Finally... A Cruise!

My summer, thus far since the second week of April, has consisted of living on the road. Motels at night, refineries by day often for 2 and 3 shifts, meals at the same restaurant day-after -day. The clerk a the Holiday Inn Express should ask for ID; when they greet you by name and hand you your key, it's been too long. But finally, yesterday the project achieved a critical milestone and I've written enough procedures and done enough training that the kids should be able to run her on their own. I hope.

Today we're doing some final packing before heading off for 3 weeks in the sun. No, we've not sold everything, put the house and the market and prepared to start a new life, but for a few weeks I can at least pretend to have cut some ties and live as a vagabond. To emulate a few cruisers I follow.

If past trips are any measure, by the time we return our home will seem strange and huge, the world will seem unfocused, and we'll have to fight the urge, just a bit, to keep going just a little further. But there will also be things we'll welcome. Fall will be approaching, with the promise of snow and ice and skiing and climbing. Fall cruising too, of course, though it is more of a 2-5 day thing.

Where are we off to? the Delmarva and Cape May again. My daughter has a friend she wants to share it with and and it's the last year before college and work fatally intervene. Hopefully we'll stop some new places, as the sector of tropical storms seem very faint this time, one up-side of El Nino conditions.

And yes, phone calls will come, and I'll answer them sometime, maybe. Email will come and I may read it. Or not. And the beer may start before 5.

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I'm so burned-out right now I'm scarcely looking forward to it. It just sounds like work. Feeling that way is rather disturbing.