It’s just 2 more days until my first vacation ever!!!
Of course, my DH will not take kindly to that statement because for our honeymoon we drove through Indiana and Kentucky, then through Tennessee, West Virginia and Ohio on our way back to Michigan. But other than stopping at “budget” hotels for the night, that’s all we did. Of course, it was a spur-of-the-moment thing so a little impossible to plan something, or find it open on the way through town (unfortunately Sea World was closed at the beginning of December lol). So while it was nice to see mountains up close and personal, and even drive through one via a tunnel, it just can’t count as “going” anywhere. You tell anyone “Yes, I’ve been to (insert state name here)” and the first thing they ask is “What did you see/do?” or “Did you see/do (insert activity here)?”. “Uh, no. We just drove through and observed from the interstate.” And then they look at you funny.
So with all due respect, and as nice as it was to take an impromptu road trip and ‘get away’ for a couple days, this will be my first vacation. Yep. I’m losing my vacation virginity after all these years.
It’s a trip with about 6 families from our congregation. And apparently someone decided to sponsor my clan!!! Umm, thank you!
So in approximately 48 hours I will be several hours north, in the town of Traverse City. I’ve heard of it lots and apparently it’s a pretty touristy-friendly place with lots to do, so I’m excited. I hear they’ve got indoor, glow-in-the-dark miniature golf! Now if that doesn’t sound fun, I don’t know what does LOL. I wonder if I could convince anyone to go out for a couple of margaritas first. That could only make it even more fun lol. I looked up a site online tonight for visitors and found they’ve also got horse-drawn sleigh rides! Uh, can you say even cooler than glow-in-the-dark putt-putt golf after a few margaritas??? Methinks me better find me scarf and gloves. And the kids’ too, for that matter.
We will be there all weekend and through xmas. Coming back on Tuesday (aka the 26th, aka the day after xmas). I’m glad to be away. I already came to hate xmas and dreaded being forced to celebrate it because of DH’s parents. And then even more-so when I left DH. And while I’d go on the trip anyway, it is a bonus that it gets me out of the pagan-with-a-Christian-sticker-on-it holiday.
In 24 hours I will be at a “holiday” party for DH’s office. And my office too, now, I guess. Though I’ve got no employees. I’m just not used to calling it “my” office yet. But we’re having a party. It was originally called a “Christmas” party because the receptionist organized it, but it was magically changed when I threatened to DH that I wouldn’t come to an xmas party.
In about 1 hour I will be doing laundry to get ready for this weekend. My van is in the shop now since last night, so DH will be picking us up to take it all back to the house. While there I’ll do a haircut for someone else in the office (a friend that I met DH through) and make a few bucks. Woo-hoo!
I went and worked at the office for a while yesterday (Tuesday), after which DH helped me drop off the van by giving me a ride home. Though he did take me out to dinner first. It was pretty perfect. Have I mentioned he’s done, like, a complete ‘180′? We’re kind-of working on things… very slowly. It takes a while for me to trust in the first place. Add 12 years of baggage into the mix and now I’ve got a 6 month lease. So plenty of time to wait-and-see. Or if still not enough the lease can always be renewed, eh? But so far so good, it seems.
Day before yesterday (Monday) I started officially working out of the office. My computer is at home now, but there’s one for me to use there. This was because I had to quit my job at the HFS. They sucked!!! They didn’t stick to anything that they promised, and on top of that I was going through hell just to stick to my promise to them! Basically showing up and working hard, which I did. Which doesn’t sound like much, but when my Nanny disappeared on me the weekend before I was to start… it really was a lot! I called, she wouldn’t answer. I left mesages, she wouldn’t return the calls. By Sunday night, I resolved myself to the fact that she was deserting me without notice, and not just “away for the weekend” or something. So between Sunday night and Monday, I was sweating trying to find someone. Everyone I know was busy. Finally I ended up taking the kids to a loose acquaintance’s house, 25 minutes away. So I ended up driving more than 1.5 hours every day, for 2 days, for a job that is 1 minute from my house. Argh. For people who weren’t following through on their commitments to me. (And no, there was no confusion. It was addressed in both interviews I had, including with the store manager.) Now the state is giving me shit about it, threatening to give me a “penalty” to my “benefits” if it’s found I quit a job without good cause. Which I wouldn’t care about… I was put into an extremely unreasonable situation and had great cause for leaving. But seeing as how they were already dishonest… who even knows how this will turn out. And I was told that AFTER I had already explained the whole situation to the caseworker. I’m so ticked. They better be honest. I sure to God hope they don’t think I’m gonna lie down and take it just because I’m a Christian. Jesus wasn’t no sucker, and they sure better not expect I’ll be!
Well, anyway, I did find a new nanny at the end of last week. Thanking God for that! We’ll just have like a co-pay of less than $1.50/hr for all 3 kids. No having to get them up in the morning really early, no missing out on field trips because of a daycare situation, no exposure to other kids’ sicknesses (or other problems), no fussing over that my kids “have” to have all their shots to be enrolled (because a provider is not aware of or understanding of exemptions), and the list goes on.
DH is still coming to church every week and liking it a lot. He also went out on a double-date with my friend and her DH last Saturday night. This is big news because he never, ever, wanted anything to do with my people (friends or family) before. And then he didn’t even bat an eye when I was informed about 1 hour before we were to meet that the DH’s brother and wife were coming along too, so a triple-date! Turns out that was for the best. The two brothers were cutting up and it really helped DH to join in rather than feel pressure to get to know someone, I think. We all had a great time, including DH. He officially invited my friend and her DH to the Holiday Party tomorrow. It’s short notice, but hopefully they’ll make it.
I think I’ve mentioned how much we owe his dad, monetarily and ethically… and how important xmas is to his dad. What I may not have mentioned is that DH’s brother re-upped for military service and got stationed in Kentucky. But since they just moved a couple months ago after short notice, and it was their year to host xmas, they have rented a house up here in town to follow through on that and spend it with the family. WELL……
DH is blowing them ALL off! He would rather be with me and my people, and is even coming around about the whole xmas thing. And making little statements here and there about being Jewish (within the context of celebrating Channakuh vs. xmas at least, though there might be more that I’m just not recalling right now). Also, his brother will already be gone by the time we get back. So it all ads up to a really huge thing on at least a few levels. Still, I wasn’t sure whether I was comfortable with him coming or not from an emotional standpoint. But if we’re at the stage of giving him time to prove himself, I guess I can’t really say “no, you can’t come” and deny him the chance to prove himself! So I made the decision to have him come too. So far I’m still glad for that decision. LOL. I’m just kidding. I don’t anticipate him disappointing me or giving me a hard time about anything.
Well, I guess I’ve taken way to long to write this out. He should be calling any minute to say he’s on his way and I still haven’t had a shower yet. Which I wouldn’t care about, except I already “didn’t care” yesterday, IYKWIM. So while I don’t plan to ‘get pretty’ or anything, I should probably at least not stink. Especially if I’m gonna be all up-close-and-personal with our friend while I’m cutting his hair LOL.
Gotta go! Will post again when I get back! 