everything to everyone

What I want for Christmas:

• More time
• More money
• More copies of me so I can be two places at once

My New York friend B is having brain surgery on December 19th. I'm so glad she's finally doing it. The condition she has won't kill her, but it's making life pretty miserable. This could fix it.

I had been planning to offer to go up and stay with her kids, once they set a date, so I did. I doubted she'd take me up on it; the offer was completely genuine though. If she said yes, I would be on the next plane. She's just not the type that would want me to.

Except she does. She loves the idea of the "kids" (they're sixteen and seventeen) having fun, instead of sitting around worrying while she has surgery. For some reason, these kids adore me. A has met Zach, and she likes him too. We could both go, and introduce Zach to lots of snow and sledding and just generally have a blast for a couple of days. It would also free up her husband to be at the hospital.

And honestly, at that age, would you rather hang with a couple of somewhat dorky but well meaning twentysomethings, or your gramma?

The problem is that we had planned to leave on the 20th to see my family in Chicago. We would still be able to go; we just probably wouldn't leave until the 22nd or so. Which is fine - we can just stay in Chicago a couple days longer.

Except...(there's always an except) we have some friends who had the brilliant idea to get married on the 27th. In Atlanta. Oh, and we're driving to and from Chicago, which is a day's travel each way. The friends are really Zach's friends, although I like them a lot. If we went to B's, I'd want to skip the wedding.

Priorities are a tricky thing when you're married. I'm used to just having to plan for myself, and while compromising was fine, in the end I was pretty much on my own. Not now. I'm trying to figure out how to reconcile what we all want/need to do.

Emma's Priorities:

# 1. Spend lots of time with family in Chicago

# 2. Be there for the kids during B's surgery.

# 473. Go to the wedding.

Zach's Priorities:

# 1a. Spend time with Emma's family (but only because Emma will be a complete and utter pain in the butt otherwise).

# 1b. Go to the wedding.

# Huh? Go to NY and who the hell ARE these people, anyway?

It will be hectic, and while I have no problem doing it myself, it's hard to ask Zach to do it. There's also the money thing - it'll be expensive to fly us both to NY, although I did some math and we should be able to do it without things being too tight. But that's still an extra $600 we weren't planning on.

I don't know what to do here. If anyone is reading this, will you leave me some advice? I am clueless.

I also need a hug. Is it time to go home yet?

~Emma~

Reading: Dave Barry

Hearing: Shaye (Tara MacLean's new group, it rocks!!!)

Wishing: See above Christmas list. Oh, and that PMS calories didn't count.

--->Comment allez-vous?<---

earlier later

break this - Tuesday, Mar. 01, 2005

long time no post - Monday, Feb. 28, 2005

give me a little credit - Thursday, Nov. 18, 2004

blink-free - Thursday, Oct. 28, 2004

end of days - Thursday, Oct. 14, 2004

Clix me! (Pretty please?)