Is it Summer Yet?

I'm just a little tired of not seeing green leaves, and not feeling warm sunshine. I'm tired of hot soup, hot tea and too many carbs. I'm tired of brown grass and the flu. I'm tired of seeing daffodils in winter. It stinks.

But all that being said, I did take some time out to drive to Ohio with my sister a few weeks ago. After all, if it's going to be winter, it should be snowing. A mere 14.5 hour drive, with her mother-in-law in the backseat. She's lucky, because I would have put her in the trunk. We listened to a book on tape, packed full of gruesomeness, which almost made her mother-in-law want to go in the trunk. We're mean. The book is Someone Knows My Name. I still haven't finished listening to it, but that's only because I got sick on the way home. SICK. bleh. Still sick.

Enough whining.

It was one of those "spend every night in a different bed" kind of trips.

Night #1: Jacksonville, FL. Sister Betsy's house. Didn't sleep a wink. Neither did she. Shared trip anxiety.

Night #2: Boardman, Ohio, some hotel. Sister Betsy dyes my hair after quick run to Target for hair dye. Thank god no one knows me here anymore, because it wasn't pretty. Realize that Betsy's hands are wide and stubby. Take picture to prove it. Take comfort in the fact that back in Ireland our ancestors were famous for being able to carry 10 potatoes in each hand.

Night #3: Conneaut, Ohio, cousin Gee's lakehouse. Oooh, snow blowing! I love it! We spend the day and night at my cousin's lake house, on Lake Erie. When Betsy and I awoke to a beautiful snowy lake scene, she commented that she expected to see Polar Bears. But apparently Lake Erie is plumb out of polar bears this year. We ate too much (m&m's, brownies, potato salad, ham, bread, tuna burgers, haushki, etc.) and played Wii. My 92-yr. old grandmother looked like she wanted to get up and bowl with us, but she probably would have kicked out asses, and we knew it. We hit an antique store (we shopped there, we didn't rob it) ate some more, and headed back to Aunt Peggy's to say goodbye to said ass-kicking grandmother. I was hoping she was still with us, because the aunts didn't leave to take her home 'til 1:30am. She was a little fuzzy on who brought her home, but otherwise fine. Hell, I was a little fuzzy on who brought me home by that time.

Cousin Lori and Sister Betsy, Wii boxing. I'd say at least one of them has a bit of latent hostility, wouldn't you? They both had sore muscles though! I thought Betsy was going to KO the tv at one point.

Night #4: Boardman, Ohio, same hotel, different room. After leaving the lake, we took a drive near our other grandmother's house. She's dead, so we didn't visit her. We reminisced, drove, and watched the snow fall. Met that evening with Sister Patty and her band of children. The two oldest kids brought their girlfriend and boyfriend with them. I'm that old. I'm sure they kids thought I was on some kind of mind-altering drugs. Caffeine, getting sick, tired. bleh. Aunt Betsy handed out money, Aunt Theresa handed out flu germs. Good to see you again. Here's some Theraflu. And yes, the fatter I get, the bigger my head gets. I'll remember not to sit closest to the camera next time. It all reminds me of a childhood cat, Peppermint. Remind me to dig up a picture of him.
Night #5: Rock Hill, SC. Left Ohio in lots of blowing snow, and made it to Rock Hill, where there wasn't any snow, but it was chilly. sigh. This is the part where I ate the baby. Okay, I kissed and slobbered all over her. I didn't know I was sick yet, so give me break. And no, she didn't get sick afterwards. Baby Grace had her first outing to Olive Garden, and if she's anything like her mother, certainly not her last. She entertained us with her laughing, cooing, slobbering and wet diapers. We're easily entertained.

Night #6: Jacksonville, FL. Again. Okay, by now I can tell there's something bad going on with me. But it didn't stop me from dragging my sister all over town to shop.

Night #7: Tifton, GA. Back home. Sick. Work the next day. Who's idea was this anyway?