How the Grinch is making a valiant effort to steal the Christmas trip.

One of the things we, as a family, argue like civet cats about discuss, is travel destinations. Given the way my work schedule, uh, works means I don't have the luxury of stringing enough days together for a proper vacation...nor am I all that flexible about when I can string what days I can. This is all compounded when family announces they are going to visit ____ and would we like to come along. The problem with this is that we're not really what you'd call "joiners." Even those among the household who join on impulse regret it three picoseconds after being dragged into some bucolic endeavor. A particular nuisance are the trips which happen around Christmas. 

Something gets into the brothers-in-law (severally, too, which is worse) and they announce plans to head up to Gatlinburg, or Stowe or some other benighted spot which features certain elements I abhor: 1- Altitude 

2- Forests 

3- Snow 

4- Outdoorsness 

 We have established pretty clearly I am not one for outdoor pursuits, I hate being cold, I hate parkas and anoraks and thermal undergarments and scarves and ski caps, I hate fleece, I hate Polartec and Goretex, I hate snow, I hate conifers and I especially hate being in the the middle of nowhere... particularly when all of the foregoing is happening simultaneously. 

What I prefer doing -- color me reactionary -- is visiting friends I rarely get to see. Granted, sometimes this entails schlepping to some major city up north. To compensate for having wintry fun inflicted upon me, we usually leave the kids (theirs and ours) with an aged relative and go off gallivanting on New Year's Eve to someplace where black tie is required. Now, I realize we live in a pluralist society and having to array oneself in black tie (or its distaff equivalent) might be someone's idea of an unacceptable terrorist insurgent interrogation technique. 

But I love it. 

Which is the polar opposite of the feelings I harbor for snowbound activities. Anyway, this year it seems we're Washington, DC-bound. You might recall that due to manifest imbecility on the part of American Airlines our summer trip thereto was nipped in the bud. So we're making up for lost time...the advantage of which is that -- oops, so sorry -- we shan't be able to drive eleventy zillion hours to freeze. 

So, while we may be cold at least there will be musea and activities and restaurants. 

 -J.