Regulars at the coffeehouse know that I’m burned out, fried and literally fighting all sorts of health BS of late, from the inevitable inability to balance the demands of my day job (hey, at least I have one to be thankful for), writing for the blog, along with travel to blog-related events, interviews and such. So here’s a chance for my dear readers to force me into taking a vacation! The good folks at Air America have let me know that I’ve been queued up for this:

You’ve been nominated by Air America readers as their favorite progressive blogger in the Air America Cruise Contest. You’ve garnered significant support and you have until December 3rd to stay in the Top 5 before the second voting round begins.

The contest winner gets a free seven day cruise through the Mexican Riviera from March 6 – 13, 2010 with Gov. Howard Dean, Rachel Maddow, Robert Kennedy Jr, Ron Reagan, and other leading progressives.

Here are the rules:

http://airamerica.com/news/11-16-2009/win-cruise-air-america/

The top FIVE bloggers with the MOST nominations will be entered into a second voting round where Air America readers will vote again on the top five entries.

First voting round: November 16th – December 3rd, 2009

Second voting round: December 4th – December 17th, 2009

Winners announced: December 21st, 2009

Of course I am small fish in the large progressive blogger pond, so I’m not going to get my hopes up too high about winning yet, but stranger things have happened. So if I don’t nab the top spot, I think a restorative vacation intervention will still need to be staged by Kate soon.

When Jen of Air America sent me this via email I tried to remember the last time I went on a lengthy non-work or non-family-related relaxing getaway. It was 2002, when I went to Hawaii. Yes, it’s been that long. Since before I met Kate; that’s pathetic. (I don’t count our wedding since we were only in Vancouver 3 days and were running around sightseeing the whole time).

Flying roaches and a Q of the day are below the fold.That Hawaii trip was relaxing, but there were times during that trip that were gut churning. A description from my diary:

Bugs! There was a giant palmetto bug (aka fucking flying roach) in the bathroom. That nearly made me flee right there. Ron caught it though. Later, as I start unpacking my stuff to take a shower, I notice lots of flying bugs, mostly small ones that I don’t recognize. I hope they don’t bite. Let’s put it this way — I’m not taking my stuff out of the Spacebags. I am glad I have everything, even toiletries, in Ziplocs so I don’t bring any “wildlife” home.

[The next AM...] It’s about 7:30 now and there’s a hula class, but I am just too damn tired to go. I go take a bath. As I get out, it starts raining again. Not too heavy though. I am standing there at the mirror and what do you know, that giant 2.5 inch F*cking Flying Roach (FFR) crawls out from behind the mirror! I whack it with a big bottle of soap on the counter and it goes belly up, squiggling. I decide to be sadistic and put the bottle on top of it. Since the bottom of the bottle is recessed, that bastard is trapped under there. Hahahahahaha. I will leave it there for housekeeping to find.

So if I win this cruise deal I’ll have more memorable things to share with readers than a giant flying roach. Certainly the company aboard will be interesting.

Anyway, otherwise I am the queen of a long weekend here or there which doesn’t give you an opportunity to unwind or recuperate before you’re back in the office or writing posts at 3AM. So I’d appreciate it if you vote for me so that I will be forced to take a break. I don’t ask for much, in fact it’s hard to ask for it (what’s wrong with me?!), just like I don’t do fundraisers for the blog since I don’t like doing “the ask.” So consider this an intervention of sorts for the ailing blogmistress.

So after you cast your vote for your weary head barista, come back and share the last memorable vacation that you’ve taken.