Ah - Saugatuck! We spent a long weekend there 3 years ago with 11 gay men and one other straight couple all in one rented house. Oh the stories I could share!
I can't imagine having a night away from our little one. 8 months old and breastfed (as in refuses all bottles or cups, the little bugger!) means I have to be around every 4 hours or so. I both long for and am already sad for the day we can do an overnight alone.
Party on, dudes!
Wow. Slimy motel, desperate voicemails from parents, three sips of Boone's Farm, some gagging, and three minutes worth of activity before sleep. Sounds like every date I had in High School. Zing! You guys are so sprightly.
It's a good first try. We just took a "vacation" to San Francisco for two nights, while my parents stayed at our house with the toddler. Maybe next time, try the sitter staying at your house so that J has her own surroundings.
Our next "trip" will be a few nights at Alta Bates Hospital for a less relaxing, but more memorable event. Then it's back to no childfree overnights for a year!
BOONES FARM!!!!!! Hahahahaha!!! But you should've had Strawberry Fields.
Boone's Farm was drink of choice in college (I'm not of Dutch descent, but 3 dollars a bottle is too good not to pass up), but I never saw Blue Hawaiian! Time to start scouring the liquor stores.
I'm pretty sure I got pregnant after drinking a couple blue drinks. 
Saugatuck is full of "The Birdcage-types" and I totally recall the Shangri-La! I'm pretty sure my sentiments mirrored Dutch's with the Hitchcockian feelings.
As a child of Detroit transplants, I really enjoy your blog.
Oh, lordy. Boone's Farm. On my last day of classes in college I drank a huge bottle of the Kiwi-Lemon flavor. I haven't touched it since.
Did you notice how your tounge turned blue with that fortified goodness?
I'd echo the comment to have the sitter stay at your house. It's probably a little harder to convince one of your parents to do that since they live so darn close to you, but we had my mom fly from Kentucky out to DC last summer while Basil and I went to Vancouver BC for five days. It worked like a charm. Petunia, who was just over 2 1/2 at the time, was pretty much unfazed, as she got to sleep in her own bed, play in her own neighborhood, see her own dog, go to her own preschool, etc, everyday.
Also, flying three time zones away kind of forced us to get over it because while we were just wrapping up a long bike ride in the park, our kid was going to bed. We weren't on the same internal clock, so we didn't find ourselves thinking, 'I wonder how X is going' at the right times of the day. It prevented a lot of excess calling and cell-phone checking.
We're about to venture away for two nights and Bean's going to stay at my MIL's place. Not looking forward to it, as I'm convinced she'll either come home spooked or spoiled.
But then, she's more resilient than I ever give her credit for.
I long to sleep til 9am.
And Boone's Farm... ahhh...
Boone's Farm?! Liquor stores still sell that swill? We drank it in high school but were too "grown up" to drink it in college, instead choosing the more "mature" Jim Beam.
No, I am not a drunk just a card carrying alum of a party school.
For our seventh anniversary we made it 30 miles away from the kids for a night. It was the best date/vacation ever. We still dream about doing that again, but right now we have a nursing baby so it will have to wait until our next anniversary.
Good for you! I think most toddlers, if they know who is taking care of them, are totally fine...they get tired, they'd rather be sleeping.
Boone's Farm. Brave choice.
I am a fan of Saugatuck. The first time we went, I wasn't aware of the 'artsy-ness' of the town at all....but slowly became so.
The last place we stayed there was a studio cottage with it's own kitchen, hot tub & grill. The best ever.
I used to load up on Boone's Sangria in undergrad - I have no idea if I could stomach it now, but those were some good, cheap times!
Our first outing under a different roof from Hootie was a bit more adventurous. Hootie was left with her adoring, capable, and very familiar grandparents while we flew to Zihuatanejo, Mexico for 5 days. She was just shy of 2.
First, I don't recommend the first time being away from the offspring to be either a)in a different country, b) in a country without cell phone service, and/or c)for 5 days.
I missed her the entire time, EVEN during my 2 hour daily massages. We saw a million children all over the place, even on the very gentle, tame beaches. I wanted her to be there, wondered why we didn't spring for her coming along with us. It was crazy. We didn't even manage to sleep in, we'd been so trained to get up at 6:30. We made it to 7:30 and that was all.
I think you did it right, just one night, not too far away.
It's worse on us than on the kiddos. They TOTALLY PLAY THE CRAP out of the grandparents. Sobbing one moment, fine the next.
Props to you guys for making it to 11 miles! The only time I've been away from our oldest was when I was in L&D with our little one...and yes, the last time we saw a movie *in a theater - matinee, mind you*? 2.5 YEARS AGO. egads. I'm happy you escaped for a little couple time...even if Juney missed you (of course she would!), good for you for getting out together. Solo.
I think I just fell more in love with you all -- Boone's Farm at a skeezy motel? BLUE HAWAIN Boone's Farm, they didn't have that flavor when I was in college.
D was less than a year when Daddymatic and I had to go to DC so he could do 6 job interviews in 2 days. I missed D like crazy, but lots of good coffee and ethiopian food, as well as shopping all. by. myself. helped me get over it fast. 
Glad you guys got away and had a hot date. Isn't this part of why you moved back to Michigan in the first place??
yes. we were sick of wasting all our vacations on western michigan. we have plans to go to Europe for Wood's 30th in October (Paris, Brussels, or Amsterdam). I am just hoping we can do it without the kid.
9:17 a.m. is late sleeping?
Yikes.
That first time is hard, but it gets easier after that. Next time you can go to New York and drink yummy blue things at strip clubs. Then the debauchery will really begin, and it'll be all Britney Spears-like from there on out...
Boones Farm? I'm still snickering...
you forgot to mention that saugatuck is the gay capital of michigan!
we used to get this blue stuff in high school, but i think it was called blue maui, and when you mixed it with mountain dew it was called "smurf piss"
next time, definitely go to grand haven! plenty of good places to eat, like the excellent sri lankan place the Thali Bistro, then go downtown to Fortino's and get some alcohol...the owner can surely recommend something excellent on a budget.
About your potential Europe trip, if you're having trouble deciding on Amsterdamn, Brussels or Paris, I have a little advice. I lived in Waterloo, Belgium growing up (right outside of Brussels) and we'd always take the train down to Paris in the morning and come back on the last one to Brussels. It's about a 2.5 hour ride. From Amsterdam to Brussels is even shorter, if I remember correctly.
I'd say land in Amsterdam, spend some time there, and take the train down to Brussels and Paris. Benelux is so womderful and amazing.
I can't tell you how much I love Belgium (you and wood would dig the ports and industrial Flemish north/contrasted with the beautiful, flowery french influenced south), so of course I recommend you go there first, but the three in one is such a wonderful way to do it as well.
Too funny, I stayed there a couple of years back, looks like the same room on the end there. My friend made fun of me the whole ride back for wearing flip flops in the shower.
Ahhh, Boone's Farm. I vote for Strawberry Hill, a college favorite. Has anyone in the history of the world ever had Boone's Farm out of anything other than the bottle?
Saugatuck! We used to take daytrips there from GR all the time when we were West Michiganders. I remember cruisin' past the Shangrai-la, too, thinking how grodily awesome it would be to stay there.
I must know...where did you eat? Was it Chequers?
first night away from juniper- felt little heart twinges imagining it. glad you had the chance and while it is a bit easier as a kid on your own turf, some of my best kid memories were with my awesome grandma in her house with her (no) rules. i'll bet juney has tons of stories of good grandma times for weeks to come.
my very very intelligent husband took me away for my 30th and it was wonderful. we missed the pnut like crazy, saw tons of kids where we were, but ultimately were glad to have 'us' time, not just 'spend tons of $ to do home away from home' time. and she had so much fun with her cousins and their pets and my sister- it's like she went on her own candy/cartoon/toy overload vacation herself. i think i missed her more than she missed me!
Boone's? Blue Boone's? Now that's a night out.
i was just in saggy-tuck (lovingly named for the aging dragsters, of course) and in some twisted way i want to move out of my GR hood and into the cheesy bliss of it all there. i love it. it's just so, oh, QUIET. and gay. on our 4 year anniversary we tried taking our daughter to a bed and breakfast there, but unbeknownst to me, that was a no-can-do. so we left her in k-zoo with the grandparents, and i made it 16 hours before my breasts exploded. and they did. side note: did you see the awesome sign for GYM! on the way? huge star with flaming lights? i keep meaning to shoot it everytime i see it. anyhow, all this was to say, nice work leaving the child for a night. it pains me to say that it can just get easier from here on it, if you want it to.
i was on the edge of my seat waiting to hear about all the entries in the guest book.
no guest book, huh?
Congratulations! I can see you're moving up in the world.
Tawdry sex in a cheap motel. THAT's what I call a vacation. Btw -- you should have kept going on the Boones. It get's better:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/163...@N00/202924623/
We stayed in an awesome little B&B in Allegan, which is only about 20 minutes from Saugatuck, but much, much less expensive. Cool place, with awesome food delivered to your room on artsy little trays. We even "upgraded" by having the wine-in-a-box, but I must say that blue Boone's Farm looks pretty interesting.
Ohh, I miss Saugutuck. When my husband and I were sneaking around dating secretly (he was my boss) we used to go on dates there, figuring nobody we knew from work would spot us. Eventually, somebody did--but he never told, as he was as horrified to be caught out on a date with a man as we were to be caught with each other.
Right up the road from Saugutuck there's a Mexican restaurant in Fennville called Su Casa. It's at the back of a grocery store so run-down-looking you'll be tempted to call the health department, but don't. It's the best Mexican food I've had outside of Mexico. Every time we're in Michigan, we make a point of eating there at least a couple of times.
Reluctant parents staying away from their child for the first time...... I don't believe in much anymore but the bonds of parenthood is something to be celebrated.
Yay, you did it! Goal for the summer is to do the same with Maggie. Given that when we went out for the night on Suunday, she snuffled, at my mother's prompting, "Have a good time, Mommy and Daddy" through her tears and then stood at the window and watched us drive away with her sad little face, I don't know how well I'll do. I love, 1) that your mom watched Food Network with herand 2) that you recognized her playing your mom like a violin. As a parent of a two-year-old drama queen, I can relate!
My family holiday evenings were always spent with parents arm-in-arm, reading menus all in row, one by one, even though we'd be in the same resort every night and they'd all be the same as the night before. But it was routine, and routine is nice
Wait, you're just hitting 30, Wood? My sagging ass, you could wait until J is old enough to babysit before having another one. Anyhoo, while both my spouse and I have been away separately for business, we've yet to do this brave thing you've done and go somewhere together, leaving our 2-yr-old with her grandparents. We went to a movie, once (nacho libre!)....!
I just love saying Saugatuck. Saugatuck, Saugatuck, Saugatuck.
I imagine it would be harder to do after three sips of Boone's Farm though. (Which, by the way, I have never had, Blue Hawaiian or otherwise. Is this an American delicacy I should sample? Or, like cheese in a can, is it not?)
It is exactly like cheese in a can. It hardly even has alcohol -- 4% or something. less than wine. less than beer. lots more artificial.
Has anyone ever told you that you kind of look like Molly Shannon?
maybe molly shannon's prettier, younger sister... not so much molly herself though, i think
congrats on the night out. next time pack a bottle of vodka and throw caution to the winds. (you can turn it blue with koolaid or something if blue is really necessary to a successful night )
You have NEVER spent a night away from Juniper? How are you ever going to have another? BLUUUUUE STUFF! Imagine how calm and nonchalant she will be after five more siblings! Come on, y'all, you can do it! Once you have six, they can put each other to bed! No Food Channel needed!
Oh, Saugutak! Fennville! My grandparents had a cottage (really, not a house but a shack) in Glen, just by the dunes. I miss our weekend trips up to the cottage. My parents would give me to my grandparents, I'd ride up front, watching Grammie drink a perfect Manhattan, my grandfather driving with one hand. We'd have a blissful weekend, shopping in Saugutak and South Haven, going to u-picks, sneaking sips/dips from the everflowing liquor that permeated that shack, walking on the beach, trying to avoid the dead fish on the shore.
I really do miss those days; thanks for piquing my memory.
My best friend from grad school grew up in between Saugatuck and Fennville. His house was on the beach and his parents are awesome.
Yes, I secretly hate my friend sometimes.
That sounds absolutely wonderful and you've given me hope that I might be able to do that one day soon.
Oh, I spotted 1 bottle of Boones left (Blue Hawaiian) at the corner store around the block from my place.
The boy and I were in search of junk food while watching bad late night tv when I gasped:
"Hon, they have Boones Farm *Blue Hawaiian!*"
"Is it good?"
[pauses] "errr probably not..."
We both cracked up in the middle of the store. I'm sure they thought we were high. Nope, that's just us.
I love that Dutch woke you up to tell you how late you slept... instead of letting you sleep even later!
Saugatuck is great place both for families and for adult getaways. We discovered it on accident (camping trip in Bay City gone bad, leads us to find somewhere else) 5 years ago and have gone back every year since. Once we left our then 18-mo daughter with my parents, grabbed a bottle of wine from a local place, drank it all on the beach, then went to dinner at ... Marios, I think. Yum. Now we bring our kids and have a grand old time. Love the statues all over town, the beach, the chain ferry the alternately crusty vs. bohemian vs. snooty feel of the town. Nowhere else can you pull all that off so succesfully. Anyway, if you go back, consider Goshorn Lake Cottages with Juniper. That's where we stay now. (We're from Indianapolis).
That's awesome and endearing and sweet. Glad you got some time just for the two of you, but adorable that you missed Juniper looking at the crayons and the other little kids. So cute too that she was fine when you got on the phone with her. Next time you should begin the all night party earlier and skip the Boone's dude.
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