Well, we've arrived safely. And I'm SOOOOO GLAD we're not driving home! Two days and a total of 15 hours in the car is just too much for a body to take without losing just a wee bit of sanity.

I am really quite tired and rather irritated with myself for not being asleep yet so I will be brief. No one died. We did not break down. We only got lost once (stupid bike race). No one committed any moving violations (well, let's change that to no one got CAUGHT committing any moving violations).

Man-Cub handled himself and his foot-and-a-half of space crammed into the back seat between our luggage, food, drinks and Daria's mammoth computer (I swear that thing is practically an ENIAC) with uncharacteristic grace and fortitude. He melted down as we pulled out of the driveway, begging me to take him back to his dad, but he got through it (with the help of a hand-held pinball game and a roll of bubble tape).

We had one crisis, checking out of our first hotel mere minutes after checking in upon discovery of the filthy carpet, insect-littered ceiling, gum stuck on one wall and blood smeared on another. Oh no, I am not joking. Who would joke about blood on a hotel room wall?

True crisis was averted when the lovely people at Holiday Inn, despite the late hour and even later notice, opened their welcoming arms to we three road-weary travelers, offering us a clean, comfortable, sweet-smelling room with soft, clean beds, soft clean floor coverings, clean walls, clean furniture, clean bathroom fixtures, all completely devoid of insects or bodily fluids of any kind. Did I mention it was clean? Holiday Inn ROX MY SOX. I will do endorsements for free.

We had dinner in an Irish pub. I had a beef pasty and a drink the name of which escapes me but was half Guinness and half Magner's cider. Heavenly.

Later this week we are going to swim at an indoor waterpark, visit Vance's Real Life Mad Scientist Lab, go to the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry and hang out and talk and laugh. It shall be lovely.

And now, to bed.