What a weekend!

It started out by my not going to sleep until very late. Then very early (4:30) Ross got us up to hit the road. Dragged my sick & tired butt to the car & fell asleep before we left the driveway. Woke up around 8 & told him I was in the mood for scrambled eggs with fresh tomatoes.

What Heidi wants, Heidi gets. At least that's what I was thinking. Ross tried to rational with me that McDonalds won't accommodate that request- while I told him IHOP would. Just as he's telling me that we have no time for IHOP, we passed a sign - 6 miles ahead - I had 6 miles to convince him that if I didn't get scrambled eggs & fresh tomatoes his car would smell like puke.

It worked. Breakfast at IHOP. Of course, I could only eat a few bites, then hit the public toilets to give the porcelain a taste of non-digested food...it was pleased.

We left again and got to the fancy schmancy hotel in Newport Beach. Now, since this was a due diligence meeting for him, it was paid for by the hosting company. They like their potential salesmen to think they're doing good - so they get the fanciest hotel around. And we pulled up to it at 11:15 a.m. Remember I left at 4:30 in the morning after only about 4 hours of sleep and didn't have a toothbrush -- or even a pony in my hair...we pulled up to the hotel where two men came running to the car. Ross unrolled my window & asked where the parking was. "We are 100% valet here at The Fairmont" oh - okay - so lets get out. I grabbed my body pillow, my feather pillow, my shoes and Brynn's diaper bag. The two dudes eager for a tip loaded up the suitcase, the graco port-a-crib and my pilla's!

I told him I wanted the stroller, Ross said I wouldn't need it and to leave it in the car. I told him I needed it cause I would get lost if I drove anywhere, if I walked somewhere I could easily find my way back..."no, you don't need it, you'll be fine" and both the dudes wanting a tip stood and listened to our discussion...I was too tired to fight him so we went inside while they drove our car to a secluded area for parking.

We went in to check in - and OF COURSE - they didn't have a room ready for us - and Ross had an 11:30 lunch meeting - so I told him I'd wait in the lobby while they were getting the room ready. They said they'd call me when it was ready - but they had some kind of cell phone block cause I couldn't get reception in the lobby...

Yes, the story has a point.

Brynn, having been in a car for the last 5 hours wanted to explore. I let her go a few feet here & there, but mostly she stayed close while I tried to sit motionless. She's in her tinkerbell jamma's. Classy - yes, indeed. Incidentally - this is the kind of hotel that has a bartender walking around the lobby to make sure you remain happy while you're --- doing whatever it is you're doing in the lobby...

I start to notice that it won't be long before I will no longer be able to contain the rest of my breakfast and before I could ask where the restroom is - I grabbed Brynn and headed toward the most secluded corner of the lobby to as not to be conspicuous. But alas, my attempt was futile. Chunks came up. Right there on the marble floor in the lobby. I assessed the surrounding to see how many people may or may not have witnessed this event. Apparently not ONE person missed it. All heads were turned my way. As rather concerned concierge approached me, she could see from the look in my eyes that I was not yet finished conversing with my scrambled eggs & pointed me to the restroom - where I went running as fast as I could with a handful of vomit and an armful of 2 year old. I was incidentally wearing sneakers which - squeak like a basketball player on a full court press when you walk on marble....all the way to the fancy toilet...where a lady was inside just waiting to hand me a paper towel, little did she know her restroom training skills were about to be tested to their full capacity...as I threw Brynn on the ground and went into the handicapped stall (which is the best place to puke cause you have a little hand rail you can use to keep your upper body out of the toilet!)

Brynn toddles up to the crippled toilet and asks me "you sick ma?" at this point the restroom is full of concerned employees - wanting to know exactly how contagious I am.

Never fear - "It's not contagious"
"Oh, honey, are you going through chemo?"
"NO, no, I'm okay, I'm just....YACK"
"It's okay, do you need anything?"
"I'm fine, I'm so sorry about that mess out there! It's just that I'm....B-YUICK...so sorry! I'm pregnant and not feeling very well."

Well, that was apparently worth it - because within a matter of seconds, they escorted me up to the hotel room where I remained until the next morning when I checked out - I got a standing ovation on my way out.

Okay - not really - but how much of the story can I drag out? I mean - I got into the hotel room - and really needed to put something into my mouth - Ross heard the commotion and brought me up some fruit from his lunch/meeting...Brynn really enjoyed that, but fruit was the last thing on my mind. I found some M&Ms - those would do. I thought the kindly restroom attendant brought them for me, but it turns out, they put M&Ms in everyone's room to tempt sick pregnant ladies. And it worked. As we got the bill for "our" portion of the hotel - I was charged $4 for the 5 pieces of M&Ms that I took. I'm SO glad I didn't down the brandy - $25 - and I'm sure it doesn't go well with M&Ms!

I ordered Room service that night - because Ross was at a dinner meeting (thanks for bringing me to newport beach, dear) - it was some kind of steak panini with vomit-smelling cheese - I'm sure they were trying to pay me back - however, the strawberry shake was divine - and even the weed they put on the diner cart was arranged nicely in it's pot...the french fried kept brynn busy as I passed out on the bed hoping that Ross would bring me something REAL to eat by way of Doggie bag...but no...it didn't happen.

IHOP for breakfast - $28.97
M&Ms for stomach stability - $4
Vomit smelling dinner sandwich - $45
Look on employees faces as I was leaving hotel: PRICELESS

Of course, there's so much more to this story...but I'm feeling a little drained. So maybe you can have part II tomorrow?