Party's over

I love my holidays and hate missing them but those days are far from relaxing. By the time you scurry to and fro from one set of relatives/in-laws/friends to another, you've exhausted yourself and left yourself feeling guilty that you didn't have enough quality time with each of them.

In my 5 days of holiday rush, I managed to sleep in my own bed twice, put over 500 miles on the car and feel as if I'm worn to a frazzle. I have sleep deprivation, gout and tight pants to show for it.

This morning, I woke at 2:00 AM, drove myself to the New Orleans airport for a 6:15 AM flight and prepared myself for what may be just a short visit to Seattle.

So, even though I'm yearning for more time at home, I'm finding airports, cardboard sandwiches, weak coffee, hotels and rental cars are my best way to fit back into that slot of normalcy. As strange as it may be, waiting in the airport is a relief.