The vacation beard is gone. I was ready to get rid of it, as I am clearly not cool enough to carry off the image and, frankly, I was not attracting enough babes. I was told that I looked like a video game character (Solid Snake) which was pretty cool but also was called the unabomber (no so cool).
However it was with mixed emotions that I finally shaved off the beard as it was a symbol of the road trip and a reminder that my Clark Griswold days had come to an end. The goal is to squeeze every ounce of joy out of each stage of life and, despite my proclivity to watch old home movies and listen to 80's music, I try not to live in the past. Yet there are moments when you wish you could freeze time and put your life in a bottle. There will no doubt be other vacations (my family gives me grief that I have vacations planned through 2014) but nothing in life is guaranteed. When you are swinging through the jungle of life there is that instant of doubt when you let go of one vine and reach for the next. Did I just leave my last t-shirt worthy vacation ? Will my kids openly despise me during the next road trip ? What if my beard is all grey during the next vacation ? Luckily those fears quickly subside and we begin to enjoy the end of summer and prepare for a busy fall.
The trip was a success on a number of different levels. Most importantly I think is that Karen enjoyed it and it opens to door for the 2010 West Coast version of the great American roadtrip.
The trip was a success on a number of different levels. Most importantly I think is that Karen enjoyed it and it opens to door for the 2010 West Coast version of the great American roadtrip.
States: 12
Miles: 1,897 miles driven from Boston to Oklahoma (1608 miles from Oklahoma to Boston)
Gas Mileage: 21.8 mpg
Gas Spending: $448
Gas Spending: $448
46 mph average (this was significantly reduced due to city driving while in MN)
Bretto's Top 10 Memories
10. Playing (and Losing) in the Ping Pong Tournament
9. Going to the Zoo
8. The Kalahari was really fun
7. Getting a ball at the Royals
6. Riding a motorcycle for the first time.
5. Getting a Delmon Young Bobblehead
4. Playing kubb in Papa Olen's backyard
3. The first stop at IHOP
2. Spotting an Arkansas license plate
1. Seeing cousin Ben for the first time
Kelsey's Top 10 Memories
10. Getting freaked out on the motorcycle ride
9. My Dad catching the foul ball
8. My cousin Caley helping me finish my huge root beer float at A&W
7. My Dad catching a foul ball at the Royals game
6. Doing the toilet bowl body slide and coming down head first and getting water all up my nose and never going on it again.
5. Going to the Zoo and seeing the Grizzly bears
4. Walking on the jetty out on Lake Michigan and trying to prevent Brett from falling off the edge. Glad he didn't.
3. Watching Yo Gabba Gabba with Ben and Lizzy and laughing so hard !
2. Getting my signature from a waitress for the scavenger hunt at my restaurant (Kelseys !)
1. Having a 104 fever and my temperature dropping down in time to go to the Twins game.
Jake's Top 10 Memories
10. Ping Pong in Papa Olens basement
9. First drop down the toilet bowl slide at the Kalahari
8. The first drop at the Rock Bottom Plunge Roller Coaster at Nick Universe in the middle of the Mall of America
7. Awkward Las Vegas type street in the middle of Niagara Falls
6. Brett waking me up in the middle of the night in Oklahoma to say he is going to throw up.
5. Me pushing Ben in the swing in Norman Oklahoma
4. DJ Lance on Yo Gabba Gabba
3. Seeing the ball at the last minute before my Dad caught it
2. Completing the Master Blaster raft ride with Connor to complete all the rides at Kalahari
1. Boogie boarding on the surf simulator
Greg's Top 10 Memories
10. Walking into our smoking room at the Black Lung Motel
9. Winning the final bingo game on the USS Badger
8. Eating Ice Cream at Michigan State
7. The bald eagle at the Minnesota Zoo
6. Watching Bretto be hurled out into the toilet bowl slide
5. The breakfast buffet at the Kalahari
4. Running on fumes through the 'disadvantaged' areas of Buffalo
3. Hitting the detour on our way to Kalahari
2. Hitting Happy Hour at the Sonic Drive-In
1. Catching the foul ball at the Royals game
Karen's Top 10 Memories
10. Meeting my cute nephew Ben or the first time.
9. Getting out of the car in Norman after hours of looking at cows driving through Kansas
8. Brett's new shirtless friends at the Kansas City ball game
7. Riding the Fairly Odd Parents Roller Coaster in Nickelodeon Universe after the kids told me that it did not spin much......liars !
6. Greg and the kids chanting after the Olen's won the final triva game at the restaurant
5. The embarassment of my family hanging on the Bob's Big Boy statue and taking pictures
4. My limbs slamming the walls of the fastest green body slide at the Kalahari resort
3. Shopping at the mall in Toronto with all of my international friends
2. Jake's obession with the wax museum in Niagara Falls
1. My first view of the top of Horshoe Falls.
1 comment:
Very cool! Thanks for letting us all live vicariously through your blog. I look forward to injecting myself into your west coast swing in 2010 :)
Post a Comment