Vacation!

Well, of some sort. It's not "vacation" in the traditional sense of the word-planes, trains automobiles, nice hotel or campground, sites to see, etc. College let out Friday with built-in "hurricane days" that were not used this season. Mind you (as to not jinx Brevard County, Florida) hurricane season is not over yet...a few more weeks ahead of us. But, after last year's 3 in a row for us, and a loss of precious college days to Red Cross shelters, they factored it into the schedule that these days would be used just in case. Well, so now instead we all have a few days respite. Friday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. I scheduled work around this, and now also am free from work until Wednesday as well. The largest smile came Thursday when I completed the dreaded Algebra test. I will see how I did the ends of this week, but there comes a relief just with finishing it.

So, what to do with my time? Manicures, massages, travel? Well, no. Did I ever mention that not including honeymoons, my true "vacation" times have been about three times? Once one my own in a free long weekend to Flagstaff, Arizona, where I went to the Grand Canyon on my own, and once about three years ago when Tommy and I ended up in upstate NY, and to Tokyo for a total of three days last year. Some might say the better part of my fifteen years on tour were a "vacation." Tommy will also argue with me that days in between travel stops on tour and breaks in Tour "swings" where we would travel to a different city each week constitute "vacations" as well. I counter with the fact I would be practicing and working out, visiting bowling centers, bowling business-regular "stuff" I did because I had to and it was part of the job, and if I was busy with this that it fit more into the "have to" instead of the vacation catagory of "want to." We would end up in some wonderful places, though: Mt. Charleston, NV, Breckenridge, CO, Tuscon, AZ, Chicago. And, there were be what others would deem as "weekend-type days," where I would get to do some wonderful things as well. Am I too needy in wanting more than one or two days?

So, now life is spun in a more "regular" direction, and weekends are savored when free, days are spent avoiding the traffic grind...and I am trying to fill free moments. So, I spent most of the past few days....taa daa, adding a retaining wall to the house's front landscaping. Hauling blocks from Lowes, pulling up sod, leveling soil, hauling soil, planting new plants. I weighed working out with the possibility of receiving a natural outdoor workout by killing 2 birds and making the front of the house prettier. Now, I awake at odd hours today with leg cramping! lol! Well, this IS something I CHOSE to do. A whole weekend, and it still isn't done. Now this is something I hate to see-a half-done yard project. But, I am also completing a list of "things I haven't done since school," to play around with: scooter rides, read a book (not textbook,) go to the mall and just walk, shop for clothes, make some beads. Now, one or two days is a welcome guest.

So, there is my vacation. Someday I might get to see Maui, go to San Francisco, enjoy the Seattle rain, go to Tuscany, Arcadia National Park, Yellowstone, Alaska...but for now I love where I and the fact that vacations are in a less traditional way. I would like to be here please?!....SW Alaska.....mmm..... no retaining walls.