Agree to disagree

It's getaway week, and I'm counting down the hours, minutes, and pre-trip tasks before our departure to sunny San Diego on Friday! We are taking the kids on our first family destination vacation. We've traveled together with the kids to Chicago and Michigan before, and a road trip to planet Moab, but nothing fully vacationy like this one.

The bonus is that my parents and sister, Wendy, are flying out to meet us there! I haven't seen them since Thanksgiving, and they haven't seen the kids since the wedding back in August. So it's an extended family destination vacation. We also may get to see some of my Mom's-side California cousins and aunts and uncles, which would be sweet. Last time I got together with them, we caught some fish. Let's see... what type of fish were they again... oh, that's it: BARRACUDA!

As you know, San Diego means lots of things to lots of people. Some people point out the name is simply the Spanish translation of Saint Diego. Others believe it to be a German translation, meaning...something else. Hey, we're staying classy here in Stizl's blog. Still, so many memorable names and places! Like Tony Gwynn, Dan Fouts, and LaDainian Tomlinson in sports; that one season of the Real World with all those intellectual, fascinating characters; Shamu (the predecessor to their latest killer whale show, Sham-Wow); and of course, Ron Burgundy, the greatest San Diego-an (San Diegan?) of them all. What I wouldn't give to pop into Tino's night club and hear some jazz flute! We'll also be celebrating Annie's b-day on 4/7. Her new age will be Twenty-Eleven, or Tweleventy. I only wish I had that sort of depth and endurance in my life.

Been a restful few days, that's for sure--what, with all the primer and paint and adhesive fumes floating around the master suite, one kid's coughing, the other kid's ralphing. P's been hacking his lungs out since Sat. night, with nighttime sleep-yelling occasionally thrown in for good measure. Seriously, we couldn't tell if he was having nightmares or practicing to be a hog caller. Z put on an impressive show early Mon. morning, from bedroom to bathroom, and Mom had to stay home with both of them that day. Thank goodness I had all those "meetings" and "important cookie-related briefings" to attend.

Anyway, thanks for stopping by, and you stay classy, San Diego.