If you've seen or talked to us anytime over the last 2.5 years, you'd know that Ryan has been traveling for work (alot) - since basically the fall of 2019. Fox River Millwork has been around long enough that I know that the really good jobs only come around every once in awhile, and while even though they are good, they can be exhausting...and, they don't stick around for forever. Back in the fall of 2019 Ryan had the opportunity to go in on a job with another local company doing the finish trim work on a Restoration Hardware storefront in Columbus, Ohio. That job led to more jobs (which during the early days of COVID was a blessing) and these RH stores have taken Ryan and a crew of 7 other guys all across the country and back, traveling nearly every week for the past two years. It meant a LOT of solo parenting here on the home-front for me, but about a month ago I had the special opportunity to fly out and see one of the job sites in San Francisco, where the home office of RH is located.
Being the flagship store means the crew put a LOT of love, sweat and maybe even tears into this specific jobsite. Ryan once told me it is the most technically complex work he's ever done and he wanted to be sure to see this one through to the end. The company was set to have a big pre-grand opening party on Thursday evening and Bobby (Ryan's boss) offered to fly me out for the weekend. There was quite a bit of back and forth on if we'd be going to the party or not, but the morning of my flight I talked to Ryan and he told me it looked like we'd just be hanging out with the group that evening either at the hotel or getting dinner somewhere (a side-celebration of sorts).
Then, just as I was about to board the plane I got another call saying "Scratch that! We're going to the party tonight." I'd already repacked my suitcase and had exactly zero clothes with me that I could wear to a formal party but Elise from RH (one of the top people at RH that the crew became very close friends with) was on a clothing run for not just me, but the 8 guys in the group. It was seriously like a scene out of pretty woman. She showed up with full outfits for each of the guys. I'm talking shirts, shoes, belts, pants, the whole nine yards...plus 2 dress options for me, shoes, a blazer...everything I'd need to feel pretty at the event.
The party started at 7 but the guys worked right up until about 6:45. They came back to the hotel, showered quickly, we all got dressed and we went right back to the store. It was so so fancy guys. There were 1500 people all crammed into the 4 story building. There was a Bellini bar and a mojito bar, there was champaign on tiered ice trays, tiny tiny appetizers, a DJ, people dressed to the nines and, while we were waiting in the line to get in, I kid you not, we stood 5 feet away from Ellen Degeneres and Portia (apparently Portia has a hardware line at RH and they flew one of the private jets to LA to pick them and a few other celebrities up for the evening). What even is this life!?!
We stayed for an hour and a half or so, I got to see all of the hard work the guys did, including this staircase that Ryan worked many many months on - other than the metal banisters the entire staircase is made of curved wood. We sat on the $15K cloud couch, had coctails on the rooftop, walked through the designers floor (where the boys installed a lot of cabinets and hardware displays to show off the options available). By the end of the night I had blisters on my feet from all the walking (I can't tell you the last time I wore heels because of COVID) but I'm so so glad I made the trip out.
Ryan and I are terrible about planning time for just the two of us. Don't get me wrong, we have tons and tons of adventures, but if the kids aren't with us, then we're dragging other friends along on our trips. It was really quite nice to be just the two of us for a few days.
Our trip didn't end on Thursday night though! I worked for a few hours on Friday morning and then we headed out to explore! It was really really fun to see all of the places that Ryan has been telling me about for the past few years. And, I think it was fun for Ryan to play host and take me around - especially since the city was much more open that it had been in the past two years. Chicago was pretty strict when it came to COVID protocols but Ryan says that San Fran was even more so - lots of people were still masking, even outside when I was there in late March.
You guys know we're dorks and we love our National Park stamp book, right? Well, guess what! We got FIVE stamps over the 2 days we had to explore. We visited:
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Fort Point
- Muir Woods
- The Maritime Museum
- Rosie the Riveter National Park (my second favorite place after Muir Woods)
Of everything we did (including the fancy party) I was most excited to go to the Redwoods. I've been to a lot of places, but I've never traveled west of Colorado so making it all the way to the Pacific coast was very cool. Someday I want to see the sequoias, but the redwoods are pretty darn amazing!
Ryan says it best! "We're the McGrath's and we do all the things".
It really truly was an amazing, once in a lifetime trip and I'm so very thankful I had the opportunity to have this experience. I'm thankful for a job that is flexible enough to let me travel in this way, a family support structure that can help with the kids while we were gone (thanks Erin and Dan! - I'll write about the kids adventures a little further down), and for Trim Tech for flying me out to experience it all.
(Can you tell that the woods was my favorite part just by the number of photos?!)
You might be wondering what exactly we did with the kids during all this - ha! Well, I owe Dan a ton because he stepped up and took care of the kids for us for 4 full days. I was able to get the kids on the bus Thursday morning before my flight, but he played parent for us Thursday night through Sunday when we got home. He got them on and off the bus, dealt with lunches and homework and probably a squabble or two (though he didn't mention those).
Then, on Saturday he hauled them downtown to hang out with Erin and play tourist in the city on a cold windy, rainy weekend in March. The went to the Bean, went to the top of the Sears Tower (I haven't even done this myself!)...and ate Chicago style pizza with Auntie and Grandpa. I think they tired the kids out - I heard Hazel fell asleep at the table at dinner.
Oh! And their first ever train ride. The kids have been wanting to ride the train for years and this weekend Auntie finally made it happen. I wonder if if still smelled like pee like how I remember it - lol!
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