Tag Archives: vacation

Victory In Surrender

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The final days before vacation can be painful. Sometimes it’s because we work to get ahead so our vacation doesn’t inconvenience coworkers or so our house is clean when we come home.

Sometimes it’s because we are so overdue for a break that the suspense of waiting for said break is almost too great to manage.

I’m officially on vacation now and can honestly say that it came not a moment too soon.

I was starting to feel put upon, irritated by people who rely on me to be the planner or the grown up when they could do things for themselves. I found myself complaining and feeling frustrated about things that shouldn’t bother me.

Our society tells us that being busy is important. Many Americans leave vacation time on the table because they feel weak for taking time off, because they feel judged by a supervisor or because they don’t want to leave coworkers short staffed.

Luckily, these aren’t issues for me. I just tend to horde time off for fear I might need it later, consequently waiting too long to take breaks.

Lying in bed one night, it occurred to me there is actually victory in surrender.

Read that again.

There is victory in surrender.

It is winning to know when it’s time to take a break. Trust your body and mind to tell you when you need to rest. You wouldn’t deny yourself a a cold glass of water on a hot summer day. Why would you deny yourself a few days of rest and relaxation outside the confines of your normal schedule?

I’m hoping to return to work better rested, more organized and less temperamental about life in general.

I know. It’s a vacation, not a magic trick… but a gal can hope!!!

Do you have vacation time in the table? I promise you will feel better after a few days of R&R.

The Open Road

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The open road is calling my name. There’s a little road trip on the agenda this fall and I seriously cannot wait. It has been a long, hard year close to home and it is time to see some new things.

I’m hopeful that the social distancing and other Covid safety tactics I already employ will help me stay safe while out traveling.

This picture gives me hope. Blue skies, a fabulous barn and open road- what more could a gal want?

A Memory Of A Lifetime

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Courtesy The Chicago Tribune

Facebook memories gave me a real gem yesterday and it made my day.

The statement from ten years ago simply said “I just saw B.B. King in concert. Wow.”

That one line summoned a rush of memories from an epic road trip to Memphis and Nashville. This was the trip where I stayed in a wigwam. We studied Corvettes, toured Graceland and paid our respects to Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lorraine Motel. In all, we celebrated the music, history and bbq of the region for over a week.

The B.B. King concert was unplanned and dumb luck. The day we rolled into town, driving down Beale Street for the first time, we saw a banner on the side of BB’s club announcing that he was doing a show the next day. We called and got the last two standing room only tickets.

We had lunch earlier in the day and scoped out the ideal place to stand – in front of the bar where we would have no seat but would have the bar to lean on.

And it was perfect.

We were at the center, in the back of a room that really isn’t that big. We had a fantastic view of the stage but we had to get there early to secure our spot in this very intimate space. Then there were literal hours worth of amazing opening acts before B.B. came out.

I don’t recall how long we were there – six or seven hours, I think, but it was so much fun I didn’t even care that I was dead on my feet.

The only wrench in the works was an older Australian man with the biggest backpack I’ve ever seen. He stood in front of me most of the night. He seemed to forget that he had the ginormous pack but the lapse in memory may have been caused by his drunkenness. Luckily, he was friendly and jovial and glad to be alive even if he was a nuisance.

Incidentally, at some point a couple of guys standing next to us got tired of seeing him stumble into me and encouraged him to move on. We got to talking to them and they were also from southern Ohio. It was nice to meet someone from home and to know that chivalry isn’t dead. At least, it wasn’t dead ten years ago.

B.B. played well into the evening with the energy of a man much younger than his 85 years. When he was done, they wheeled out a birthday cake and everyone sang Happy Birthday to the man who defined blues music for generations.

My only regret is that I didn’t hop in the autograph line. WHY didn’t I hop in the autograph line??? It was late and I was tired and my feet hurt but when you have a chance to meet a music legend, you can sleep when you’re dead. You can rest those feet later. Stand in the line. Express your admiration and get your picture taken with the legend.

B.B. is gone now but he lives on through his music, through the countless musicians he continues to inspire and through the memories of all the fans who love his music.

Incidentally, B.B. didn’t allow any kind of photography or videography during his shows. So I have no photographic evidence that I was there. But that also means I wasn’t looking through a sea of hands in the air taking pictures all night and that his audience was fully present in the moment, fully engaged in the music.

There’s something to be said for that.

Post Covid Bucket List: Travel

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I’ve been allowing my mind to wander toward all the places I might physically wander this year.

I’m supposed to fly to Denver to see a friend and then road trip home this summer. The likelihood of that happening seems less and less with each passing day.

Another friend and I were talking about road tripping to DC this year.

Even if states don’t have in place quarantine measures for interstate travel, I question the safety of commercial flying. Not to mention, will the museums and things I want to see be open?

As a thinker and a planner, it is hard for me to have so many questions that are unanswerable today. Flying by the seat of my pants isn’t my way but that’s where we are right now.

If that big trip doesn’t happen, I’m thinking about some fun things to do around Ohio and neighboring states. I’ll be disappointed if I don’t get to see my friend out west this summer but there will be other trips.

What are your 2020 travel plans?

Push Hard

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I am drawn to specific things – doors, old churches, vintage signs, weird architectural details, and informal signs.

This one made me laugh.

You’ll find it in downtown Douglas, Wyoming. You can read more about Douglas if you’re interested.

First there was the cool exhibit of Vintage trains.

Douglas looks like a modern Wild West town and I really liked it there.

And then there was the most unique church I’ve ever seen.

Not to mention the rainbow we saw after failing to climb the mountain.

And more about that trip.

Half the fun of traveling is reminiscing about the place we’ve been!

All Aboard! Trains In Douglas

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If you ever find yourself in Douglas, Wyoming, be sure to stop by Locomotive Park, home to the community’s railroad museum and visitors’ center.

The 1886 era depot serves as the visitors center while the park hosts an assortment of rail cars including a dining car, sleeper, caboose and locomotive.

You can go inside most but there are a couple you have to just admire from the outside. Isn’t this lovely?

The dining car was my favorite.

I sort of expected to find Louis Armstrong playing his horn in the corner.

The town mascot is a jackalope. You’ll find one of their jackalope statues right here!

This museum is free but donations are accepted. There are tables here and some shade, creating a fun atmosphere for a picnic. It’s a great place for adults and train loving kiddos alike!