Restless at the La Jolla RLS Confab

You’ve got to hand it to Handsome Hubby: He is a master at making a girl “an offer she cannot refuse.”

“Come with me to La Jolla for the weekend,” he said with that sweet, husky voice of his.

“Just for fun?” I asked suspiciously, knowingly.

“Well, sort of,” he said, starting the famous HH hem-and-haw dance.

“All right, what’s the deal?” I jumped in, seeking to short-circuit any pretext of full-fledged vacation fun. “What business conference is this? Are you speaking or just attending? How many clients will you be meeting with?”

You see, my spouse is a true work-aholic. He only knows how to mix pleasure with business. So, a get-away weekend, even a beachside weekend, comes with a catch. There’s more to it than just fun in the sun.

“No,” he hastily replied. “This is different. It’s not for work. It’s a medical conference.”

“Huh?”

“It’s sponsored by the Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Foundation and it’s bringing together the best and brightest people in the country to talk about the latest in treatment.”

RLS is No Joke

Now for those of you not familiar with RLS, it is a truly troubling ailment. This disorder creates an irresistible, unpleasant urge to move one’s legs. It generally occurs when the person is trying to rest and makes sleep very difficult. Because of the sleep disruptions, people with RLS may suffer from daytime sleepiness, low energy, irritability, and, in some cases, depression.

RLS affects as many as one in 10 people in the U.S. Some five million U.S. adults have moderate to severe RLS. One million school-age children have it.

HH suffers mightily from RLS, and honestly, I do too. He kicks and tosses around so much that often I think the “Big One,” the big dreaded earthquake, has hit the San Francisco Bay.

So, attending this conference was important. Of course, I agreed to go with him. While he attended two days of non-stop seminars, I planned to work (beachside) on a couple of writing assignments. It wasn’t going to be quality “us” time, but still Southern California, the beach, and a tony resort. What’s not to like?

Table for One?

Well, I found something not to like!

HH had committed one oversight. Spouses could attend the big banquet dinner – except HH forgot to make a reservation for me. The dinner was sold out. Attendance was limited because an RLS-MD specialist sat at each table. No more doctors and no more tables were available. And so, no me.

I thought of (lightly) kicking HH but didn’t think that would help his restless legs. That said, after my initial annoyance, I thought HH’s faux pas was funny. Mistakes happen and he was so chagrined!

To save face, he did point out that at least our accommodations this trip was way better than our last “buz-vacation” when our Maui hotel room smelled and looked out over a Costco parking lot!

Now I admit when I was younger the thought of a dinner on my own would have been a crisis. Going to a restaurant solo would have seemed sad or even frightening, but these days a little quiet time sounds great.

Middle-aged Misery Loves Company

Off HH went to his meetings. Off I went to a poolside, fire pit-side breakfast where I struck up a conversation with two nice ladies, also hotel guests. Asked why I was in town, I mentioned the RLS confab. One of the ladies laughed and then, embarrassed, instantly apologized. She said her husband was recovering from a major illness and it seems that now that we’re middle-aged, illness is part of our holiday planning instead of carefree fun and romance.

We ladies bonded so much they invited me to attend a wedding reception they were in town to attend. Wow! From zero dinner plans, my options were expanding! I was no longer restless and alone in La Jolla. I had jolly friends to party with! Think of it. Me a wedding crasher. Well, sort of!

But then …

In the end, my Independence Day/Night dinner plans were upended! It turned out sleep-deprived HH had failed to make his own reservation for the big RLS banquet!

So, off we two went for a romantic sunset seafood dinner and a great show at the La Jolla Playhouse.

That night HH slept well. A long day of meetings, a tasty dinner, a moonlit walk along the beach, and a little drama – theatrical and marital -made for a rare night’s respite from RLS.

And as for me? Perched in the bathroom, unable to sleep thanks to HH’s trumpet-like snoring, I got to write this latest installment of “Travels with Handsome Hubby- Restless at the La Jolla RLS Confab!”