I'll Laugh About This Later

We've all heard the phrase, "you'll laugh about this later." I'm definitely not at the "laughing" point yet with our recent weekend experience. (And truthfully, I don't know that I ever will be.)

Allow me to start from the beginning. For Christmas in 2019, I gave Andrew a gift-card to Tuacahn. We booked tickets to see "Count of Monte Cristo" for the summer of 2020 with friends. Covid-19 cancelled those plans. We tried our luck and booked tickets once more with some other friends for Saturday, August 7, 2021.

Nothing tops a weekend without kids. We were especially eager to leave behind smoky Salt Lake. The smog was extra bad thanks to a massive fire in CA named, "The Dixie Fire." A couple of hours into our drive, we saw blue skies. We were thrilled. Unfortunately, those blue skies were short-lived. We woke up Saturday morning to a sheet of smoke filling the sky.

I checked my email constantly Saturday seeking an update from Tuacahn about whether or not the show would go on. The air quality was bad enough that it was considered "unhealthy" to be outside for everyone-- not just sensitive groups. The fact that I know this terminology is quite sad. The air quality in UT is yucky fairly consistently. In fact, recently, Salt Lake's air was considered the worst in the world-- not something any city wants to be known for.

After radio-silence from Tuacahn, we made our way to the amphitheater only to find out that yes indeed, the play had been cancelled. What! Why was this not communicated beforehand? Nobody knows. To say we were disappointed is an understatement. I had even done my homework and viewed the movie "Count of Monte Cristo" the prior weekend. This made matters worse because it made me even more excited to see it. I guess I can always read the book since seeing the play didn't happen.

How did we cope with the news? By eating our feelings of course. We quickly made our way to "Sweet Rolled Tacos" to get out of the picturesque scenery that was so close to being the backdrop for our entertainment.  As if we needed any other letdowns, it took over an hour for us to get our dessert order. This was not a sit down restaurant and we were told the line would maybe take 25 minutes. At this point, we were trying not to scream. Becca graciously asked for a refund and succeeded. I will say that I nearly peed my pants giggling after daring Becca to go offer to help the workers. She did and even mentioned that she has an up-to-date food-handler's permit. I wish you could have seen the look of astonishment on the cashiers face when Becca offered. Was the ice cream worth over an hour wait? No.

Let's leave the play out of this. Here's how we spent the rest of our time:

• Games. So many games. Did you know Grandpa Beck made a new version of "Cover Your Assets?" 
• Food. We even went out for breakfast! For dinner, we splurged and went to Magleby's which I'd recommend. Avoid the "All American Diner" in Cedar City at all costs.
• Snacks. Nick and Becca brought all the goodies and drinks anyone could ever want. 
• "Black Widow." I was pleased Andrew had someone else to watch it with while I peacefully slept.
• We got to swim for maybe 30 minutes before needing to escape the disgusting air. 
• Becca and I went shopping at the outlets. 
• Sleep. We didn't have a wake-up call, but we were still up early. Being up at dawn is typical for me, but when Andrew's awake, you know something is up. Our old, creaky bed was loud if you moved or rolled over at all.
• Time to talk in the car. A four-hour drive each way felt pretty tranquil without children. Andrew and I could chat without constant interruptions! 
• Quality reading time. However, I don't think "The Boy Who Followed His Father into Auschwitz" was the best vacation pick. I finally gave up 168 pages in. I didn't need added gloominess in addition to Tuacahn.
• Pictures and kid updates. They were in good hands. When I asked James if he missed us, his response without hesitation was, "No, not at all!" Thanks, Nana!

Guess what? We can exchange our "Count of Monte Cristo" tickets for another date. Are we going to? Absolutely not. After 2 attempts to see the play, we learned the tickets must be cursed. We're happy to be refunded and rid of them. Sometimes even crummy situations cause laughter, but maybe not this time?