Things to Look Forward To
02-25-2003, 11:50 a.m.

I am really starting to get very excited about my weekend with mom and gram. I can�t believe that it is already coming up. Not this weekend, but the following I just know that we are going to have the very best time. We are going to do some pampering things at Mario Tricoci, which is the spa that is attached to the resort where we are staying. I have always wanted to have my hair done there, and never have, so I am excited about that. I am in desperate need of a foil, but I have been holding off for this weekend, so I can get it done there. My mom and I talked my gram into doing that too. She was hesitant because she has never had highlights, but we know that she will totally love it, and truth be told, now that she has decided to do it, you can tell she is really excited. My mom is going to have a pedicure and manicure, something that she has never ever done, but has always wanted to do. I am so excited about seeing her get her first pedicure, because I know that she is going to just love it so much. She loves having her feet rubbed and all that, and this is just right up her alley.

I think that my mom is mostly excited about swimming. She loves to swim, so much, and so a place with a nice pool was definitely a consideration for this trip. This resort has 2 pools, one of which is a heated, half-indoor, half-outdoor pool. That looks totally cool, and I am really looking forward to swimming outside in the cold weather. There is something so totally cool about warm water and cold air, it�s just such a neat feeling. They also have a really nice fitness center, so I will be able to get my walks in as well. I have a feeling that this is going to be a weekend of much exercise, and I am so not complaining about that. It will be nice to stay on track even while on vacation. They really have this neat Mardi gras thing going on right now too, so I know that we really are going to have a really great, really relaxing time. It�s just going to be so nice being with mom and gram, something we haven�t done in a long time.

I am taking next Friday off of work, and Thursday night my mom and I are heading down to Indiana to pick up my gram. We are going to spend the night there, and then Friday morning we are getting up and heading to Michigan City (which is in Indiana) for that day. Shopping at the Lighthouse Place in Michigan City has long since been a favorite for all three of us, but it�s been a long time since we�ve gone, so we plan on spending most of the day there. Too bad it�s too cold for a side trip to Mt. Baldy, but I do so plan on going this summer. It�s been a long time since I�ve attempted to climb Mt. Baldy (since the time I went with Jen, Cory and Tonya), it is going to be interesting to see how much easier it is now that I exercise and am in somewhat better shape. Anyways, so we are going to shop and have lunch in Michigan City before heading to Pheasant Run which is the resort we are staying at. We don�t have any concrete plans for our 2 nights there, just to play it by ear, but we do have reservations for brunch on Sunday before we head home (they have an awesome brunch there). Then we are going to drive my gram back to Indiana (and pick up my dad who is staying there while we are gone to take care of my grandfathers) and then come home. It will make for a lot of time in the car, but it will be fun because we will be all together. I am really looking forward to it all.

The other thing that I�ve really been excited about is our Vegas trip in May. It�s funny, but you would think that with this being my third trip to Vegas in less than 3 years, that I wouldn�t be as excited, but I totally am. I have been looking at Vegas sites for days now, the same Vegas sites that I looked at before my last visit and the same sites that I looked at before my first visit. There are so many things to do in Vegas, and so much that I�ve not even seen yet, and when you add in there the fact that Tonya has never been there, and my parents haven�t been there in so many years, it is almost mind boggling trying to pick the things to do.

I talked about the trip all the way home from work yesterday and Stephen was just laughing at me. He said that I am so cute when we have Vegas trips planned because I am the same way every time. I told him that I am having a hard time this time though, knowing that he won�t be there, but he said that I should be looking forward to it, and knowing that he is glad that I am going. He is such a home-body anyway, that he actually loves it when I find other people to travel with, because he would much rather just stay home. Now when it comes to Vegas, that is a little different, because he actually loves it there, but he isn�t at all upset that he doesn�t get to go this time. He will be really very busy at work then, and the time will fly by for him. Hopefully not so quickly for me, hehe.

So now that Tonya has her tickets and such, we are really starting to talk about the things that we want to do. Anyone who knows Tonya knows how easy going she is, and how she always puts other people first. She is always the first person to say, whatever you want to do, and to go along with anything.. and I�ve really been afraid of her missing out on things that she wants to do in Vegas, just because the rest of us want to do other stuff, so I asked her to make a list of the things that she really wants to do and see in Vegas, and then we can compare our lists and then figure out a way to do things that will make everyone happy. Sometimes it is hard going on vacations with people other than your spouse.. With Stephen, it�s so easy, because, well we know each other so well that we just know what each other wants to do, and it�s often the same thing, it just works without worry somehow. I worry that I will (without meaning to) take advantage of how easy going Tonya is, and so I am really trying to avoid that. Hopefully these lists will help. Oh, speaking of which, how coincidental, Tonya just sent her lists. Wow, so many of the things on her list match the things on my list. What the heck am I worrying about? LOL, we totally enjoy doing the same things, there is not going to be any issues at all. I really want to spend a lot of time with my parents too, so we are mostly going to play things by ear anyway, but it�s fun to have an idea of the things that you would really like to do/see before hand, because in Vegas, there is just SOOOO much to pick from. Heck, this is my third trip in less than 3 years, and I�ve still not even seen half the stuff that I want to. You go thinking that you have all this time, but it goes quickly, and you just have so much fun, and you don�t realize how much there is to do. Who needs sleep? Good thing that there is so much to do 24 hours a day there, hehe.

So that�s just some of the things that I am looking forward to lately, we also have a lot of little things going on. This weekend, we are going out with the Couples Night Gang, for the little get together that we had to reschedule a few weeks back. I am really looking forward to that too, because we are going out this time, instead of just staying in and playing games. It will be a lot of fun. We also have a lot of birthday parties to go to this month, and a few wolves games that we are planning on going to, and then our all night crop that we are having in a few weeks, so it�s going to be a really busy month for me, but I do well with busy. I will admit though, it�s been nice having a few relatively quiet weekends before the big rush starts. I have really enjoyed my quiet time with Stephen, and I know that he has enjoyed that as well. He so hates busy weekends. Told you, he is a homebody.