I have a blog so I should use it for shit like this.
Life has felt very busy these days. Juggling the lives of the three kids, work, and husbands and pets have felt a bit overwhelming these days. I don’t feel like I got over Christmas. I don’t feel like I got over 2017, to be honest. Everything always feels rushed and unplanned and chaotic and I am not liking it.
So today shouldn’t have really been a surprise.
Today was mom’s birthday. She had stated she wasn’t into doing too much and had suggested a family dinner at The Spaghetti Factory (they have a decent Gluten Free menu and the kids like it) and then over to Landmark Cinemas to see Paddington 2 (which is really cute by the way). So I managed to get my head around the birthday planning during last week sort of and found applicable gifts for mom from me and the kids. I didn’t really think about cake until it was really too late. I was going to make calls but having a toothache for a week and then a fun-filled root canal on Friday sort of threw my game. So I dragged hubs and eldest daughter to The Gluten Free Epicurean on Fraser and 15th in the pouring rain on Saturday in the vain hopes that they could cake me, gluten-free style. And they did.
So today I was feeling pretty good. The sun came out. Caity and I picked up the cake and couldn’t get over how pretty it was. We managed to squeeze in grocery shopping too. We got home in time to get everyone ready in two cars and head out. The only thing I wasn’t sure about was the parking. I had destroyed mom’s engine and tires screeching around from 8th onto Elgin and saw a car going into a lot right behind the Spaghetti Factory and under (sort of) the mall and theatre. We were all confuzled by the lack of signage in the parking lot, but I was worried about time (reservation) and so we wandered around till we found an elevator. It was then that we started to think that we were in the wrong parking lot. That in fact, this was the residential parking lot for the condos. Not the parking for the mall.
So I made an executive decision and sent Mom and Caity on to the restaurant and stayed in the elevator to head back to the car. Except the elevator wouldn’t move because I WAS NOT A RESIDENT AND I DID NOT HAVE A LITTLE FOB THING. Thank GOD a guy got into the elevator who by a sheer bloody miracle was going to the parking levels and I managed to sort of pretend I had a fob. I hustled back to the car and headed out. To the big closed gate that I had not noticed before because when I drove in behind someone who obviously HAD A FOB and had set the gate to move up.
SO.
I backed up the ramp and decided to lurk near the top where I could either follow a RESIDENTIAL car out or catch someone coming in. I phoned my son and told him to tell the rest of the gang to go ahead and order without me as I ‘may be some time.’
Just then a car headed down and I raced after him. But it was too late. I watched that gate creak back down as I raced desperately towards it. NOOOOOOOOO.
So I sat there and tried to decide if I was going to cry or laugh.
I was about to head back to my lurking position when a car appeared on the other side. The freedom side. I leaped out of there as the gates slowly trundled up. As I took in the sweet smell of freedom, I noticed Pat standing there looking at me. The expression was a cross between utter bafflement and ‘oh my god, why did I marry this woman.’
He was amazing. He stepped up to the window and quietly pointed to the ACTUAL parking entrance “over there.”
I managed to find a PROPER spot in the CORRECT parking lot and race to the restaurant to join my family who just seemed to chalk it up to another ‘Kerry’ thing.
I mean come on.
Dinner was good. Cake was great. The movie was sweet and those reclining chairs are amazing. Were almost NOT amazing because the OTHER thing I hadn’t done was order tickets in advance due to waiting to find out if Adam was going to make it to the show and then all my driving around. Oh and charge my phone. So I hurriedly prebought tickets on the phone and switched it off to save the battery. When I got to the theatre my phone decided that it was dead even though there was 18% left. So no tickets. Thank you theatre manager lady who saved me.
I mean come ON.
Anyway. Happy Birthday, Mom.
I now dread what may happen next to me.
Pamela says
It sounds like it all worked out well, after many twists and turns. My phone’s been doing the “oh let’s just die now” thing too. Thank goodness you got help. I can’t wait to see Paddibgton II. I’m sure it was perfectly charming. Combined with Spaghetti Factory and family time, that’s my kind of birthday celebration. Hmnn. Maybe I should copy it for mine. Happy birthday to your mum!