Just call me "Lucy"

My two good friends & I have often joked that our lives could be turned into a sitcom resembling 3's Company. Me as Chrissy, Troy as Jack, & Bekah as Janet- we have things that happen in our lives together that you just CAN'T make up!! But today I was all alone by myself when the latest insane situation happened. It left me feeling rather like an episode of I love Lucy was taking place.

          Yes this is really  me in the picture from a Mock Dining In



I should start at the beginning so you can fully embrace this crazy situation with me as I look back & laugh a lot! It is a LONG story so hang on!

It started with Saturday night being a much anticipated "Date Night" with the husband up in Sea/Tac area since he was leaving super early from the airport. We decided awhile back to make reservations at a nice hotel for the evening & enjoy a much needed break from the kids. I looked through all the usual chain hotels until I came across a beautiful looking Hotel we had never noticed before. Best part was it was 4 minutes from the airport & had a military discount!! so I booked us a room at Cedarbrook Lodge. 
When we pulled right off of I5 to turn onto a little road hidden back in this tiny neighborhood I wasn't sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised with little brooks, waterfalls, & cherry blossom trees surrounding three cedar sided buildings all connected by lovely walking paths. Paul & I walked into a beautiful lobby with a large sweeping staircase that led down to a huge sitting room with a great view of their gardens & a fireplace. It also had a lovely bar area with pool tables. The staff was super friendly & informed us that each building had it's own "living room" when you entered. We needed to be sure to stop grab some complimentary waters,chocolates, & Haagen Dazs - YAY-I was in Heaven!! Off Paul & I went to find our building!
Here is the first thing that greeted us when we entered the "Spruce" building.

 

The bar had three different types of Whoppers & White Chocolate covered Pretzels!

We grabbed some water ,whoppers & headed to our room. It was a beautiful SPA like room with a enormous bathroom & all the spa products you could want! We where super excited but I was mostly starving & ready to go find some food.We headed to Southcenter the closest mall & promptly decided on The Outback for dinner.They are currently doing a special menu called Red, White, & Bloomin Menu.

Any items ordered from this menu gives 5% back to Operation Homefront.

I have to say the choices are plentiful & my Maui was so much better then the normal chicken I get from Outback. I hope they move it to their regular menu when the special is over. But back to dinner, I was starving & we decided to order a Bloomin Onion to start our meal. I haven't eaten even a tiny little piece of one of these onions in almost 3 years! I splurged knowing I would be working out in the morning at the Hotel Gym. We dug in & as I finish off my last piece my husband says " You know honey, Jillian & Jesus have a little tear running down their cheeks because you just gave in & ate that.". REALLY!!!! I just couldn't believe he said that with a smile on his face! I laughed drank down my Blueberry Martini & dug into my Maui with steamed broccoli!We finished up & hit the mall.

The husband needed to start looking for new PT shoes & a few other items to take with him on the up coming deployment. We bought me a new power cord for my cell as mine had died the day before. Grabbed some swim trunks for one of the boys for our Great Wolf outing next week.  Looked at shoes but never found any he liked. So we headed back to our hotel as the mall was closing & we had to be up by 4AM for him to catch the shuttle to the airport.

I only got about three maybe four hours of sleep as the husband just knew I would sleep through the alarm. I was so paranoid I kept waking up & checking the time until I kicked him awake at 4! After I kissed him goodbye & sent him on his way to the airport I had every intention of laying back down under the snugly comforter to sleep.I laid there for thirty minutes & realized it was useless I was awake for the day. I decided to hit the mini-bar up at 5AM!! I grabbed the plastic ice bag took it with me & proceeded to fill it up with whoppers & pretzels to take home for my boys.I know this is not what they where put there for, but we paid enough money to stay I thought no one would mind. I also grabbed me a coffee flavored Haagen Dazs to eat with a cup of starbucks home brew.Back to my room I went turned on the news drank my coffee & ate my ice cream. Thirty minutes later I decide to go work out, it is now 5:40 AM Sunday morning. Off I go with a t-shirt, shorts,NO makeup, & hair in a pony tail. I stop grab a free water & hit the elevator button. I Should have took the stairs!!! The elevator opens in I go & press 1 to go to the gym. The doors close & I start going down then STOP- NO movement at all! I wait thinking it'll start back up in a couple seconds- 5 minutes pass & NOTHING!! I then read all the little emergency things on the panel & push all the buttons it says to push- NOTHING- NADA happens!! I am beginning to panic but think I'll call the front desk on my cell before dialing 911 on the call box. NO CELL SIGNAL!!! At this time I think I can freak out or just dial on the box & see what happens. I push the little red button it dials & a very nice sounding man comes on the line. He asks If I am stuck, I say yes. I tell him which building & what floor I started on when the elevator stopped. He asks if I need immediate medical attention, I tell him NO I have a bottle of water - I am fine for now. He let's me know he will call the front desk & let them know I am stuck. I should also continue to press this annoyingly loud Ringer button. I explained I had already pressed it a few times & nothing happened. He said someone outside might here & go for help. So every two minutes or so I press this stupid Ringer!!! I sit on the floor listen to some newly downloaded Greenday & play bowling on my phone. Finally after 20 minutes a man calls me inside the elevator to tell me the Fire Department is on the way to let me out. Can I please be patient & wait for them?? REALLY, umm where the heck am I going to go??

Finally after 45 minutes trapped & 1 tiny bar on my cell phone the Firemen arrive!! They pry open the doors help me out - FREEDOM!! They locate a plastic water bottle lid that had jammed the elevator. They where tired & NOT HAPPY!! They thanked me for staying calm & not yelling at anyone. I thanked them for getting me out & went to the Gym to get my work out done. I was so thinking I should have just stayed in my room & ate more Ice Cream!!!

This would not be so funny, but a few of you know that in August of 2009 Paul & I went to Seattle to stay at the Hilton for the weekend of Kenny Chesney. On our first night there we where awakened with the fire alarm going off at 1:30 AM!!! We had to eveacuate down 18 flights of stairs in the dark & cold.

 Here is my husband trying to get back to sleep on the steps across the street from  our hotel at about 2:30AM

 Here are the firetrucks about 3 hours into the evacuation- it was a long morning.

But as you can see even if you don't know me, my life at times resembles a sitcom! Take your pick of which one you might think- today it was I love Lucy for sure- I was being punished for stealing that bag of Whoppers for the kids!  I have to say I am seriously rethinking my trip to Portland with Bekah this July. We are suppose to stay over night- but who knows what craziness will happen if we do!!