The Cost of Luxury

September 19, 2006 By

Ahhh, the suspense of my eventful weekend. After forgetting the blasted key, we eventually got into our luxury cabin. I won’t divulge the sordid details (no cell phone reception, the owner in Hawaii, cleaning lady unavailable, etc.) In the end, we found a spare key, something I may underhandedly use in the future because I DEMAND A DO-OVER!

As aforementioned, our weekend plans centered on relaxation and fun in the sun. We didn’t get either of them. Don’t get me wrong. If I’m going to suffer from any kind of ailment, I would rather do it at a million-dollar lakeside cabin vs. my own anarchic abode.

The excruciating stomach pains started that night, followed by a fever. And then came the mad dashes to the bathroom. Just to put this in perspective, I usually suffer from the opposite affliction, the one where you camp out there for hours. I’m sure it was just a coincidence that both the toilet and the shower broke when I was the last person to use them. My MIL tried to comfort me by talking about the cabin’s past plumbing problems, though I suspect this was code for my own maladies.

And then Haddie got sick. In addition to diarrhea in diapers, she also specialized in projectile puking.

Oh well. At least we had our kayaks and water toys.

It snowed and/or rained the entire weekend.

Oh well. At least the healthy boys had a great time playing and taking care of us. Errr…didn’t they?

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, Humor, travel

Amber Murphy Strikes Again

September 17, 2006 By

As many of you know, it’s been a rough few weeks. OK, months. But I was finally feeling better and the outlook was bright.

Until we decided to chance the unthinkable last weekend: The Family Roadtrip. It had all the makings for an amazing getaway. Jamie scored us a million-dollar lakeside cabin in the mountains.
A cabin that has Tim “The Toolman” Taylor as a neighbor. A cabin where celebrities have stayed and left their mark. OK, maybe the janitor on Scrubs ain’t exactly A-list but work with me here. At least the place was extra clean.


We invited Grandma and Grandpa along (a.k.a. babysitters extraordinaire). We would hike through the verdant fall foliage, play with their numerous kayaks and water toys, and explore the quaint mountain hamlet.

And then It happened. My life. That same Amber Murphy life that plagued my travel-writing days. With allllll those unfortunate events that made my readers tune in regularly to find out what else could possibly go wrong this time.

Jamie couldn’t get off work until later so Linda and I decided to make the two-hour drive earlier in the day. That way, the kids could nap during the drive and we’d have plenty of time to get settled. Brilliant, right? Yeah, if they’d actually slept.

Undaunted, we still made great time and arrived at the cabin. We unloaded the kids and luggage and made the long trek down the steep ramp to the cabin. As we stood at the doorway, I did a victory dance over how magnificent it all was: the gorgeous cabin, the shimmering water, the fragrance of fall.

And then I tried the key. The same key I thought belonged to the cabin. The same key that turned out to be one of two keys that Hunky Hubby had received from the owner. Unbeknownst to me. I later found out I had in my possession the garbage key. How utterly convenient. While the house key sat on our kitchen counter, two hours away.

And so It began. My life.

(To be continued. When I have the strength to relive it all….)

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, Humor, travel Tagged With:

Crazy Fun Family Weekend

January 23, 2006 By

Welp, we had the best ever family vacation to YMCA of the Rockies last weekend! Now, “best ever” meant different things to different people. For Jamie, it meant I completely lost my voice and could only murmur sweet nothings in his ear. For me, it meant I was out of the house. Thankfully, Hadley was in a great mood the entire time. Oh, and she slept through the night. That makes “The Best Ever” list for both of us.

We called it our Crazy-Fun Weekend. Each time we’d say that, Haddie would obligingly throw her head back and raucously do her Crazy-Fun Laugh. Someday she’ll look at us in disgust and pray no one will see us participate in such corny activities. But for now, we’re milking it.

Our mountain resort was idyllic. A huge storm blew threw on Thursday, leaving a blanket of powder and bluebird conditions. We had planned to snowshoe and skate but since going up the stairs made me cough up my only good lung, we downgraded our activities. We still knocked a few baskets down on the basketball court, went swimming, played with the stuffed elk in the lobby, and pigged out on the buffet free times a day.

But the real highlight was sledding and playing in the snow at the Nordic Center. The tubing hill was abuzz with activity, mostly teens dog-piling and trying to kill each other. Hadley looked at them in wonder…and then proceeded to pummel down the steep slope in her little sled, absolutely annihilating her competition. They marveled at her: “How old is she?” they’d ask. Proud Papa Jamie would humbly reply “Oh, she’s only 1.” I think he was secretly plotting her Olympic prospects in the luge.

Our little speed demon was also in her element at the base of the mountain when Jamie put her in a tube, grabbed a rope and spun her around in circles. He had her going so fast her body was sloped over and her neck flung back as she squealed with delight. I thought for sure her head would pop off but it held strong. It’s a good thing, too, because after a year of questioning if it even existed during her Jabba/Chub phase, she recently discovered she had one.

We rushed home to watch the sad demise of Jamie’s Broncos. OK, he watched, I napped. We’re both feeling a bit bummed–he, because of his team. Me, because it’s painful to see a grown man cry. Oh, and because I’m going to have to have to endure his nappy 1999 Broncos Superbowl sweatshirt for at least another year.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Colorado, Family, Family travel, Hadley, Jamie, travel
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