SUMMER VACATION

It's that favorite time of year for most.........summer vacation.  Tomorrow my 11 yr old (almost 12, he reminds me) grandson and I will hark back to my birth state.

He is excited. There was a quick shopping trip for shoes and shorts, then a dinner out and home to get packed. He's packed, I'm not.

We will be getting up far too early in the morning for me, but I am sure he will be eager and I will be anxious.  I always feel better once the plane takes off and then again, once it lands.  In reading an article on AOL this week, I found out the worst days of the year to drive and TOMORROW and the next day are 2 of the 10 days listed. Also the worst time of day?  You guessed it, between 3 and 5 p.m... Just in time for our arrival. They even listed the worst cars to drive as far as accidents were concerned.  I'm sure they will be trying to convince me to take the Doge Neon, but I'm insisting on the Toyota. Of course, I am sure Dominick would prefer the Hummer.

I finished up my dental work yesterday. I had only two teeth left to do, but those 2 were on opposite sides of the mouth and one was upper and one was lower.  I do not think I will ever be able to listen to "Hotel California" ever again.  It was towards the end and it there was a wee bit of pain involved.  My feet and legs immediately went up in the air in a wonderful yoga pose position.  I continued to   think of my teeth  as THE HOTEL CALIFORNIA played on my recorder.

EAGLES LYRICS

"Hotel California"

On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw shimmering light
My headgrew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night
There she stood in the doorway;
I heard the mission bell
And I was thinking to myself,
'This could be Heaven or this could be Hell'
Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way
There were voices down the corridor,
I thought I heard them say...

Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
Any time of year (Any time of year)
You can find it here

Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes Benz
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys she calls friends
How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat.
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget

So I called up the Captain,
'Please bring me my wine'
He said, 'We haven't had that spirit here since nineteen sixty nine'
And still those voices are calling from far away,
Wake you up in the middle of the night
Just to hear them say...

Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
They livin' it up at the Hotel California
What a nice surprise (what a nice surprise)
Bring your alibis

Mirrors on the ceiling,
The pink champagne on ice
And she said 'We are all just prisoners here, of our own device'
And in the master's chambers,
They gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steely knives,
But they just can't kill the beast

Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
'Relax,' said the night man,
'We are programmed to receive.
You can check-out any time you like,
But you can never leave!'

After I was finished with the dentist my tongue was so swollen and the corners of my mouth were cut, from forcing the floss.  I didn't get my usual drug cocktail, because I had to drive myself there and back with an errand to do also.  I kept feeling my tongue and talking funny, when I stuck my finger in my mouth only to discover they had left the cotton packing in there.  After pulling it out, my tongue almost was normal size.

So today it was the hairdresser and the wax lady.  My cut and color isgrand, but after being waxed from A to Z............all I can say is OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!  (God grant me the serenity to......helllllllpppppp meeeeeeeeeeeeee........)

On this vacation we will be surrounded by friends who I haven't seen in a long time. Vivian is making a wonderful meal for us.  Then it will be on to Springfield to visit my nephew's B&B which btw is fabulous. 

Dom will get to visit aunts and uncles and great grandmas....etc.   I will drive through the towns my husband went to school in for years and years and years.  We will also visit the area where Dom's father grew up.  Sweet tea, biscuits and gravy, waffles, meat 'n taters and home made cake. fruit pies...........all waiting for us. An almost 12 yr old boy can eat A WHOLE LOT! 

Then we get to go to my mothers house.  I told him to bring a book. My mother lives in the past, doesn't travel. except to the grocery store, and only likes to talk about her crazy sister and my crazy (and not in a good kinda crazy either) father, who died around 7 yrs ago. She has had a most difficult past and relives it daily.  This part will be my "Trip to Bountiful."  Facing my past, coming to terms with it and then moving on........................"YOU CAN CHECK OUT ANYTIME.....BUT YOU CAN NEVER LEAVE."

And so it goes.  TOO darn tired to spell check.