I had a big week planned: The 2011 Tour de Mom. You see, I am the kind of mom that never goes anywhere without the family. I like the idea of getting away, but it is hard for me. First of all, I don’t know where to go. Secondly, while I have lots of friends who might want to go, we share another problem. We are all so busy that when we can get away, we actually want to go with our husbands and spend time with them. Day trips are no problem. Leave after breakfast, home by dinner. But a “girls’ weekend”? Or a “girls’ week”? That is harder to accomplish.
My husband is always encouraging me to leave. Not permanently mind you, but just for a while. Just a few days away, he says, will be good for everyone. Me? I get a break. Him? He gets a break. The boys? They get their father’s undivided attention, which is probably a mixed blessing, but one for which they are excited.
When our boys were quite young, my husband and his good friend convinced me and the friend’s wife (a good friend of mine) to go to Chicago for a long weekend with a third friend. We did. I got the flu. My husband had the flu at home while camping out with the kids and my friend took the flu home to her family. Not good.
Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, I thought to myself “Why not try again? Why not get away?” I have some girlfriends that I would love to ski with, so I put together the perfect trip. Basically, day trips for them, four nights away for me at their various homes. It was all arranged, everything was set up and I was good to go. Then I got the Winter cold. Yep, you guessed it. The Tour de Mom, became the Tour de Couch avec Kleenex.
I am sure a psychologist could have a heyday trying to determine what motivated me to get this cold: fear of leaving, anxiety about traveling alone, separation issues? The first big trip? I get the flu. The Tour de Mom? I get a cold. Sounds like a not very healthy pattern.
But I know what really happened. I got greedy.
You see, I knew I had a low-grade cold. But I went skiing anyway. I had a great day at Aspen in really cold, wet conditions. By the time I got in the car at the end of the day, my low-grade cold had become a full-on, stuffy head, sinus headache nightmare. So here I am lying on the couch, watching Season Three of “Chuck” (which is the only good thing about this cold — I am a “Chuck” addict) and swilling Ola Loa Drink Your Vitamins. While I’d rather be drinking Ola Loa’s Sport and Recovery formula, I am no sport, not right now.
As for the Tour de Mom? I am hoping for an abbreviated tour, beginning in a couple of days. Liquid vitamins anyone? I’ve got a big glass right here.
Achoo! And…cough, cough….cheers! Bottoms up.
A Brief Note on Vitamin Drinks…
When I am sick, I take great comfort in drinking my vitamins. I started years ago with Emergen-C and I think that stuff really works. As you probably know, Emergen-C comes in little packets which you add to water to make a vitamin drink.
This year, I got turned on to Ola Loa Drink Your Vitamins and now we really like this product. Similar in vitamin content to Emergen-C, Ola Loa has significantly less sugar but still tastes good (My younger son thinks the kids’ formula tastes like fruity cream soda).
If you unused to altitude and visiting Colorado to ski, for example, look for another fizzy vitamin packet — Acli-Mate Mountain Sports Drink. Formulated to help prevent altitude sickness, this little packet just might be a vacation saver.
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