Good Morning and welcome to Mischief Day!

It used to be Mischief Night and, as a youngster, I would sit on the porch to make sure nobody tossed any toilet paper. Of course, it never happened, but there were stories...
Meanwhile, today's the day Mom returns home from Iraq. We'll gather into the car, drive to the airport and welcome her back. It's about time.
The trip to Iraq seemed like a good idea when it first came up, seemed like a bad idea when the bill came in, seemed like a good idea when everything was packed, seemed like a bad idea when the plane was delayed, seemed like a good idea when the plane landed safely, seemed like a bad idea when the luggage was lost (thanks United), seemed like a good idea when things could be replaced, seemed like a bad idea when there was a delay (and car bomb) in Baghdad, and so on and so on.
Now it's over and we can all reconnect. We survived a couple of weeks and really are lucky it was only a couple of weeks.
I can't imagine the amount of angst a family has to go through when a trip to Iraq lasts a year or more.
Hopefully it will make us all a bit more tolerant.

Good Morning and welcome to the day before the night before the World Series!

Isn't it amazing that we are now taking the World Series for granted. It's only been two years, people. Remember all those years of Rico Brogna, Wally Ritchie and Wayne Gomes.
It's still amazing to think the Phillies are back in the World Series. Despite those who know nothing else, this doesn't happen every year.
Meanwhile, the World Series means here an earlier wakeup call after a later night. Thankfully, the Eagles played a bad team Monday night, so there was no reason to watch the game. The World Series, though, won't be over until after midnight starting Wednesday.
It's a quick turnaround, but it beats the alternative.
Meanwhile, with the road home becoming clearer, there's a bit of relief in the house. Get home quickly and safely.
Now, back to putting together a Phillies special section:

Good Morning and welcome to another Tuesday in a long line of Tuesdays!

Hey, at least if you are going to stay up until midnight to watch the Phillies, the least they could do is win. Thanks, Jimmy Rollins, for making that 3 a.m. wake up call that much easier to take.
Here we are, into the fifth day of Kathleen in Iraq. She's going to do awesome stories and send over a bunch of photos. I know that, but really don't care.
Right now, she's en route from Baghdad to Basrah. She said she's got great pictures from Baghdad (those not confiscated by Iraqi guards). Once she hooks up with the unit, all that stuff will be available to our readers.
Until then, well, it's a battle. She said she hasn't slept in 25 hours and can't use the phone for fear of kidnapping.
So, in reality, maybe Iraq isn't the safest place in the world right now. Maybe the safe bet is the best bet. Then again, you can't live with 'what if.'
So, as my brain melts while trying to take care of three high-maintenance (Which ones aren't?) children, at least I know there is an end to the game.
It's kind of funny how you miss things when they are gone. You miss a joke. You miss a laugh. You miss the help.
Come back safe.