Plot Monkeys

I bet from reading this blog, you all think the only friends we have are each other. I admit with the way we are connected it often feels that way … but writing and long distance aside, I do have an every day life that involves carpools, and lunches, and shopping and nonplotmonkey FRIENDS.

This is a story about my local buddies. Last Wednesday - Thursday we took an overnight trip to Mohegan Sun (casino in Connecticut). We didn’t go to gamble, we went to get away for our good friend Julie’s birthday. There were 14 of us who went in different cars. Julie, the birthday girl, Abby, Anna, Sharon, Laurie, Sheryl, old friends of Julie’s, Ilissa, Patty, Laurie (yes, two Laurie’s), Jeanne, Janice and me. I roomed with Anna (my daughter and her daughter are good friends too- not everyone is pictured here … ran short on room). Not all of us had ever spent all that much time together as a group before because life is so hectic, so it was nice to have time. I could have gotten my own room but I like having company, someone to talk to and this worked out great. Laurie and Anna picked me up at 10 AM Wednesday and we hit no traffic, so an hour and a half in the car, one phone call from the school nurse (not my kid, shockingly) and we arrived. We went to check in only to find out that the person who made the reservations for all of us needed to be there in order for us to get our rooms. Since some of the group stopped at outlets on the way, they hadn’t arrived yet.

We decided to eat since we had 3 PM spa treatments. So we had lunch which was fun and by then everyone else had arrived, so we met up with them at check in. Unfortunately our rooms weren’t ready so we went to the spa with our coats and clothes. We’d booked massages. Now here’s the interesting part. I’d had a massage many times before. This was a little different - it was a 50 minute Swedish Massage - with an a la carte menu - head and neck and feet - were each separate charges. I splurged on both. AWESOME. The head included oil for my dry hair and scalp. Yummy! Afterwards, we sat in the sauna and then put our feet in the whirlpool. Then we had to pull our clothes back on over our greasy bodies (yes we could have showered there but didn’t because we still had to walk through the lobby to get our rooms). We finally got settled. We showered and my friend, Ilissa, who used to be my neighbor until she bailed on me and moved a mile away came by to catch up and we talked for an hour. We went to Patty and Jeanne’s room for cocktails before dinner. We gave the birthday girl some fun gifts. While talking, we realized there was a foul odor coming from the hallway.

Of course I didn’t smell it, but eventually on the way down for dinner, I did. I’m a little slow. We thought it was gas (no, the hotel management said, the fire dept. was there and checking) and later thought it was sulfur, then sewage (eew!). A few in our group packed their bags and brought them downstairs, refusing to sleep there. I wasn’t at that point yet, but in my mind, if the odor, which was traveling from floor to floor, continued, I’d rather go home late than move rooms or check into another hotel. Dinner was delicious but at some point we decided we had to go up and pack in case it determined that the odor was toxic and the fire dept prevented us from going back up there at all. Meanwhile, someone (I can’t remember who) went and got us room changes to low floors without odors - turns out that when they cleaned a bathtub it didn’t drain and w/all the cleaning stuff it backed up. How that could stink up floors and floors of a hotel, I will never know. Anyway, one of our intrepid group got us upgraded to suites with money off, but I didn’t want to share a king size bed no matter how much I liked my friend Anna! So I got us a regular room with two doubles and we crashed with our clothes on, waiting for luggage to be brought up. Eventually we got some sleep in our pj’s.

I was awakened by my vibrating cell phone the next morning by my daughter. Anna had already heard from hers - photo and all - “how do you like my hair, mom?” I forced myself out of bed to work out - treadmill - and then we had a big group breakfast. It was a this point that I got a call that my oldest daughter was sick and my poor husband, who stayed home to get the girls off to school and had just gotten to work (an hour from home) at 9 AM, had to go pick her up around 10. Welcome to my life, I told him. He didn’t laugh. Can’t say I blame him. I called the doctor and got her an appointment which he took her to (virus and she ended up home for two days plus the weekend).

Still, we laughed and learned a lot about each other (and others) and had a blast. It was great to get away for awhile.
All and all, a memorable experience which our wonderful friend Abby wrote about in a poem:

Julie’s finally 40, and to mark this special date,
14 of us head to Mohegan Sun, to help her celebrate.

Julie brings her nambe and happy hour fare,
but oh we are so nauseous, there’s sewage in the air!

Everyone complains, how can this possibly be?
Please send over a fireman, to explain this tragedy.

We leave dinner to pack, in case we have to leave,
Should we stay to spend the night? Will we be able to breath?

And so to shut us up, we each get a luxury suite,
but never miss a meal, we return to drink and eat.

After all it’s Julie’s birthday, we’re here for a good time,
Never waste steak and fries and perfectly good wine.

We thank our lucky stars, that we woke for the new day,
because who would want to miss a breakfast buffet?

Over large plates of food, we make a lot of noise,
about things we should not be discussing, and complicated sex toys.

BUT, management beware, Patti isnt very happy,
You inconvenienced us all, and your discount is really crappy.

An so, same time next year, we will return to celebrate,
Julie’s 41st, at a very discounted rate.
(Thank you, Abby!)

For writers, who spend much of the day alone in the house working, it’s important to remember how important our friends are! Who has gone away with friends for some me time and lived to tell about it? (Not everyone is lucky enough to smell foul odors …