This post brought to you by a blog-hackin' husband, Dave

All I've been thinking about all week is Ohio.

And no, it's not because of basketball. Basketball. Hmmphf.

I've been thinking about making the drive alone, about what I'm going to pack, what I'm going to have to remember to bring with me, what I want to do while I'm home, what CDs I want to bring, that I have to update my iPod and grab my iTrip.

Oh, and how I'm going to surprise my mama. She doesn't know I'm coming. Well, she didn't know I was coming. Dave'll be posting this post-moment of shock. I don't Internet in Ohio. They haven't invented it yet there. (I kid, Ohio. Gosh, why do you have to be so sensitive all the time ...)

I'd planned in January with my stepdad's help to make a trip home for no reason other than I could; but because we live in Wisconsin, where it can be 60 one day and snow the next (see: today), I didn't tell Mom because weather scares me most times. Especially when I'm facing in eight-hour car ride by myself.

I know. I'm such a jerk. And as I write this Wednesday night, I just finished packing (almost!), and I keep going over these grandiose plans of surprising her. I considered a helicopter, but I don't have one. Then I thought about a marching band. But I don't have one of those, either. I'll probably end up just walking in. It seems pretty hard to mess up.

I just hope she doesn't have the same response as my brother when we arranged for his fiancee to meet him a week before he thought she was coming home from London. "WHAT? Why are you here? YOU GUYS." And he was angry. And he stormed to his room because he hates looking like he doesn't know what's going on AT ALL TIMES. "I AM DERRICK AND I AM IN CONTROL OF EVERY SITUATION." And he didn't.

Ah. Memories.