My dreams are simple.

I dream of being able to make plans more than a week ahead.

I'm still don't know whether I'll be able to go to MDS&W, much as I really, really wanna, there are too many moving parts out of my control right now.

One is my job...less...ness. Yeah. But that job I interviewed for what seems like eons ago? They are checking my references, and assuming that my references, two former bosses and one outside counsel, guys I love like brothers, say the same things to the HR guy that they have said to my face for years, it sounds like there will be an offer. Asking the entire internets to cross its fingers here, because damn, this is a good job in a terrible job market.

The weekend before MD I have to attend a weekend paralegal seminar on my own dime, lest I lose my paralegal certification for failure to keep up with continuing ed. I got majorly behind in this the last couple of years, due to the rampant insanity of my life and my focus on not dying and such. But I can get all the hours I need in one butt-numbing two day blast, and doing it this way is a LOT cheaper than doing it via 8 or 10 individual seminars, so I will be doing that the last weekend of this month. Girl will house sit. The following weekend is MD, so I'd be gone 8 days out of 15, and Girl would again have to house sit IF she can arrange her schedule to do so. And I maybe would have to ask a new employer for days off right off the bat - I would of course request this up front if they do offer me the job. Considering the number of weeks their hiring process has taken, I don't think that they could make this a deal breaker, but you never know.

Then, we have the wild card. Today my 82 year old mother's recent health issues got a name. She has been diagnosed with Lupus. They are starting her on meds and say she should be feeling better soon, but that is the latest in the long list of things beyond my control that stand between me and a four day vacation. She may be feeling fine in a week and there will be no need for my intervention in anything, but it's a wild card at this moment.

So yeah, if I go to MD, I will be flinging a bag in the car and driving up 95 at the last minute, frantically calling Bess to ask the hotel for a roll-away bed. Someday I hope to actually be able to plan a normal vacation like a normal person, but it doesn't look like that will happen this year.