Sheep Guarding Llama

Today is the kick off of SpiceWorld so Dominica and I are off to Austin this morning.  The girls have been in Houston since Saturday, we left them there when we came back up to Dallas yesterday, so that we would not have to drive them to Houston today.

The drive down to Austin went pretty well.  We had to get down there pretty early because Art and I had a meeting at three this afternoon and we all wanted to get settled into the hotel before that.  Art and Danielle were driving around the DFW picking people up for a car pool down there so they left before us.

We got to Austin pretty early.  So much earlier than I have ever been there for SpiceWorld.  This was really nice.  Time to get into the hotel, to relax and to do other things before jumping into the big event full force.

Once we got settled into our rooms, Dominica took a nap and Art and I set out, on foot, to walk downtown to our lunch meeting.  It was a long walk and the day was hot so we were sweating by the time that we got there.  We had to walk very briskly and for several miles.  But it was a good workout.  Lunch (or early dinner) was very good.  We were the only people at a quiet place near fourth.

Dominica and Danielle went to the convention center while we were at our meeting and got us checked in to the conference, got our bags of swag and took them back to the hotel for us.  That was incredibly handy because that is such a pain to deal with tomorrow – both the check in and the dealing with all of the “stuff” that you have to carry around.

We ended up meeting up at the conference center and then, from there, heading to the first event of the evening.  And SpiceWorld has officially begun!

We had two parties tonight.  Both very low key.  Then from there it was the trek to sixth to Touche’s and the real SpiceWorld party was on 🙂  Dominica was still feeling sick from the pink eye that she has had for a week or two so thought better of going out tonight and instead went back to the hotel and got some sleep early.  That was probably smart.

I ended up with the very last people straggling back.  It was close down sixth, then IHOP and on to the hotel at three thirty in the morning.  We are going to be hurting tomorrow for sure.

I woke up, on my own around four in the morning.  I was wide awake and was not going to go back to sleep (probably because there is just so much to do) so I decided to get up and get myself ready.  Dominica woke up from the noise and some point and agreed that we should just get in the car and get moving.  So we did.  We were packed and out the door in the dark of night long before anyone else was awake.  Francesca and the older girls were out camping all weekend so weren’t around anyway.

We made very good time being on the road so early.  We were back up in Dallas by ten in the morning!  The Ralstons were not expecting that.  They came over early and we spent the day “working” around the house but not getting the packing done that we had hoped to have been doing this weekend.  The extra trip to Houston made that mostly impossible.  Not sure how we are going to handle that but we will figure it out.

Late afternoon we all had to get ready to go to SpiceCorps DFW tonight out in Grapevine.  The Ralstons went back to their hotel and we got ready at the house.  Our last evening in the house!  This is it, we move out tomorrow morning, we are done.  I can’t believe it.

We ran over to the hotel and Art followed us to SpiceCorps.  Alt-N hosted for us tonight at their offices.  They put on a great dinner and had lots of drinks for everyone.  It was really great.  We had a nice turn out, mostly the regulars on a night like tonight – the “night before” SpiceWorld event.  I love this event because it is almost all the “old friends” that we see year after year and only the most dedicated, hard core veterans turn out for this Sunday night party.

We had a good time and got back long before we usually do.  Probably for the best.  Kim came over from SpiceCorps to take a trunk load of alcohol from our home bar that we needed to unload.  We are really sad to see it all go, we had amassed quite a bar of stuff but it is unreasonable to try to ship it all up to New York, especially as we have no bar there.  So probably sixty bottles, maybe eighty, went home with her in the trunk!

Yesterday was the flight from New York to Dallas for me.  This morning is the drive from Dallas to Houston and this begins my really, really long driving spree of 3,200 miles over the course of the next two weeks.  This is going to be some seriously busy times for me.  But at least I am with the kids.

I got to see Luciana this morning.  She was so excited when she came into our room and found me.

We got the car packed up and on the road early.  Lots of driving today and we need to be down to League City before Clara’s t-ball game because we are watching her at the game.  So we were under a tight time constraint and were hurrying.  We did okay, though, and were able to go to the Grices’ and unload the car and had a little bit to relax before heading out to the game.

More driving tomorrow, have to be back in Dallas!  Gotta get sleep tonight.

Packed up the hotel and put everything into the Spark and headed to the office this morning.  I am now “in motion” on my way back down to Texas.  Today is Friday and my last work day before my two weeks of training and vacation.  Can’t wait to get down to Texas and see my girls.  Originally we had thought that I would not be getting a chance to see them today and would have to wait until Thursday but because Dominica has been so sick with pink eye that can’t happen so they are waiting for me at home!

Work couldn’t be over with soon enough.  I really had nothing to do today, for a variety of reasons.  Spent much of the day orchestrating getting to the flight this evening.  Since there was so little going on at the office I ended up leaving pretty early, around two thirty if I remember correctly, to get to the airport.  No reason to take any risks on traffic today.  There was nothing for me to do in the office.

A coworker, who reads SGL (yo!) drove me to the Doubletree Hotel where I caught the Red Dot shuttle to the airport.  Only $64 which is nice.  Dominica found that for me to make the day easier.  That really was the cheapest and easiest way to get to the airport, half the price of a taxi or hired car.

Got to the airport plenty early, which really was a lot of peace of mind for both Dominica and I since the last thing that we needed was missing the flight tonight.  It was a long, boring wait but whatever.  I was on vacation and heading home to my girls!

I spent a few hours at the end of the terminal Sam Adams bar and had a few beers and hung out with the passengers getting ready to head out.

The flight was fine this evening.  Got delayed on the tarmac for over an hour due to congestion but the pilots got clearance to open her up and take a shorter path and we were only fifteen minutes or so arriving at DFW.  Not bad at all.

Art and Danielle picked me up at the airport and delivered me back to the house.  Luciana was already in bed, so I didn’t get to see her other than popping in to check on her before going to bed, but Dominica had told Liesl that she could stay up until I got home.  She was so excited to see me!  I feel so much better being back home with the family.  I’ve really been struggling being away from them for so long.  Hopefully I never have to do that again.

Did not stay up too late tonight.  Liesl was in bed shortly after I got home and so were the rest of us.  Now the long adventure of travel begins!

This is it, I am in my hotel in Connecticut this morning and will check out tomorrow morning and am on my way to Texas tomorrow afternoon.  I can’t wait to get down there and see my family and take a much needed two week vacation.

I walked to the office this morning.  One of my rare chances to do so.

Pretty quiet day at work.  Nothing to report.  Since I am new and leaving tomorrow for vacation, I am not expecting anything much.

After work it was just back to the hotel.  My last night alone in Connecticut!  I am so glad that this stint is finally going to be over.  I have really been missing my family.