You know, I get pretty busy at work and getting away during the hectic summer months is tough. This year it was trickier because we had some facility repairs and my right hand was down for the count. Add to that the problem of coordinating time off with my wife, and my summer vacation turned into a staycation in October. What a sham that was.
After we settled on the best time for us to get away, the summer joy of going somewhere was out of the question. October is just not a good time to go sightseeing. We decided we would stay in town, do a few chores, and play a lot, you know movies, restaurants, bars, that kind of stuff.
As luck would have it two intervening factors crowded out my week. State monitors decided to do a desk review during my week off and my participation at an inbriefing and exit briefing was mandatory, on Monday and Friday respectively. And my lovely daughter, fresh into her new job as a federal law enforcement officer made plans to move out of the house that freaking week.
On Monday I awoke early went to work then hurried home because it was moving day and I had to help. We worked til 7 PM helping her move and get partially situated. Tuesday I had to follow up on several things at the office via phone, then back to my daughter's new apartment to continue setting up her apartment. Wednesday I cleaned out my garage. Now that my kid was gone, and with her all of her clutter, I had the opportunity to reclaim my garage. Some of my stuff was under the back porch so I got to bring it into the garage. Thursday I got to clean up my back yard for the winter.
One good thing about the week is that I started working out again. I made it to the gym 5 consecutive days for a 30 minute work out and a 30 minute session in the steam and sauna rooms. I love that, it's so relaxing. You see, last winter I was training for a 20K run over the mountain. That run was in March and I was in great shape, except for the pounding my feet took from the road work. After the race I started lifting weights and was going to gym for 60 minute sessions at least 4 times a week. I was in the zone until that inguinal hernia.
I knew I would be out of action for awhile so I decided to tend to other small things that I had put off. I went to the doctor for a physical and referrals. My initial physical was fine. We planned the hernia repair surgery, a colonoscopy, and a ptyerigum removal. All outpatient procedures. It was my overhaul summer. All went as planned, only three days out of work. I began working out again in July and got into a groove, stretching, running and doing push ups, then on Labor Day I got that crud in the chest and throat. It took me out of commission until last week, my week off. So, getting back into a workout routine is great.
On our week off we got to eat out a few times. We saw a movie, From Mexico with Love and we both liked it. We lost $200 at the casino. On Friday night we had a costume party with the neighbors and friends. I hadn't done that in years, so it was fun. I found it odd that all of the young women's costumes were sexy, in one case the thong was quite visible. We stayed out late.
Saturday was a slow start but we went to PF Chang's for an early dinner, Pat really likes that and we don't go too often cause it is a bit pricey. Then we went to have a martini and margarita at a nice place, a beer at a college bar and a night cap at Starbucks. Wouldn't you know it, the slice of lemon pound cake made me sick. I hadn't thrown up like that in 30 years. The only thing I regurgitated was the coffee and cake. I was up late feeling sick, but I had to get up very early Sunday for the annual pilgrimage. Local Catholics ascend a mountain to visit a 40 foot statue of Christ. It's only once a year so I want to go, and I did. It's a 2 1/2 mile trek up, 5 miles round trip.
But the week ended on a positive note. My wife and two sisters got together to celebrate birthdays and talk about important family business and laugh. Me and my brother in law and a couple of nephews joined the dinner party.
There were some highlights, starting the empty nest phase in life, cleaning up neglected chores, getting back into the work out routine, communing with my Catholicness, and seeing the sisters laugh. All in all, it would have been better without the interruptions of the office and moving day.
My week off was real and it was fun, it just wasn't real fun. Staycations suck.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Staycation Sucked
You know, I get pretty busy at work and getting away during the hectic summer months is tough. This year it was trickier because we had some facility repairs and my right hand was down for the count. Add to that the problem of coordinating time off with my wife, and my summer vacation turned into a staycation in October. What a sham that was.
After we settled on the best time for us to get away, the summer joy of going somewhere was out of the question. October is just not a good time to go sightseeing. We decided we would stay in town, do a few chores, and play a lot, you know movies, restaurants, bars, that kind of stuff.
As luck would have it two intervening factors crowded out my week. State monitors decided to do a desk review during my week off and my participation at an inbriefing and exit briefing was mandatory, on Monday and Friday respectively. And my lovely daughter, fresh into her new job as a federal law enforcement officer made plans to move out of the house that freaking week.
On Monday I awoke early went to work then hurried home because it was moving day and I had to help. We worked til 7 PM helping her move and get partially situated. Tuesday I had to follow up on several things at the office via phone, then back to my daughter's new apartment to continue setting up her apartment. Wednesday I cleaned out my garage. Now that my kid was gone, and with her all of her clutter, I had the opportunity to reclaim my garage. Some of my stuff was under the back porch so I got to bring it into the garage. Thursday I got to clean up my back yard for the winter.
One good thing about the week is that I started working out again. I made it to the gym 5 consecutive days for a 30 minute work out and a 30 minute session in the steam and sauna rooms. I love that, it's so relaxing. You see, last winter I was training for a 20K run over the mountain. That run was in March and I was in great shape, except for the pounding my feet took from the road work. After the race I started lifting weights and was going to gym for 60 minute sessions at least 4 times a week. I was in the zone until that inguinal hernia.
I knew I would be out of action for awhile so I decided to tend to other small things that I had put off. I went to the doctor for a physical and referrals. My initial physical was fine. We planned the hernia repair surgery, a colonoscopy, and a ptyerigum removal. All outpatient procedures. It was my overhaul summer. All went as planned, only three days out of work. I began working out again in July and got into a groove, stretching, running and doing push ups, then on Labor Day I got that crud in the chest and throat. It took me out of commission until last week, my week off. So, getting back into a workout routine is great.
On our week off we got to eat out a few times. We saw a movie, From Mexico with Love and we both liked it. We lost $200 at the casino. On Friday night we had a costume party with the neighbors and friends. I hadn't done that in years, so it was fun. I found it odd that all of the young women's costumes were sexy, in one case the thong was quite visible. We stayed out late.
Saturday was a slow start but we went to PF Chang's for an early dinner, Pat really likes that and we don't go too often cause it is a bit pricey. Then we went to have a martini and margarita at a nice place, a beer at a college bar and a night cap at Starbucks. Wouldn't you know it, the slice of lemon pound cake made me sick. I hadn't thrown up like that in 30 years. The only thing I regurgitated was the coffee and cake. I was up late feeling sick, but I had to get up very early Sunday for the annual pilgrimage. Local Catholics ascend a mountain to visit a 40 foot statue of Christ. It's only once a year so I want to go, and I did. It's a 2 1/2 mile trek up, 5 miles round trip.
But the week ended on a positive note. My wife and two sisters got together to celebrate birthdays and talk about important family business and laugh. Me and my brother in law and a couple of nephews joined the dinner party.
There were some highlights, starting the empty nest phase in life, cleaning up neglected chores, getting back into the work out routine, communing with my Catholicness, and seeing the sisters laugh. All in all, it would have been better without the interruptions of the office and moving day.
My week off was real and it was fun, it just wasn't real fun. Staycations suck.
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