Why vacation is not good for blogging...

I used to go, go, go. Just ask my stepmom Leslie, who knew me only as the college student who'd blaze in the door for 4 straight weeks of college break and go to the beach, hang out with friends, toilet paper the town , etc. etc.

Since marrying a laid-back guy and having two kids that have a lot more energy than me, I've learned to slooooow way down on vacations instead. When I go "home" now, Leslie watches in amazement as I do, well, almost nothing. The transformation is amazing, and will probably add more than a few years on to my life.


On vacation, I forget about teaching, projects around the house, friends at home, Christmas cards/presents/decorations, blogging, email, the gym, you name it. I sit and watch my kids (and husband) playing and absorb their preciousness. I read a few fun books. I hike a lot. I sleep in. I stay up past 10 PM (just barely). And it's lovely, really. I pulled it off for almost three entire weeks this year.

The only drawback: it's tough to start back up again! It takes me a few weeks, more complaining than necessary about back-to-work stress, more loads of laundry than I can keep track of. I relish the priorities that I rediscover each vacation, and have trouble fitting them in with priorities back at home. Writing/blogging has slipped way to the bottom of my "to do list" for a while now. But I'll be back, when life speeds back up again, I forget how to do almost nothing, and I suddenly have time to blog again!


Belated Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and go Gators to all of you!

Why I love Abby, my 5-year-old.: In that last picture, you see how I have passed on my great fashion sense to her - besides the stylin' pony tail, she's left the house (I let her) wearing Dora pajamas, long white princess gloves and carrying a sequined purse. If only I was so self-assured!

NYC, Chicago, and LA

Did you know that sticks of butter are long and skinny east of the Rockies, and short and fat west of the Rockies?! I knew the Hellman's/Best Foods and Edy's/Dreyer's brand thing, but I just realized the butter difference this afternoon while visiting my family in California.

OK, I know, it's kind of weird to obsess over butter anatomy. But comparing regional oddities is just about holiday tradition with my family. Big city heritage is something that I love about my family.

My dad and I are Orange County natives, or "LA suburbs" as I explain east of the Rockies. My husband John is a Chicago native, and my mom Leslie hails from NYC. We love to sit around and compare our big city experiences almost every time we are together. We laugh at the stereotypes, make fun of each others' city quirks, envy each others' best city qualities. We learn a lot about our country's big metro areas without having to spend a penny, which is good, since we already had to fly half of us to Cali!

LA - Leslie observes that it's not all fruits and nuts, as you might be led to believe. There are an awful lot of grandma-types who eat pot roast and where regular clothes. Whodathunk.

Chicago - It's midwestern compared to the coasts, but not really that much downtown, observe John and Leslie. People still don't make eye contact a whole lot. Probably because they are overwhelmed with masses of people, like in any big city, notes Dad.

NYC - I think this city has a ton of unique culture. Leslie (the native), says that especially in Manhattan, there isn't actually much homogeniety at all. A bunch of people from who knows where do a huge variety of who knows what.

Stereotypes at work again. They help get us going on communication. I don't know which is more fascinating to me - figuring out the stereotypes, or uncovering the flaws in them.

What is your city like? Are the stereotypes true, or not?