Back to Coronado

So last Saturday, woke up, had breakfast delivered to our room. We wandered down to the beach for our photos with Carey (my CD still hasn't arrived in the mail and I'm getting impatient to print and play). It was so much fun to have those taken. We wandered around "downtown" Coronado and headed back to the hotel with a pizza in hand to enjoy our balcony. It actually was warm enough to put on swimsuits and get a little sun. I got a little too much sun - but it felt awesome. J had something up his sleeve, slipped off on his own for a while and came back telling me to be ready at 2:45. He walked me down a little pathway to massage studio where he had booked me for a massage and facial. I argued that it was HIS birthday, but there was no turning him! So I enjoyed probably the best massage of my life. I think she did a great job, but it was also the fact that he had given it to me and the beautiful surroundings of Coronado and the relaxed weekend. I actually drifted off a couple of times during the massage!

It was funny because she commented on my skin being beautiful. I have been in and out of the dermatologist office for the last 7 years, trying to get my hormones to stop wrecking havoc on my face. I have noticed a huge improvement over the last few months since I have been using Arbonne skincare products. Nothing else in my life has made such an impact! Email my (ex-sister-in-law, who is married to the brother of my gay ex-husband) sister, Jessica at order_arbonne@yahoo.com if you want to know more. (Yes, that qualifies as a shameless plug - but I wouldn't do it if I didn't believe in the product and believe in her. I have also been using Bare Escentials makeup and I can't say enough about how great it looks on me. Love it!

So, after my fabulous massage/facial, we went down to the beach, with a hat on my head, trying to disguise the oiliness that was my post-massage hair. We watched the sunset and then headed back to the hotel. On the way, we encountered two things that noticeably shifted the mood. One had to do with a man who was incapacitated and relying on his wife/caregiver for assistance. J had something to say along the lines of, if that ever happens to me, pull the plug because I wouldn't want to be a burden to you. We argue the definition of burden and I tucked away the comment for later digestion. Then we see the bride who had just gotten married in front of the Del. She was in a very plain, white satin dress. It wasn't my favorite, but J had to say how much he disliked plain wedding dresses and that I wouldn't be married in one. WTF? It all broke loose then. His defense? "Well, I haven't done this before . . . " which I took as a direct jab at the fact that I have been married before. So by the time we reached our beautiful room, I was teary and pissed and all-around annoyed. (In my defense, I had started my period that morning . . . .)

So we talked through it. I told him how it made me feel. He recanted and better explained the statements and we got ready for dinner. We walked down to a Thai restaurant and ended up with a table in the bar. Just before our food arrived, we entered into a discussion about having children with developmental disabilities. And it was all over, ladies and gentlemen. He made a statement. I responded. He didn't/wouldn't hear the response. I didn't/wouldn't hear his intent. A downward spiral occurred so fast, that I was in the bathroom in tears before I knew what had happened. It was ugly. With a capital U - Ugly. Didn't eat much and got back to the hotel. I had to cry it out on the bathroom floor before we could discuss it rationally. And we did. We worked through it. And although I hated that the discussion/misunderstanding/argument intruded on our beautiful weekend, I can say how much closer I feel to him for having walked thorough it. Each time we work through something like that, we end up more tightly woven. And stronger. But man, did it suck to get there!

Then, we decide to go down to the hot tub. And ignore the "No Glass" rule. So J hid the bottle of champagne under his robe. And accidentally dropped it on the marble staircase. Whoops. Glass and champagne EVERYWHERE! It was made worse because it was the champagne that he had given me for Valentine's Day. I had to physically stop him from going and finding a replacement bottle. We relaxed a bit n the hot tub and then came back up for bed. Our feet stuck to the marble as we came up the stairs - that was some sticky champagne! I had to take the photo of J sitting by the "wet floor" sign. I know the staff thought we were nutso!


My headache started right about then. Followed quickly by nausea. Luckily, J is a traveling pharmacy and has something to at least take away my nausea. Zofran (sp?) is a good thing! I didn't sleep well and woke up knowing that it would get worse. We did have a great morning, even though I was a bit compromised with the headache/migrain that was slowly taking over my persona. We wandered through the shops at the Del and ended up on their sundeck with a glass of wine before leaving for the airport.

Long and sordid story made short . . . Southwest had some issues. We were very late after multiple attempts to get home on alternate flights. By the time we landed, I felt badly enough that J wouldn't;t let me drive. So he called his Commander and basically said that he wouldn't be at the base in eh morning, as requested. That he would get there when he could in the afternoon. So instead of putting me in a rental car and sending me on my way, J drove me home. We had progressed from over-the-counter meds by that point and nothing was helping. By the time we got home, I was cross-eyed. He took care of D and sent me to bed. I ended up asking an expired Vicodin and passing out.

I felt slightly better by Monday morning, although it literally took me almost four days to truly be over the headache. It was all hormones, probably driven a bit by our argument on Saturday night. Hopefully, if this new Nuva-Ring works (which is weird, I tell ya . . . weird! It reminds me of those jelly bracelets we used to wear in the 80's. Except, well, floating in my who-ha), then my hormones will even out and I will be sane. Please, Jesus, please!

So that was our jolly trip to Coronado. Awesome, but very real time spent together. Each experience reaffirms my heart for him. I am so amazingly grateful to have this chance.