April 6, 2015

I had the greatest conversation with an old high school friend last night…as much as we are with ourselves, it often takes reaching out to others to be able to learn (or verify) what is going on. I‘m the first to admit that my perception is often skewed.  Thanks, Sweet Rachel….  My last morning to sleep in..and I did til 8:30.  Then the game of “are they up yet" began.  The deep dark secret is that I think clothes are stupid and I do run around naked, but I always have a robe nearby.  The trick is to get coffee without having to put the robe on.  Fortunately, the kids were both up til quite late/earl.y and slept through the whole thing...NOT that I have anything the kids haven’t seen…because I do think this whole thing of sheltering them from nudity is ridiculous in this country.  Holy hell, ‘Merika, don’t go into a European spa..you might see naked people (btw, naked doesn’t always mean sexualized).

So the coffee is consumed, the children still slumber..I had the privilege of getting to speak with another high school friend, Mr. Tim Walker.  That was awesome.  It was like English class all over again.  Haven’t heard his voice in <gulp> decades.  It helps me a great deal knowing there are people I can turn to.  It also helps me knowing there are people who believe in me….  We all need that.

Laundry was really the big obstacle of the day…folding it is my nemesis, but we got most of it folded today.  I also did other stuff (it was so dull and menial I forgot what it was) and I got my Swiss passport paperwork re-done to send in.  Of the 4 items I sent off, I only did one correctly.  I still need 2 things from L, also, for this.  I think Austria/EU isn't as difficult. Then I took the kids to vacuum out the car and head to the AAA travel agency.  For this trip I need help.  I don’t have hours to spend on a website looking at different things, then getting planes and transportation arranged.  The woman at AAA travel looked mainly at Costa Rica, but I think Belize has good choices, too.  Nicaragua is too expensive. The Caribbean side of CR is nice – I’d like to snorkel and explore jungles and towns.  If kids weren’t with me I’d get SCUBA certified.  Maybe I will, anyway.  Need to get the kids new passports and mine renewed as well, I think. Erghhhh.

After, I took the kids to their dad’s…there is a possibility he may be sleeping on our couch for a while.  Relationships are tough.

Class was short, but there is a great deal of work to be done.  I am bringing Lizzie in tomorrow to the VW shop here in town and we will hopefully get her all fixed up.  I learned my lesson.  <smile>

Pictures: The kids assisting me in helping me get wrinkles out of my pants with Downy Wrinkle Release; Travel agency booklet.  EXCITED!  First "real" vacation with kids in 6 years, but really, we have so many adventures that I consider them all vacations.  I think vacation is a state of mind...