From the storm cloud of misfortunes...

The idea:

Head down to the temple with Glenn at 3:00.  Attend an endowment session at 6:00.  Have a delicious dinner at PF Changs.  Stay in a hotel near Lodi, just five minutes down the road from where the cross country meet was to take place the next morning.  Get home in time to get to Andrew's football game.

The reality:

Get a phone call from the school around 12:40 letting you know that Andrew has hurt his finger during recess and can't bend it.  Go to the school and realize he will need an x-ray.  Run home to change out of scummy clothes and shove some food in mouth.  Arrive at ER around 1:00, knowing full well there is no way you're getting out of there by 3.  Hope that your doctor friend is on duty, maybe he can help expedite things (after all, he would understand about getting to the temple).  Look out the window to see your doctor friend leaving the hospital.  Wait.  Get an x-ray.  Wait.  Play silly games and sing "Everything Comes Down to Poo" with Andrew. 

Wait.  Call Grandma to let her know what is going on, and ask if she can come relieve you in the ER so that you can get ready to leave for Columbus.  Wait.  See the doctor (or should I say med student) finally come in the room.  Realize she has not yet looked at the x-ray results that have been ready for about 2 hours now.  (Can you just tell me if the darn finger is broken or not???)  Welcome Grandma to the party.  Wait. Get the diagnosis from the doctor (or should I say med student) that yes, indeed, the finger is broken.  Think things might really start happening now that we have the results, but realize that another doctor (a real one this time) has to come in and do the whole thing over again.  Tell Grandma to ask lots of questions, to not let the ER give him a $25 dose of Tylenol, and high-tail it out of there.

Finally get on the road to Columbus, 45 minutes later than planned.  Realize you need gas in the car, yet another delay.  Enjoy a nice drive, trying to not feel like you've totally abandoned your injured son, while your husband does the stressing out for a change.  Feel pretty confident that you are going to make it on time.  Two exits away from your exit, come to a complete standstill due to a huge accident on the freeway.  Miss your scheduled session, but squeeze into a sealing session.  Have an incredibly embarrassing coughing fit in which you have to leave the room.

Head to PF Changs, gift card in tow, in anticipation of a yummy meal.  Order the sweet and sour chicken, a seemingly sure thing.  Watch your husband get giddy over his favorite dish.  Start eating yours.  Realize it tastes like, well, you know.  Try not to be too disappointed (especially since this is going to be the Big Meal of the week) and inform your husband that there will be an ice cream stop at some point that night.

Drive the hour or so to the hotel and realize that there is no ice cream.  The Dairy Queen next door is closed at 10:30 on a Friday for some freakish reason.  A shake from Hardee's must suffice.  (But it doesn't, really.)  Settle down in a pretty decent bed in a non-smoking hotel room that mysteriously smells like smoke.

Realize that the best thing about this day is that it's over.