Vacation (Meant To Be Spent Alone)

Well, we're back. 10 days of abject insanity.

Of course the new TSA regulations started on the day we were flying. We were taking a red-eye flight, so when we got to the airport, there was absolutely no wait through security. Our bags got searched because I had left in the Manling's Butt Paste and a small bit of hand sanitizer. The darling TSA lady let me keep the Butt Paste, AKA liquid gold for it's magical abilities to fight diaper rash as well as it's price, but confiscated the hand sanitizer. No big deal. The Manling slept right through the flight, as did the other 5- 6 babies on board. Our rental car was an amazingly nice Hyund@i Sonata, and we headed up to Nascar Nance's work so she could show off the Manling to all of her cronies and toadies at work. Home to her house by 10AM Eastern, 8AM Mountain time for a nap. Smoketown Road festivities including bonfires and grilling until late in the night.


Saturday we went out on the boat to Blue Mountain Reservoir with a passle of grandkids, my mom, and Vidalias. I don't think I've been boating since about 1992 or the late 80s. I needn't go back for another 15 years either. Mark and the Manling had a good time though. Mark tried to learn how to waterski which was quite hysterical. I think he swallowed about a zillion gallons of green opaque lake water - ugh. The Manling did a little tubing. He had on a pink lifejacket and looked pretty hysterical himself. I tried to stay in the shade and willing us not to capsize or sink or anything Giliigan's Island-esque. I'm just not a big fan of boating.

Later that day we drove down into Philadelphia to see Jackie K perform in Shakespeare's Two Gentlemen of Verona, which was set to a Beatles score and costumed in the 60's. 1960s that is. The Manling came with us, and we met Snatch and Sarah there. (I've decided to stop using initials and to start using people's names, or at least the names I give them.) The Manling sat through the performance fairly rapt for a 10 month old. He'd watch for a little bit, then eat a few snacks, then nurse, and repeat. After the intermission he was a bit more rammy, and during the scene where the outlaws were hiding in the woods, shushing each other as they hid, he let out a hell of a yell, at which poit the actor doing the shushing through back an extra shush at him. This brought down the house. Maybe the Manling has an incredible sense of comic timing.

Afterwards, we all went to Grill's house for Jackie's going away party (and meet my baby session). On the way there, Mark happened to see my ex-boyfriend, Mike Murray. I was totally surprised by that because I think Mark only met him once or twice and to randomly run into him as he was bicycling and we were driving around Rittenhouse Square, and to have Mark recognize him and remember his name, was a little uncanny. We chatted for a bit and then off to Grills' house.

More later. The Manling has boycoytted his nap and must be removed from his crib before he explodes.

Songs: (not about vacation; just about this damn nap that's not)
The Smiths::Asleep
The Cure:: The Exploding Boy
Cold War Kids:: Quiet Please
Ben Fold Five:: Lullabye
Modest Mouse:: Sleepwalkin
Jawbreaker::Sleep
Stereolab: Baby Lulu
Jazz June:: Falling Asleep on Lincoln Drive
Supersuckers:: Sleepy Vampire
Plimsouls:: Hush, Hush
Colin Meloy:: Baby Song (Weird and Wonderful)