1. The end of May brings about the perfect storm: cookouts, graduation parties and scurrying around at the last minute trying to put some teachers’ gifts together.

2. Throw in a kid with a sinus infection and a mom who has had two migraines in the last four days and it’s the storm of the century.

3. And, you’ll have the longest break in blogging since the swine flu/pneumonia diagnosis/pulmonary embolism scare of 2009.

4. The shot of Toradol your doctor gives you may not help your pain and the Treximet he wants you to try might make you feel like your skin is wiggling off of your body and cause you to throw up your beef Quesadilla.

5. But, he could prescribe you some Ambien.

6. Which makes everything much better.

7. Though, if you get another migraine, you might want to stab yourself in the temple.

8. Which would make a good blog post, but it could totally ruin your carpet.

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I have five more work days until summer break starts. FIVE. I am excited about this for many reasons, but mostly because it will free up time to paint peeling ceilings and doors which dogs slam their noses into because they think they are ajar. Judging by the velocity at which our two dogs run into our storm doors, they clearly picture an enormous lamb shank on the other side.

I also work as a cook (read: lunch lady) in an old school with a single window air conditioner which blows out such a lack of cold air that we might as well have a politician standing in the corner. Or my hair dryer. Same difference.

I took the job because my son sometimes chokes when he eats, which has happened this school year exactly none times. I’m pretty sure my boss thinks it was a lie and that I really wanted to work there because I truly enjoy smelling like pepperoni.

There are benefits to my work outside of that choking thing and the fact that I have the same days off as my kids and never have to worry about child care. Mainly, that I can occasionally sneak a curly fry and that when we make green beans there is a veggie steam that coats my skin. That’s right. Free facial.

But, my house misses me. A lot. If I could read her emotions by looking at her cluttered basement or weed-filled flowerbeds I would see her crying. Crying like she just watched The Champ. She’s tired of her stained carpet and unwashed windows. I think my house would leave me for another owner if it could.

So I have started my list of summer chores. It’s long and ambitious, but I’m confident that I will have the energy and motivation to get some stuff done. If I can cook for 200 people in a kitchen that is to me what water was to the Wicked Witch of the West, than I can certainly get a few chores crossed off of my list.

Because even though my house is falling apart, the central air conditioning works like a charm.

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Very early this morning, one of our nephews boarded a flight to California where he will join his older brother. They are two members of the same Marine unit and after training out west will deploy in August to, most likely, Afghanistan.

The older of the two has seen combat before. In 2005, while serving in Iraq, he lost 22 fellow Marines and one Navy Corpsman…out of the 160 who deployed with him. This unit suffered one of the greatest losses in the war. When our nephew made it home safely, I cried every time I saw him for quite some time.

Since then, he got married, had a son and his younger brother decided to follow in his footsteps. Now there are two of them going off to fight. Two children of the same mother and father who are some of the strongest parents I know.

I know that every other Marine is considered family, but I’m happy they have each other too. I am already counting the days until I can cry tears of joy because of their safe return.

I was going to end this by saying, “Be safe, boys”, but that wouldn’t be right. They are men. They are brave and strong and I’m glad they are on our side.

I’m proud to know them and call them family.

Semper Fi.

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