Good Morning. Wow, I just do not know where to start. I think in a few weeks when I can pause and reflect on this past weekend of events I will be able to smile at what could have been and not what has been…I will explain as best I can.
It all started out fine and was going as planned. Friday arrive at work write a little something, something and get the crew going on what needs to be done at work and start their day and leave. Well An hour and a half later then I needed to leave I left, not for home but for the store’s…Shopping to get all the rest of the refreshments and food and other important things to make Mandy’s grand party a success. 3 hours later I arrived home. I knew the shopping would be crucial and very important to do on my own but if Bonnie could have helped in that she would have taken a huge burden off my shoulders. Her knee surgery and still semi hobbling around did not permit that to happen. So I arrived home not at 9:00 to 9:30 more so 11:30 quarter to 12:00… Behind schedule and pressure mounting…Jax had Maureen over to help and in the coming lines of this story Maureen will be called Mo and a huge emphasis on MO as she turned out to save me from wits end…which you will understand the further I get into this story. Jess needed to be picked up at the airport in South Bend by 4:40pm Mandy’s last regular season game started at 3:30pm and I had to get Bonnie and myself there for her (Mandy) as I did 20 minutes late but the game had not commenced so we where on time and that was a good thing. Mandy explained when we got there that she hit well in warm ups and I knew that was the kiss of death. She never reached base all night but her spirits were strong because tonight was to be the pre-grad party for close friends and mainly her family (sisters) and Boyfriend and his parents. So the night went off well other then the intermittent rain and cold temps… Starting of the downfall…The tent was the official start of the downfall…three uprights were not sent with the original tent…Bonnie’s nerves start to flair, I calm her down and the call into the rental place confirmed the rental places error…but, they could not send a truck out with it, due to timing but would have it available in the morning…I figured best get it tonight so Jax and Mo went to pick them up…Tent now up and operating as it should keeping sun off the people, or rain…Rain was the option we choose…because the sun was in Bangkok at the moment and no where to be seen until Sunday mid-day….Oopps that may be a problem because we needed it Friday afternoon through all day Saturday…was not to happen… No biggy we will make the best of it. So Friday’s event went off well other then cold and rain and lateness of things that should have normally went off as planned…Saturday arrives and set up begins for the day, last minute yard pick up from Friday’s event and just making sure we have everything in order. Food prep begins…Bonnie and I disagree on how much chicken wings we should do up along with Brats and Krout, I give in and run down and grab another case of brats all though the ones I picked up previously were not to be found, I had to settle for Johnsonville… they are ok, but not as good, start of the pressure train again…but it’s still moving in the proper direction. It’s now after 12 Mandy’s party is 4 hours away and closing in… Beverages are all in place, except Coffee…I did not remember the cream and sugar…no biggy I will work it out, coffee problem solved and moving forward…2:00 Bonnie is sick to stomach needs to lay down. I figure nerves…I was once again wrong…She gets back up to further continue to help where she can. Food done, well..sorta Sausage does not seem to be fully cooked, I throw it back in the oven and Bonnie says pull out quarter pound hotdogs in case they are needed, enough of everything else hotdogs are just a back up food for kids and those who do not like brats or chicken wings…I ask how many do I do up? Bonnie in heated and more so tense verbage says knock yourself out…I did the whole box in 3 minutes flat.,..I cheated used the turkey cooker and blasted them done in no time… 3:30 arrives and Bonnie’s stomach is turning again and she says it’s time for me to do my hair…Hers not mine…she leaves to go upstairs to fix her hair, and I am stuck with the rest of food prep, set up and the girls are a huge help. Mandy and I also have to attend a close friends grad party… Mandy leaves early for it, I make it for ten minutes and Mandy’s best friend understands…I get back home and Bonnie is not downstairs and the prognosis from my girls as it is not good… pressure train rolling full speed now…Guest start to arrive…EARLY….food not all out.. but getting there. I point to the beverage vats for both the mother and daughter who arrived early which was a fellow softball team mate of Mandy’s so they understand…Bonnie still upstairs and not doing well and the rain is falling…not just from the sky but also from Mandy…periodically…more guest’s arrive and food placed where it should be and Mandy and I as well as her two sisters mingle with the already huge crowd. Bonnie still upstairs and in tears and pain to beat the band…Mandy in tears downstairs trying to stay composed as her sick mother is up stairs..and the weather is cooperating rain and more rain…people are wall to wall in the garage and tent Bonnie’s name gets brought up and questions fly…I manage to get away upstairs to check on her as the girls are also there getting her ready for a trip downstairs and to the emergency room…They get her out the door and on her way to the emergency room at 7:00 a quick call back from them saying she is 7th in line…at 7:20 Mandy is shaken up and being consoled at her own party by friends and myself…we have to continue and make the best of not so great timing…8:00 another call by the girls Bonnie is in with the Doctor and first impression calls for Kidney Stones…prognosis is correct and she is on heavy medicines and cracking jokes with the girls at the hospital…Vicodin doing the job…It’s now after midnight and only about twenty guest’s still around and awaiting word on Bonnie and consoling Mandy and I… they finally arrive home…2:10 am the girls and Bonnie both missed Mandy’s Grad Party…Bonnie is whisked up to bed…I unwind with the girls who are making up for lost time with their younger sister and pounding shots…Mandy opens her cards, the money total for her is over 1800.00 and she smiles, but it’s a bitter-sweet smile as her two older sisters and her mother was not there for her on her day…Sunday arrives Bonnie not closer to passing the stones and is bad shape once again and her attempts at staying on her feet for more then two minutes fail, once again Mandy is summoned to her mothers bedside where Bonnie tells Mandy she can’t make the graduation ceremony…Mandy understands and is strong…for the time being…looses it at the school with friends and teachers consoling her…to make a long and hard weekend complete Bonnie missed her grad party and Graduation… Mandy and I are fine, but it was not what we had planned for this weekend… The sun did shine on Sunday afternoon, Bonnie did rise up from the bed finally later on Sunday evening where we had a unplanned late after grad party so her sisters and close friends played games and Bonnie was able to be with her daughter…It’s very hard to think of a much worse event then what happened but I know there could have been worse circumstances so we smile and thank our lucky stars there…But for now, all we have is what could have been…Thanks for the ear…Pictures will be up on Myboomersplace after help from a few cropping the huge megabyte shots…god bless and thanks for the ear..
A huge hug
Mart
