Trip low-lights: My daughter vomited- outside the car, thankfully- on the way down. She fell on and broke one of my Mother's things. Then on the way home, I shut her fingers in the door at the same restaurant where she'd been sick on the way down! She’s alright and completely recuperated from the trip already.

After this, I didn’t see a 30 m.p.h. speed limit sign as I headed into a small town. It was completely dark. We were listening to Adventures in Odyssey. I slowed down when I realized I was going too fast into the town, but it was too late. My braking did not please the officers lieing in wait at the bottom of a hill. My first speeding ticket in Vermont is costing me $236.00.

"BUT officer, I've been falling asleep since Albany!"

"BUT officer, I'm a homechooler! What about my art history book!"

"BUT officer, my 6 year old has been belligerent since New Jersey!"

"BUT officer, I'm not used to seeing the speedometer below 60 (not after the 

 Thruway, Northway, 287, etc.) eh-heh eh-heh-heh-heh..." He's not laughing.

"BUT officer, but, but, but.."

So he informed me that if I were 30 mph over the speed limit (which I wasn't), I could have been arrested. Like I had my speeding planned or something.