Here we go again

Sometimes I wonder if I create the dramas in my life. I am chronically punctual, always return phone calls, write thank you letters and rarely double book myself, so I couldn't ever be accused of "asking for it". Most of my friends think I'm actually very "stable" while giving a slight nod to the Thespian in me too. However it's days like today that have me questioning my own sanity; we are about to take a holiday/vacation and the uproar begins.

As a result of my convent education, my kids go to a non-religious school. Easter and Passover go un-remarked on the school calendar, and instead, we stick to a week off mid-February and a week off somewhere in April. (Our April break usually co-incides with my wedding anniversary, prompting an un-necessarily romantic celebration.) The April week occurs next week, and having spent the Xmas and February break skiing in Colorado, we are off to warmer climes - south Florida, to be exact. Given that it's already quite warm down there, I have to spend the next few days hunting for our summer clothes, figuring out what fits the kids, (probably nothing since they've all grown again) and making sure it's not stinky. Chicago has two climates - sub zero and sub Saharan, necessitating two completely different wardrobes, which are diligently stored in air tight containers under most people's beds. I seem to have made other arrangements as there's nothing under any of the beds. Now where can it all be?

I am also painstakingly ignoring the finger that I might have broken this morning as I just don't have time to fit in a trip to the emergency room. I was reaching into the drawer next to the fridge, talking to the little guy at the same time, not watching where my hand was going, and smacked my ring finger knuckle on the edge of the fridge. I know, I know. How on earth? I didn't hit it with much force, but it was extremely painful right away and started to swell alarmingly. I tried to take my rings off but since the diamond band is already a bit snug, I'd missed that boat. Six hours later the swelling has gone down a bit and the whole knuckle is dark red. I suspect I've just burst a blood vessel as I can move it, but this is just one example of things that conspire against me whenever we go anywhere. What was the medical emergency in February? Oh yes, my daughter "popped" her hip the day before we were leaving and we spent all morning with the orthopedic doctor.

More dramatically, my mother is flying over from England via Terminal 5 in London, and yes of course there are problems. Her domestic flight is on BA, and her translatlantic flight is on American Airlines. BA have now decided that due to the recent baggage fiasco, they won't check her bags all the way, oh and by the way, she now doesn't have time to collect her bags at T5, get over to T3 and check in within the 2 hour required time frame. Furthermore, it's going to cost us and arm and a leg to change the flight, and don't even bother just buying a new flight down to London because it will render the return portion of the original ticket invalid. And of course, now she has to go down the night before so as well as changing the flights, there's a hotel to be found.

And I still have four days before we go. Fingers crossed - well, not the purple one.