We're preparing to go on vacation and, as many of us have found out, the great secret of adulthood is that vacations don't happen by themselves.

At the risk of being a middle-aged cliche (no, really...shut up), sometimes vacation can be anything but when you are the parent or the otherwise designated adult.

And, my status as the Sandwich Generation Poster Child has earned me the right to factor my dad into the planning as well.

Now, please hear me that I'm not complaining about that. I have lost a parent, I get it that many of you would give anything to have your dad go on vacation with you.

I am glad he goes with us, however, the fact is that I have to consider some things for him, too and it does add to my to-do list as well as my stress as I am somewhat of a champion worrier.

I also get that I'm fortunate to go on a vacation. Really, I do. But, being fortunate doesn't negate the fact that, gah, I have a lot to do before then.

But, I'm famous for getting all worked up before we go out of town, and everything goes just fine whether I worry or not.

Well, except for the blown tire somewhere outside Montgomery last summer.

If I had just worried a little more, that totally would not have happened.

Another Saturday of surfing the disconnect between what I want to be doing, what I need to be doing and what I'm actually doing.

This summer has gotten off to a slow start, it's like I'm waiting for it to get underway, and it's actually well into it.

Busy Dad teaching summer school and Busy Boy working at Vacation Bible School (somewhat against his will, but he needs the volunteer hours) really deferred that "summer feeling".

The crazy weather hasn't helped matters any, either. It's like the seasons are offset by one or something, at least in my head, anyway. Winter was warm, spring was freezing and summer started off cool and raining.

I keep thinking that after the next event we have to get through, it'll "really" be summer with some free time, but actually, other than our vacation, we're kinda booked up until school starts back. But, that's not hard to do since school starts at the beginning of August.

I suppose this is one of those things where I have to "just do it" and get up and do summer stuff even when it doesn't feel like summer.

But, I suppose the key is actually "getting up" first.

Maybe in a few minutes.

So, I got me one of them fancy new iPhone 3Gs thingys this morning.

What apps do the cool kids use?

Tell me, and maybe Apple will let me use them, anyway.

Saturday night.

The Internetz has been awfully boring today, so I shall brain dump here for your reading enjoyment.

The only catch is that you get bullets.

- Busy Girl is doing better despite looking like she's storing food for the winter in her cheeks.

- Towel consumption season has officially begun. I have no idea how one small boy has generated so much laundry today. He's also exceeded his lifetime limit for showers.

He has taken a full shower every time he's gotten out of the pool today.

- Accidentally discovered that you can serve a Stouffer's Flatbread Sandwich (Geezum Pete, that was not an ad, though I did have a coupon) to the kids for dinner merely by saying it's your sandwich and they "won't like it".

- Been in a foul mood most of the day. You? You're breathing wrong back there. Bring me an iced tea from Sonic and no one gets hurt.

- Trying to rate limit kids for, "Hey, Mom..." not working.

- If one adult in the house has plans for an outdoor project that takes the entire day and evening, that adult really needs to tell the other adult ahead of time.

- That adult is now on the way to Sonic. Just sayin'.

- I still have some cool giveaways over at Busy Mom Reviews.

- NPR blaring outside is aggravating my homicidal tendencies. (see also: other adult, Sonic)

- Apparently, I'm not alone. Busy Boy has developed a heckuva Garrison Keillor impersonation. And it is not flattering.

- I have no obligation to ensure that a certain teenager sees her boyfriend on a regular basis. That teenager would like to submit a differing opinion. But, she can't! Her face is all swollen.

- Vote for me. Please? I'm the last one. It just takes a second.

- I really, really, really need to fold laundry. Don't wanna. 7 year old is even noticing he doesn't have clothes, though. Still don't wanna. Told him it was a treasure hunting game. Indiana Hanes and the Temple of the Buried Underwear.

- Sometimes, The Internet makes my jaw drop.

- Went to Mass this evening. Busy Boy has poison ivy and a bad habit of picking at his fingers. Immediately before the Sign of Peace (shaking hands) he shows me his bloody right hand and fingers. I may have arthritis like I'm 80, but I don't carry Kleenex in my purse on a regular basis.

No Lifesavers Cryst-o-Mints, either. Raise your hand if you could find both of those in your grandmother's purse.

- Someone is not back from Sonic and is likely spending all our money at Home Depot.

UPDATED: Someone forgot my drink from Sonic. Oh, yes he did. Stay tuned for my new single parenting blog.

Busy Girl had her wisdom teeth removed today.

It was this morning, so I thought I'd bring her home, settle her in and do some work, you know really get things done.

Ha.

Hahahahahaha.

Hahahahahahahahaha.

Her surgery somehow increased the need factor of the entire house, right down to the dog.

She's ensconced in the den with her ice packs watching the Stanley Cup, while the rest of the house is wandering in circles, demanding her soft foods and turning up the volume on all the electronic devices in the vicinity.

Have cooked 2 pots of mashed potatoes already today and "broken" a TV remote.

She's doing well, minimal bleeding, some pain and swelling, but not too bad, but tomorrow will probably be a different ballgame.

She just now read the texts she sent out on the way home from surgery, they are hilarious.

She's all fired up because she has Vicodin, just like House.

If we try to make her go to rehab, she'll say, "No, no, no..."

Go figure, she had the anesthesia, surgery and meds, yet I'm the one exhausted.

I can hardly hold my head up and she's moaning about wanting a biscuit and some tater tots.

I think my problem is that I was up late with the weird weather we've had the past couple of days.

Armageddon arrived yesterday morning while we were at volleyball.

The sky went pitch dark, the wind was roaring (sounded like a hurricane) and the rain was coming in sideways.

That was fun.

Then, a smaller storm came through last night and our power went out six different times.

Good times living out in the country where we are on our own transformer.

We always have to remind the power company we exist when they are turning things back on.

It's taken me approximately an hour to write this much drivel, so I'm thinking that whole "get things done" fallacy won't happen today, either.

Way to go, Penguins, btw.

The sibling relationship fascinates me since I don't have any.

Siblings that it, not relationships.

Busy Girl and Busy Boy are only 22 months apart, and though they are very different, they were reasonably close when they were younger.

As they have gotten older, they seem to have grown apart.

I think part of it is the gender difference and part is this particular age.

Busy Girl is, well...a girl and she's in high school (that still sounds weird to me) and her world is a lot different from his right now.

She's probably also more mature than he is, and she has little patience for some of the little boy things he still likes to do.

I feel bad for him, since he doesn't always understand why they don't play or hang out like they used to.

I think when he gets to high school next year (good gawd) it'll be a little different.

We had a couple of school choices with Busy Girl, but it's always been important to me that they go to the same high school.

They don't necessarily have to hang out with each other, or even like each other, really, but I do want them to share some common experiences that they can draw on later.

She's gone a lot, and though he has Busy D., I think he gets lonely for her, sometimes.

I've tried to explain this to her, and I think she gets it, but she's involved (rightly so) in her life right now.

I was very proud of her when she was out of town last week and called to talk to Busy Boy.

There's also a glimmer of hope lately, as they are both in sports conditioning for the summer.

She's doing volleyball and he's doing football, and even though neither one of them thinks the other's is a "real" sport, they have started to run and bike together.

I love this for lots of reasons, but I wonder what they talk about when they are out there?

I probably don't want to know.

In only 3 short years (seriously?) she'll be out of the house, so I feel like they don't have a lot of time to make memories.

I know I can't force it, but someday it'll be them trying to decide what nursing home to put us in (Busy D. will probably get/take a pass since he's so much younger), and I suppose it'd help if they liked each other.

I didn't have that when my mother was sick, I'm hoping my kids do.

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Let's say you have a set of measuring spoons held together by a ring.

("You have a set of measuring spoons held together by a ring". Heh.)

You are cooking and need only the teaspoon, and it will need to go in the dishwasher.

Do you:

a. remove the teaspoon from the ring to use it?

b. use the teaspoon, leaving it and the other spoons on the ring so as to keep them together?

Discuss.