ADVENTURES

 My last post was all about my wonderful 3 days with autism. Yep, in a nutshell I wrote about the gifts I received from two boys I have loved from afar for a couple of years and finally got to physically connect with and laugh with and fill my heart to overflowing. I am framing a couple of the pictures for my office walls or shelves because now the moments are memories and I want to hold on to them always.

This posting will be NOT about the boys, so much. This three day visit also included some adult time with Amy McMunn Schindler, Hillary Dana-Rumi and Andrea Coventry along with Jennae Buiniski Moran and Ellie Bruczicki Bradley and very brief encounters with Roland Schindler, Julio and Fares Rumi.  Those guys just sorta passed through our time together, but deserve a little mention because they WERE there and I did get to meet them all. This trip was about the kids and the ladies.

Walking up to the front door of Amy's house, I felt no nerves, no trepidation. None. What I felt in that 50 foot walk was nothing but excitement and glee. I could see her standing in the kitchen as I approached the door. My heart sort of leaped a bit, she is real. She is as beautiful as the photos I've seen and she is smiling and coming to the door with open arms. I could hardly hug her enough. My Amy was hugging ME. It was awesome. I imagine I will see that 2 minutes again and again in my head as I think of this trip, which I shall do many times.

Rusty sat politely, tail wagging, up on his behind, front paws raised to give me kisses and a proper greeting if I would just kneel to his height. I did so because I never refuse puppy love and certainly not from such a handsome and polite little man-dog. I really LOVE Rusty.

We had a short visitation and tour and I met Will and then I met Trey and the respite worker Julio all while Amy was busily preparing snacks for the ladies and chatting with me while we passed our first hour or so in each other's company. Very easy. Very natural. Very much what I knew we would be together. She the age of my youngest child and me, well, older than Will had imagined and he did tell me this the next day.  Bless his heart.  LOL

Rusty...my puppy love.

When Hillary and Andrea arrived for the wine and snacks, the hugging continued, the chatting, the getting to know each other, (like we didn't already) continued. We laughed, we sipped, we talked and when Roland got home to take over the boys, Hillary, Andi and I left for dinner and Amy went to talk with a mom who had a newly diagnosed child with autism. While we missed her at dinner, we so respected what she was doing, that we simply carried on. We shared a fabulous walk along the Erie Canal and dinner at a Greek restaurant in Pittsford. Oddly, they had some lovely wines and we each had a little with our dinner. The three of us seemed to me like old friends who hadn't gotten together in a long time. I was not the new kid, or the visiting relative, I was just another friend. So good. So pleasant and so relaxing.

Day two began at 6:00 a.m. for me. Now, let me remind or inform you, if you don't know me at all, I am NOT a morning person. Not ever up any earlier than I naturally wake up except for very important things whose times I cannot control or for people who are THAT dear to me. Okay, so they tell me the Public Market is a must on my visit and I love Public Market's so I'm all in. Then they inform me you must be there early or you miss all the good stuff and breakfast there is great. This is the dear friend part, I agree. I am to be at Amy's by 8 a.m.  Okay, I can do this. Amy suggests 8:30, I'm good with that. Turns out to be 9:00 is the better time, so by my arrival at her home, I am actually awake and nearly human with 3 large cups of coffee already consumed. 

The breakfast was really good and a lot of fun. No wine. A meal without wine is called breakfast, so we adhered to that.  Shopped the market, got some produce for the locals and I got some cool nail colors for a buck a bottle. BARGAIN.  Mostly I loved just walking around the market and seeing all the people, produce and enjoying Will's excitement, too.

The winery was next on our agenda. A local and beautiful winery that give tours and tastings! Breakfast is over so we're good to go with the winery tasting.  Long story short here, we tasted first and toured an hour or so later. Tasting was delightfully fun and really good wine, and resulted in some healthy purchases; tour was not good because we had a not friendly nor child loving guide and Will was totally into the process and Amy could not keep up with the crowd and got us yelled at more than once.  Tour guide needed some lessons in public relations, but somehow, we managed to giggle our way through and only embarrass Will a few times. Will the rule follower, us not so much.

The end of the tasting...note empty glasses and big smiles!





That evening we took Will and Hillary's older son, Joey with us to Ellie's house for a little after dinner get together. Dinner was at a Pub with really good food and excellent company. The boys behaved better than most adults present and we all left with full tummy's and smiles. The Pub also had wine. No pics here.  Hummmm.  Well.

The evening was so fun and Jennae joined us with her son which meant all the boys were outta there, for the most part. Except when Will decided to puke and then needed some cuddle time with me. WITH ME!  I loved that, he is just the sweetest thing.  And I didn't have clean-up duty as Jennae, Amy and Ellie went full speed into cleaning mode. And really how many women does it take to clean up a little barely digested dinner upchucked. I just had to cuddle with the oh so sorry and oh so adorable Will.  All good!

Between Andi's stories, Hillary's commentary and Jennae and Ellie and Amy's two cents worth all the general fun and silly conversation the evening passed in a flash! These ladies are the best company, seriously, drunk and funny!  Oh, I meant to say, beautiful and funny.  Stupid autocorrect! 

The last day of my visit was an adult lunch at the Owl House and featured a delicious if not oversized bloody mary. I shared. Food was great and the atmosphere was unique and quaint and I loved every minute of this gathering. I also got to sleep in on day 3.  :-)

We returned to Amy's home and sat around the living room while Hillary's little one, Jules, played with Trey's vacuums and other toys and along with enjoying him, we continued to talk and giggle and interact with Will occasionally and I sat in with Trey and his therapist for a few minutes and got to enter and pose with him in his vacuum room for a picture. Special treat for me, for sure. ♥  The whole afternoon was just relaxed and fun and made me realize what wonderful humans I had attached myself to in such a short real life time. Perhaps because we have all had many hours of online talking and joking and even sharing personal things, but the feeling was of old friends, not new ones. Very special. We may have also had a few adult beverages during our visit. At some point here, Fares Rumi came to collect his baby from us so that dinner could eventually be an adult affair. It was to be a spicy meal, so Will did not have any interest in joining us.

A quick stop at the mall so I could ride the beautiful carousel with Trey and we were off to dinner leaving Roland and Julio with the fellas two at the carousel and the other two in the Game Stop.

Our farewell dinner was Mexican and authentic and fabulous. The drinks here were large and delish. Except this is where Amy remembered that she doesn't like tequila, after ordering a giant fish bowl sized margarita. Andi ordered the same, but had no problem downing hers! Brava, Andi!  Hillary went for the normal size and I went with the white russian in a mug. Amy's was the only one left on the table when we made our way out.

Back to the hotel...my hotel...hugs all around. BIG HUGS. BIG THANK YOUS. In my room a few big tears. I was missing them already.

My rehab began the moment I got into my car to head back to Michigan. New York was wonderful, fun and I hope to return before too long, but I must finish rehab first!  ♥

I suspect I will relapse on my next visit.
Jo