#152 - Road Trip to Dallas

Going from the Houston area to the Dallas area takes around five hours. This week we will be participating in the filming of a new show for Randy of "Say Yes to the Dress." I believe it airs on The Learning Channel (TLC). Our oldest daughter has actually been approached and selected to be filmed. This means, her entire family and her wedding party is supposed to be there for the filming.

However, most of her bride's maids are either working or live out of state and cannot make it for the mid-week shoot. So, that leaves Heather's sister, Stefie as the only wedding party member to show up. My daughters are extremely close sisters. Stefie is going to be Heather's Maid of Honor. She is blessed to have a sister stick by her through thick and thin for this mid-week film shoot.

So, Deputy Dave, myself, Stefie and our three dogs drove the five hour trip today to get to the Dallas area so we could support our daughter and be a part of her filming excitement.

Since we own land a couple of hours outside of Houston, we travel quite frequently and we bring the dogs. Our dogs are fabulous travel companions. However, this would be our first road trip since we rescued Belle the Yorkie. Needless to say, traveling with this dog as been a disaster.

The first part of the trip goes like this...Belle the Yorkie is super hyper anxious. I finally get her to sit up in the front seat of the truck with me and I try to get her calmed down and relaxed in my lap. All is well when suddenly, Belle began throwing up ALL OVER ME. I'm not talking a little upchuck moment...we're talking about a large bowl full of chunks throw-up. All over my jeans and down into a pool of vomit on my seat.

Deputy Dave made a smooth, yet hurried exit off of the freeway to a convenience store where I quickly cleaned up everything as best as I could. We bought some disinfecting spray, wipes, and water...I rubbed and scrubbed everything in an attempt to rid ourselves of the vomit smell. Not pleasant. So, into her kennel she had to go with a fluffy towel. We put her little kennel on the arm rest between us in the front seat; she still had adequate air, was comfortable, but minutes later, she was throwing up again. I felt so sorry for her! Basically, she vomited off and on for the entire trip. Now, we realize that Belle the Yorkie is not a traveling kind of dog. She gets extremely car sick.

As soon as we arrived to my daughter's house, I ran with Belle still tucked inside her kennel, straight for the bathtub. I put the entire kennel into the tub, then coaxed her out toward the warm bath water. She got a great bath, I disinfected the kennel, washed the towels in bleach in the laundry room and our little Belle the Yorkie was like brand new. She just can't ride long-term in a vehicle.

But, I felt like the biggest yucky ball of grossness. I had a dog vomit on me, soaking dog hair had been against my body as I held the towel trying to dry her off after the wash and I just wanted a long shower. But, Heather walks in, "We're taking you guys out to eat tonight to this restraurant ran by two sisters...it means the world to us, they are expecting us...HURRY, they close in a few minutes and are waiting for us."

Great, the vomit clothes will be going out to dinner with me.

I looked down at my jeans, my shirt and knew that I was disgusting, but we drove all this way to see my daughter and I couldn't let a little vomit or dog smell deter me from spending every moment I could with her. I hugged her with my body leaning out a good distance and said, "You really don't want to get close to me after the day I've had; we'll go for a better hug once I'm out of the shower."

So, I did the unthinkable. I went to dinner in the clothes I'd worn all day. EWWWWWW!! Yes, I'd used disinfectant wipes and everything else imaginable to clean my jeans earlier in the day, but my mind still could see little vomit bacteria embedded in the fibers of my jeans. I could not touch my leg or I might hit the "vomit spot."

Needless to say, dinner was delicious. No one commented that I spelled like a vet's office and we all went to look at some incredible Christmas lights that were engineered to perform a quite stunning light display along to songs so that the light action matched the music. It was incredible.

Finally, we got home and I got to take a shower. I put my clothes in my daughter's washing machine and was free of doggie body fluids --- not exactly the best day trip I've experienced, but not the worst either.

Regardless, I'm very excited about our activities over the next few days. We will be meeting some interesting people; learning some helpful facts about selecting a wedding dress for Heather's body type and I just hope we don't say anything horrendous that will be on television.

I wonder what Randy the television personality and wedding dress expert will think about Heather wearing cowboy boots with her wedding dress? Surely he will realize we ARE Texans; after all, we will be filming in Dallas, not New York.

My oldest daughter is thrilled to have this experience, but she is accustomed to being on television...I'm not. I run from television or from having to be put on the spot with a microphone in my face. It's not that I mind public speaking, that's okay, but I don't like television moments such as, "Your daughter is getting married and surely you are one of those dragon mothers who is disgusted by every dress your daughter tries on because it's not a replica of your own wedding dress."

I'm waiting to see what happens. Hopefully, they will be surprised to see that this mother loves everything her daughter tries on...I always think my girls are beautiful, no matter what. I'm easy to please. Life is beautiful.

So, Lord, please don't let me make an irksome expression during the filming because we all know it will be cut, pasted and edited to look as if I were horrified by the dress with the feathers sticking out of it.

Lord, let me be a good mommy or at least wear a great Poker Face!