Vacation…
The word alone conjures up dreamy thoughts of relaxation,
beautiful scenery, sandy beaches, clear blue water…
But what does it take to actually get there? Funny
you should ask.
A while back I wrote a blog post about “Is fun fun?
Or is fun work?” and this vacation topic I’ve chosen - actually am currently living
through - is a true example of that same theme. My goodness, vacation can be a
lot of work. In order to sit quietly in our boat or on a beach, there exists
many-a-task we must accomplish to that end.
In order for Todd and I to spend a week on our boat,
we divide and conquer our chores. I plan and shop for a good amount of meals. I
try to cover all of the basic food groups from fresh fruit and vegetables to
meats, breads and dairy. Throw in some M & M’s and a bag of cherry pull-n-peel
licorice, and we’re good to go. The trick comes in thinking about how to keep
fruit fresh and cold items cold. It’s not always easy storing ten pounds of
stuff in a five-pound space. Early in the trip, we dine on luscious green
grapes and yellow peaches. Later on we revert to applesauce. We can’t count on
every marina along the lake to have a town nearby with a grocery store handy. Much
like the wisdom of Forrest Gump, “Ya never know what you’re gonna get…”
I launder all of our clothes, count out underwear
and sock choices for eight days, always planning for an extra day, “just in
case” since most boaters have taken an unexpected plunge into the water at
least once. Will the weather be hot? Pack the swimsuits. Will it be cold with
gale-force winds? Pack the parka. From past experience, we know we can expect a
little of each.
Once all of our food and clothing items are packed
into our boat (which is an especially enjoyable task in 90-degree heat) I wipe
the sweat from my brow, feeling much more settled and ready. So I help Todd,
whose list is much more lengthy than my own. He needs to be prepared with tools
and extra this-n-that’s. Since we’ll be towing an 11,000-pound load, he likes to
be ready for just about anything and everything. We’ve been around the block
enough times to know that even though these trips are designed for relaxation,
one can only truly relax if we’re 100 percent prepared (which we all know isn’t
really possible).
So on a stifling hot July Friday, we finally pulled
out of our driveway at 12:30 p.m. I texted our kids, “We’re on the road – geez
what a production! Let the good times roll.” Twenty minutes later, our Suburban
made a loud noise, and we realized we’d had a blow-out on its rear passenger
tire. This cannot be good I thought to
myself. Either we’re getting our bad
experiences out of the way early, or we’ll be barraged with trouble throughout
the week. Whoever even knows, you know?
So Todd cranked the handle that removes our boat
trailer from the Burb and began the grueling sweaty task of jacking up our
vehicle and changing the tire. Did I mention how hot it was? From lying on the
pavement, poor Todd now has asphalt embedded into his shoulder blades. Thank goodness
we were effortlessly able to find air for the tire and even another spare, so
we suddenly felt lucky and blessed. Maybe
we really are getting all of the bad out of the way early… (Maybe…?)
We made it through Milwaukee and traveled two-thirds
of the way to our destination when all of a sudden the rear driver’s tire blew.
Oh man, are ya kiddin’ me??? Thankfully the tire blew near a freeway
off-ramp, and we were able to get off and find a parking lot for Todd to repeat
his entire routine yet again. This time, no spare tire was available.
We placed a call to the people we’d be boating with
for the upcoming week, letting them know we were definitely running late. They
were sympathetic and helpful as always, assuring us that one of them had a
spare for us, should we need another. They were having the exact opposite type
of day than us. They’d spent their hot July Friday lounging by the marina’s
pool, as they decided what they might eat for dinner that night. Oh to be lounging, oh to be planning menus…
Todd and I had a decision to make. Should we count
two blow-outs as an omen, cut our losses and head home - a two-hour drive back,
chancing the same problems we’d already encountered? Or should we proceed on
the road ahead and hope for the best…?
Well, we continued on, of course. We usually do.
After all, we planned for this vacation all year long. Giving up at that point
would have brought a sick feeling all its own. By 6 p.m. – only three hours
late - we got to our destination hot and tired; but our calm, cool friends were
there waiting for us, smiling and helpful – and they’d even waited to have
dinner with us too.
So, to wrap up this blog entry, I’d like to say that
though my dutiful and exhausting preparations of food and clothing are needed,
the true challenge comes in the mechanics of this whole operation. We felt very
blessed and fortunate to have made it through two blow-outs without injury –
either to ourselves or to anyone else. All the waxing of fiberglass and
staining of teak that Todd worked on through this past spring didn’t matter a
fig if the tires or an engine aren’t running properly. Just like people,
physical beauty only goes so far – it’s what exists down deep that matters.
Once that’s in order, the rest falls into place.
And a special shout-out to the members of the
Waukesha Cruise Fleet, our boating club, who are always so helpful. After a
long, hot day it felt great to have you waiting for us. Thank you!
Oh, and you can bet there’ll be more vacation
stories to come – as they unfold! J
Katie
Kolberg Memmel is the author of “Five Fingers, Ten Toes – A Mother’s Story of
Raising a Child Born With a Limb Difference. For more information, visit her
website: www.katiekolbergmemmel.com
