I'm leaving.

It has been a very, very long time since my family took a vacation together. In fact I think the last time we left our house for mulitiple days was two years ago.

Of course two years ago Max was two and also Max was so constipated he never pooped without intevention. And God help us he won't have the same horrible tantrums he had the last time we were up north.

After school tomorrow we are leaving Royal Oak and driving up north and even though experience tells me that my children don't vacation well, God I'm looking forward to this time with my family. My Family. How weird it is that I have my very own family.

My own family who will hopefully not require an enema in the bathroom of our cozy cottage in northern Michigan.

My sister is staying with my cats at our house for the next few days, God love her for keeping the animals alive. I love her.

I'll be back on Wednesday of next week. I may or may not be able to log in to the internet by stealing someone's signal. If I do post be prepared for me to speak in an entirely new dialect because I'll be in northern Michigan. They all talk funny.

Comments

[margalit]

Have a great vacation. Are you hitting the UP, or just going north. They do talk wicked funny in the UP and they're all so darn blond.

[dragonlady474]

Wow, everyone seems to be going on vacation. Have a good one.

[DaFFy]

Have a great vacation in Nth Michigan, not that I know where that is - although up north in Michigan would be a good guess I spose (not that I know where Michigan is, either).
And no ones going to criticise you for stealing someone elses signal - it just serves them right for leaving them floating around.
Have fun and drink a lot.

[mamaloo]

it took me a while to figure out the photo. I just now "got it".

[Adam]

Well, have a pasty for the rest of us who WISH we could vacation on Lake MI. Besides, really "up north" requires crossing the bridge. Yup, no doubt.

[Snapper]

I shall wave to you from your wedding ring. ;) Have fun, enjoy the fall colors.

[Amy]

ooohhhhh... you could visit the exclusive Bay Area Urology clinic in T.C. (I was there during my last visit) - they cater to a select group of people, but well worth the trip.

[Mir]

I hope you have a wonderful respite! Also, beware of hangnails. ;)

[JuJuBee]

Have fun and can't wait to see lots of pictures...you deserve some time away...try to enjoy yourself!

[Jessica]

Say ya' to da' u.p. for me, eh?

[pinky]

Did you ever see that corny postcard about the "state bird of michigan" that had a giant picture of a mosquito on it?

I bet by this time of year they'll all be dead! You will enjoy yourselves twice as much!

(enjoy your cozy cottage!)

[suburban misfit]

Have fun!

[karyn]

Have a great vacation! My own little family has stopped twice in Northern Michigan on our way to Windsor from the great west where we live. The first time we stopped because we had NO IDEA how nice it was. We stayed in Mackinaw City, as touristy as it is, but loved going to Mackinaw Island (the fudge, oh my God).

The next year we specifically went back for more.

I hope you have a wonderful, rejuvenating time on your vacation with your family. For some reason, vacations always seem to go better in our family than our normal life!

[karyn]

P.S. We also love driving through Gaylord, because, well, who wouldn't?

[Nancy]

Ooo I love it up there. SO beautiful. Can't wait to see your pictures. Have a great time!
PS, I like how it sounds here:
"Travel America Magazine named the Traverse City area one of the best vacation destinations in the world. The beauty of its clear water, rolling golf courses, and sand dunes has established the Traverse City Area a relaxing, hospitable, and diverse community blessed with a magnificent natural setting and an exciting array of attractions and activities."

[sara]

being from SD i would have never figured out the whole hand thing - but a friend recently moved to about where you will be going so I actually understand now! have fun!

[whoorl]

have a fantastic and well-deserved vacation. take lots of pictures for us!

[chris]

excellent state map! i have used similar versions on more than one occasion. have a wonderful time in the far north! we'll be sending you good wishes from gr, south of your pinky!

[Stephanie]

You'll make it up here just in time for the snow they're forecasting for!

[stillheidi]

I hope you all have a great time! Relax and laugh and be silly! We will miss you and I'm expecting LOTS of pictures when you get back!

[Saramnou]

O.K I had to come out of the woods, because I see my husband explain where he is from SOOOO many times just like that! and if you are both from the same planet, (looks like you are going to Copper Harbor MI. area) Which is funny because we just back from a mini Vaca in more your area Ann Arbor/ Livonia.
Long time reader and I think you are great.

[Saramnou]

Opps wrong hand, going back into hiding:::::

[Erin]

Hi long time lurker here and a Yooper! Have fun in the TC area. Going to any of the wineries? Will wave to you from the UP

[Undisclosed]

Enjoy your vacation!

[rhonda]

Enjoy, it's beautiful this time of year. We vacationed in that area last Fall.

[Annie]

The Traverse Bay area is great. I used to beg my parents to drive the 70 miles to Traverse City so that I could please God go to the mall.

Yes. I was a hick.

[karyn]

Oh, I forgot. Have a pastie. Such a weird and wonderful Northern Michigan tradition. Of course, I called it a (long 'a') pastie, instead of a (short 'a') pastie, and was laughed at for my troubles.

[CroutonBoy]

Before you go, you should get the Sufjan Stevens CD "Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lakes State"...should be good for the snowmobile ride up through the tundra.

Enjoy your vacation!

[Cristina]

De-lurking...Enjoy the west coast. We have family property outside of Pentwater we spend most of our summer at, and it's absolutely gorgous this time of year!

[Lil' Sis]

I love Sufjan Stevens. The only artist who isn't polka to ever mention my city (hamtramck) in an album's liner notes! He came to the Magestic just a week or 2 ago, and he apparently had a whole cheerleading thing going on, complete with routines on stage. How the hell did I miss that?!
I'm totally letting the cats stay up late & eat cookie dough for dinner. They'll be spoiled rotten by the time you get home.
-miao.
P.S. Can we use Maddie's drawings of the Stepsisters on our new website?

[erin]

I'm so jealous- I have to wait until next July to cottage in Pentwater.

Have fun up North!!

[Toby]

Have a great time! I wonder if the trees are turning yet? Look forward to reading more when you get back - although crossing my fingers that your hook up with somebody else's signal!! BTW - my first time posting on your blog. I have enjoyed reading your blog.

[Ms. Mama]

Enjoy!

[NixMom]

WAH!!! I miss home!!! I grew up in Westland for 25 years and my husband has since moved me down to Memphis. Seeing you point out where you were going on your hand and saying that you are going up north makes me so homesick!!! Nobody here gets that! Have fun on your trip. Some of us are soooo jealous~

[Bethany]

I agree with mamaloo-- "Up North" is really across the brigde (on the other hand). :-) Have a GREAT time nonetheless.

Some down time is good for everyone!

[Sarcomical]

*sigh* i am going on "vacation" starting this weekend and we have nowhere to go. need a housesitter? heh. ;)

seriously, i bet it's so pretty there right now. have a nice relaxing time away. and take lots of pics, like i know you will.

[roo]

Have a great trip!

[Suze]

Love the hand map. When we lived in Boston, we made several close friends from Michigan and we were always instructed about the precise part of Michigan they were from using the hand. One couple is back in Michigan in Traverse City now. Have a good trip!

[ChristyD]

Have fun! I am headed to a rural cabin with my husband and three kids for fall break as well. I'll cross my fingers that "your family" and "my family" get good sleep!

[Marnie]

Have a great family vacation!

We'll miss you!!!

[Sarah]

Have fun! We're going there next weekend for a wedding (first visit there other than just driving through once) - anything we 'can't miss'? Hope you have/had a great time.

[crabby]

i'll be up in the the thumb area next weekend. i'll wave as i pass by.
have a blissful vaca. bring prunes for max to snack on. hee hee ;-)

[Kelly]

(ahem)
Royal Oak is a bit more in towards the center, not in the middle of Detroit. Sheesh

have a great time!! And I also love the next lower knuckle on the pinky, Ludington.
(hugs)

ps We're from near there, RO, and I've done the map many times...quite "handy". Ha. Ha.

[Elizabeth]

Hello from the middle of your palm! I know it's dorky but I love living in a state where you can use your hand to show people where you live.

For those of us stuck here in the middle of the state, please take some pictures of the trees turning colors...what I wouldn't give to be able to just jump in the car and drive North right now!

[Stacy]

Traverse City?

[KimN]

Have fun from another person right down the street from you (I live in Redford..yes, the ghetto..but grew up in the Plymouth Canton area).

Traverse City/Empire area is my favorite place in the whole world. If you are indeed going to TC, I highly recommend the cherry pork chops at Sheldes. They are the best.

[Lil' Sis]

Kelly, if you go much more towards the middle, you're in Jackson. She only lives 3 miles out of Detroit. I, on the other hand (heh), live right in the middle of Detroit.

Lis, your cats are insane. And LOUD. And that spider is freaking me out. It's HUGE! I swear it's whispering to me through the window. It wants the cat. The little one. It says you won't miss him. I may have to go along or the spider will cut my pinky finger off.
-miao.

[Barbara]

Can somebody PLEASE explain the photo. I get now that it's a hand map of some kind. I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area and we don't do that here .
Thanks.

[Miriam]

Delurking. It took me a few looks to realize what the picture meant. Which is stupid, because my husband from Traverse City has done that to me SO MANY TIMES, it's obnoxious. Hope you're having a great vacation.

[NixMom]

Barbara~ Because MI is shaped like a hand or mitten, people use their hand as a 'map'. Detroit is in the lower part of the thumb, Mackinaw City is at the top of the middle finger, etc etc...

[SpartanFan]

I absolutely LOVE the upper pinky area of MI! If you're near Beulah, go to the Cherry Hut restaurant. Best cherry pie you'll ever have! I can't believe how many people didn't get the "hand map" thing. I just take it for granted that everyone knows what that means, but I've always lived in Michigan. People don't "get" my email addy either (mooualum). Oh well! Have a great time. I'm totally jealous.

[miel]

A michigan vacation.

I thought that was some kind of conceptual impossibility.

[FlippyO]

Barbara, I'm a native Californian (in Las Vegas now), but in CA we don't have to have maps. We're either in N. CA or S. CA, or driving through Central CA to get to either NoCal or SoCal. It's pretty much the same in NV.

[ライブチャット]

man, this is the time that I really have to think about birth contril, today is the day that I start using condom, peace!

[Barbara]

Thanks, I'm no longer in the dark! I went and looked at a map of Michigan. That is so interesting.

Hope you enjoyed your trip!

[doll]

hope ya got ya high heels!

[JenfromBoston]

Funny- the timing of your trip and the premiere issue of Weekend magazine(mag looks like it's published by the same folks who do Real Simple- exact same format and fonts and all) They did a feature article, "Same Time Next Year" about "The Gathering" of friends and family in the remote, pristine Cross Village (Emmet), MI. It looks very peaceful and relaxing. Don't know if that is/was anywhere near where you were, but gives me a newfound appreciation for MI that I didn't think I'd have.
Here's the link to the mag's webiste- not much there as it's new - but the 3rd pic in is one featured from the story.

http://weekend.net/

[MelissaS]

We were there last night!

Did they mention Leg's Inn restaurant. It was the best dinner we've had up here. The atmosphere, the brew, the sunset, the patio.....the food. Sublime.

[Queen of Spain]

Ok, so I'm new to blogging. But everyone seems to link to your page, so I figure....how can one million moms be wrong, right? Turns out not only are they correct in their link choices...they also picked someone, who I SUSPECT by the x on that hand...lives right the hell where I grew up. How did this internet get so damn small???

[JenfromBoston]

No mention of Leg's Inn. Focus od the read was the fact that this same group has come back for the past 15 years. This kids who are now college age (and therefore no longer "required" to come) still make the trip with their folks. It does mention an antiquated general store and a sign that reads: Nishingwa - native american for "slow down". Guess it's a bit remote, eh?