A (generic) Benadryl hangover does not set the stage for a smooth re-entry into everyday life. I knocked myself out cold with children’s diphenhydramine last night, and this morning I am still a little hazy and a lot irritable. I try not to take the stuff at all, but I was having a humdinger of an allergy attack and I succumbed. Maybe someday I’ll remember how beastly I feel after taking it.

Because just being under the influence of over-the-counter medication isn’t enough, we also dealt with random nighttime vomiting from Pete in the middle of the night. (Both of the kids got sick last week, but this doesn’t seem to be related. Bonus yak!) And then the towel bar fell off the wall this morning, and every item of clothing we own needs to be folded and put away, and the dustpan broke and sent cat litter dust all of the kitchen floor and I had to call Hazmat in to clean it up.

Sigh.

Anyway.

We were on vacation last week, and this week we are not. I believe I’m suited for a life of leisure, and every time we end a vacation I find myself wondering why we didn’t pursue Independent Wealth as a career path. It was a lovely vacation week, though, with lots of time spent in the pool and with family. I’m even sporting what, on me, passes for a tan. That is, I’m a slightly darker shade of pale than normal. Some other things I did:

Read

“Blink,” which was fascinating.

“The Cutout,” which was better than I’d expected it to be.

Probably three-quarters of Joe Biden’s “Promises to Keep,” which was very interesting until it started to put me to sleep.

Watched

A very impressive fireworks display.

A lot of local news broadcasts.

“America’s Got Talent,” because it’s my dad’s favorite summer programming.

“Super 8,” which Rockford had already seen and wanted me to see. It was the best “ET” meets “Stand By Me” movie I’ve ever seen. (Really, I enjoyed it.)

“Bridesmaids,” which made me laugh and is still making Rockford laugh.

What did you do for summer vacation? Or what are you going to do? And how do you make your return-to-normal a little easier to handle?