I am a geographical bachelor.
I intentionally fashioned my schedule for these last three months before retirement so we could race to Destin once each month. With a two-week-on, two-week-off schedule we are making only one round-trip per month, reducing dollars spent on fuel and wear and tear on the car. It provided an additional benefit we hadn't thought about before:
We don't have to pack the car. We'll need our stuff when we return. So we lock the condo door behind us and smile.
It's a great convenience.
But I have known for some months now I would be working Christmas Eve and Christmas night.
Since I work 12 hours, when I get home at 8 A.M. or so I can be pretty worn out depending on what sort of night I have flown. Christmas for our family has always been odd...
Big Bubba and Sara Jean wide awake, waiting for me to come through the door so we can open presents, and me so tired I just want to get 'em all opened and get to bed.
It's been especially tough on my son and I respect him for putting up with it for so many years.
But since I'd be working this last Christmas of my EMS career, we made plans months ago for Sara Jean to fly West to spend Christmas with Big Bubba. Neither of us has been with him in months, so we've begun to yearn for face-to-face time.
I obviously can't go, but she CAN. And since I'm working anyway, what better time?
So she flew to Mesa last week and left me alone for the holidays. We both know it's best. But there's still something melancholy about being alone on Christmas day.
Opening our presents "together" via a SKYPE video call tomorrow will be an interesting experience, and will certainly be better than years past when a short telephone call would have to suffice.
New technology has spoiled us so.
I hope everyone reading my words finds themselves surrounded by loved ones this day. I hope you eat too much, laugh too much, and go to bed exhausted from "Too much fun".
I hope you all travel safely so you and yours will have nothing but good memories of Christmas 2012.
And I hope you know I look forward to seeing you all soon, whenever that may be.
Be safe and well, everyone. I think you may soon be hearing wonderful news from our VK family.
Happy Birthday Lord.
Bless us all, please.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
Merry Christmas GB and to all of Vandy's Kids.
Merry Christmas GB, Rita, and to all of the
vandy's Kids out there.
dj
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. My girls and their families were here all day Sunday with me. We had a wonderful day. My son didn't get to come home for Christmas because of his job. I missed him; but, glad he has a job to go to. My girls gave me two new granddaughters this year. Sara had Addie in April and Beth had Elise in November. Both babies, of course, are beautiful!!
Ferdy
Hey GB, I hadn't taken time to read your entire post when I first posted; I spent a Cjristmas or two alone when I lived in Wichita and the phone calls helped, but sure wasn't the same as being home with loved ones. I do hope yours was a Happy and Merry one! So would the wonderful news be in the form of a small package kind of thing ? Sounds like you had a good day Ferdy. Hope eveyone else did too!
dj
Yeah, the wonderful news will come with sound effects and a distinctive smell now and then, DJ.
I'm waiting for proud forebears to break the news here.
Thanks for the kind wishes... Sara Jean and I are now celebrating our anniversary in Destin.
Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and hope we all have a great New Year. Time is really flying by. Hunting is over and I got a hugh Buck Deer this year. Was a 19 pointer and scored 184. Waiting on spring so I can start fishing. Been working a little bit about 12 hours per week. My new business is doing great! Sharon keeping me busy. We have season tickets for 15 broadway plays and go to concerts and have season tickets the Evansville Aces colege basketball games. My granddaughters go to the games with us. I heard Marty Umbarger is going to continue under the new Governor as the General. I guess he loves to work and keep his finger in the pie working too.Hope everyone doing well miss hearing from everyone. Take care and hope to hear from everyone soon. Top Cat
TC-
We need a new email address for you.
The "Temple-Inland" address no longer works. Drop us all a bread crumb, will ya? ;>)
It's curtisboxes@gmail.com. Still going extremely well. Selling lots of boxes. Sold 40 semi loads this month. Anyone have a cell phone or Email for steve sutton. Haven't been able to get in touch with him. Hope to see you all soon. Top Cat
Post a Comment