Who needs underwear? aka...A fun weekend in Miles City

Okay, perhaps the title grabbed you, and perhaps you figured I'm going to tell you about fun times I had at the Miles City Bucking Horse Sale. If you did, you're wrong. In fact, I've never been to the Bucking Horse Sale, and though I begged my husband to take me back when we were dating, he refused. Too much wild partying.

But I do love to spend time in Miles City, and this time I was visiting my friend Hannah and celebrating the release of my friend Erin's new CD, American Siberia, on which my fiddle playing can be heard on a couple of tracks. (sales pitch: If you're interested, let me know! I can hook you up!) It was a delightful evening in a small coffee shop/cafe, with an appreciative crowd, good acoustics, excellent musical company, and gigantic bowls of blueberry cobbler to boot.

Matthias stayed with Grammy, who was kind enough to drive down to MC with me, in Erin's apartment, which Erin was kind enough to open to a grandma, nursing mother, and baby.

It was fun to play with Erin and Keith again. Erin used to live around the corner from me in Sidney before she moved to MC, and Keith lives in California, so I treasure each time we get to play. To add to the fun, I was able to practice with the band Milestown, of which I am a part, the next morning.

You're wondering about the underwear. Okay, I'll tell you. I was getting all packed up to go, which is rather stressful with an infant. It's not quite as stressful as with a pet, but still quite stressful. (Side story: I once went to my parents' house with a rabbit, a kitten I was nursing with a bottle, and my horse. It was raining/sleeting the whole way home. Not fun with a horse trailer, a mewing kitten, and a rabbit angrily "thumping" in his cage.) Anyway, it's a lot easier to get diapers (or maybe use leaves) if you run out/forget them than it is to find the exact kind of hay, the right kitten formula, or rabbit litter.

You're still wondering about the underwear. Okay. Well, anyway, I have been astounded at Matthias' growth lately, and since I'm one who is used to wearing clothes to shreds before replacing them, I figured I'd do the same with baby clothes. But it's impossible! He outgrows them too fast! So I was going through his clothes and just couldn't decide what I wanted him to wear before he outgrew it....So.....

This happened. I didn't realize how much I had actually packed for him to wear for a simple overnight trip. Oops. No problem, except that I forgot to pack myself a change of underwear, socks, and pajamas. I also figured on wearing the same jeans the next day, which isn't a good plan because you might spill something on those jeans!

Matthias was entirely unaffected by my clothes gaffe, and enjoyed his time in Miles City (who doesn't enjoy a trip to Miles City? They have the Rib & Chop House, Murdoch's, shave ice, old buildings . . . ). I was thankful our hotel had a blow dryer for me to dry my clothes that I'd washed the night before, and that there was a Wal-Mart right down the road where I could get a pair of socks since I couldn't get them dry enough to wear. There may be a short time period in which I could conceivably fit in my son's clothes in a pinch, but I'm not going to count on it. I've just got to figure out how to be a better packer. But as I told my mom, at least I didn't forget my toothbrush this time!