Warnings ahead

I'm going on a trip to the Dominican Republic this week with my sister. Yesterday, I had all my prescriptions refilled (too many for a woman my age, really) so I have them to take with me. Today, I have spent the morning (yes, after church Mom) going through the itinerary and getting my clothes and toiletries packed.

In all my preparations, I keep running into warnings:

On the prescriptions:

• Do NOT eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice at any time while taking this medication. (So much for the lure of tropical fruit.)
• Do NOT use if you are pregnant, suspect that you are pregnant, or while breastfeeding. (Whew! Safe there.)
• May cause drowsiness and dizziness. Alcohol may intensify this effect. Use care when operating a car or dangerous machines.
• Avoid prolonged or excessive exposure to direct and or artificial sunlight. (Guess I'm leaving that one home.)
• Do NOT drink alcoholic beverages when taking this medication. (So no mimosas with my morning meds?)

But it's not just the FDA looking out for my well-being. So is the travel company:

• Do NOT do a currency exchange with a stranger on the street, unless you want to get scammed and ripped off.
• Tap water in the Dominican Republic is NOT safe to drink.
• Only eat fruit you can peel yourself (Except, in my case, grapefruit).
• Do NOT stand under coconut palm trees. Falling coconuts are responsible for several deaths each year. This is not a joke. (Then why does this make me laugh?)

So I thought I'd better issue a few warnings myself:

• To the 4th Frog readers: Prepare for what I'm calling "The Great Silence." Internet access where we are going is "available for a fee in public areas." So I'm not sure how much I'm going to be online if I can't be blogging in my jammies, which is how I like to do it.
  
  
• To the teachers of my children: I will be out of the country this week. My husband will be in charge. Which means we are going for basic survival. If my children show up to school without their backpacks, lunchboxes or wearing mismatched or ill-fitting shoes, please excuse them. As Charlie said the last time I went away for a few days, "Things just don't go well when Mom's not home."
  
  
• To the Donato's pizza guys: He's got you on speed dial. Better order extra supplies.