That silence you hear is my lack of teeth-grinding...

It's only in retrospect that I realize how much of the past year has been filled with wedding preparations, a job that sucked my energy when I was working on deadline, no free weekends because of the part-time gig at the radio station and general worries about the dogs, our house(s) and whatever else life threw our way. We survived with no permanent scars, but man, was life busy.

Which is why I'm looking forward to the next three days with so much glee. Without too much planning on our part, the Pretend Husband and I seem to have fallen into the perfect vacation. Tomorrow, we'll pack up Molly and Casey, more food than an army could consume in a three-day period and our bathing suits and head for my family's cottage. No Internet connections, only fuzzy cell phone signals and a lack of a television... I know I'm getting old because it sounds like the perfect weekend to me.

For the first time in more than a year (with only a handful of exceptions for things like, oh, getting married), I won't be getting up at 4 a.m. on Saturday. I won't be forced to check my work email. I won't be working on any sort of deadline.

What I will be doing is laying in the sun, reading some good books, playing with the dogs, playing with the PH (wink, wink), hanging out with friends and family, probably eating too much and just enjoying life.

And, I wish all that for you too. Happy Fourth of July, my friends! Enjoy.