Walking Backwards

Okay, buried seems to be a bit of an understatement. Coming back from vacation is weird, you realize that life does go on without you there and that you need to take care of that life stuff. I forgot when I wrote on Tuesday that I had class. Then, yesterday, I had carpool and it was Joe's birthday and I forgot to get him a gift or a card or anything. It turned out okay because we decided that with all that is going on that we are going to put off his birthday celebration until Friday (he also had his game yesterday and didn't come home until late last night). He'll be convalescing on the couch after his vasectomy, but he'll be home and I'll be home and I'll have a chance for gift getting. So, this weekend's Baker's Dozen so I can get to writing out a grocery list and start dinner for the two guys tonight since I have to go to school early for a study group.

1. Atlanta has some of the worst traffic I've ever seen. In the end I would have paid the extra $100 for a ticket closer to our destination.

2. Mel and Rob are the nicest people. We arrive and had piles of snacks and a stocked fridge waiting for us in the guest house. They know what is important to us.

3. Always double check your toiletries before going on vacation lest you forget toothpaste and shampoo and conditioner and floss and your sleeping pills.

4. Oak Ridge was the site of the "Manhattan Project". The real one, not the movie.

5. I much prefer eating at home to going out.

6. Going into Walmart makes me feel really uncomfortable. I mean physically uncomfortable. I think it's the lighting.

7. Nicholas got his portraits done. Now we can have something on the wall of him older than four months. And clothed.

8. I didn't get to go to Memphis and see Sun Records or Graceland. I really wanted to go, but there was no time.

9. Mel and Rob have traveled all over the world and I am insanely jealous. Now I am going to try to convince Joe to not be such a homebody, because they told us how they did it and it might be feasible for us.

10. We took the entire day to get to the airport for our return flight, stopping at little museums and stopping to eat. I still missed my flight because we didn't arrive in time to check bags.

11. We had to amuse ourselves in the airport for five hours. Amazingly, we did. I thank the gods that the Atlanta airport is so huge.

12. Nicholas was super well behaved. It was as if he were someone else's child.

13. Picture forthcoming. I'll edit to add it this afternoon.