I'm leaving on a . . . freakishly long car ride

I'm frantically packing for our trip to Gatlinburg, so I haven't been getting much done. When I do have a few spare minutes, I waste them on Candy Crush Saga. Those candies aren't going to crush themselves, people. Also, I just want you to know that I can stop any time. On "Intervention," the family members of the addict always read the same form letter that starts out, "Your addiction has affected my life negatively in the following ways."  So now I just keep picturing my worried parents, siblings, and friends trying to stage an intervention for me. They'll take my phone away and then vow to hold their bottom line. "She can't come over any more if she doesn't get help."

We've also talked of staging an intervention for my mother regarding her fixation with slippers. Like most people, my mother has two feet. Unlike most people, she has about a hundred thousand pairs of slippers. I know I bear some of the guilt for having supported her addiction by giving her a Kohl's gift card for her birthday every year. It's just that I hate to see her all strung out if she doesn't get the slippers.

I mention her addiction only to draw attention away from my own sordid issues.

Anyway, between the packing and the complaining about the oppressive heat, I haven't had much to write about.  One of my oldest and dearest friends visited last weekend, so we got into a little bit of trouble around town.  We took my daughter on a leisure cruise (on the polluted river that runs through the middle of the city). So, there was that. When the cruise was over, my daughter ran up to the captain and flung her arms around him and buried her head in his mid-section. You know, as one does. When we first boarded the boat, we learned that there was a charter group that would also be on board. "Maybe it is a family reunion?" I asked my friend.

"Well, I think they're about to meet the newest member of the family!" he responded, gesturing to my irrepressibly friendly daughter.  During the cruise we had to remind her a couple of times not to crash the party on the lower level (which turned out to be a retirement party). 

It was a fun weekend. I feel so fortunate to have friends who are willing to travel great distances just to hang out with me. Unless, of course, they are just coming to see the friendliest kid on earth, which is also a distinct possibility. 






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