Things I Learned: This holiday weekend taught me a number of important lessons. In no particular order of importance:

1. Avoid travel when you have an ear infection.

2. Ditto when your three-year-old son has one.

3. A hotel room -- even a suite -- is far too small for said three-year-old. In about four minutes he will have explored every closet (our suite had no fewer than six), nook, windowsill, and stash of complimentary toiletries/notepaper/coffee. This will not meet his near-term entertainment needs.

4. Fried clams are always better within sight of salt water. It may be psychological; they might even be the same frozen, institutional-pack clams. Doesn't matter.