On the Road Again...

They were giving me a hard time about hiding my belly...and I was telling them they needed a wide-angle lens!

 

One of Tim's oldest friends was in town this
weekend to have some fun with family and friends before he leaves for his 4th deployment. When it comes to Tim and this friend, it's one of those times where we stop whatever we're doing, cancel whatever might be planned and make sure we get the opportunity to spend some time with him. He's a beast and a really terrific guy. There really aren't words to express the gratitude and awe that I feel knowing the kinds of things he's witnessed and been through.

Men of honor and valor serve. period.

We were able to do dinner and some hanging out on Saturday night with Friend along with his parents (whom I adore) and some of his other friends. They had all made plans to go to the famous Salt Lick BBQ (yum!) and then head to The Backyard to see Willie Nelson in concert. Being the super-cool, pregnant chick that I am (3 weeks away mind you) we went for it! I mean what fun is it to sit at home. Now, granted, Tim and I have seen Willie a handful of times and although he's an icon, especially here in Texas, his shows have lost their luster. He has so many songs and he plays them so often that it's almost as though he's just running through the words themselves instead of singing them and then the songs just go one to the next. There's no pause or story, or personable feel between them. Still though, we were here to make a night of it and have some fun.

  

Until...

As the opening act was clearing the stage for Willie, Tim and I were standing behind a small group just people watching the crowd and WHAM! this woman in front of me swings her arm over her head and behind her and she basically whacks me right in the stomach. I was so surprised by it and shocked by the whole thing that I just stood there holding my stomach stunned. Tim on the other hand changed tune very fast and became extremely protective. (love him) She apologized profusely, and felt the need to tell me that she had a daughter, that she had fallen when she was pregnant with her, that she was telling a story about her when she swung her arm, and oh yea - that she was so sorry. She wanted to give me her phone number.  It wasn't like we were sitting in 5 o'clock traffic and I was right on her tail. This woman had stepped back and just flailed her arm right into my watermelon thump belly! I took a deep breath and told her I was fine, which I was...well physically. Emotionally though, it scared the crap out of me and boy did those hormones want to come storming in. The swingin' lady's husband told me I could probably get a year of free babysitting out of her if I wanted. Um, no sir, that's not it. You obviously don't get it.  I know it was an accident, and accidents happen, but when you're at a concert that has thousands of people you don't go swinging your arms around when telling a story.  I know she felt terrible and she'll probably always remember us from that night, but I accepted her apology and then asked Tim if we could walk away because I was about to cry. I couldn't hold it back and I didn't want to talk to the woman and her husband anymore. We walked to a different corner of the venue and I got myself together, but the night just wasn't the same. I couldn't help from holding my stomach like my hand was now body armor, or as if I was consoling a crying Little B in my stomach because he/she had just had their first spanking and it was from a stranger for doing nothing wrong at all!

So even though Tim is tempted to put me in lock-down until Little B gets here, we're all fine. Little B is one tough cookie. He/She isn't fazed by a little smack on the booty by some crazy lady. I think the pep talk that we gave our friend before his deployment and the pep talk he had with Little B about life taught us all a thing or two.   We're all "on the road again" really.  Friend is on the brave road to deployment and fighting for our freedoms, our country.  Little B is on the road to his/her arrival and one heck of a life, and then there's that crazy lady - well she can go find her own dang road.