I can't believe I went through my entire "vacation" without ever updating once. That's what lack of a healthy T1 line will do for you, I guess. Actually, I was trying to focus on the circle journal I'm doing with a couple of friends and any time I got the urge, I'd try to write in that. It wasn't the same, though. Buds, if I turn out to be frightfully boring on paper, just give me another chance. It might take a while to work out the kinks.

So, the "vacation"... I give it three and a half stars.

The first week, I spent so much time on birthdays, cooking, cleaning, appointments, and a funky part-time work schedule, that I ended up mostly feeling sorry for myself. This culiminated in a massive hissy fit/meltdown during the Allstar Celebrity/Legends softball game on Sunday evening. We found our seats to be in the very center circle of hell with no way to see any of the finer players, what with the infield home run "wall" they put up and the massive crowds of mediati all milling about on the field. Security was too tight to move into any of the many empty seats in the shade (where it was only 90 degrees instead of 150!) and we ended up going home about an hour after we got there.

It was the following day at the local wave pool, while sitting beneath the shade, letting the warm breeze evaporate the chlorinated water from my skin, that I finally realized relaxation. The rest of the vacation was very nice, albiet not quite long enough. I did laundry, cleaned out a cupboard, actually ironed some blouses, sewed up a totebag project that I'd had on the burner for months, cut out material for my next project, made a cute little collage, spent an afternoon with my husband, and enjoyed (yes, enjoyed) the family reunion.

Why did I enjoy the family reunion? Because it was blessedly short. I think we were literally kicking people out of there at 4pm, taking the very tables and chairs from beneath them. While still screaming hot, it wasn't as bad as if we'd had it outside and we were home in our air conditioning by 6:00. The only down side to the day ( aside from the part where I tried to add protein to the salad in the form of the tip of my thumb) was the part where the relatives we thought were coming into town on Wednesday didn't come until Sunday morning and then wanted to stay with us - all five of them. Boy loved hanging with his same-aged cousins and I had fun Sunday night getting the grand-neice to warm up to me. We always love seeing favorite neice and her husband is a peach. But, man! I know why I only have one kid.

Miss Grand-Neice has a 'tude and then some most of the time, anyway, but it seemed she also has a cold (and I believe an ear infection) which made her really, really cranky. No...really. I'd forgotten what a sick child (who is also in her fourth or fifth strange surrounding with strange people inside of a week) can do. The screeching. But I love her anyway. I do. Can't help myself. She's my little B-girl!

Well, Big Boy and the Fiancee just got back from Phoenix on Sunday. As predicted (although, a couple years sooner) they plan to move out there. They loved it so much (seems their allergies went away completely as soon as they hit the tarmac) they've just decided to pick up and go. Again, I was only surprised by the timing. I had every expectation that they would hit the road running as soon as they married. That boy has been dying to get away from all of his family obligations for years. Apparently, they have it all planned. They're switching schools and moving in about a month. He called the Husband this morning to tell him. Seems he couldn't "find the time" to tell him to his face yesterday evening. Uh-Huh. How Husband reacts will be known in time. He's a stewer. He'll be all fine and dandy for a while and then be upset.

Just remind me not to be so oppressive to my son as to make him want to move across the damned country.