the craziness that is a conference and travel with tired people

So, we’re all a little punchy because I had a full day at the gardens and mansions of Delaware and John and Rachel have been at a conference for 10 hours while also having to give papers at this conference.  I picked them up and we came

 back to our hotel that serves us drinks and snacks every day from 5 to 7pm and then went for AMAZING pasta at Caffe Gellato in town (more about that later), but right now we are trying to make plans for tomorrow morning.  The kids could go back to the conference on a bus that leaves our hotel at 7am with talks starting at 9am, or they could prevail on me to take them a little later…but no one wants to make a decision about if they want to skip a talk or two in the morning.  But we’re so tired!!! There are days that I have spent traipsing all over Europe when I haven’t

been this tired, I’m guessing because of the driving.  John and Rachel have had some wine and scotch that I bought earlier in the day and it’s now just a bunch of laughing maniacally, not making any sense and not making any decisions.  Okay, had to just set that down for a second before I lost the grasp of the craziness. 

Another night after a day full of gardens, walking, sun, and being tired.  Now, we’re sitting in the room with hockey on in the background, drinking wine, playing poker with pennies, nickles and dimes (no quarters even people) and John folds his cards when he has ¾ of the money because he didn’t like his hole cards before we had dealt 5 extra cards. What is that?!?!?!!? I put in the rest of my money because I was so angry and just wanted to finish the game because that’s not cool.  PENNIES, PEOPLE!!!! and he’s making us play stupid games that I think he is making up as they come…