Back home

Landed at O'Hare at around 10 last night, but didn't get home until 1:30-ish ... to bed around 2.

It's good to be home. Sometimes I think the best part of vacation is coming home.

But to be honest, the best part of my vacation had nothing to do with coming home or Mickey Mouse or awesome rides or that amazing filet at Le Cellier. The best part of vacation, for me, was the last night in Disney World.

It was late, and we were full of big, juicy steaks and delectable desserts, so we all (me, Dad, Alex and Kathie) sort of hung out in Dad's room, not quite ready to let go of the magic yet. One by one, we retreated to our own space, but I lingered at Dad's a bit.

See, my relationship with my sisters (most of the time, anyway) is tenuous at best. And my relationship with Kathie is especially difficult. If you're reading this, you know that I can be a bit of a diva - I sometimes primp before buying groceries, my cosmetics are few but the good stuff, and don't even THINK about talking to me before I've had my first cup of coffee for the day. But if I'm a diva, Kath is a princess. Her jeans have perfect creases. Even in Disney World. And I'm as much a hippy as I am a diva, which doesn't really mix well with princess. So I spent a lot of time walking on eggshells so as not to upset Princess Kathryn's routine.

And by late Saturday night, I was at the end of my rapidly swinging rope. And my dad and I sat up and talked and talked and talked about it, into the wee hours of the morning.

Which brought me to the conclusion that my sister Kathie, much like my mother before her, loves me, but doesn't like me very much. She doesn't "get" me, and she probably never will. But my dad? Well, Dad has an inimitable way of understanding me even when I don't make any sense to him. He has always described me as his free spirit, and he (unlike anyone else in my family) seems to enjoy that.

So we talked. And talked. And talked some more, until we were just completely pooped and went our separate ways for our final night in the happiest place on earth.

There is no one on earth like my father. He is at once generous, loving, understanding, kind, funny, encouraging and wise. I am so glad I had the opportunity to share the past week with him.

There's a lot more to tell, but I haven't even begun to plow through the photos yet, so you'll have to be patient. I will post the highlights as soon as I have a chance. But for the moment, you can buy me a cocktail for bringing some of the warm weather home with me!