Slap & Tickle

Family Drives

My sister and I have been on the East Coast for a week. We've worked our way from Rhode Island through Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland and we are now in DC.

The countryside is beautiful... driving with family is not.

My sister drives like an old woman. "We're in a rental car so I need to be careful," she keeps saying as she drives the exact speed limit. "No," I counter, "that's why you don't have to be careful--it's a freakin' rental!"

We are both trying very hard to be 'respectful' of the other, so when things get tense (and man, do they get tense) I tend to stop talking, for fear that I will say something that will start an even bigger argument--or that I'll just 'go off' in general and start screaming like a madman. Needless, to say, I haven't been saying much as of these last few days.

Our vacation ends tomorrow and I have never been so glad for a vacation to end. We haven't had any real apart time--except for my evening in Boston, which was the second day we were there, so that's worn off. (I'll tell you more of my gay-bar experience in Boston later...). So, we've been together pretty much 24/7 for the last 5 days. WAY too close for me.

There are things one normally ignores of a loved one: stupid phrasing, inane comments, body odors, etc. Usually, they aren't noticeable, or are negligible to say the least--however, now every other utterance from her mouth is something I want to beat her over the head with something blunt. How many times can someone say "It's all good"? I mean, really, would any jury convict me? No court I know...

So the journey comes to an end and even though we live together, I don't think we will see each other for the next three months. Unless a really good travel offer comes up and then it's another family road trip... God help us all.