When the Cat's Away...

So who is this cat you ask? That would be Francisco, who shoved off early yesterday to lay up at his mother's house in the Dominican for a few days before our official vacation begins. I encouraged him to go early for several reasons, the most important being that I think he could use a few days just laying low and catching up with the family in the country side. The second (and notably more selfish) reason is that sometimes spouses need time apart. And we are those spouses. We enjoy vacationing separately, I'm happy to have a few days off from my mate, I think it's good for our relationship. But usually it's me doing the traveling.

I was initially very excited about having a few days at home with the kids. We have had a fine time hanging out at home (because of course it's a snow day, our new normal course of action for this winter). The trouble is, I find myself more envious of his good fortune of being somewhere else. This is not right, I am the one who is always cavorting off to hither and yon, and he stays home. I can't believe it, but I am kind of jealous, and I may even miss him just a little tiny bit. Christ, what's happening to me? I do know that he misses his family tons when he's home, and it's been over two years since he last visited. I can't imagine staying away from my family for that long, I can certainly understand why he would want to have as much time there as possible. I hope he's living it up (but knowing him, he's sitting on the porch all day and in bed by 9pm).

The ironic thing is that I didn't plan our trip for us all to leave yesterday because I thought it would be better for the kids not to miss too much school, and then we have a snow day. Ha! I guess I'd better hurry up and make some plans to make the most of my carefree few days off from wifedom. I did manage to make the house extremely clean today (with the help of my adorable minions), but that is really not fun (just ask my kids). Perhaps I need this feeling of envious longing to appreciate Francisco more when he returns, don't tell him, but I just might.

Vacation Planning from the Sick Bed

I'm not feeling well today. I woke up fine but about two hours into my morning I was struck down with chills and body aches, and a sort of internal freeze that just can't seem to warm up. Ew. I have absolutely no no no no time for this, but what mother does really? When the mother ship goes down, the place flattens. Dishes pile up, children go without showering, the world falls off it's axis. But that's not my main issue today, let their stinky butts be. Today I had all sorts of plans to GET SHIT DONE.

We are leaving next week for the Dominican Republic, to visit Francisco's family for the first time in two years, and to have a family vacation. Hooray for tropical vacations. If you know me at all this should come as no shock, I live for tropical vacations. Really. I haven't even gone on this one and I'm already scouting out sites and devising a savings plan for the next. This time around we have great plans to actually do some touristy sightseeing, something I have never done in my 17 years (!) traveling to this wonderful country. Some spots I'm hoping to check out on the North Coast:


http://www.oceanworld.net/index.php

http://www.monkeyjungledr.com/site/

We are staying with my mother-in-law for a few nights but focusing our trip mainly on the coastal town of Sosua, a haven for German ex-pats and now a lively and bustling town filled with hilarious people and colorful venues from which to sip on rum-filled pineapples. That's pretty much the requirement. Sosua also has the added bonus of being the town where Francisco lived for many years, and still is home to many of his family members.



Sosua Beach



Gift shops selling cheesy overpriced crap abound on the beach in Sosua, and these vendors are not taking no for an answer.


The most exciting part of our trip is that I will hopefully be reconnecting with a huge piece of my past life in the DR. A girl that I have cherished for almost her entire life, and helped to raise in my time living there, is coming to see me in Sosua. Sindy was five when Jane and I first moved to the DR, and we have forever thought of her as our daughter. I haven't seen her in over 10 years. She has a little girl of her own now who I am dying to meet. I am shaking with excitement at the prospect of this reunion.



Sindy and Me, 1998



All grown up with her beautiful little girl

So today was supposed to be my day of buying the mundane things on my list, getting our toiletries and camera bags packed, tying up the odds and ends before three hundred nights of work and then hurrah! Off to the airport. Thwarted by nature's cruel joke. I'm sure I'll figure out a time to get it all done (I always do), but I was so hoping to avoid the last minute mad dash to Walmart. Perhaps the deadline will inspire me (or the thought of jetting off to the equator without 50 SPF).