Ten years ago exactly

Back up, first, to ten years ago YESTERDAY, December 31, 1998. I was at a client's site in Endicott, NY, training them to use Mail Order Manager. I was scheduled to fly home that evening.

And, I thought I might be pregnant.

I was with sympathetic ladies, so when I told them so, late that afternoon, they offered to drive me to the airport a little early so I could pick up a pregnancy test at CVS. Well, we needed to work right up to the last minute, but I decided I could just get one at Wegmans when I get home. Ironically, my flight out of Endicott was late; I could have gotten the test.

The Philadelphia airport didn't sell pregnancy tests, although of course I looked. And when I landed in Rochester at 10:15, I discovered that:

Wegmans had closed early for New Year's Eve.

Oh, Wegmans, the one and only time you've let me down.

So I had to spend the rest of the evening, at friends', keeping my secret. I found out that Wegmans re-opened at 7am on New Year's Day. So I crept out of bed at 6:45 without disturbing David, and was at the door of the Perinton Wegmans when it opened. I marched right over to the pregnancy tests, grabbed one, and went over to the one cashier who was just opening her station. I was the only person in the store.

The cashier looked at my item. Then looked at me. Then said, "So, do you want it to be yes, or no?"

(Can you imagine what I would have felt like if I wanted it to be no?)

Anyhow, I went home, took the test, and there she was, the cutest little Plus Sign you ever saw.

I went down to my office, wrote a letter to the baby, and then went and woke up David to give him a little New Year's surprise.

10 years ago today.

Madison loves this story.

Interestingly enough, I was at this same client's for the day on Tuesday, on our way down to visit our friends' in Pennsylvania, helping a new employee. Ten years ago minus one day exactly.

The folks at the Wedding Gown Preservation Company love this story, too. And it was a nice bonus that they got to meet the person who had been just a little clump of cells the last time I was there.