Tonight’s the calm before the…calm.
Tomorrow marks the beginning of vacation. Shelly and I are headed off to California to celebrate our 40th Anniversary. Yeah, I know; that’s how we roll. Other professors–and even some of my students–are in Greece this summer, or Italy, or maybe the Holy Land. But Shelly and I are sticking true to our blue-collar roots and going to visit family in California and Oregon. There is a method to our madness, however; we figure we won’t owe them another visit until our retirement rolls around.
That’s not to say it will all be hearing stories about a cousin’s surgery or how the deer hunting trip went. Shelly and I plan on sneaking off for a week in Monterey. I told her today we should have just spent the whole time there and forgotten everyone else. But we are taking care of family obligations like the good relatives we are.
We rarely take a true vacation, and because of that, it’s been hard to close down our other obligations. If you’ve been keeping up with this blog, you know that Celeste Perrino-Walker and I are finishing up the last few chapters of our next Christian suspense novel (and the beginning of a new series), which has got us both excited. Seems an odd time to take off on a vacation, but that’s just the way this worked out. I got out of intensive meetings with faculty from three colleges which tied me up for the past two days. I’m proofreading one of my former student’s books, and have another one I’m obligated to edit (relative). My lawn has been neglected for two weeks (rain!) and I still want to get started on my own next writing project. It seems like vacation is coming at the worst possible time. It seems like vacation is coming at the best possible time.
As usual, I feel pulled in a dozen different directions, and feel like someone is going to howl no matter what I do (hence the title). I still have stuff to do, and Shelly and I have already had The Talk about taking work with us on this vacation. Is it playing hooky from work if you’re on vacation? I know there are going to be times when I just need to get away from family and do my own thing, so I hope to keep working on stuff during that time.
And OH! the most important thing happened today. If you read my blogs from April, you will catch my ranting about my MacBook Pro that bit the dust. After an interminable month using a PC loaner, my beautiful new Mac appeared today, just in time to go on vacation with me. So I am ready!
The Great Adventure 