July 15, 2021
Testing…testing…Okay, so it’s not exactly a dream of mine to blog. Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited to be doing it, but it’s not the same as writing a story. It feels more like being under a microscope. Speaking of microscopes, I just started thinking of Doogie Howser, as I sit here typing loudly into the void, and it occurred to me–Doogie Howser, M.D. may have been the earliest blogger. I mean sure, there was no internet in the late 80’s, so he wasn’t technically talking to anyone. But at this moment, neither am I. Plus, I saved a frog on my walk earlier, so I guess you could say I’m saving lives too. Honestly, I don’t know why I’m comparing myself to Doogie Howser. though
I also don’t know why my kids think it’s necessary to pack twenty pairs of underwear for the ten-day trip we leave on tomorrow but only four shirts. What do they think is going to happen on this trip where that lopsided balance makes sense? I’m guessing it’s lots of shirtless days, or else they’re betting on something really terrible happening that will require A LOT of underwear. Fall in the mud while hiking? New underwear. See a bear up close? New underwear. Stumble upon a hive of murder hornets? New underwear.
Of course, this may be one of the effects of staying inside for too long during covid-19. After all, we haven’t taken a trip in a year and a half. But really, who am I kidding? They were never good packers. My daughter once packed a suitcase full of bath toys to go visit her grandparents. Nothing else. Just bath toys. Obviously, going to their house meant a week of nonstop bath time. I guess because bath time is fun just like going to grandma and grandpa’s house. Seriously, I’d love to get inside their heads to see what they imagine these trips are going to be like beforehand.
While packing mostly underwear last night, my daughter got very emotional about having to say goodbye to our house. She’s afraid it will be lonely. I pointed out that we have two dogs that aren’t coming with us. She told me they’d be fine though, because we have a house sitter. I said, “Right, so the house will have someone to watch it too,” but apparently, I was being insensitive to the house’s feelings, because she rolled her eyes at me. And that right there is one of the reasons I need this vacation.
We all really need this vacation. Just like everyone else, it has been a very long sixteen months, and we had drama before that too. The plan is to do some hiking and to relax in scenic places. That means if my kids don’t fight for thirty seconds while mommy stares at a mountain, then I think I get to call that a win. We’d considered going to Yellowstone, but then we realized that the last thing we want to do is spend our vacation with the other five million Americans (I might be lowballing it) who thought it would be a good idea to go to Yellowstone in mid-July. I’m sure it will be fine for all those people though. Or at least for the bears. Just kidding!
I will try to blog some about our experiences as we go. On the other hand, my daughter may be looking at my bag filled with a laptop and charger the same way I looked at her bag filled with bath toys. And this time the eye roll would be well deserved.