ok, so mm leaves for vacation within 28 hours, or so, and she is quite and uncharacterisitically unprepared........for spain i was packed a full week beforehand........today i put in a load of laundry to assure that i will have clean underthings......not that i do not look forward to going away.....i certainly do.....but traveling domestically is not the challenge that foreign touring presents......shoo.....if i run out of clothing i could always keep an eye out for a goodwill........(others may quip that walmarts are for just such occassions, but i am on a non-walmart roll, and have no intentions of breaking down just yet) the truth is...we will be gone only 6 full days......in weather ranging from 55-75....a pair of shorts or two, several pairs of khakis......5 shirts......and i will be done...this basic trip is one that i made with acw and scw at least 3 times in years past....when ecw could not get off work......this basic trip is one i made in high school once and in college once and in grad school once......with different people but always the same sights...monticello, williamsburg, something in dc, i have a collection of pewter jefferson cups purchased at a rate of 1 per visit to monticello....each of my boys have 2 cups (on one trip that included ecw, scw was a toddler and make such a ruckus the tour guide asked ecw to take him outside.....i ended up taking scw someplace other than inside the gracius mansion, as ecw had never been there.........and we didn't make time for the gift shop on that occasion)......so 1 more day of work, and then we are off.......i am clearly out of the mood to work, so it is good that most of the food for the wedding tonight has already been done........just the arranging part is left for most of it......4 separate food stations......lots of kale and red cabbage garnish around the vegetable and cheese displays.....you know the look........i had purchased several books for the road, but i will not start them until i finish john adams.......)