A Sense of Excitement
Another layer to our vacation
by susanwazJune 15, 2004
We are leaving on our big vacation in a few days. My husband who is a copy editor for a major newspaper and an avid student of history and politics will be visiting Washington DC for the first time in his 56 year old life. We will travel nearly across
the entire nation - Arizona to DC - by car with his sister and my 22 year old daughter. We will visit so many friends and family along the way, many of whom he has not met since we have only been married two and one half years.
Which brings me to a interesting problem - we were each 54 when we married - we each had big libraries and more duplicates than we should have expected. Merging two mature households is quite an exercise - at one point we had 7 colanders - you get the picture! So how have I spent the last 2 days - packing? checking reservations? reviewing maps? OH NO! I have spent it going through our books and choosing those we will leave as we wend our way to and fro,
So far I have 44. They are ready to be left where we eat, where we sleep, where we stop. I still have 3 days to go before we leave. Am I packed? No. It will get there. Will I keep looking through our bookcases - you bet I will.
So far the only book with a certain destination is Killer Angels - which we want to leave in Gettysburg on Memorial Day. After that, whimsy will guide us.
Oh yes and my sister-in-law is also going through her books. At one point my comic spouse suggested we rent a manure spreader, set it to 50 miles and let it toss the books as we go along. (how exactly does he know anything about manure spreaders - I need to ask) But I want to know where each and every book is left for adoption - I have a worksheet so I can note where and when. The person finding it may beat me to the punch with a journal entry but that would be a delight.
So we have found a way to add a layer of fun, to gild the lily and our trip will be the better for it.
Be forewarned to be on the look out - AZ, NM, TX, OK, AR, TN, VA, DC -Eastward ho!
And if any are left- why then we have MD, OH, IN, MO on our way home.
This will be a story for years to come.
Which brings me to a interesting problem - we were each 54 when we married - we each had big libraries and more duplicates than we should have expected. Merging two mature households is quite an exercise - at one point we had 7 colanders - you get the picture! So how have I spent the last 2 days - packing? checking reservations? reviewing maps? OH NO! I have spent it going through our books and choosing those we will leave as we wend our way to and fro,
So far I have 44. They are ready to be left where we eat, where we sleep, where we stop. I still have 3 days to go before we leave. Am I packed? No. It will get there. Will I keep looking through our bookcases - you bet I will.
So far the only book with a certain destination is Killer Angels - which we want to leave in Gettysburg on Memorial Day. After that, whimsy will guide us.
Oh yes and my sister-in-law is also going through her books. At one point my comic spouse suggested we rent a manure spreader, set it to 50 miles and let it toss the books as we go along. (how exactly does he know anything about manure spreaders - I need to ask) But I want to know where each and every book is left for adoption - I have a worksheet so I can note where and when. The person finding it may beat me to the punch with a journal entry but that would be a delight.
So we have found a way to add a layer of fun, to gild the lily and our trip will be the better for it.
Be forewarned to be on the look out - AZ, NM, TX, OK, AR, TN, VA, DC -Eastward ho!
And if any are left- why then we have MD, OH, IN, MO on our way home.
This will be a story for years to come.
