Work & Play & Best Laid Plans

We just had a week with lots ...
WORK (sorta): buzzy4shots.com - International Juvenile Diabetes Conference

Buzzy in 2012 Consumer Guide in Diabetes Forecast

My Amazing Friend invented Buzzy. A wonderfully simple device for relieving needle pain. I have had the good fortune to ride along, beside and behind as she has manufactured Buzzy and placed it in over 300 hospitals and provided pain relief to lots of kids and adults.

Each year, Commuter Husband, Oldest Son, Youngest Son and I try to cover a conference for Amazing Friend to promote, educate and sell Buzzy in the Exhibit Hall. Last August, we went to San Antonio, TX for the down syndrome conference and this past week we went to Orlando, FL for the International Juvenile Diabetes Conference. It is such a great life experience for all of us to interact with all these kids and see the beauty in how they face down adversity.

Oldest Son and Youngest Son also "earn their keep." They approach adults and confidently explain the  scientific facts and data to support Buzzy. And they make sales. We always get many compliments on how knowledgeable and well spoken the boys are in their interactions. One Mom brought her Sales Husband back to Buzzy Booth just for Youngest Son to repeat his spiel - too funny!

Boys getting Buzzy booth ready!

PLAY: Universal Studios Harry Potter, Disney Epcot and Surfing

Youngest Son trying out "wrong" wand at Ollivanders

We did (of course) arrive in Orlando a few days early. We were all thrilled to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter to sample butterbeer in Hogsmeade, visit Ollivanders (Youngest Son had a wand choose him!) and ride The Forbidden Journey.

Amazing Friend GIFTED us Epcot tickets. She is also very, very generous.  Epcot is our unanimous favorite Disney park. We even got a real lightening & thunder show before Illuminations.

On July 4th, we drove over to New Smyrna Beach on the Atlantic side. The boys had a fun surf lesson and the beaches were lovely. We had hot dogs and ice cream and a relaxing time. I even picked up a few shells.

Surfer Dude leading the lambs ...

Red spot is Oldest Son surfing

BEST LAID PLANS: Home and Off to Greene Family Camp
The Plan was to fly into Dallas at 9pm Saturday and meet Fun Friends at 7:45am Sunday to caravan our kids to Greene Family Camp.

Here is short version of what really happened:

• Dallas storms delayed our American Airlines flight out of Orlando and AA then rerouted us to San Antonio, TX
• We deplaned in San Antonio at 11pm where AA had absolutely zero options for us: no hotel, no new flight and no help to re-schedule. AA advised to call the 1-800 number BUT all flights from San Antonio to Dallas booked till Tuesday. The gate agent disappeared within 5 minutes and security showed up. Flabbergasted we were.
• So, we rented a car from Avis (who felt so sorry for us they upgraded us to a Jeep!), drove to Dallas, picked up our car from DFW airport at 4:30am, returned rental at 5:00am and arrived home at 5:30am
• We slept 3.5 hours and then drove boys to Greene Family Camp in Bruceville (south of Waco, TX) and yes we had just driven right by there on I35 at 2:30am ...  

Anyway, we had a great week, an unforgettable end and the boys are safely delivered to Jewish camp: Oldest Son until August 1st and Youngest Son until July 20th.

Commuter Husband is sweetly asleep beside me now ... guess the drive back to Houston will wait until the morning ...