So our plan to commence driving to Connecticut at Hazel’s average bedtime worked like a charm. I did fall prey to Night Construction both on the highway and along Route One. At times, we were at full stoppage and, without the bump and murmur of road travel, Hazel half-awoke with whimpers and wails, both well below the decibel level of a banshee baby but still distressing. Luckily, these halts were brief and far between, so we had a very quiet drive. This quietude was aided by the fact that, to ease the road trip slumbering of both Hazel and Megan, I kept the radio turned waaay down. This naturally led to me wanting to nod off as the hours stretched into early morning, but I heroically persevered and was showered with golden roses, the key to the City, guest spots on Oprah and Montel, and a ticker tape parade upon my arrival (although that last bit may have been just a fanciful dream).

Points of Awesomeness include:

• Comparing who snores louder during the midnight drive down: Megan or Hazel
• Hazel meeting family members both young and old
• Mowing the lawn of my youth with the new(ish) John Deere riding mower
• My dad inadvertently causing a BBQ grill grease fire that temporarily blocked out the sun with acrid black smoke
• Hazel’s preparatory speech the night before meeting her big cousin Carolyn
• Carolyn’s reaction to “BABY HAZULS!!!” – culminating in what is sure to be a photo for the ages [to the right]
• Hearing in person that my sister is expecting her second child next April
• Listening to how loud the crickets chirp back there
• Visiting with people that I hadn’t seen in at least 12 years
• Finding the time to gripe about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows with the only other people in the known world who dislike the book besides Megan and me
• Gaining five pounds in four days from all the wonderfully unhealthy food
• Going for walks in my old neighborhood to combat all the taste-tastic treats
• Watching when during a game of horse shoes, one cousin-in-law’s arcing throw snagged the shoe on a power line running to the house
• Megan earning another notch in her Awesome Belt after filling up the car during our fly by night homeward trek with $21.12 of gas; Geddy Lee is smiling upon us from up there – in Canada