I'm so tired I can hear colors.

So I've been up for almost 24 hours straight trying to get stuff ready for my vacation. This is the first real vacation I've taken in almost 2 years. Last Christmas I went to Fresno with my family, but I kind of don't count that because I had to deal with stressed out relatives the entire time and it mostly felt like work. I love my family and can't wait to spend time with them, but sometimes they can get really dramatic. I don't think there was a single day of my "vacation" that there wasn't somebody having a crisis. Fun, but not necessarily rejuvinating.
I also went to Mexico last summer, but that was the single worst vacation of my life and will go down in my personal records as the "anti-vacation." I was actually more stressed out when I got back than I was before I left! I won't mention details... mostly because I spent a lot of time and effort blocking most of them out and don't want to bring up any repressed memories.
The closest I've come to vacationing was when I went to Virginia last Thanksgiving for a couple of days to attend my baby brother (now nearing 6 foot 7 and 17 years old)'s Eagle Scout Court of Honor. I don't know why, but chilling with my step-mom's kids always puts me in a good mood. I think I spent more time with them than I did with my own brothers and sisters growing up (except for Emily aka Smelly Pants), so I'm more used to them. Anyway, it was a heck of a good time, but sadly only lasted for like 2 days. I wish I could see them all more.
The Christmas before that was fun. We went to Guadalajara and I met the Farias side of the family for the first time. My FIL is one of 7 kids (6 boys 1 girl) born to a devout Roman Catholic family whose father was the town doctor back in the days when that meant making house calls and such. Luis has a uncle who was a Jesuit Priest and 3 of his uncles are actually M.D.'s. The other 2 are College Professors, and the 1 Aunt is an Artist. I love their family SO MUCH!!!! We went to Puerto Vallarta for a 2 day vacation within a vacation and spent the time lying on the beach, eating lobster, visiting local art galleries, and touring the 6 million dollar beach homes that Luis's uncle (the artist's husband) builds and for me that was a REAL vacation.That was 2 years ago.
So this is the first honest to goodness ask time off work and go somewhere just for kicks vacation I've taken in a while. We're going to Disneyland and we're taking Andrei, and I'm tyring to psyche myself up, which is hard. I have a hard time NOT working because whenever I have to take even 1 day off of either of my jobs it requires at least 24 hours of solid preparation to get things put together and set up so that I'm capable of leaving without having everything crash down in my face while I'm gone. That's the nature of owning your own business AND teaching. Combined, it's lethal. I've been running around for a week now trying to organize a bridal show I'll be missing, while setting up lessons that easily transition into something a sub can do without just having to show a movie or do busy work to waste time. That's a feat of excellence that I have yet to attain as a teacher, but I think I came pretty close this time. I'll actually be working on Saturday- networking the fabric suppliers in L.A., which was the compromise I made with Luis and myself to agree to even go on this trip. What can I say? This is how I usually roll.
Now it's nearing 1 a.m. and I have to be at school to make copies at 6:30 or so, so I can be out of the building before the kids get there at 7:15. Edson Barajas is always early because he feels safe at school and loves my class, so I'm going to have to sneak out early to avoid crossing paths with him and having to explain where I'm going, which leads to a lot of whining and annoying personal questions. Ick.
Anyway, that's my rant for this week. I'll post pictures of Mickeyland when I get back. I haven't been there since I was like 12, which was the worst time possible to go because I was "too young" to go on the awesome rides and too big to think that Mr. Toad's wild ride was cool. I haven't been back as an adult because I totally oppose Disney as a soul-less and corrupt corporate conglomerate, but I'm putting my crazy conspiracy theories on hold for a weekend and I'm going to try to NOT think about the exploitation of foreign labor the entire time I'm there. Sigh. I think there's something wrong with me. Maybe it's lack of sleep.
Today's moral isn't really a moral, it's more of an observation. I'm a workaholic, and I may need an intervention soon. I'm stressed out and tired, but in some sick masochistic way I actually enjoy the torturous hours. And the money. Which is why I don't quit.