Whenever I am offered to hear the good news or the bad news first, I always opt for the latter. Since I consider myself a conservative optimist, I prefer saving the best for last. With that said, let me start with Saturday and then finish with the rest of the weekend.
Saturday was planned to be a quiet morning, with an action packed afternoon for the boys! Nathan and I were planning on meeting up with friends of ours, and catching the train into Cleveland to go to the annual Air Show. So , full of excitement, Nathan and I headed to the train station (a drive I do 5 days a week). As I drove by Hopkins International Airport, I glanced over to my right and pointed out an airplane to Nathan. When I turned back to look at the road - not more than 2 seconds later - I saw that the car in front of me had stopped in the fast lane and was about to do an illegal U-turn in the middle of the road. By this time it was too late and all I could do was swerve. There was not enough time to avoid the collision, so the front left of my car became very well acquainted with the rear right side of the lady's minivan. Thankfully it was a relatively low speed collision and no-one was hurt. Nathan didn't even appear shaken and enjoyed the arrival of the paramedics and the police. So this obviously meant the trip to air show was no longer happening as we spent more than 3 hours on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck, and contacting all the relevant parties. On the bright, I was impressed by the number of people who stopped and offered assistance. But, this is still a Saturday I want to forget as quickly as possible!!!
Moving right along - back in time actually to Friday! August 29th was Liesel's birthday, her third celebrated in the USA. She had a very good day and was spoiled by the family (immediate and extended!) I surprised her with a 5ft long "body" pillow, that is helping her sleep more comfortably, which at 24 weeks pregnant, is very welcome! That evening we had planned on going to a fondue style restaurant - but this is only due to open at the end of September. So our second choice was the Cheesecake Factory. We had a delicious entree each - eating outside on their patio. Afterward we went to Barnes and Noble to allow Nathan some quality time with the Thomas the Train table! Now during this time, the pleasant evening weather changed within minutes to a torrential downpour! But being born in Africa - this did not deter the McCarthy's and we ran through the streets of Crocker Park, becoming totally saturated - as we headed back to our car. We did get many curious gazes from the locals who had wisely sought shelter from the storm!
On Sunday, I headed to Church to do my part in the worship team again. As soon as I got home Nathan was ready for me and we tried to make it to the Air Show for the second time in 2 days :) This time we made it to the train station without incident and embarked on an exciting adventure. Nathan loved riding the train and could soon imitate all of the sounds that are associated with the train! After 40 minutes we had made it to the waterfront and immediately were immersed in the sounds of fighter jets flying by! Once in the gates, there were so many things to see and aircraft to explore. Nathan got to sit in the cockpit of a US Airforce cargo plane, as well as in the Doctor's seat of the Metro Life Flight Helicopter. We also walked through the payload area of a C-5 Galaxy, the largest plane in the US Airforce! The highlight of the day for me was to watch the tactical demonstration of the F-16 Viper! These aircraft are unreal. The purchase of hearing protection beforehand turned out to be a very wise decision! At the end of that demonstration, Nathan was eager to return home, as we had been sitting in the hot sun for a bit - and the crowds and noise seemed a bit overwhelming for him. So we headed back to the trains just before the US Navy Blue Angels were about to perform. I would have loved to seen that, but I guess there is always next year. Overall - I had a great time.
Monday is Labor Day for us in the USA - which gives me a day to unwind after this whirlwind weekend!
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