Vacation from Vacation

July 22, 2007

I can't tell you exactly what we have done this week, but we deserve a vacation. Okay. Maybe I exaggerated. "Deserve" may not be the exact word I was looking for. Earned a vacation? Merited a vacation? How about the honest truth? We want a vacation, and we're leaving whether you give us permission or not. Actually, Walter is safe saying he earned a vacation, having spent all of June and a good part of July working through and finalizing his department budget (including salary adjustments). It's me on shakier ground, having finished up summer school at the beginning of the month to devote myself full time to the job of Erin's chief social secretary and chauffeur until the fall term starts on August 27. This included planning and executing the following activities (since Thursday): Carpenter's Kids tour of the local television station and trip to the park and splash pad, an afternoon of volunteering at the church, a splendid dinner party at the Tjoelkers, the release party for Harry Potter 7 (how do you like Erin a.k.a. Tonks?), hosting Erin's buddy Aaron for swimming, Legos, and spy play, whooping it up at the rodeo (including participating in the calf scramble), and attending church. She decided to take it easy today, so I got some weeding done in the yard.

Anyway, whether I deserve it or not, we're off. To keep all you would be burglars flummoxed, I won't tell you our top secret plan to drive to Dallas on Thursday after Vacation Bible School, leave Dallas on Sunday, picking up Davis in Amarillo en route to Santa Fe, and spend the next ten days tromping the mountains of western New Mexico.

"Wait," you say, "Why is Davis in Amarillo?"

He's not yet, but he only wants to miss one Saturday of work at Maddens, so he is staying in town until Sunday morning, when he's catching a flight to Houston and then another hopper to Amarillo.

"Wait," you say, "If you are in Dallas and there is a direct flight from College Station to Dallas, why is he flying to Houston and then Amarillo?"

"Good question," I respond. "American Airlines wants $650 for that puddle jump, so we had to fall back to plan B. That the one-way flight, even through Houston to Amarillo, costs much more than Davis will earn working on Saturday is beside the point (at least to Davis, who apparently is not paying for the plane ticket to join the family on vacation)."

"How about medical news?" you ask.

"So far, so good," I reply, "I couldn't tell any difference between the etoposide CBC and the cyclophosphomide CBC: hemoglobin a little below normal, white count and ANC hovering right at the low end of normal, and enough platelets to burn."

"So, what's up between now and Thursday?" you ask politely, even though you are not all that interested.

"Vacation Bible School, soccer practice, a trip to Snook for PPR Day celebrations (I know, it's a few days late, but who really cares anyway?), horse back riding, piano lessons, and another trip to the UPA lab for blood counts." Can you guess who needs a vacation from their summer vacation?