X-man was not in the mood to explore the city on Thursday (I was going to take him to the cable car museum). So we stayed in the room and watched a morning of PBS cartoons and then walked down to the Yerba Buena Play Place. X-man got a chance to run around for an hour before riding the merry-go-round. MacTroll met us for lunch, and then we got in the car and went to the California Academy of Sciences Museum.
X-man, of course, fell asleep on the way there. So, he ended up sleeping in the stroller the whole time we were there. Structurally, CASM is awesome. It's amazing architecture and exhibit design. It's a green museum to its core and the whole museum focuses on teaching about evolution and climate change. Financially, CASM is completely overpriced. Even though all kids under 7 are free (and they'll get a kick out of the rainforest sphere and aquarium) the adult price is $24.95, and you just don't get anything extra than you would if your family decided to go to a good aquarium or zoo. But man, the work they did on the building is amazing. From the basement aquarium all the way up to the "green roof."
X-man woke up as we were leaving 2 hours later. He was upset that he missed the museum, so we took him back to the Koret's Children's Quarter to play. He got an hour and a half there before we headed back into town.
MacTroll apparently got some sucky work news and was in a mood the whole rest of the night. So, I got ready to leave on Friday a.m. and we went to bed early.
On Friday a.m., it was like MacTroll had a fire lit in his ass. We had to be in Morro Bay by 5 p.m. so I could go to a Nia class with my friend Robin. But it was a 3-5 hour drive (depending on which highway we took). But X-man and I took a while to get ready, so we left late.
As it turned out, we took the Pacific Coast Highway for the views, but I ended up getting carsick, so MacTroll slowed down and we had to make frequent stops -- making our drive last 7 hours instead. And that wasn't just the only pain -- we stopped at 3:30 p.m. so I could use the bathroom. There was no cell connectivity, so we got a snack and sat down while MacTroll used a payphone (hooray for 1-800 number conference calls). Of course, I'm sitting at a picnic table feeling nauseated while X-man tries his first ice cream sandwich of the season. In the end he's covered in ice cream and then -- I smell the poop blow out in his diaper. So I'm feeling sick and I have to look for a place to strip down my kid because the bathroom was not really diaper changing friendly, and I've got my hands and kid full of ice cream. Something isn't going to go right -- and it doesn't. I somehow lost my cellphone.
When X-man is all clean and MacTroll is finally off the phone at 5 p.m. we get back on the road. I'm all annoyed about losing my phone, and five minutes after we're on the road and MacTroll is trying to get us to Robin's -- Mr. Policeman comes over the rise -- and MacTroll gets a speeding ticket. Apparently, California reports to all 50 states -- and had an online driver's program that MacTroll will now be taking part in.
When we get to town, I call Robin and apologize and decide to go get some dinner with the boys rather than go to the class. X-man is in a terrible mood. He's whiny and pissy and wants to play on these grocery store kid ride things, but MacTroll is starving. Our hotel was a total rip off. So if you're in Morro Bay, the reason everyone is there camping or in an RV is because hotels that should charge $65 charge $180 giving you a false sense of security.
So, MacTroll carried out dinner to a park across the street. Where X-man refused to eat anything, but finally caught his bubble (i.e. sat quietly) and let MacTroll eat in peace. Then I escorted the child back to the stupid ride-on toys that we don't put quarters in, leaving MacTroll with carrying X-man's leftovers and the diaper bag.
Robin swung by and picked me up at 8 p.m and we headed downtown for drinks and dessert. In the middle we get a call from MacTroll asking me if I took the diaper bag -- ruw roh. There was nothing in it besides the potty seat, diapers, wipes and snacks (all replaceable). But Robin and I swung through the park and the bag had moved from under our table to under a bench. It had obviously been rifled through, but nothing was missing.
It had been a long, bad day and a half. So, we took to our beds in the crappy hotel and slept hoping Saturday would be way better (which it was).
Coming up: Days 7 and 8: X-man meets the ocean and we arrive in Anaheim.
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