Almost

I'm writing this from a remote location in CT.  In a bathrobe, in front of a roaring fire, drinking champagne.  Our sweet baby is home with her sitter and R and I are having a luxurious weekend in the Litchfield Hills.  It's perfect in nearly every way except that I miss the chicken dearly.  Judging from our recent phone conversation she misses me too.  "Boo" and "Mama" were repeated over and over.  Heartbreak!  It's only two nights and a relaxed Mama is a happy Mama is a better Mama...it's only two nights and... Sob!

me blogging (right), R looking for Elmo stuff for M (left)

Some heavy missing aside, it is hard to stay miserable.  R and I are perfect for each other in so many ways and this weekend has been a great opportunity to remember many of the ways.  For one, we are on the same page when it comes to vacationing.  Both of us like to do as little as possible.  I think this started because we both had jobs that were quite consuming and involved exciting travel, so super chill vacations just felt right.  R still has a really consuming job with (formerly exciting) travel and I've got the Mama gig.  Against our natural inclinations, on this trip we haven't been complete slugs so far.  This morning we went horseback riding at Lee's Farm.  It was much more tame than our last horseback riding experience which was at Rita's Stables in Montauk.  At Rita's there were no helmets and we were trotting (? cantering?) at a pretty fast clip just a few minutes after saddling up.  For total beginners like us, this was pretty exciting.  Today at Lee's things seemed much more regulated (read: kind of boring) but my tush still hurt by the end.  Oh, and George, R's horse, bit me on the leg and I have a bruise.

George the horse, before he bit me

Another activity on this trip has been "quest for iPad 2".  Don't laugh.  R is kind of obsessed, but in a laid back kind of way.  Yesterday, already on our "getaway", we napped through the 5pm release and when we woke up around 6pm we started frantically calling the surrounding vendors.  Defeat answered our calls, again and again.  Until, we got some guy at Walmart in Waterbury - they had one left!!  Which one?  The 64GB? YES!  AT&T? YES!  Could we buy it over the phone? NO! Could we give him $50 to hold it for us? NO! OK, we are on our way!!  We drove at an irresponsible speed down to the Waterbury Walmart.  R dropped me at the front door and I ran to the photo dept at the back of the store.  The guy I spoke with said they had already sold out!  NOOO! Then he agreed to look around in the back.  He opened a bunch of cabinets and doors behind the counter and finally came up with it!  Considering our relatively slacker approach, this was a very SWEET VICTORY.  We bought it then and there.  On our way out (seems like a mile to the front of the store) we started examining the box.  Weirdly, it doesn't say "2" anywhere on the box.  Ok, but the picture looks like it does in the Apple video...  After a few more minutes of nervously searching on our iPhones for confirmation that this was the right product it became clear that it was not 3G.  DEAL BREAKER.  Tails between legs, we returned the sweet promise.  Defeat aside, the race and the momentary victory were exhilarating in a distinctly irresponsible (read: pre-child) way which was nice.  Not being kissed-all-over-the-face by our child nice, but nice.  And we will get the new stinking iPad soon...even if it's in 2 - 3 weeks...

Almost

For now, I will now go back to almost completely enjoying myself.