Not Your Normal Monday

So, I often live vicariously through my cousin, Carmen, who has worked behind the scenes at Saturday Night Live, on the set of an Oscar-nominated movie and, currently, as the House Manager for the Grammy award winning band, Arcade Fire.  I eagerly await the stories she'll tell about her experiences and love that she listens to me ramble on about parenthood and the PTA with just as much enthusiasm.  Unfortunately, our time together can be counted in just hours a year, as schedules rarely allow for more.  When we found out the band had a tour stop in Pittsburgh, I jumped at the chance to see her.  Logistically, it took a whole bunch of work and family support to make it possible for me to head out of town on a Monday afternoon, but we made it happen. To say I'm thankful for the 36 hours away and all the time with my cousin is an understatement.

The tour bus arrived later than expected due to a flat tire, so I waited anxiously in the fancy lobby.  My cousin said I could get the keys to her room and wait there, but I really wanted to be a fly on the wall when they arrived.  My cousin came in first and grabbed all the keys.  The children and their nannies filed in next, followed by various staff members and then the band.  I stayed out of the way and sent Mate text messages about how surreal the whole thing was.  Once everyone was settled, we headed out to explore the city.   We weren't too far away, when my cousin was summoned back to the hotel to retrieve an item from the tour bus.  I got to go inside the bus, too, so there were no complaints from me about a delay in our evening plans.  

An hour of walking and talking and talking and walking landed us at the Duquesne Incline

 We enjoyed the view from the top before heading to dinner where we talked and ate and ate and talked.  Whether we have two minutes together or two hours, there never seems to be enough time to talk about everything we want.  Admittedly, we have a terribly difficult time finishing a conversation before another one begins.  We spend a lot of time asking "what were we talking about?" or "where was I going with that?" 

After logging nearly 16,000 steps, it was time for pajamas, face masks, champagne, mini-bar cookies and pinteresting wedding decor . . . she's getting married!!!!

Turns out, it wasn't my normal Tuesday, either.  This one started out with room-service and staying in bed until 11:00 a.m. chatting away. 

We had a few more hours together before work duties resumed, which we had no trouble filling with mimosas and wedding planning.

My sister-in-law, brother-in-law and Mate met me in Pittsburgh for the concert later that evening.  All was going quite well until Kristina and I were told our purses were larger than the venue permitted.  A quick SOS to my cousin and out she came to flash her fancy badge and save us a walk back to the car. 

I'll be the first to admit, I had to google Arcade Fire to make sure I didn't embarrass myself or my cousin during my time in Pittsburgh.  I went there to visit my cousin, not for the band, but I had a really great time at the concert.  Their genre of music isn't what I normally listen to, but the show was really well done and there's no denying their talent.  

My not-so-normal Monday and Tuesday ended with a quick peek back stage and a 2-hour drive home. Wednesday morning may have arrived a bit sooner than I liked, but a little sleepiness was totally with the amazing experience.