It’s always a little sad when a trip ends. This trip, to see my family, is the first time in a while when I felt like I actually got a real ‘vacation.’ I didn’t really sleep late. I didn’t stay up late either. A combination of jet lag and high altitude that took my energy away most of the time and gave me a blinding headache for the first two days we were here. But still, it was vacation.
I managed to keep up with my NaNoWriMo novel-writing goals and my NaBloPoMo blog-posting goals this whole time. No one seemed bothered by me disappearing for a few hours a day to get some writing in.
I went shopping with my mom, which is always fun. She and I like the same things, so it’s easy to find the ‘perfect’ places to go. I think, though, that my luggage got smaller, because suddenly not all of my stuff fits in there. This happens every time. (But you should see my new ‘bling!’)
My dad gave me Captain Shooty, and we went and fired a few rounds. That was so fun. Oh! Grunt! Grunt! Grunt! Captain Shooty is on his way to New York now. Turns out the permitting process is rather lengthy, but I should be able to have my permit in a few months – certainly in time for next summer’s field season when I would want to have the gun.
My dad also delighted in taking our son (his grandson) fishing. The boy had never been fishing before and it was the one thing that my dad has really wanted to do with him. The boy loved it. They caught seven fish, four of which they were able to put back and the remaining three they gave away. What a great experience for the boy!
Today (Friday) we begin the voyage back to the real world of home, jobs, and responsibilities. Before we go, though, we’re going to spend a little time in Las Vegas. (We’re taking the red-eye out of LAS tonight – this post will go live probably while we’re in mid-air!) Maybe tomorrow I’ll post some photos of the Luxor, Excalibur, and New York New York. We’ll see.
Penny Higgins - Storyteller • Artist • Scientist 