Return

Mateo and I got back from a weekend in glorious, scenic Wisconsin, where we attended a friend's wedding. I poke some fun at Milwaukee, but it actually turned out to be a really pleasant town and more of a big-city than I thought it would be. Gooooo Milwaukee!

The wedding was beautiful and it was great to see my friends, but good Lord the trip was a bit of a nightmare. First, our flight boarded at 5:50 am, which required us to leave the house around 4:15. Then, at my layover, I remarked that the airline broke my stroller. It was completely useless. Yet, they told me to lug it to my final destination to make a formal complaint, and that I would be reimbursed. So there I was, lugging two bags, a baby, and a completely defunct stroller (I had to drag it -- the wheels were all jacked up) through the many concourses of the Minneapolis airport. Nice start.

The arrival in Milwaukee was fine and the wedding was beautiful. It was a little rough because Mateo and I were both so tired from our travels that we didn't get to fully enjoy it. Teo was cute, of course, and I have some crappy pictures of him to share. My camera wasn't working right (and naturally I figured out why at the END of the evening). We left early once Mateo seemed to be winding down, and he was asleep in his car seat within a minute of leaving.

The following day, Laura and I strolled along Brady street and somewhere in our wanderings we lost the rental car keys. Awesome. We backpedaled through the streets of our 40-minute walk, and, when we still didn't find them, I called the rental people. They informed me it would cost $300 to replace the keys. $300 and my pride. After much difficulty and a mild degree of panic, we found the keys at Walgreens. I don't know, dude. We were so happy to have found them, but our afternoon was far less pleasant than it otherwise would have been without that hour of fear.

The next morning we left for the airport, strapped for time as always. We had to pay extra for the gas, as we didn't have enough time to run to the gas station and handed over the car a quarter tank short. Next, strolling into the airport, I noticed that my wallet was missing. It turns out we accidentally threw it out. Don't ask how; we just did. It is always a good idea to throw out your wallet the evening before you go to the airport.

Luckily, the security guards had mercy on me and let me through anyway. Mateo played his part by crying as the whole thing went down. I called the hotel and they recovered my wallet from the trash, it is being sent here as I type. So all is well. But still -- NOT the best traveling experience.

Somebody was keeping a mental note on karma, however, because I sat in one of the only seats that had an empty spot next to it. My neighbor was a nice grandma who entertained Mateo for the first hour of the trip, until he passed out for the following two. So at least our return flight was smooth sailing.

I think I am still recovering. My house is a mess and I am exhausted. But still, we are home and getting back on schedule. The insanity has ended. For now.