But also please take a moment to pause and remember why you are free.

Right behind my eye all the way through to the back of my head.

And my glands are swollen.

And my eyes are all scratchy.

And my sinuses are clogged.

And I am dizzy from all the extra meds I’m taking on top of my allergy meds.

HATE allergies.

Hate ‘em.

That is all.

Yup, just traveled north to see my mom, sisters, cousins, nieces and nephews, and aunts and uncles. Part of the time I spent with a group of women from the fam on our annual girls weekend. That part was fun. It was really fun. And great to shed all responsibilities with spouses and kids for just a little while! We rented a fabulous cabin where the weather was cool, which was a nice change from Dallas.

Anyway, I can’t talk about that because as they say…what goes…whatever. Here are some general impressions of my trip:

1. Traveling as a paying passenger is nice. It’s really nice.

2. It’s better when you pace yourself when socializing with an Irish Catholic family. It just is. That way you can enjoy all your time instead of praying that “the hair of the dog” will cure you.

3. There are some awesome women in my family.

4. Said women are really fun to be around.

5. And supportive.

6. And yes, sometimes brats.

7. But I will take the trip again next year.

8. Because it was well worth the time and expense to catch up with the family.

9. At a big family dinner, it’s highly entertaining to throw the toddlers into a room to watch a movie and see what happens.

10. Especially if you do it after their bed time.

11. Seriously, it was like a mini Lord of the Flies in there.

12. Did I mention how great it was to fly as a paying passenger?

13. Why does vacation make me so tired?

14. It couldn’t possibly be the daily doses of alcohol and rich food.

15. No way.

16. Couldn’t be that.

17. It’s good to be home.

18. I missed The Boy.

19. And the spouse.

20. And even the cat.

P.S. The Boy ends his school year on Thursday before lunch. Help.

That’s right. I’m escaping from the reality that is my life. The spouse. The kid. The house. The cat. The new vehicle. The hot, muggy Texas weather. The gym. All of it.

Well….just for a few days anyway. Yup, that’s right. I’m leaving everything behind to go visit family up in Wisconsin. It is the annual weekend where those of us adult females in the family that can get away escape for a few days to gossip catch up on family news, drink way too much, and generally just take it easy.

Of course, I will miss my boys (all three of them – well two I guess since the cat is fixed). Nevertheless, it will be a nice break from reality.

Don’t expect much news from my trip while I’m there or after I return. As they say…what “goes” on girls weekend STAYS on girls weekend.

I’m off to finish packing because I leave in the morning. Buh-bye!!!

The Boy SO does not know anything about vehicles. The following conversation took place a few days ago in my new Pilot which he insists we take out at every opportunity due to the fancy gadgets and maps:

The Boy (looking around the vehicle – in the back seat, etc.): “Mom, admit it. This is just a souped up mini-van.”

Me (who has vowed NEVER to drive a mini-van OR a station wagon): “It is NOT a mini-van!”

The Boy: “Mom, come ON. It has all the stuff a mini-van has.”

Me: “The tires are WAY different.”

The Boy: “Mini-van.”

Me: “The doors don’t slide.”

The Boy: “Mini-van.”

Me: “It looks WAY different than a mini-van. There’s no comparison.”

The Boy (ever-frugal with words): “Van.”

Me: “It’s not all curved and ugly.”

The Boy: “Van.”

Me: “The transmassion is ALL different and it can tow stuff.”

The Boy: “Van.”

I thought he was just giving me a hard time because he knows how much I SO don’t wanna be that mom who drives a mini-van. And THEN, just tonight:

Me: “I’ll get up and take you to school in my SUV tomorrow.”

The Boy: “Van.”

Dammit, it’s an SUV!!!!! I don’t care what he says. I’m NOT one of those Blue-Tooth using, tons of kids in the back seat, distracted, fast food eating, crafty… MINI-VAN MOMS!!!!

AM NOT!!!

A Honda Pilot is a mid-size SUV. See?!:

Can gloating be considered a sport? Most of the pack of SUVs prowling the roads today are all heft with no hustle. Only the 2007 Honda Pilot is both strong enough to go the distance, and cunning enough to lead the way.

See? I LEAD THE WAY!! I don’t care what he says. I am a proud mid-sized SUV owner. He’s 12. What the hell does he know?

In a list, of course.

1. Awakened by The Boy toting a freshly warmed Krispy Kreme Honey Bun and hot coffee with cards from Himself, the cat, and the spouse (the spouse was gone vacationing in Argentina working but The Boy did a good job).

2. I got hugs, too.

3. That was nice.

4. Morning paper with more coffee and hugs and purrs from kitty.

5. A drive in the new Pilot to see Spider Man 3.

6. It was EXCELLENT! LOVE jazzy black Spidey!

7. McDonald’s!!! (shut up, we all have to have our vices).

8. Some IM’ing with the spouse (yes, he wished me a happy Mother’s Day and checked to make sure The Boy was doing right).

9. Hot bubble bath (thank God for air conditioning – it was 92 out today).

10. Long nap with purring kitty in my favorite chair.

11. Chili’s baby back ribs with loaded mashed potatoes and cinnamon apples (Curb Side Service, of course-any excuse to take the Pilot out for a spin)!

12. More hugs from The Boy.

13. Survivor! (can somebody please give Yao-Man a million bucks?).

14. 1/2 bottle of my favorite Malbec from Argentina and Desperate Housewives.

15. To bed to sleep off the wine.

I hope all you moms out there had as much fun as I did today!

Well, at least that’s what The Boy calls it. Probably because he thinks for Chocolate Chip it’s the same as Superman’s fortress is for him. We watched Superman Returns a couple weeks ago – I guess that brought it to mind.

Anyway, we got our kitty a new bed. See?

“There, you got your damn picture.”

“God I hate the paparazzi.”

Now go visit The Friday Ark.

No, silly. Not my REAL pilot I’ve been married to for 20 years……my vehicle called the Pilot.

Here’s my baby:

Isn’t she pretty (yes, she’s a “she”…mostly because the computer has a female voice…shut up….it’s a “she”)?

Wait….wanna see The Boy’s view from the back seat?

Nice, right? Did you check out the navigation screen to the right of the steering wheel? Sweet.

And we wounldn’t wanna be remiss in providing The Boy with his own climate control and convenient cup holders and massive leg room. Oh, yes. It’s all there:

Wait…I KNOW ya wanna know about the cargo space. Baby, we got cargo space! Third seat is there under the beautiful cargo mat which I will normally use. Because, seriously….we are only three people!

And now the big finish. Baby got back! Rear window wiper and extra lights around the license plate. She is a HAMMER!

Now….what shall I name her? She and I will be together for the next 10 years or so. Any suggestions?

They just released a survey that shows 50% of Americans don’t really use the Internet or even cell phones at all. How can that be? I don’t think I could survive without a computer, if I’m being honest.

The Pew Internet and American Life Project found that adult Americans are broadly divided into three groups: 31 percent are elite technology users, 20 percent are moderate users and the remainder have little or no usage of the Internet or cell phones.

I took the quiz, and I fell into the “Connector” group.

The Connectors’ collection of information technology is used for a mix of one-to-one and one-to-many communication. They very much like how ICTs keep them in touch with family and friends and they like how ICTs let them work in community groups to which they belong. They are participants in cyberspace – many blog or have their own web pages – but not at the rate of Omnivores. They are not as sure-footed in their dealings with ICTs as Omnivores. Connectors suspect their gadgets could do more for them, and some need help in getting new technology to function properly.

Yup. That pretty much describes how I relate to technology. How about you? It’s a short quiz. Go take it if you have time.

Yesterday while Tommy was on his way to Argentina, I went shopping and to a late lunch with my friend “R”.

After we placed our drink order, all of a sudden one of those cardboard coasters came flying over my shoulder from the booth behind me. I am NOT kidding.

I turned around with my “don’t f(*& with me” look on my face to find a mother and three teenagers in the booth-all giggling. I said, “How old ARE you?”

The mom said, “I know, I told her she shouldn’t do that.”

Granted, I had barely slept the night before because I was SO excited about the new Pilot, and I had been shopping (which I detest but I needed outfits for various awards and concert gatherings the next few weeks). But seriously…WHO DOES THAT?!

What kind of guidance is the kid getting that she thinks it’s okay to do that in front of her mom or someone else’s mom?

And….I think all the girls were high. Their eyes were red and they were certainly acting like it.

I wanted to kick all of their asses. But “R” (having the cooler disposition) suggested we move to a table far away from them.

I drank my margarita and ate my quesadillas and guacamole. The table full of teenagers from hell left. We sympathized with the waitress about having to wait on the table from hell. We gave her a big tip.

And then we went and shopped some more.

Thanks, “R” for keeping me in line.

Our future leaders, people. Raised my moms who have been so lax that their kids think it’s okay to toss coasters at perfect strangers in restaurants. Wonderful….