Fireworks and Fatigue

Well, another holiday is over and a new week with the regular routine has begun. Only I'm thinking that with summer here, there's not much routine for most of us these days. Between vacations, travel, modified work hours, and projects to be done, there's not much that's normal in most of our worlds right now.

We did get to see some great fireworks with the Webb's on Saturday night and the best part was that afterward, we picked up our chairs and walked 5 minutes back to our apartment. No cars, no traffic, no late night - it was great!! We actually stayed in the Fells Point area where we live and while we couldn't hear the music, we were perfectly content to just see the fireworks and avoid the bigger crowd in the Inner Harbor.











They left Sunday morning to head to New York to meet their new granddaughter and we pretty much spent the day doing nothing. I realized that it was the first Sunday in a month that I hadn't been on the road driving for many hours. This picture of Kit pretty much sums up what the day looked like for us.



I'm still having a lot of trouble with my back and have actually spent the morning trying to find a chiropractor. Oh, the joys of living in a new place and knowing absolutely nothing about anything....

We have another friend coming in town tomorrow for a few days and then toward the end of the month, we head back to GA for my 35th high school reunion. And yes, we're flying!! It would have to be something pretty drastic to get me back in the car for a long drive anytime soon. Further calculations revealed that since I moved to Baltimore with Kit in early March, I've driven over 7100 miles up and down the eastern United States. Moves of our various family members took up about half of that, but there were 3 weddings, pipes to be replaced, and a house to pack up and leave that made up the rest. I actually enjoy driving and being alone with my thoughts, but this last trip from Atlanta to Baltimore was more than even I could handle. I'm sure being in pain made it much harder, but I lost all creativity in what to do with my time. I did become aware of a few things that I'll pass along, but I'm not sure how interesting they'll be to you.

Interstate 81 is by far the best way to travel north instead of 85/95. It's much more scenic which is helpful when you're tired of driving.

Most of the music from the 60's was sung very badly and out of key.

Pain from shattered dreams has no expiration date.

Chick-Fil-A has replaced McDonalds for interstate stops if you want a guaranteed clean bathroom.

Looking for the next rest stop where you can get out and stretch is a productive way to pass the miles.

Books on tape make me sleepy.

I don't like having my family spread out over 4 states.

XM radio is a great invention and hometown announcers of your favorite team are the best.

God has blessed us with reliable vehicles that I have taken for granted too often.

I'm ready for Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, Charlie Hall, and Steven Curtis Chapman to come out with new CD's.

Chronic pain is no fun and I have taken my mostly good health for granted.

I miss having a place our family can call home.

And there you have it - a glimpse into my bouncy thoughts that encompass all extremes of the spectrum of life. As I begin to get resettled back into life here in Baltimore, I'm actually having to start thinking about holiday plans. When flying is how family members must travel and most of them have no extra money, we have to plan ahead for the best savings. It makes it a little harder to live in the moment, but it's a balancing act that is necessary.

Time to get the day moving a little faster than it has thus far. It's OK to leave a comment here and there to let me know that while out of sight, we're not out of mind. Well, maybe we are out of ours, but hopefully not yours!! Have a great week!