Hotel Shampoo Doesn't Lather and Other Reasons I'm Happy to Be Home

6 nights was a long time to be away.

I departed for Indianapolis last Wednesday ready to implement another event. My excitement was tinged with the requisite nervousness that creeps in right before a big conference. A nice, straight-as-an-arrow, 5-hour drive awaited as I plugged in the iPod, opened the sunroof and settled in for the trip.

A full moon in the sky and good music were my driving partners for a majority of the trip and, I must admit, it was luxurious to get lost in song lyrics and let all the other details swimming in my head fade for a while. It was 40 miles outside Indy that the bottom dropped out. It just so happened to be 11:30pm and fatigue had set in. A desperate search for a Starbucks-type establishment had turned up empty and the rain was coming down so hard my wipers couldn't keep up. Big trucks would amble by, sloshing buckets of water my way...luckily, as I approached downtown, the can't-miss-it glow of Lucas Oil Stadium (home of the Colts) was a welcome beacon in the night--since I knew it was next door to the hotel.

I was there.

The next few days were abuzz with details, arrivals, meetings, greetings. I received some nice compliments about the weight loss and, yes, received a few more to add to "the list" ..a compilation of backhanded compliments that are actually quite funny. One of my favorites from this trip was..." Katie! Oh my gosh! You don't even LOOK like the same person. You look GREAT!"

Um, thanks? LOL. I know they mean well...

We did end up having an absolute blast at our Sunday evening event. We rented a historic train station across the street from the hotel and brought in dueling pianos for entertainment. It was so. much. fun! We had 6 buffet stations, bars, a build-your-own ice cream sundae bar...it was a hit! Suffice it to say, I called my pal Cindy (who thankfully comes and helps at these conferences) at 5:45 the next morning and said, "did we REALLLLY do the electric slide to Stevie Wonder's "Superstitious"? LOL It was a fun evening.

The next evening was our dressy gala held offsite at the beautiful Indiana Roof Ballroom...built in 1927 in a dark, Spanish-style architecture with balconies, coves and a ceiling complete with stars, a night sky and even simulated thunderstorms...it was perfect.

After a successful event, I loaded the car down and headed south. My boys were certainly happy to see me and I showered them all with kisses. Jacob looked like he had grown a foot and Daniel was full of details about school and his online football game and "can we go throw the football, Mommy? Huh? Can we? Huh? Huh?"

There was no meeting room to prepare, no projector to set up, no tour set to depart and no florist arriving in 10 minutes. There was a sandy-haired boy with a football in his hand and a toothless grin spread over his face.

It was so nice to be home.