technology and the end of our marriage

I finally had 5 minutes to figure out YouTube. The end must be near :)



And is it just me, or did I get the best YouTube name eva?!

man o man

Our house borders a very very very busy road. One that makes me a little crazy, but isn't even my least favorite thing here. So, Rio and I are in the front yard and I'm madly trying to clean up the detritus of the spring storms while watching her like a hawk. I have just the cart of the Deere rig in the yard because she makes a big deal about the 'traptor' and its loud noisy engine. So I get to drag the cart around the yard like some moron.

Anyway ... she's flicking lichen off a tree in the front yard. It's close to the front door, so I'm letting her have at it. She comes over to me and shows me a piece of whatever that green crud is and I ask if it's for the stick pile or to put in my pocket. She indicates pile and I toss it in. Then, almost as an afterthought, I tell her, "Now, don't put your hands in your mouth. That green stuff might be very dirty!" and when I turn back from carefully depositing said crap in a pile, she has her entire hand jammed into her mouth.

I hope it's not poisonous.

spring cleaning

Incredibly boring, but part/all of my job!

Yesterday Rio and I cleared out a corner of the backyard. I raked and threw big fallen logs and she threw rocks at me. Not 'at me' at me, but at me nevertheless. Now I want to research raised bed gardening because this particular corner has little stones and is cordoned off by railroad ties. I want tomatoes and squash and beans. I think Rio may get into it?! Maybe too young, who knows? It's worth a try. She sure did have fun throwing the little rocks around!

Also throwing away/giving away/ebaying half of everything that I own except books. I love my books. I will be using all proceeds for continuing ed classes. Or sparkly teeth. Can't decide...

twins

My SIL and BIL aren't comfortable with too much info about their babes flying around the world so this will be short, vague, and hopefully sweet.

I got to spend the night helping on Sunday. Twin S has been home while Twin M still needed a bit of care. They were early but they are amazingly strong and perfect. So I spent the night doing the late/early feedings so the parents could get one last good night's sleep before having both babies home.

I could go on and on about the smell of a baby head and the perfection of the grunts and stretches and how awesome it is when they snuggle into you ... but instead I'd like to remark on how amazing I found my SIL and BIL to be.

BIL made dinner and cleaned up and SIL did some work from home and they both seemed to have time to do everything. I was amazed. No 'shushing', which was my full time occupation. No madless running about, which was my only source of exercise. No stressing about how I was feeding baby S, which, of course, I worried about every single drop going into Rio's mouth. Just a general house with a new baby in it, versus the way I felt which was a tornado with a new baby in it. It occurs to me that although things are 'fine' and Rio's 'doing great' and blahblahblah, I'm still in a twist because I haven't had some fundamental shift. I'm pulled between my past paradigm and my present reality. I literally feel like they're two islands and I have my toenails on one and my fingernails on the other and my body is suspended above the waters which contain sharks and snapping alligators. Fun.

I vaguely remember being absolutely insane when Rio came home. Totally stark raving mad. Arguably I didn't really relax until early this year, but the whole first 6 months was so terrifying for me. I'm so proud that my BIL and SIL are calm, cool and collected. And they are. You'd think it was their 6th and 7th children. They are complete naturals ...

So, I guess with everything going on in my life, I'm feeling not so natural at this mother thing. Evidently I need to learn, still - nearly 3 years into it - that I must:

*do more.
*ask for less help
*get better organized
*say 'no' to things from my old paradigm otherwise the aforementioned 3 are even more impossible than they are now
*prioritize better
*learn to be more of an island. one island.
*figure out how not to miss the old island and its inhabitants and strange but wonderful customs....

As a social butterfly my whole life, this devotion to a single purpose is a tough transition. But in consideration of the way my life 'feels' right now, I need to get on a different course of action. Be more and do more and be better at more than I am right now. So, I gotta fly. Lots to do.

guilty pleasure

Two short months into Rio's existence we discovered that she would not sleep anywhere but on my chest. At first I was sure it was our excellent bond. I never really did put her down for very long, and who doesn't like being snuggled 24/7?! Eventually even I figured out this wouldn't work longterm! So, I read Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child which my best friend Anna had highly recommended. It saved my bacon. We continue to refer to it and I always recommend it to pregger friends.

Appropriately, she's at a willful stage. That's the nice way of saying she is the single most contrary person on the planet right now. Last night, exhausted from refusing to nap, she ate soup declaring between each and every bite, "I don't like soup! I don't eat soup!" ... and so on.

So here's the thing. She was so whipped last night that I gave her a bath early and put her down very early; at 6:30. And she slept until 9 0'clock this morning. Again today - no nap. I was doing errands and called Bear for the exasperated report of, "She's jumping up and down yelling ' I don't have to take a naaaaap!'" so I said, "Get her up!" and he did.

And she went to bed at 6:30 again tonight. Not a peep. Sound asleep.

Needless to say, I feel guilty. Guilty it's too early for bed. Guilty she fell asleep anyway. Guilty I'm doing my best approximation of an ancient Indian 'Let that demandatron sleep til 9 again' dance. Guilty for really liking the peace and quiet that reigns right this second. And most of all, guilty that I'm so pleased with the respite from getting bossed around all day!

Think I'll go paint my nails!

i'm sick of that 'good night'

I received a call from my MIL this morning that a woman I knew in CT had passed this morning. I started to bawl as soon as the phone was back on the hook.

***

I worked in a Connecticut salon for a while after leaving insurance sales. I found I could not live with myself another minute and I took my commissions from the Devil and bolted. The salon was owned by 2 women; one I found to be the funnest floozy and the other, not so fun one, was preparing for maternity leave. So I took the job. It turned out to be one of those places where I didn't fit and I didn't mind. As soon as a newly coiffed head hit the door to leave, comments about that person started. Needless to say it was soon apparent "Nita don't play that" and as such, I was kind of ostracized. Fine by me. I was making great money and I'm not one of those people that worry what others think of me when I consider the others to be asshats. So there's that.

My attitude led the remaining owner to send each and every 'difficult' client my way. What a blessing. I found them, without exception, to be fun and smart and lovely and equally out of place in that salon. One of those women saved my bacon when I had Rio. She lived close, visited often, and as a former nurse she really helped me believe everything would be okay. We are still in touch at least weekly.

Another was the woman who passed yesterday. Brilliant. Imposing. Beautiful. And I loved her from the first time I met her. She had been in the habit of bringing a pile of work with her so while her color was processing she would sit quietly and work work work. The first time she was given to me (without her being asked which is a grande salon no-no) we talked for hours. None of her work was done and we were on the way to a fine friendship. When I left that salon, she came with me and brought her whole lovely family. She was one of the few people invited to submit themselves to a Purell bath so they could hold the baby Rio. I really did love that woman.

She encouraged me to continue my studies. She attended my graduation party, complete with insane relatives, and told all who would listen of my GPA and honors. She told me she was proud I attended her alma mater.

She changed things for the better as a career and was too often vilified in the local press. It mattered not to her. She knew her compass was true and she endeavored to leave this place a little better than she found. She did.

She was 56 and gorgeous inside and out. I will miss her greatly and I'm not even sure what else to say except that just when I think I can't get too much sadder, well, turns out I can.

maddening perfection

I often think we, Bear and I, are going to lose it over something stupid. Looks like he's gonna go first :)

We took a family trip to ToysRUs today. That place really freaks me out and I wonder where all that plastic will go someday ... but I digress. We were going for the Tinkertoys that are all neutral and gorgeous. And maybe some Matchbox car tracks. Found neither. So, Legos came home with us.

*cut to an hour later*

Bear comes running upstairs with a panicked look on his face. He rouses me from the hour nap I've stolen from the day.

me: What's the matter? What happened? Is she okay? Are you okay?

bear: We were playing Legos and she said, "I can't do this!"!!!

me: Maybe she can't.

bear: Yeah, I know, but it just makes me so sad.

Let's hope she didn't get my math genes or he'll have a devastating run during her school years. But seriously, isn't he so cute?!

sleep, glorious sleep!

It's Patriot's Day here today. That means no work and a huge gaggle of lunatics run from Holliston to Boston. On their feet. They don't even hitchhike. Anyway ... my little family had errands in Connecticut but I stayed home! And finished this book! And started this book! And received the wonderous gift of a copy of this book which I can NOT wait to start! And slept for about 3 hours. I feel wonderful. And lazy. And wonderful again! I didn't sleep more than 3 hours last night so I really needed it, but still, the best present I've had in ages! Time to read. Wow. What a concept.

Anyway, I had one of those thoughtful epiphanies yesterday. Is there another sort? It went like this:

We were leaving our friends in Vermont. Rio loves her Mare and her Mighty Mike in a huge way. They were present at her birth and the bonds are amazing. Anyway, she got teary eyed when we got ready to get in the car. My heart did that weird squeeze/seize that is a condition of motherhood. I got down on my knee and hugged her

me: Rio honey. Are you sad?

rio: Yes. *sniffs* We don't have to go to Massachusetts.

me: It's okay to be sad. I'm sad when we leave here, too. We love M&M and they love us, too. So we get a little sad when it's time to go. But! We can come back and visit a lot.

rio: Okay. *waves* Bye Mare! Bye Mighty Mike! Nice to see you!

And we're off. But I found my mind wandering back to that exchange. For a nice change, I wasn't all questioning myself so I wasn't sure why my mind kept revisiting. Then I figured it out - I had a mom moment.

I didn't tell her, "Oh, don't be sad," or "Don't cry," ... I simply let her feel how she was feeling and tried to give it a little substance because she's at the age where she's feeling things but not exactly sure what's up with that so I have the job of putting words to situations to help her figure out things like it's okay to cry. It's very subtle, that difference. But I believe in my gut is has a huge impact on her. If I told her to stop crying I'm sure she would. But then she wouldn't have an understanding of how just saying 'Nice to see you!' can make your eyes water and your insides feel funny. It's love and sadness and the closing of a joy session and it's pretty frigging complicated. But I'm right here for her. Explaining gently and allowing her to have her feelings and just be.

It occurred to me, on that snowy ride home, that I am a good mom like that.

again with 'i got nothing'....

*We have a new game we're playing of late. It's called 'Baby'. She acts like a little baby, wants a bottle, wants to be snuggle up and hear, 'shh shh shh little baby' while she says, 'waa, waa' in a soft little voice. She looks up at me with a smirky face while all 4 miles of legs and arms hang over mine and she takes the baby bottle in her mouth and I sing to her and tickle her chin and kiss her face for long stretches of time. I feel like she's throwing me a snuggle bone and I could not care less.

*We're leaving tomorrow for VT. While we were in FL, Bear broke the blower motor on my car. And he decided to take the car apart tonight to see what the problem is. Even though I have an appointment at a garage for 8am. Even though they'll be a little pissed when I cancel their first appointment of the day, but what can be done?

Why cancel, you ask? Because my rockstar husband took out the blower motor and fixed it. Took it apart, shook corroded no doubt toxic shit all over the kitchen table and then set to with wire brushes and other stuff and fixed it. He's so hott when he's fixing stuff. Man!

*Got the canal for my botched root canal filled today. Highly unpleasant but I remain in awe of my dental guru. AND! I asked him if I could have a gold star or a bezel set stone on my new tooth/cap and he said he'll try to do it for me! Do you love him or what?!

*I should be cleaning but I'm going to finish watching Shark. I'm up here because I'm so spoiled by TiVo that I can't bear to watch a show in real time. I have to be able to zip through commercials unless they look fun. I am only watching fun commercials. So. A LOT of zipping ...

*Speaking of tv, I also liked 'October Road' that was on for a minute. I would watch boring commercials with Laura Prepon because I have a girl crush on her, but I see the absolute crap storylines may be causing troubles. That stupid pregnancy show is on in its place this week. Trouble on the horizon??!! Here are my suggestions for you, October Road writers:

~ why didn't Nick come back? c'mon. give us some sort of reason?! Hannah and his friends seem so fun. he would have called. his mom? his dad? he got his bro into the drugs that you've explained make him so stupid? epic crabs? eurotrash homosexual love affair??!!! many possible reasons but no explanation....

~ you can't have Nick kissing one of his students already. he's in love with Hannah, duh. we don't want him to be morally corrupt before you even get picked up. duh duh duh. we want him to keep trying to get back with Hannah. and what is most likely his son. duh!

~ Big Cat would never ever have gotten Hannah. period. you could have him chasing her, but smooching her? BUYING HER A HOUSE? NEVER CUTTING HIS HAIR SINCE HIGH SCHOOL????!!!! no, I don't think so...

~additionally, no way is Hannah going to let Big Cat's cretin sons harass her boy. she should poison those rotten rugrats.

~ october road is a stupid name.

~ um, did you really call the fat girl 'Janet The Planet'?! wtf?

~ and when former high school hott guy realizes he likes said 'planet' (yeah, you really piss me off with that one), allow him to deepen his character. please don't let HER get sucked into his shallow pool by agreeing to be his closet booty call. really hard to recover from that in a nice way.

~physical Phil is the best part of the show. but he totally would have helped that old lady. shame on you. i missed the last episode but i hope he nailed the crap out of pizza freak.

~ give Hannah something smart to say. that bit about the peanut allergy in the bar? don't get me started. I want to continue to watch Laura Prepon so NBC I'm begging you, stop letting your nieces and nephews write this show as extra credit for 8th grade. thank you and I must go watch the snarky brilliance that is Shark.**

**these impromptu rants would be better if I thought about them, did a draft, EDITED....but too bad.

bear says "boring"

My loving husband has informed me that the blog has been boring.

It's true.

You see, I'm sick to death of being sick. I'm sick of complaining about it. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. Honestly, I don't even have the energy to complain in my head anymore.

I have about 100 pressing things to do. I'm used to being behind schedule since taking on 'stay at home mom' duties which are endless. Actually, physically endless. And repetitive. And not that interesting. Like complaining.

Lately I've been feeling a bit like I'm stuck in the mud. I'm halfway through 10 books and I want desperately to read them all. The house is half clean. My attention is half on my husband ... but 100% on Rio.

I guess I'm being a good mom but I'm constantly surprised at the wells running dry for lack of attention. It's vital to keep a good marriage. I grew up in a house that was a disaster so I don't want mine to be that way, and yet it's shoveling uphill to stay on top of it. I've put off my silversmithing class twice for various reasons. I'm still whipped from 2 weeks 'vacation' and traveling with a wee one. My root canal will be finished this week - but it's still infected because the initial botch was so egregious, I'm lucky my dog didn't loose his teeth as a result! Speaking of dog - his teeth need brushing. He needs brushing. I'm behind on 2 of his vaccines. His nails are long and I've barely walked him in a month. He's become a SAHD shut-in.

I owe thank you notes to about 20 people.

I am LOVING two business projects I'm involved with right now. I look forward to 'doing things' and 'research' and that I get to use my brain a bit. But I have to fight my life for the time to do something besides Sculpy, fingerpaints, and cooking and cleaning.

I'm out of shape because exercising causes my head to throb due to the aforementioned tooth problem! Is it too terrible to tell you that my tooth problem began exactly 2 weeks after I finally got some relief from the botched surgery? No lie, I've had 2 good weeks in 2+ years. Kill me!

What else? I have a UTI that is clearing up. The doc's office never got the lab results from my last one so they aren't sure if it was an actual UTI or if my malady of last year is coming back ... which will require me to be locked in a rubber room of that's the case.

What else?

*Oh, my mom is in rare form of late. And I'm pretty sure she's going to far outlive me so peace and quiet doesn't look good.

*My father blew us off in Florida. He hasn't seen Rio since she's 6 weeks old. I can't even figure out how I feel about it and I'm not kidding. Am I upset? Not really. Disappointed? Not really. Sure about exactly *how I do feel*? Not really.

*Although my darling brother and husband put a spit polish on the house for our return last week, there is something that smells really bad. Somewhere. I can't find it. Sort of a sweet something is rotting smell. That I can NOT find.

*I have familial duties that have been neglected.

See? I could go on and on but I'm sick of hearing it. Sick sick sick of it. I know I'm just in a funk of sorts. But I don't even get the time and space to have a decent funk. Gone are the days of lying in bed watching 15 Law&Orders back to back. Eating ice cream and doing face masks ... all in all it's a totally fair trade, but I sucked every cent of soul equity I had amassed over 40some years to be able to get here today. And here is kind of a mess.

The good news? By the time you read this I'll be fine.

Boring, huh?

new twist on an old favorite

Okay. Rio is all about defining things and ordering people around and telling who what and all that jazz all 2.75 year olds are into. She does this thing where she tells you to do some random thing and then follows her command with 'no saying why'. ?!

Today I left her with Bear. That means she started her nap an hour late, probably had Fritos and ice cream for lunch, and when she awakens she will no doubt be sticky. But she had a funny today. She said to Bear:

rio: Hey daddy, guess what - no saying 'what'.

bear: ...

rio: ... (smiling)

bear: Monkey butt?

rio: (laughing now) YES!

It's a madhouse.

piano = flossing

We make all sorts of weird bargains. Recently I repeated the message of Bear's dentist, but with my own guilty twist:

me: Bear. Flossing helps to remove the food that is rotting between your teeth. Rotting. And rotting doesn't smell or taste very nice. If you'd like to continue with the kissing part of our marriage, I would again beg of you to floss.

bear: Hmm. Is my breath ever bad? (Ever bad he says. EVER bad? Methinks I better start stocking pins for balloon popping....)

me: ... And, there are studies linking flossing to a 60% decrease in the odds of developing certain kinds of cancer. So, I would again ask you to floss. There are 47 different kinds in your bathroom right now and you're welcome.

bear: Well. That teatree laced floss *is* intriguing ... I'll give it some thought.

me: (sensing an opening) Tell you what. You pick something that you'd like *me* to change and if you floss I will endeavor to change that thing about me.

bear: Oooo! ... I gotta think about it.

He realized that I wanted him to floss for reasons of personal good (I had 'edification' there, but I thought you'd make fun of me), not punishment. He decided that I should do something good for myself that I didn't necessarily want to do.

So now, with suitcases still unpacked, 2 inch white roots, 100 substantiations for mf reimbursements to create, plus a borderline tenement-gross house, I'm going to my piano lesson.

*plink, plink, plink, no wait!, plinkplinkplink, dammit!*

HERTZ SUCKS

Dear Hertz:

Being that my complaints have fallen on completely deaf ears, I am writing you a letter here. I hope google picks it up and you offer me a zillion dollars to take it down because then I will have the opportunity to a) put YOU on hold and b) lie to you. Then I will tell you to c) my virtual foot heading for your virtual d)umbass.

First, I booked with a human being. A human being with a southern accent. Heart warming and ever so slightly difficult to understand at the speed of sound. She was rushing me and she told me that she gets spiffs for signing people up so I did book my car with her. Evidently she gave me the 'I'm in a super rush, y'all!' price, because when I arrived in Florida the nice chunk of a man informed me that it was a different price.

I told him I wasn't sure what to say. Here is my confirmation code and the price, everything included, that I was quoted. He looked at me and I looked at him and ... nothing!

I asked him to please call somebody to see what price was attached to my confirmation number. He shrugged and dialed. Then he turned his back and talked in hushed tones to whomever.

So, he put me on with his supervisor who told me it was a made-up price. And then she didn't say anything else. So I said, "And? You're telling me you won't honor the price quoted to me on the phone by one of your customer service reps?" to which she replied, "That is accurate!". The man gave me some sort of comp for half the amount of the overcharge so I guess that was nice? But still, not what I was quoted. Oh, and instead of a Camry I got a Hyundai. So, Hertz, you're already sucking and I've only made it to the airport.

Happy spot? The nice man who drove me over to the lot was lovely. And he carried my bag and put it on the bus and then carried it to my car. You should give him a raise. Or more of whatever he was on. Either way. End of happy.

He left me in a broiling parking lot. I thought to ask, "The car seat is in, right?" and he assured me it was a car seat rental so, yes. Well, it was. Technically. The car seat was *in* the car, in the backseat in a tangle of hooks and clamps and the seat itself was none too clean. I wiped it off with baby wipes and then set about trying to install it WITH NO DIRECTIONS! Would it kill you to have a little laminated card attached to the thing? Honestly! They aren't all the exact same, ya know. Kinda like how a Camry isn't a Hyundai, but I should have known, right?

It took me forever to figure out how to work the buckles and slide the slides and when I got one side hooked it became apparent I had hooked it upside down and had to jam my fingers between the hot seats to unhook it and rehook it.

Thankfully Rio was exhausted and happy to sit in the front seat while the car cooled off and I wrestled with the car seat. If you want to sell hilarious but mean spirited footage, you should put a webcam on the car seat cars. Nothing funnier than an exhausted mom who's been on two planes and has a tired child and her car seat car is some sort of Survivor challenge. Right? Hertz, are you listening to me or just laughing? At one point, sweating like a horse and swearing like a cowboy, I yelled into the abyss "CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME!?!". The only reply was the shimmery glare of heat off the other cars.

Fine.

Now the time came to return your car. To the airport, as I had requested. My step dad assured me that Orlando is so family friendly, it should be a breeze. Well, if you are one of the other 5 CAR RENTAL PLACES THAT OPERATE AT THE AIRPORT I'M SURE IT WAS EASY!! Hertz, you sucky mcsucks, do not have a return spot nestled alongside 'Dollar' or 'Avis' or 'Budget' or any of the others. Nor did the 'gal' mention it when I asked for a return to the airport. She just said, "Sure thing! Y'all have a niiice trip!" click. I called you on your 800 number and you gave me the local number. I called the desk three times. The first two times I got, "ThankYouForCallingHertzPleaseHold" but you see, I had a plane to catch. So the third time I called back I said "Please Don't Put Me On Hold!" and then your person was rather rude. She gave me directions that did NOT include the left turn I need to make, just the "You can't miss it" which was another lie. After turning around I got in and dropped the car. Either the person checking me in and informing me I was going to be charged more than I had agreed to pay but the legalese won't be on my side ... she was either deaf, non-english speaking or rude. When I mentioned that sharing information like off-site return would be nice, she shrugged and said, "What are you gonna do?".

Indeed.

Then! The woman driving the bus must have been your rude sister. Unless she's related to the owner, I can' imagine how she kept her job. Aren't the drivers supposed to help you on your bus? I extended the handle of my suitcase and left it by the door. I got my baby in a seat and collapsed the stroller and secured it in the baggage area. Then I sat down and started hoping I could still make the earlier plane despite your run-around. I was wrestling a juicebox from my backpack when your driver walked away from the other employee she'd been chatting with, stuck her head in the bus and said, "That yo bag?", pointing with what I now realize was a fingernail that was completely incongruent with physical labor of any sort ... I'm not sure how she drove. Anyway, I got back out and put my bag on myself. That's not so bad. I watched her point out the baggage rack to a nice over-weight elderly couple with, no lie, nine bags. Then she got on the bus and started her up! Happily, she was only gunning the engine and not really driving off while they struggled to throw their bags on board ... funny bus-driving sister you have there!

Here's the thing that really pisses me off, Hertz. When I arrived at the airline ticket counter (sweaty and a bit out of breath toting a giant suitcase, an equally giant backpack, a giant tea set and pushing a stroller!) to see if I could still make the earlier flight, the attendant asked me if I had returned a car to Hertz. I thought she was psychic until she told me that PEOPLE ARE CONSTANTLY HAVING TO RUSH BECAUSE YOU DON'T TELL THEM YOUR RETURN IS OFF SITE! So, it's fair to say I'm not the first to have this problem, yes? Not the first to be the victim of your cruel prank? Not the first person who had to 'run, Stupid Hertz renter, run!'...

Hertz, deceiving people about where the return lot is located is a sucky policy for many reasons. You're not cheaper. You certainly can't be keeping customers for loyalty unless you're courting the sadist population. Your agent should have been able to make the leap between car seat and child and it would have been fucking nice if she'd mentioned I'd need another 45 minutes to return the car.

So, in closing, I wish I'd left the trash in the car. I wish I'd been able to find big road kill to leave in the trunk. I wish my perfectly patient child had pooped through. I wish I had a t-shirt factory so I could print 'Hertz sucks' t-shirts. I wish I had remembered that OJ Simpson used to be your spokesmodel. I'm sure he's still looking for work and he really seems to fit your current business model: rude, deceitful, guilty and pretty sure your lawyer is better than mine.

Piss up a rope Hertz.

Sincerely,
I Would Rather Hitchhike Than Rent From Hertz

go time!

I'm packed and waiting for the princess to awaken. The garage door opening directly behind our heads didn't do it. The motorcycle starting up in the garage and then idling and then roaring off didn't do it (thanks jim!). Maybe if I try to draw the kitty whiskers that I think would be sooo adorable on her face, maybe that'll do it!

We are going to Orlando to drop the car and fly home. We haven't been away from Bear for this long ever. I don't even think I've been away from him this long since we've been married! I have that 'might throw up' feeling in my stomach I'm so excited to get home. We had a great trip and the beach is always fun, but there is no place like home.

That said, I may have to photodocument the joint when I get home. Bear had a huge list of 'to-dos' for himself but every time I talked to him, he was watching a movie. So, unless 'make new and improved couch indentation' was at the top of a short list, I suspect it will look the same. But with more dust. And bits of food. And socks everywhere ... but still. Yay!

* Is it me or are drivers all over the place getting ruder and more ignorant? Yesterday I was waiting to turn right and I was behind a freaking car carrier and a redneck with tires up to the roof of my car blasted his horn when I didn't stay 2 inches from the guy in front of me. Honestly. I had to wait for a CAR CARRIER TO TURN RIGHT! They're big and long! When he passed me I asked the passenger hanging a farmer tanned arm out the window, "In a rush to get to the redneck ball?". I'm so going to get shot in the head one of these days ...

on the road again

I have a friend who phrases her time away from her much traveling husband as 'how many sleeps' to go. Brilliant. So, one more sleep and we'll be home. I almost get a little choked up thinking about it. I hope Bear leaves himself time to park the car so he can meet us at the gate. We don't get back until almost 9pm, but I'm sure Rio will be fine. She's been unbelievably great. Everyone adores her. She rocks.

Loads to report. Loads! It was great seeing my sister. Sad not seeing my dad. Great seeing my step-dad and my grandmothers both remain hot tickets. Yay. So, I'm watching the ginormous television and waiting for Rio to get up so we can 'play tea set and blow bubbles'. Such fun!