Look Out, Fort Lauderdale!!

So here I am. I'm 42 years old and finally making it to Fort Lauderdale for spring break. And on a year during which I neglected to start my diet as of this writing, March 29. AND spring break is over - a little late on both counts! I hope the shorts I have packed will fit.

Yet here I sit, trying to figure out how I will survive the next forty eight hours with Brian, who is just beside himself with excitement and anticipation of the trip. Having Megan and Kevin already down there is certainly not helping. He just tried to read Kevin every rating ever written on our hotel, while Kevin sat trapped in our hotel room, trying to escape to the beach.

Megan left Friday night with her team, the weather cooperated despite forecasts to the contrary, and the flight was delayed by about 40 minutes. Once there, some sort of controversy ensued, and all the pre-assigned roommates were re-assigned. This worked out fine for Megan, she was happy enough before, but now she's with a good friend, and she has only to worry about herself in her bed. In the other room, they would have either had to share beds, or they would have had to put someone on an uncomfortable pull-out at an old hotel. I can't wait to hear what the event was that precipitated the mutiny.

Kevin, ever the considerate, booked himself on a 7:30 flight out of Newark this morning. I had to drive him. We left shortly after 5:30, and I was home around 7:00. So now he is on the beach in Florida, and I am here packing, cleaning, and dealing with an obstinate preteen with an apparent hormone imbalance.

Our Florida hotel, which is right on the beach, shows beautiful pictures of pristine beaches lined with palm trees in an unobstructed view from the guest room window. Fortunately, I will not have to bear disappointment, as I have already been warned that, no. OUR guest room faces the other building. If you lean your head really far to the right, and knock your heels together three times, you can probably catch a glimpse of the ocean. Well, no sun glare.

Oh, speaking of sun glare! There's rain in the forecast for every day!! We are supposed to fly out Monday night, it's supposed to rain Monday night. Lovely. And Brian has baseball practice today, and a game tomorrow. I think I heard a chance of SNOW for tomorrow. This is just insanity. And even in Florida, the forecast high is 81 for the week, and chance of rain or ::gasp:: t-storms every day of the meet!

Megan swims Tuesday and Wednesday in her two events, will do time trials on Wednesday and Thursday, and probably swim in a Thursday relay. She should be done with her races by Friday, although she will still have to accompany the team to the pool. The boys are ranked fairly high, and will probably be coming back to swim finals every night. No such concern for Megan. Her rankings: 200 freestyle: 109th of 128 total; 500 freestyle: 95th of 116 total. A big difference from these little state and county meets! She swimmin' wit da big fishes now!

Well, I did have more to say on the topics, but I think I hear Brian pacing outside the door. I just lost my temper with him when he insisted on arguing with me when I told him that perhaps he wants to wear a baseball shirt to baseball practice, instead of a brushed cotton surf shop shirt. He became very belligerent, so I yelled, slammed the door, and threatened him with spending the rest of the weekend in his room. He has yet to do one thing I have asked of him: pack up his school work for Monday, his only day of school; put away his laundry; FINISH said homework and not wear the baseball pants that the travel team gave him to the rec team practice, as he will probably need them for the travel GAME tomorrow. Not to mention it looks like he stuffed a melon in the front of his pants. He said he was trying a new kind of cup. God only knows what kind THAT is.

It even took him about two hours to eat anything, because I have refused to buy Fruit Loops. But he must be eating something, because the Size 14 shorts I got him at Kohl's barely closed. I am going to return them, even though I washed them both (who would think they'd be too tight? A similar pair by the same maker purchased last week at Costco fit fine). So I am off to do that now.

Hang Ten!