Like everyone, I am attached to my cell phone. I try to remember what it was like before the ability to communicate instantly with whomever we want...How did we survive without the "OMG! You are not going to believe who I just saw at the grocery store." quick calls with your go to person? Or the picture texts with the proverbial "Do these jeans look good on my butt" question? Fortunately we don't have to, and I continue to be as addicted to the instant communication as I am to the incredible sense of satisfaction I get every time I walk into a Starbucks.

However, inevitably, there are the times where I look at my phone and see 4 missed calls. My first thought is always "Oh gosh, please let nothing be wrong with the kids." And then, almost, without fail, the calls will read like my family tree: mom, sister, brother, mom. After years of experience (and, unfortunately a few slips), I know to call my sister first. She and my mom are very close and, unless the drama is involving her, my mom's initial call is usually to Jenny. So, I dial her number and am immediately greeted with "Have you talked to Mom yet?" I tell her of course not, I'm not stupid, and then get down to the latest family bi-coastal scuffle.

According to Jenny, my sister-in-law, Allison called my mother to tell her that my brother's blood pressure is high again and she needs help convincing Jackson to go to the doctor. Mom's response, of course, was "Well, if you'd quit letting him eat the greasy, extra salty large meal from Kentucky Fried Chicken and got more exercise than walking up and down the aisles at Wal-mart, he might not have these issues." Yes, she feels she is being supportive by caring enough to berate. We've told Allison on numerous occasions to not call our mom for advice, because, believe us honey, you'll get it. Allison, feeling rightfully picked on, bursts into tears and cried "Well, the doctor told me to feed him more chicken..." And, always, like clockwork, the final response from my mother is "See, this is what happens when you live in West Virginia!". According to her, their life would be free of all problems if they'd just leave the Mountaineer State. Because as we all know, California, where we call home, never has issues of obesity, financial struggles, marital differences, so yes, leave your life on the East Coast behind and run to the Utopia.

Knowing there is a very long, very one-sided phone call in my future, I know I will be making a much needed stop at Trader Joe's for more wine before calling my mother. Not sure of the exact physiological reasons but I can feel the calmness descend from the moment the cork makes a little 'pop' as it leaves the bottle. And, as a true lover of good wine, I strongly believe the better the wine, the happier I get. So, as I dial, I sip and give a little toast to the gods of tasty grapes...