were were talking to.

They had a bunch of food and a giant carrot cake out but I couldn't sample much since I had stuffed my incredibly squashed stomach beforehand with what the restaurant at the Ritz Carlton called "Chicken Fried Lobster and a BBQ Filet." Uh, YUM, in case you were wondering.  Although I had an upset stomach all night because--shocker!--I don't normally consume that rich of a dinner menu at 8 o'clock at night on a routine basis. Unless you consider grilled cheese on 7 grain bread to be gourmet. This is the room we were in--I didn't take the picture, but obviously someone else was impressed by that chandelier, too.

Then yesterday morning Jeremy took off on the week long trip to Hong Kong that I've been dreading for months. (How come these trips never fall during the kids' school year?) Luckily, the week long trip to LA that was supposed to happen the days immediately before was postponed until later in the summer. And another two day trip to Houston was canceled. So the three weeks of travel got widdled down to one for him, and my remote possibility of staying mentally stable without any nighttime backup at least slightly increased.

He's been a bit nervous about the 15 hour flight he had to take from San Francisco to Hong Kong. But considering he can sleep ANYWHERE (and has--including the mortifying time he fell asleep in the HUGE physical science lecture class we took together in college and then--how should we say--passed gas for the entire class to hear) I didn't think the flight would be a big deal. Plus, he gets his own little cubicle with personal recliner, tv, etc. So cry me a river. I'd LOVE to go sleep for 15 hours straight without someone asking me to turn on cartoons or the daily morning wakeup call for chocolate milk. BECAUSE DON'T YOU KNOW??! FOUR YEAR OLDS SHRIVEL UP AND DIE IF NOT FED CHOCOLATE MILK WITHIN 7 MINUTES OF WAKING UP. They are their own unique kind of gremlin. I did get a little worried when he called me yesterday afternoon when they arrived in San Francisco after less than a four hour flight that he said "felt like lasted forever." Ok. Now do that times five and you'll be there!

Everyone he talked to told him to bring some Ambien so he could sleep most of the time, making the huge time change easier. So he got some and I was really, really hoping that when he finally crashed on the airplane in a drug induced slumber, that Jason (the other attorney from work he was traveling with) would take advantage of the opportunity.  I would have been happy if he would have sharpie-d any of the following facial hairdos on him. I really would have loved seeing him packing up his briefcase and getting ready to get off the plane with a brown sharpie, bull-fighter style mustache drawn on his face. All the while just assuming people were staring at him for being in the minority as a super tall white guy (with an awesome 'stache). 

But I'm guessing Jason didn't do it-- I should've slipped him these ideas at the concert the night before--because Jeremy called an hour ago and they just got to the hotel. No mention of permanent marker drawings on his face during his Ambien coma. It's weird that I'm here fixing the gremlins chocolate milk and he's about to go to dinner.

The first thing the cab driver told them they could do while they were there is visit a hot part of town where there were good bars and lots of "easy" Thai women, but rest assured, "they're not prostitutes, they're free--but you do have to buy them a nice meal." How pleasant.

And a friend from church hooked him up with the name of a tailor near the hotel that will make him some custom suits and shirts for cheap. He'll be measured for his Christmas present early. 

Nice to know he'll have plenty of things to do in his free time. And if anyone happens to be on a flight from Hong Kong to Dallas in a week sees this guy asleep...

please whip out your sharpie and do me proud.

2 comments:

Alainna Beus said...

Hey Laura! Are you surviving the week so far?

Beverly Livingston said...

Laura

I guess I am giving you are really late congrats on the soon to be little one. That is awesome. I am impressed that you'll have 5 kiddos. Hope all is well. Hope Jeremy's trip to Hong Kong was fun. Mike had a great time over there last year.