Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Just because I'm on vacation..........

it doesn't mean that the world is, also!

While I'm here enjoying myself (have I mentioned that recently?), the outside world has continued to revolve and go on without me. Shocking, I know!

Today, in between trips downstairs to the ocean and down the hall to the indoor pool and to the kitchen for lunch, I've also had to navigate mundane-but-necessary things such as:

* Big Red's stitches -- Last week, before we left, Big Red had to have a cyst removed from over his eye. Not a huge deal, but it did require sedation and stitches. When I picked him up, I asked the doctor if he needed a funnel and she said no. Even though that seemed odd to me, because it was the FIFTH time I'd been in a doctor's office that day (for only 3 family members, no less), I took the decision gratefully and left. Big mistake. My friends who are caring for him while we're away called today to tell me that he had ripped out ALL the stitches and the incision was WIDE open. They took him to their vet who said "OF COURSE he needs a funnel!!!!!" So, as of this afternoon, he's a funnel-headed doggy and as of tomorrow, he'll have the stitches back in. I'm NOT happy about this. The first surgery cost me an arm and a leg and I'm very mad that I have to do it again. My vet will be getting a call from me early tomorrow morning!

* Summer school for the boys -- we knew a few weeks ago that CutiePie was going to receive an "invitation" to the district's summer program, but I was quite shocked to open the envelope at the beginning of June and see HandsomeBoy's name. I called the school the following business day and was informed that HB's teacher thought a little extra reading practice this summer. That's fine, but they really need to tell people more than THREE DAYS BEFORE THE END OF SCHOOL!!!!!! I mean, seriously, are they on drugs???? So, then I had to ask about CutiePie. They told me that they didn't understand how his name was left off the list, yada yada....... Anyway, they took another few days getting me the "invitation" and then I submitted their forms with a check AND a letter telling them that I was going on vacation and could they please call me on my cell to confirm. Afterall -- I need to know where to take them the morning after we return home. Plus, I have to notify the daycamp that they will NOT be there in the mornings like I signed up for (and PAID for, might I add!). Whew! So, of course, as of this afternoon, I still hadn't heard anything, so I emailed the principal. Long story short - they're both enrolled, but I had to light some fires to get any official confirmation of it.

* I tried to log into work because I know there's a few things they need me to do. Unfortunately, I'm locked out of my own network and my IT guy isn't returning our phone calls right now. Grrrrrrrr........... There went about an hour of RockStar and my time!!!!

I'm really truly honestly having a great time, but today was a harder day to be truly away from it all!

Yep, I'm still here in Paradise and No, I'm NOT coming home and you CAN'T make me!

How was that for a long title??

But you know what? I don't care. So there. Try to make me. Nyah nyah.......!

Can you tell I'm totally in vacation mode. I. Just. Don't. Care. About anything. So there.

Seriously, we're having such a good time.

Although Myrtle Beach has a million and one things to do, we've pretty much confined our activities to the beach and the pool. Inside, we're playing games, doing art, working on our summer homework (just 15 minutes a day) and enjoying each other's company. Really, the kids don't even know there's amusement parks, aquariums, Ripley's Believe It Or Not and all the other places just dying to take our money. We're having so much fun doing what we're doing that I don't care about all the OTHER things we could be doing! So unlike me!

Because we have a full kitchen and because I was trying to save money, we've been eating all our meals (after the first night) in our timeshare. Here's what our menus have been so far:

Friday night: Delivery Pizza
Saturday breakfast: Cereal, toast, juice, fruit, coffee, tea
Saturday lunch: Homemade deli sandwiches, fruit, Doritos, jello w/whipped cream
Saturday dinner: Pasta, garlic bread, green beans, ice cream
Sunday breakfast: Bacon, eggs, toast, fruit, juice, coffee, tea, blueberry muffins
Sunday lunch: Deli sandwiches, fruit, goldfish
Sunday dinner: Roasted chicken, noodles, gravy, coleslaw, Oreo pie
Monday breakfast: Cereal, toast, juice, fruit, coffee, tea
Monday lunch: Deli sandwiches, fruit, doritos
Monday dinner: Hamburgers, french fries, coleslaw, Oreo pie

Not bad, huh? We've got snacks, too -- snack bars, fruit, popcorn, etc....


We're really having a great time. And, after I broke down in tears yesterday (for real), my husband started helping out a bit more. Until then, the kids had done more to help get ready for the vacation and also helping while we were here. Long story there. Suffice to say, it's all better now.

Anyway, CutiePie has already been in the indoor pool this morning. Now, we're finishing up breakfast and getting ready to hit the beach!

I seriously recommend this vacation for everyone who wants to relax, have fun and be with their families. We're very comfortable here!

Monday, June 16, 2008

Vacation --- Day uhmmmm..... day...... whatever...!

Yes, I am still on vacation and loving it! Right now, I'm typing by the side of the indoor pool. I'm watching the boys while RockStar makes the sandwiches. Life is good -- really good!

We had a pretty nasty storm roll through last evening, but other than that, the weather is great.

I can't believe how well the boys are doing in the water -- I guess all those swimming lessons are finally paying off. CutiePie especially - he's doing bellyflops and cannonballs into water over his head and then swimming back to the wall. He NEVER would have done that a week ago!

Oh - the sandwiches are here. Gotta go!

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Ahhhhhhh........ that's better.......

After months of craziness, illness, running around, organizing, calling, filing, planning, driving, cleaning, disciplining, and all-around manic behavior (on my part and that of others), I am writing to you right now from the brink of paradise.

All thoughts of appointments, therapies, customers, bills, responsibilities, and my house are distant from my mind.

Yes, my friends -- at this very exact moment, life is GOOD!!!!

Earlier this year, friends of ours offered us a week timeshare anywhere we wanted, so we chose Myrtle Beach, SC. It's 7:30am and I'm drinking a cup of coffee on our balcony, watching the ocean roll in and out, in and out, and typing on my laptop (that arrived through work 3 days before we left!!!!). The weather is great. The place we're staying is perfect for us. The kids are happy. RockStar and I are relaxed. AND...... we still have 5 more days here and then a weekend at my cousin's house before we go home!

CutiePie likes it too -- yesterday, while we were building a sand volcano, he looked at me and said, "Congratulations, Mom -- you made a good choice. Myrtle Beach was a very good choice." And then went back to the construction of Krakatoa. Too cute!

Those of you who know me IRL know that I'm really not one for relaxing. I like to be on the go. In fact, I've never actually taken a relaxing vacation before. My idea of vacation is to hike the Grand Canyon or zip through the canopy of the rain forest or cross-country ski the White Mountains or..... well, you get the picture. Here, I'm still in motion, but I'm doing things like going to the grocery store and CVS (we have a full kitchen and we're taking advantage of it to save money), walking on the beach, building aforementioned sand volcanoes, cooking yummy meals for my family, doing "homework" with the boys, etc...... No real running around, no big accomplishments, just "taking care of business". RockStar would, of course, sleep all week if I let him, but fat chance that will happen. Because it's Father's Day today, I'll give him a little leeway, but not too much!

So, in case you never hear from me again, you can be assured it's because I've become a beach bum in Myrtle Beach! I really don't know how I'm going to make myself leave at the end of the week!!!!