So, where was I? I haven’t meant to be away so long, but I have been sucked into vortex that is preparing for a long vacation. Did I mention that we’ve decided to drive the whole trip? New England to Florida to Colorado then back to New England. Good thing we have six weeks to do it in. We might possibly be completely insane. We might possibly get as far as Memphis and decide that Tennessee would be a lovely place to raise a family, as long as our new life required us to never get in a car ever again, as long as we live.

I have been having decision stress. There are too many details to keep track of, even with extensive, detailed lists. And it seems that no matter how much I do, something is left dangling. The past couple of days, I have been irritated, feeling like the kids are clinging to me, feeling like the walls of my house are closing in, feeling like the piles of things in my hall, on my porch, scattered across the yard, are multiplying in the warm spring air.

Today I was finally able to get a grip. A tenuous one, but a grip nonetheless. I am so together (snort) that I even pulled off baking 4.5 dozen muffins as gifts for the bus drivers and all of Davey’s teachers, aides, and therapists at school. I might actually be on track for us to leave at the end of the week.

Oh, cripes! We are leaving in … one, two, three, four…. FOUR DAYS! What were we thinking?!

Am I the only one who needs to have everything - absolutely everything - in order before a trip? It is inevitable that I hit a point - it came today - when I start letting things slide. I start cutting corners, in a healthy way, realizing that there are (get this!) stores in Florida and Colorado and all points in between. One thing I’d almost forgotten about was mapping out places I can eat on the road. Oh yeah… that whole gluten free thing. It does complicate life away from home. Fortunately, there are some chain restaurants I can count on. And thanks to the homogenization of interstate freeway settlements, I can count on them being at one exit or another.

So here we are, ready to load up and head out. Echoing through my head is the voice of Davey’s singing cowboy Elmo… “On the road again, I just can’t wait to get on the road again….”

p.s. We’re going to the beach. I still do not have a decent swimsuit to wear. Think that’s a problem?