Plan B
Nov 22nd 2007
Karen RoseWhen Goddesses Fall To Earth
My oldest daughter and I just returned from a 10-day trek through PA, CT, and NY where we visited colleges to which she might apply. Because this was a 10-day trek and because I am anal-retentive about details, I developed an ITINERARY. It was 5 beautiful spreadsheet pages of gorgeous details. My daughter joked that I included time for snacks and watching HEROES on Monday night, but forgot to give her bathroom breaks. Everybody’s a critic. I was very proud of my intinerary.
The best laid plans … However, from Day 1 my plans were thwarted, first by my daughter’s back going out on her (poor thing!) coupled with a virus that hit her on the plane, which I promptly caught on Day 2. Ew. (I’ll say no more and let your imagination do the rest.) So the itinerary was now compromised with half of the stuff in the first two days undone.
But we shuffled through, doing the important stuff and on Day 3 dragged ourselves to the train from Philly to NYC, planning to spend the weekend in relative relaxation, taking in a few Broadway shows, over which I’d agonized before buying the tickets well in advance. Then ZAP!! We hear the news - Broadway is on strike! This is devastating for our intinerary. My daughter was so disappointed! No Little Mermaid! No Avenue Q! No Wicked!
On to Plan B … But we rallied, changing the itinerary, substituting other fun things in NYC. Of course it was NYC, so there were lots of fun things to do! We visited with friends and saw every Egyptian mummy at the Met and we walked. And walked. And walked some more. But it was good. I may have even lost a few pounds! We went on to see all the rest of the universities on our list and my daughter knows what’s out there for her.
So our trip was a success. All the big stuff got accomplished and we ended up doing fun stuff we hadn’t planned. So have I given up on itineraries? 
Heck no! But long ago I learned to roll with the punches and that Plan B can sometimes be even better.
So when have you punted to Plan B on trips or just everyday plans? Did you have to punt to Plan B yesterday when the turkey got eaten by the Bumpass Dogs (from A Christmas Story)? Let’s have the details!
11 Comments »
11 Responses to “Plan B”
Stacy ~ on 23 Nov 2007 at 6:09 am #
Well, 3 years ago I was supposed to go on a cruise with a friend, but then she had a family emergency and couldn’t make it, so I went by myself. Was I nervous? Sure, but I took a deep breath and decided to enjoy myself. And I did. Sometimes life doesn’t always go according to plan, but if you allow some wiggle room, well, it’s all good. Life can’t always be predictable, and thank God for that
Karen Rose on 23 Nov 2007 at 8:02 am #
Good for you, Stacy! Think about the fun you would have missed had you not gone on the cruise.
Thirteen years ago, my husband and I were on vacation in Wales, UK and we were robbed, with everything in our rental car stolen! Our rental car was damaged so that we couldn’t make our next stop, along with the hotel we’d planned to stay in. But we were befriended by the sergeant of the PC - police constabulary - and his wife. We stayed the night with them, sleeping in their young sons’ room, and stayed for Sunday dinner. We missed most of the Welsh castles on our list, but we’re still friends with the couple, after thirteen years!
Plan B was the best part of that trip. I’m going back to the UK in the spring and a train ride into Wales is on my ITINERARY.
cookeemama on 23 Nov 2007 at 8:32 am #
Karen, I just passed my 69th birthday this past Monday. If there is one enduring thing I’ve learned in all these years is the fact that all of life is a Plan B. But you have to have an itenerary so you’ll know that Plan B was probably the best. Rolling with the punches is the only way to get through. LOL Only way to keep your sanity.
doglady on 23 Nov 2007 at 9:18 am #
You know what they say “If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans!” When Roger and I first married I was supposed to work while he went thru all the stuff that shrinks have to go thru to be shrinks. Worked well the first year. Then I joined a community choir, auditioned for a solo in The Messiah, attracted the attention of a university voice teacher and the rest is history. She got me a graduate assistanceship and I got my Masters and DMA and a great opera career that took me all over Europe. How’s that for Plan B?
Karen Rose on 23 Nov 2007 at 9:18 am #
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Cookeemama!!!! AWESOME!!!!
Karen Rose on 23 Nov 2007 at 9:24 am #
Doglady, your Plan B sounds a bit like mine. DH and I went to college together and I got my degree in engineering because it was a solid, practical major through which I could get a well-paying job - even though I really didn’t want to be an engineer.
I was supposed to earn the living while DH did what he needed to do to be a psychologist, but somewhere along the way things got twisted and the train rails shifted. I started writing for fun and DH left psychology. Now I write for a living and DH is a high school psychology/history teacher.
I love my Plan B! I’m so very thankful the trail got twisted and the train rails shifted. Who knew?!
So can we pick up any recordings of your opera performances?
Lisa H on 23 Nov 2007 at 10:27 am #
Karen—Life is all about embracing Plan B. I have found that when uncontrolable things happen in our lives, if we embrace them and “make lemonade from our lemons” life is a lot more fun then if we fight it, and bemoan our terrible luck.
I am trying to teach this to my children, it a valuable lesson, I love the parable that states, “Blessed are the flexible for they shall not break.” So True.
Glad to hear you and your daughter had a great time in NYC. I live in the Southern Tier of New York state and have never traveled to NYC (except on a layover at JFK). What a great place to experience plan B.
I have to go put on sweat pants now—too much pie yesterday!
Michele on 23 Nov 2007 at 11:33 am #
I think you always have to have a plan B. When I graduated high school, I wanted to raise llamas and sell the wool. Not quite as big a gig as ranching, but a small farm sort of thing. For some reason I joined the military and here I am 16 years later still working jet engines and vastly enjoying the “ride”. I have been to places I probably would never have been to, met more than a few interesting people and earned my degree along the way. I think I’ll do the llama thing when I finally decide to retire.
Nicole Jordan on 23 Nov 2007 at 12:16 pm #
Wow, Michele, that really is a huge switch! And happy birthday, CookieM!
So sorry you missed the shows, Karen. I would have been CRUSHED. Especially on top of getting a nasty virus. But it sounds like you and your d had a great time anyway.
I’m almost (but not quite) as anal as you, lol, so I hate having my plans go haywire. The worst recent case I can think of was last Xmas when we were visting dh’s family…. big snowstorm was coming through, so we spent big bucks to fly out two days early by a different route, and the flight turned out be a disaster of delays, and I had a horrible cold and wound up with a stopped up ear that took two different prescription drugs to alleviate weeks later. Not fun! But at least we made it home when thousands of other passengers were stranded in the airport we originally would have used.
DebMarlowe on 23 Nov 2007 at 1:59 pm #
So glad you and your daughter had a fun and productive trip, Karen. Best of luck to her in her application process!
I love Plan B–the most interesting things show up on the back roads. Lisa H–I love your parable. Gotta tell my kids that one too!
Karen Rose on 23 Nov 2007 at 5:55 pm #
Michelle - I thought my plan B was a diversion
Some days raising llamas sounds like a great lifestyle…
Nicole - I’ve had trips like that, where you plan and so many things happen to get in your way. Good thing you got home for the holidays that year.
Deb - I’ll be glad when the college app process is over. This is more stressful than deadline and a book release all together!
We did end up getting tickets for the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which is one of the few Broadway shows not impacted by the the strike. It was great - very cute and they really made the audience feel welcome.