What My Doctor Diagnosed Me With by Free

The Pests: OK, so it is now day 4 of doctor ordered vocal rest but it feels like day 20. This is not an easy task for a motor-mouth like myself.

First, I decided to go home to Boston with my pen and pad in hand (my handy communication tools), eager to spend some time with my family and just chill out. Dumb move. My 'no holds barred' family went in on me the minute I got off the train.

My dad started with jokes and pointing, my brother chimed in with the 'what did you say' questions all the way to my uncle's house. Once I got there, I knew this would be the shortest trip to Boston I've had in years. My uncle and cousins start going in on a conversation about 'women and a woman's place' KNOWING I couldn't respond. 'Get her a pen,' 'I like this ish,' 'you can't talk back?!' were some of the things my uncle laughed soooo hard at he was crying.

Needless to say, I went to bed early, frustrated, but smiling and surrounded by people who know me enough to know I can take jokes.

The next day got a little worse, my 19 year old cousin bust in my bedroom and just screams out, as loud as she can, 'Marie, gettt upp!! Breakfast!' So I half sleepwalk/stumble to the bathroom, wash my face, hands and brush my teeth. (I'm deciding if I'm going to put her in a choke-hold for waking me up like that...ahh OK she's off the hook only because I miss her.) Raisin French toast, scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, tea and oatmeal. Definitely a perk of going home right there.