This morning, I have been moving like a speeding train. We are getting ready for a trip and this usually entails me getting a bunch of stuff together, double checking that we have said stuff and returning numerous times to the house to retrieve said stuff. This morning I had to go back upstairs four times to get: passports, bank deposit slip, watch, toiletries, toothbrush, sweater and dry cleaning. After all of that was brought downstairs I had to take all that to the car. Then I had to return to the house for: a banana (mid-morning snack), cell phone, magazine for M. to read, and to deposit extraneous credit cards that don't need to be going to S.A. Then I double checked the doors to make sure they were locked and secure.

Actually the whole adventure started at about 6:22AM this morning when I decided to run around my yard chasing a huge rabbit away from my tomato plants. I have no idea if bunnies like tomatoes. And I can't quite remember if it's bunnies or deer that don't like marigolds. So I ran around the yard in my nightgown clapping my hands and yelling at a rabbit who thought that if it just sat really still I wouldn't see it. I might be big, but I'm not a T Rex. It eventually disappeared through the hole in the fence. A hole I have been vowing to cover with chicken wire of something similar for about 2 years now. M. watched the whole thing from the upstairs window. I think he enjoyed the show of me looking like a fool.

So a lot of nervous energy that now has to sit at her desk and write emails to people who probably shouldn't even be in college. What else might I be doing today, you ask? I will go to the bank to get some cash, get some light sandwichesque lunch, teach a class, drive to the parking lot where my car will be for the weekend, take a taxi to the airport with hopefully everything one might need for a long weekend in Uruguay and hopefully get on a plane to Dulles to get on a plane to Buenes Aires that continues on to Montevideo. Whew!

My grandmother and mom are trying to leave Chicago today. They might have to drive it if they don't get on a plane. They planted a ton of plants on my patio but they will probably all die in my very uncapable hands. Mom thinks everyone is flying to Memphis for Memphis in May and to eat ribs. I don't blame them at all.

We also had a leaky ceiling in the basement this weekend. It was the toilet (gross). We wouldn't have noticed it if my grandmother hadn't been sewing me up a very cute retro dress. We took the toilet apart, cut a hole in the ceiling and then fixed everything. It doesn't leak anymore! Everyone was curious if Martin could get the toilet back in place on the first try. Several folks told us we would need two wax rings. Well, so far so good and now we need to get the ceiling repaired in the basement and the tools put away.
My cousin Katy graduated last night in Naperville. There were fireworks and a lot of names. She had almost 800 students in her class. She will be going to school in Mississippi, like the rest of the family.
Some other things I've added to my list for the summer include:
* Getting the pool ready
* Taking a pottery class at the local community college.
* Training a new person at work.
* Buying a new car. Did I mention that already?

Well, if you forgot to send out a Mother's Day card to your mother figure then it is probably too late to get it there by Sunday. I sent ours out yesterday so all mother figures in my and Martin's life should expect their cards sometime soon!

I have yet to plant my plants. They are being well watered and sunned on the back patio and hopefully being protected from whatever is digging a hole in our front yard. I bascially need to just break down, buy a bag of dirt and set the plants up for the short summer that we have. I even bought tomatoes! My clematis on the side of the house is already bigger than it was the entire summer last year. I think I picked a good place for it. Of course I haven't looked at it closely since it started growing and it could just be weed.

Still looking for ideas to block the view of the eyesore in the yard behind us. And we had a disaster the other week trying to get anyone totalk to us about a patio cover. They all want to upsell us on the enclosed patio room. Not to be nasty, but we have too much room as it is. We don't need another room!

I also think I'm developing carpal tunnel. It hurts to type and I know it isn't from going to the gym b/c it's been four days since I lifted weights.

Happy note, I finally went to a Cubs game. Soooo glad I did! It was a sunny day but chilly and they won! (I hear that's a rarity).