On the Road Again: New Jersey-bound

It's November. It's 70 degrees here in the Land of Kaitlyn. We're broke. What better time to take a road trip to 45-degree New Jersey!?!

Well, that's actually not fair. Michelle's sister is prego and her baby shower is next weekend. So we knew Michelle was headed up to The Garden State with or without me. For Michelle, this is (hopefully) the last leg of a whirlwind schedule that has seen her travel to Wisconsin for a conference and head on overnights for work, not including the redonkulous amount of hours she's been putting in.

So as the NJ trip got closer, Michelle started getting a sinking feeling. The one where she doesn't want to leave her child for an extended period of time. Again. You see, YaYa wasn't taking Kaitlyn. Too much stuff in the car. Taking Kaitlyn adds "X" amount of hours to the trip. There will be too many people in your sister's house, which, by the way, isn't baby-proofed. 

All good arguments. Plus, I didn't want to go. Nothing against anybody, but I just hate driving the nine-plus hours, adding an extra day because we inevitably stop halfway to see Michelle's friends in Maryland, running around because we have to see everyone and Michelle can't say no to anyone. Plus, we pay the daycare whether Kaitlyn's there or not. And if she's not there, it throws Kaitlyn so further off course than a Northwest pilot. So she starts the hard sell to get me to go, as well.

"Wouldn't it be great to see your family again and for Kaitlyn to see Nana and Pop-Pop?" Translation: I don't want to stay at my sister's with everyone else, plus YaYa won't let Kaitlyn stay there even if she was allowing her to go. So I need a place to crash.

"Since we're not going up for the holidays, this would be a great chance to see everyone." Translation: I have Christmas gifts I don't want to spend the postage on, plus I want to make sure I can tell everyone exactly what to get me for Christmas so I get something good.

"You don't have a job anyway, so wouldn't it be nice to spend some time with your family?" Translation: You don't have a job anyway, plus I need you and your car to see the girls since I hate driving.

"Maybe my father and brother can get you a ticket to the Jets game." Translation: I know that I'm fighting a losing battle here, so I will attempt to bribe you with football and beer.

This goes on for days and Michelle is losing. But finally, as we were in Babies-R-Us checking out shower gifts, Michelle gives me a look like, I don't want to do this alone. Crap.

So the decision was made, the calls were placed and I'm now headed to New Jersey for seven days of Family Fun Time. I've already laid down some ground rules, but knowing my wife, none of these will actually be followed because she doesn't listen to a damn word I say. Remember? I wasn't even supposed to be going to New Jersey? How did that turn out?

1. I'm not running all around the state to see people. If they're local or I choose to see them, fine. Otherwise, they will make their way to the Somerset section of Franklin.
2. I am going to the GreaseTrucks at least once during this trip. I haven't been on any of the previous trips because Michelle finds my eating habits appalling. This time, game on.
3. We're driving straight through. This was a bit of a battle, but this is the plan since I don't want to pull Kaitlyn in-and-out of the car and get her thinking, In the car, again? Better to get it knocked out at one time. Now only if I was able to get Michelle to drive through the night when Kaitlyn was asleep, we'd be golden.

So on Tuesday we're off to the Garden State for some Family Fun Time. And already, the week is being filled with family dinners, get-togethers and errands. So much for not running around. Two out of Three ain't bad, I guess.

Suggestions on where Kaitlyn's Excellent New Jersey Adventure should take here? Comment below.