Last night, I nearly pulled off a coup. Well, maybe not a coup per se, but certainly a feat that — if it had worked out — would’ve been one of the more cool things I’d done in quite some time.

I nearly hopped on a plane to New Orleans, to meet up with my girlfriend Kelley — who I haven’t seen for a year! — and the rest of the blog hooligans meeting in New Orleans tonight. I had a very cheap, last-minute flight lined up. Found a great deal on a hotel room in the French Quarter, too.

Then responsibility set in.

Having taken the Car Vacation From Hell with both kids last month to see Mt. Rushmore, Deadwood and the Little Town on the Prairie, our credit card balances are now higher than the GDP of certain Third World countries. Meanwhile, my daughter managed to dent three out of four quarter-panels on the drivers’ side of my mini-van, and the body shop’s bill is bound to be staggering. As if all that weren’t enough to stretch the budget, I’m supposed to be getting braces next month, and my daughter gets hers the month after that. In other words, funds are dry.

Oh, and just to make matters worse, the Venomous Hubby has two take-home finals to complete this weekend for his MBA. (Just one semester to go, woot!) Since he’s yet to master the art of being able to watch the kids and do anything else (like flushing the toilet, putting away dirty dishes, or feeding the kids something not ordered through a speaker), I just didn’t feel right about having fun while he struggled to… well, to do what I do every day.

Had I taken the plunge and gone anyway, I’d be en route to the Big Easy right now rather than typing this. Instead, I’ll have to settle for sitting here in my nightie, sucking down French Market coffee at my desk while planning a “Girl’s Weekend Getaway” in the Big Easy for me and Kelley in October.

Gee, but it’s nice having something to look forward to.