Day 4 & 5- Dedication

11/4/13-11/5/13

After the Hot Chocolate race on Sunday, we got home at about noon, and were ready to leave for Tommy's actuarial awards ceremony at about 1:00 p.m. It was in Minneapolis Minnesota, and about a 6 hour drive in his dad's car....which didn't seem like the best idea from the start but, yea.

So his dad pulls up with his mom in the front seat and his sister, Anna, in the back seat and we loaded everything in and took off! We gave Kittypants some extra food and new water, but it was not easy leaving that furry baby of mine. Is this what it's like to have kids?

So the car ride there was not too bad- I slept a little bit, we talked, etc. etc. Mostly it was cramped and my body was pretty peeved that it went for a run and then sat in a car for 6 hours without stretching...duley noted body.

We got there in the evening, brought our stuff up to the room, and crashed. Anna, Tommy, and I shared a room on the 16th floor and Tommy's parents were on the 10th floor. The hotel wasn't too bad...smaller beds, but clean. There was no wireless internet, however, and if you wanted it you had to pay $15.00 for it. Also, there was no continental breakfast in the morning...which was confusing because it was a super nice looking Hilton. We ended up waking up early (thinking there was a free breakfast...) and ended up eating in the restaurant in the lobby. I had a cracked egg sandwich, which is really just a fried egg sandwich (yum) on a croissant with ham and cheese. Still delicious though!

Then we got starbucks in the lobby and went up to the 3rd floor banquet hall for the ceremony! The president of the CAS (Casualty Actuary Society) spoke a little, the new certified Actuaries were introduced, and then he called each new Fellow's name and they walked across the stage and received a DIPLOMA from him! (See my fb page for the full awfully filmed video of Tommy's turn!) It was cool. Then Tommy went to take pictures in some secret back room while we waited and finished our starbucks. We met him in the hotel room, changed, and went to the Mall of America to visit it and kill some time until the evening's festivities.

At the MOA, Tommy's dad and sister went and sat somewhere to hang out, while Tommy's mom, Tommy and I all walked around and looked at cool stores. I bought Laura a shot glass at her behest, rode the swing ride with Tommy (big mistake-bleh), and then we ate a cookie from the Nestle Tollhouse store! After, we met Tommy's dad at the food court and decided on Bubba Gump's for lunch. It was soooooo good. Yum.

{HUGE Lego Man}

{Swing Ride- UGH. After}

Then we met up with Anna and drove back to the hotel where people took naps, and read books while Tommy and I went down to the lobby to use the computers. I looked up stuff for grad school because I had a big paper due the next day (procrastinate much? yes, yes I do) and then we sat on a couch in the lobby and just hung out. It was so nice. We talked, people watched, and just overall enjoyed each other's company. It was nice to just be together for a half hour in the midst of all that travel and schedule. We even learned a new word from his seminar schedule- tranched- look it up. (It sounds dirty, but I promise it's not!) Then we preceded to use it in silly sentences- i.e. "I go so TRANCHED last night" and "Go TRANCH yourself" heh.

When we felt like maybe we were being a little antisocial, we went back upstairs and everyone started getting ready for the cocktail hour in honor of new Fellows! When we went, we first got a picture with the CAS president and he handed Tommy and fake diploma. Then he called for me to get in because he said that I probably earned it too with all of the love and support I gave him! YEP.

We got drinks, and ate black olives and cheese and I met Tommy's co-worker from Allstate. He was also a new Fellow since his just pasted his last test at the same time as Tommy. Then we went back up to the hotel room, changed for the car ride home, and packed everything up.

{Beached FELLOW Whales}

We said goodbye to Tommy, and his fam and I got back in the car and started the trip back to IL. Tommy stayed until Wednesday for the rest of the seminar.

{Bye Minnesota}

The car ride sucked- but mostly because I had to start and finish a research paper for grad school with a booklight. Then my computer died and we had to pull over to get Anna's from the trunk so I could finish on her computer! What a ride. I got home at 1:00 in the morning, and with a crazy cat running around and a rogue spidey to kill on the ceiling ABOVE MY BED, I didn't get to bed until about 1:30...and then I don't think I fell asleep until a little after that...

And I had to teach the next day. Kindergarteners. And proofread my paper on the go at red lights. And sit in a grad school class. And go grocery shopping after that. So that sucked. But so worth it!!!!

Days 4 & 5 made me so thankful for Tommy's dedication and perseverance through his 9 tests. They are qualities that I admire very much in my husband. I am so proud of him!!