Summer Adventures, or Not

So I have several things on my mind.

1.        Why I don’t like going on vacation.
2.        Downloading free books for Kindle.
3.        Jacob’s arm, Jacob’s school; Jacob in general.
4.        DD#2's school work.
5.        Writing as my “job.”

1) I don’t like to go on vacation: Not with my family anyway. We go on a wonderful trip with my parents and siblings to Lake Powell every year and it is wonderful. It has become a tradition since 1994—I remember because I was pregnant with DD#2 our first year and DD#1 was so small; it was a blast! We have not gone every year and DH hasn’t gone in several years. That’s fine. But it takes its toll on me! I admit that I spend most of the week reading and sleeping. Last year and this year I tried to make it a rule to get in the water every day.

Can you imagine being surrounded by beautiful, pristine (okay maybe not so pristine) lake water and not wanting to go in? Here’s that thing. Usually it’s very cold so you feel that initial I-don’t-want-to-do-it feeling but once you do you’re fine, generally speaking. This year was warmer. Last year my rule was to go down the slide 10 times a day and once I decided to do that I was doing it. This last year has been hard on my body what with getting Shingles again and being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and generally living in constant pain. The evidence is in my weight gain and the fact that climbing the spiral staircase to get up to the slide top seemed like too much for me so I did not do it. I actually only got in the water once. Then Jacob dislocated his elbow and all bets were off. No more water for me. I was On Call as Chief comforter/mommy.

Last summer and this summer we took a “just our family” vacation. Both years were excellent. This year we went to Santa Barbara County. We camped at Lake Cachuma (not so great), spent a day at Solvang (not so great), and visited Refugio and El Capitan state beaches. The beach days were A-m-a-z-i-n-g! I actually went in the water (not past my waist, don’t be silly!) and refined my tan. The good time nearly rivaled last year’s trip to the Santa Cruz area. I missed DD#1 who is working in Utah (very proud of her though)! Those family vacations weren’t so bad but I admit DH does most of the work. I am unable to do a lot. I help, of course, but even the cooking was left to him. I did make one fire this year but it nearly went out. The Boy Scout(s) rescued it! Even with that the trip is exhausting.

What I really want is a week, okay just a few days, in a hotel where it’s stocked with sub sandwiches, Doritos and diet soda and I get to go out to eat once a day. The rest of the time I get to spend writing or watching movies or reading. Sounds boring to some but a JOY to me! That’s why I don’t really like vacations. They are not vacations for me. I want to do what I want to do when I want to do it (including eating or not eating, as the case may be).

2) Downloading Kindle books: Okay, so I subscribe to a few emails that give me lists of the books that are currently available at Amazon.com for free as Kindle downloads. I get two or three lists a day, well four actually. I am currently receiving a general list (Pixel of Ink), a non-fiction list (Power Reads) a cooking list (Dining Downloads) and a Christian list (InspiredReads). I download 3-6 books a day. It’s true. I will never have enough free time to read all these books for HOW FUN that I have them. I will never be bored again! Lately I’ve noticed that I “already downloaded” many of the books. Oops.

3) Jacob. So I mentioned Jacob’s arm. This will make this post even longer and I really don’t like my posts being longer than two or three paragraphs. Jacob dislocated his arm in June by jumping  off a swing at Lori’s house. We took him directly to Kaiser in O.C. and they sent us to the hospital (Kaiser) in Irvine. They put him out for the reduction, splinted it, wrapped it and sent us home. We went to the Lancaster facility about 10 days later where they re-X-ray’d it and said we needed to see a specialist. I asked for a removable brace because I have been here before. Approximately 3 years ago we went through this nonsense before. He dislocated it (still fuzzy on the how because he was taking a bath and that just seems crazy!), had it reduced, splinted, etc. at Kaiser Panorama City. Followed up in Lancaster where they said he was “fine” and removed the splint, no brace. He RE-dislocated it within two weeks and at that follow-up I asked for the removable brace. When we saw the specialist this time, we drove to the Kaiser on Sunset Blvd (near Children’s Hospital) in Los Angeles. He seemed to think it was no biggie and he could wear the brace “as needed,” which I interpreted as Most of the time, but Jacob interpreted as; Whenever I feel like it. We went to Lake Powell. He went “cliff-jumping” and RE-dislocated his elbow. No, he was not wearing his brace. I took him to Page (AZ) for the reduction and he struggled to get out of the anesthesia. Yeah, it was not a fun day for Mom (dad wasn’t there, you’ll note). He did wake up and when we followed up with the specialist a few days later in Los Angeles he is now saying Jacob might need reconstructive surgery. Bummer. They will use cadaver tendons to replace his (probably) stretchy elbow tendons. First we get to have an MRI where they will put Jacob under. :::sigh::: No, Mommy is not excited. He currently has a cast. Oh, and it's not waterproof. *eyeroll*

Oh, and Jacob was “supposed” to start school yesterday. When he got there (via bus provided by our local school district) they had no idea he was coming and sent him back home. Great. So I am fixing that SNAFU now. He now WANTS to go to school and is “punishing” me for the mix-up. Loveliness ensues.

4) DD#2 has until August 31^st to “finish” high school. She will then go to St. George to live with Grandma and Grandpa until she finds a job and gets the money to attend Southern Utah University. She wanted to take a trip with her friend so she whooped her tush in gear and got it done except for just a few lessons. I’m helping her a little (Why was Juliet mad?) but WOW! When that girl decides to work, she W-O-R-K-S! Who knew?

5) I am trying to treat writing as my job. So here I am. Writing, that is. Now I get to work on the fun stuff.