We're getting ready to make our bimonthly trip to Washington. Normally, this preparation includes begging a friend to take care of the cats on a daily basis and bring our mail in. I always feel guilty about asking someone to do that.

Not this time.

Have I mentioned that my now-college-aged son has his own car?

So Mark will be house-sitting as well as cat-sitting while we're gone. I'm sure he's thrilled at the prospect of having some time and space to himself for the first time in his life. It's a little extra prep for us, because it means making sure there are fool-proof and microwave-safe meals available for a hungry on-the-go 18-year-old, but I felt absolutely no guilt asking, and no begging was involved. The cats will be thrilled cuz they know him so well. And okay, I'll have to give him some cash for it, since it's a little further from school and he'll go through a little more gas. And we'll have to make a To-Do list for him so nothing gets forgotten. But I am still very much relieved.

As my wife says, "Children are wonderful labor-saving devices, if used properly."