I'm Baaaaaaack!

The Family Vacation

Ok, so it’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything. Here’s why: my job only allows me to take my vacation time during the “down time” of June and July. So, with two full weeks of vacation, plus 6 comp days (we only took 3), I barely even worked during the month of July. Needless to say, that’s fine with me.

During this time, I took my family to my parents’ house in Monett, MO. That’s where I grew up and went to high school. It’s not bad going home – although a recent glut of immigrants from south of the border (Mexico, not Arkansas) has caused the Hispanic population of this small town to burgeon beyond belief. So much so, that a new pseudonym has been conceived – Monexico. A bit harsh, but entirely true. This is a small railroad town of yore that will soon be no more. I seriously give it ten years until all the families that have resided in that immediate area for generations bug out. Sad, but I suppose that’s the cycle of life.

There have been many things that have happened in the past month and a half or so that I want to discuss. The problem is, I make “mental notes” of these things, then lose those notes. Maybe I need one of those little flip-up notebooks like the cops carry on Law & Order.

The Wife and Old Friends

My wife and I spent a lot of time with an old friend of mine. He and I have been friends since the 5th or 6th grade and have stayed in touch over the past 21 years since graduating high school. While in high school, he was a great athlete. He won several events at the state track meet over the course of three years. He still holds the high hurdle and high jump records at Monett High School. The hurdle record he broke in 1983 had stood since 1922. We spent some time with him and a few other friends and had a great time. He also fixed our home computer – except now it doesn’t work.

Also on our trip, we visited an old favorite of mine; a nice little piece of serenity called Jolly Mill. This is an old mill located roughly halfway between Monett and Pierce City. The last time I was there must have been about 15 or more years ago. Then, it was an old, run down wooden mill with a cool rock dam. Now, it is an old, not-so-run-down wooden mill with a cool rock dam. We caught some crawdads and minnows and the kids loved it.

Speaking of the kids… mine are 7 and 3 years old. It seems as they get older, they fight more and more. Lots of taunting. In fact, the other day my 3-year-old son told his sister that he was going to “kick her butt”. Upon asking where he had heard that, his sister informed us that Spongebob Squarepants was the culprit. More specifically, Flats Flounder in school. “I like to kick people’s butts”, he says. I guess it’s perfectly normal for kids to fight, but it wears my ass out. Now I know how my parents must have felt.

I’ll tell you more about what’s been going on lately and how much I spent on gasoline. We drove nearly 1300 miles in the past week in our new minivan (2001 Mercury Villager) and believe me, that ain’t cheap.

Until then…