Sometimes we all get burned out, and stressed, and well just want to jump out the window of our office (for some of you that's no big deal, as your on the first floor, I'm on the second so I'd probably break an arm or a leg - but would still be well enough to have to go back to work {I think this may be another reason why Mary will not let us live in a high rise...}, but I digress). And we all get vacation time, but no one wants to take it because let's be honest, we're going to miss something at work, our boss will be mad that we're not in the office, or we have a type A/perfectionist personality and don't want to clean up messes when we get back. I'm the last one, I love to have some alone time, but I really feel like I'm going to take 2 weeks cleaning up afterword. That being said, when your boss sits you down (for me we're always sitting down, as it's 90% of the time over the phone) and says "You really need to take some time off, I'm noticing it - and so is everyone else... When can you take vacation time?" And you explain that it will be about 4 more months, because he and everyone else has you booked out that far - you realize, "Wow, I must be really uptight." And I was... so when my boss tells me this in June, I was actually really happy to have this last week off. What my boss may or may not have been happy about (I'm not really sure as he likes to kid around a lot), is that I have been completely off radar (no laptop, no cellphone signals, no email - although we did have wi-fi in the cabin (that's another story)).
I needed this vacation with my wife to get away and feel whole again, I needed to get away from the stressors in my life (not that I don't like work, or my son, or my family --> I love them all in their own ways, but I needed to just breathe). I know that it's probably going to be a while till I have another opportunity to take a vacation like this (hopefully not 4 years long though), but I needed this...
So thank you to those who helped make it possible. My in-laws for watching the boy, my brother in law for watching the cat, and yes, even my old crazy neighbor (who will probably never EVER see this blog post) for watching my house. Thank you to the Governor of the State of Tennessee for pushing through legislation to fun the national park while we were on vacation, you sir have won the respect of a non-constituent (but I promise to send you some chocolate if you ever want any). Thank you to my boss and our staff for taking the weight off of me while I've been gone, and for putting up with me till I recharge my batteries (I hate you all, as you will all probably want me to do something that will take 30 hours for you at 9:00am on Monday) - but thank you none-the-less.
So, if for some reason you are actually looking at this site and notice I've changed the first few pictures, that's why... My pictures are from my latest stay in the Great Smokey Mountains. I recommend it, I know most people from Ohio go to the Outer-banks, but I can tell you that I think I love the mountains more than the ocean...
I'm sure I could tell some other great stories, but I need to depart - my high school marching band is in competition tonight about 45 minutes away, and frankly I want to see some old friends again.
Go Pacers, Go Rockets, and Go Vacations!