Momma said...

Momma said there'd be days like this...

First, let me say, graduation was amazing, and I will be posting pictures ASAP (Michael's brother with the fancy pants camera was named "historian" for the event, and he has to email them to me when he gets back to Texas). But yes, my husband has completed the education required of him to pursue his vocational calling as a psychologist. Yea, Mikey! I couldn't be more proud. Just wait for the pictures because he looked so handsome...the best looking listener I know.

Now, as Paul Harvey would say, "the rest of the story":

After Michael's graduation, the PLAN was to hang out at Paseo Colorado (an outdoor mall in Pasadena) for the afternoon, where friends could come and go, Owen could run his nap-less self 'til he drops, and I could sit in a chair, eating Coldstone, relaxing with friends who pass the baby back and forth among them. Well, it was not meant to be...

We went out to the rented mini-van after the ceremony on Saturday, and the vehicle wouldn't start. Friends were going to meet us at 1 pm and it was 12:45. Didn't want Mr. Big to miss anyone, so I sent the boys on their way, and since the car was rented in my name, I stayed with the car to call the rental people. That meant June stayed with me, and Big Mike (Michael's dad) stayed too. Then Glynda (Michael's mom) stayed also to "help with Mike". Her words, not mine. :) Thankfully, Bryan (Michael's brother) had rented a compact car as well, so he took Michael and Owen to Paseo Colorado...where they spent the next 5 HOURS. Yes, hours.

So, where was I for those 5 HOURS????? Not at Paseo Colorado, that's for sure.

*45 minutes waiting for a tow truck and talking on the phone with a rent car company in Fresno (who, of course, didn't have any cars in LA)...oh, and nursing a 1.5 week old

*45 minutes to load the car on the tow truck because the car wouldn't go into neutral (problem with car never determined...it is still sitting at a shop in LA)

*30 minutes to drive to EL MONTE. LA people know that is NOT the closest mechanic shop to Pasadena, but that's what you get on a Saturday afternoon

*2 hours and 15 minutes in the waiting room of SuperTech Auto (great people, by the way). You know you've been there too long when you watch an ENTIRE movie on their TV. No, I didn't originally plan on ever watching Liam Neeson's "Taken", but when you're tired and exhausted (and nursing the 1.5 week old again), you'll watch anything. Still talking on phone with rental car people, finally ate lunch at 4:30 pm, all rental car places in El Monte closed early on Saturday, call a friend to drive us to the Burbank airport where we rented a car (to be reimbursed later) from good ol' Hertz.

*45 minute drive from El Monte to Burbank airport (thank you Rae for driving us across LA and to Ashley for being smushed in the back seat with June and me)

(then of course the 3.75 hours drvive back to Fresno. But it should only take 3 you say...again, nursing the 1.5 week old)

I won't go into the run-around I was given, but I will NOT be recommending Payless Car Rental to anyone in the Fresno area. (For the record, all other major chains did not have a car big enough for the family, so that's why we didn't use Hertz or Enterprise in the first place.)

Michael and Owen were troopers! They held court at Paseo for SO LONG, but the benefits to them were that they had lunch AND ice cream before 2 pm and that they saw:

Joel and Emily
Rae, Bert, and Ashley
Chad, Meredith, Abby, Sophie, and Liam
Ali and Lisa
Mark and Sherry
Joe

Which of course, means that I did not. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! And did I remember to send the camera with the boys? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! And since we all know that they really came to see June and not to congratulate Michael on his 7 year in the making degree, I appreciate them being gracious and not turning around the second they realized she wasn't there. Ha ha!

Now a July trip to LA is a definite must.

Thank you to Mike, Glynda, and Bryan for their patience as well. It was a cool day, it happened on the trip home and not the trip there, and June was the perfect baby the whole time, so thank God for small blessings and helpful friends and family.

We arrived back in Fresno past midnight. I knew it would be a busy weekend, but I had promised Michael to do as little as possible. So much for that. Thankfully, the Arnolds took Owen to Sequoia for the day so June and I have been resting a lot.

Lessons learned:
#1: I am not in control (you all know I have to relearn this lesson often)

#2: when renting a car, remember to ask "and what is your practice for if the car has an issue on the road? how quickly will I have a functioning car?"

#3: if you've made it to the end of this post (without pictures to keep you going, no less), you deserve some Coldstone too. Which reminds me, I still haven't had any.

Add that to my "PLAN" for tomorrow, eh? Famous last words...