A Mother's Day to celebrate

mother's day poolside, originally uploaded by toyfoto.

Our weekender at the Mirror Lake Inn was pretty successful.

*The place didn't burn down. I have a coworker, see, who told me on Friday that he'd once booked a room at the inn for an anniversary celebration only to have the reservation canceled because of fire.

*We found the place fairly easily, but not before getting confused by construction detours and having to call the front desk for a street-by-street, phone-guided tour.

*I didn't get any spa services. (This drove Jed MAD with guilt, as he got a gentleman's massage and facial). However, since the prospect of being touched makes my anxiety level raise into the CRIMSON, I thought it was a pretty good deal.

*While Jed was getting his two-hour Swedish massage and fru-fru facial, I spent two and a half hours in the pool with Ittybit, who had devised an enormously elaborate circuit routine in which she'd demand to be lifted out of the pool at the end 3 1/2-foot marker, run down to the 4-foot marker and "jump" into my arms in front of the ladder and then we'd "swim" together back to the foot of the pool. Over and over again. It was mostly to impress the "big girls" who were playing Marco Polo nearby.

*We found a bookstore that was a joy to be in for an hour. Annabel picked out this. I got this. And Jed got this.

* Jed was all ready to add another hundred dollars to our hotel bill for a fancy-schmancy dinner Saturday evening, however Ittybit had other ideas. She was tired and crabby, and though we considered ordering room service, she wanted pizza. (I had no idea she really liked restaurant pizza.) So we made a trip into town and found a tiny little restaurant, sublevel. The pizza was good, she ate a goodly amount and we saved quite a bit of cash. Now I am fairly certain she has more sense than we have.

*On Sunday I signed up for a 7:30 a.m. yoga class and the instructor was the same guy who, the previous day, performed a children's magic show, facilitated a kids' art class, tuned the piano and played selections for dinner guests. BONUS.

*All in all, we spent way more money than should ever be spent by a non-well-to-do couple-o-starving arteests. But it's only money, right?

*Of course we may have to think twice before indulging the family in such a nice place ever again. Ittybit had decided the inn was to be our new home and was none to pleased to leave:

"But I want to stay here for ever and ever. ... We need a new home because ours is too old."

**I would also like to draw your attention to my feet. They look relatively normal here. Not sitting in front of a computer for 10 hours a day ... actually getting excercise ... does wonders to alleviate swelling!