Eileen and I took the light rail to the airport and had an easy flight into Omaha. We got a nice free upgrade. They asked, "Chevy Impala or Toyota Camry?" Like that's a hard choice. I then proceeded to take the world's longest, most boring drive past corn fields to Central City in a sweet 2017 Toyota Camry.
My friend, Heather, and her family live there. Being a good friend, I try to make it out there occasionally. It's been a ridiculously busy school year. I figured the best way to slow down was to spend my weekend in a place that had no wi-fi and I couldn't do any grading or lesson planning. Heather has two little girls, ideal playmates for Eileen.
I had the most chill weekend that I've experienced in a long time. We swam at the local fitness center (had the place to ourselves due to the Huskers game). The girls swam. Heather and I lounged in the hot tub.
We attended the town Veteran's Day assembly. Lots of tractor viewing. The candy haul was impressive. I think it had something to do with being shortly after Halloween. Heather located a nice spot and it was not crowded at all. I "may" have been heard yelling, "Get mama the good stuff! The Reeses!"
We spent a lot of time lounging/sleeping. The girls played upstairs while the adults watched Law and Order SVU and reruns of Friends. We baked brownies. In preparation of our visit, Heather scoured stores across several towns to find gluten free, dairy free food for Eileen.
The girls quickly became best friends. Even with the whole couch to themselves, all three would opt to sit squeezed together.
We attended a healthy kids fair one afternoon.
Heather's girls, Brooklyn and Teagan, have insanely long, luscious locks. Teagan has more hair than anyone I have ever met. I was in heaven playing with their hair. It was the ultimate girls weekend. Being in the middle of nowhere means that getting anywhere takes a long time. During one car trip the girls were bugging one another so I offered them each a dollar to fall asleep. I stand by my decision.
I made sure to sample the local cuisine. As luck would have it, a Runza just opened in Central City this week. It is a uniquely Nebraskan food chain.
It reminds me of food made by grandmas everywhere -- ground hamburger, onion, and lots of pepper. The Runza also has cabbage in it. It's a little like a Piroshky if the good old Betty Crocker red plaid cookbook tried its hand at one. Still, it's satisfying.
On my final night, Heather and I went and saw Bad Mom's Christmas and finished our evening with slices of pie at a Perkins diner. While I was gone, TJ (Heather's husband) assembled a bed for me (I had been sleeping on a futon). Not only did he put it together and make it up really nice, he put out breakfast in bed for me--a Twix since he saw me grab one that morning while I drank my coffee--and turned on the TV to a liberal news channel. It was incredibly thoughtful and I slept awesome.
I slept frequently and with abandon on my trip. With no responsibility, no place to be, I truly was able to let go. It was awesome. I even read two books. I had to fly all the way to Nebraska to manage to fully relax, but it was well worth it, especially since I got to spend time with Heather. Eileen and I both miss everyone so much already. Robin wants to know when it is his turn to go to Nebraska.
Heather and I don't talk enough. We are both incredibly busy people and separated by two time zones. Grown up friendships are awesome. Just because you don't ever talk to someone doesn't mean the love isn't still there. And when you do see them, it's like no time has passed at all. Thanks Heather for a wonderful weekend. I hope we don't have to go so long again before seeing each other. Tell TJ I plan to learn how to make a Runza just for him.
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