it's the final countdown.

we are officially leaving for our second annual "Capuano Tour de USA" in 4 days.  one might expect that we are nearly packed, and are finalizing last minute details.  one would be seriously disappointed to find that one couldn't be more wrong.  one might call me a total failure.  i might tell one to stick it where the sun don't shine, mostly because i am really committed to seeing that phrase make a comeback.

we are not nearly as prepared as we were for our last trip.  this lack of preparation is totally tom's fault.  okay, one should probably know that i am lying, and really... it's nobody's fault.  ok, one, it's probably my fault.  but, what can ya do?  i will tell you what i plan to do: scramble like a crazy person for the next 4 days, and hope that any lack of preparation just makes for good blog fodder.

here is what we have done, and what we have yet to do.

     done:

• planned the general route we will go.
• located and reserved campsites through day 10.
• planned meals through day 10.
• made a grocery list.
• thought about how much laundry needs to be done.
• panicked about not having anything packed.
• went away for the weekend to de-stress from all that stress of needing to do things that we haven't done, instead of staying home and actually doing things.

    not done:

• packing for 6 people, for 3 weeks.
• buying supplies (sunscreen, bug spray, propane for the camp stove, groceries, etc.)
• planning the second half of our trip.
• cleaning out the van and organize it into road-trip mode.
• making state-by-state activity books for the kids.
• making a state-by-state activity book for tom.  (he is a very squirrelly traveler.)
• pretty much anything one might think needs to be done, goes in this "not done" category.

while i am terribly worried that this road trip will not go too smoothly because we have so little of the preparations made this time... i am equally excited for what this trip may bring.  we are expecting more rain and mosquitoes, but on the up side, much less time in the car actually driving.  we will cover a fraction of the ground we covered last time, which will allow us to see a lot and spend more time at each stop.  we have 18 days of travel, and will cover all of new england.  i plan to blog regularly, just as i did last year.  i expect each post to be riveting.  one could safely expect a thrilling account, starting in 4 days.  

until then, i have a lot of work to do.  my blood pressure goes up just thinking about it.