This morning I will be leaving town for a short vacation. If you can call two days a vacation that is. I will be traveling more than 25 miles from home and staying overnight. I'm doing it for the pleasure of it, so in my book it qualifies. I'm going to visit my son in upstate New York. It'll take six hours or so to drive there from Greensboro. When I was growing up on Long Island I never went that far away until after joining the Navy. I had taken a bus trip to New York City, a good two hour drive and near a hundred miles away, but not six hours away !
You would think that I would be used to traveling because of my Naval service. I'm not intimidated by it but don't relish it either. I'll enjoy the visit but not the drive. I don't understand why we don't have transporters by now. We don't even have those flying cars the Jetsons' had. Well my bags are packed, I'm ready to go, I'm headin' out the door oh Babe I hate that drive ! Not exactly what John Denver wrote but you get the idea. I'm not takin' a Jet plane either. I have taken a plane that wasn't a jet, have you ?
I tell the grandkids about when I was their age and the things we did or didn't do. Sometimes they just look at me with a puzzled expression. What do you mean you never went to the movies as a family. I mean just that. I went to the movies but never with Mom and Dad ! Old folks didn't go to the movies in my day. At least not where I came from they didn't. That cost too much money, be patient, it'll come on television in a few years. And yes, television was free to watch, either channel. We didn't go on family vacations either. I knew a family that did though. It was pretty exceptional and progressive. Of course the Dad was some kind of engineer or something and made a lot of money. You had to be rich to go on vacation. And now here I go, just taking off down the road like I don't have a care in the world. I can only imagine what Grandma would have to say about this. I can remember her leaving her home only once, came to my house for Christmas in 1965 or so. I lived three miles away and that was far enough.
So now I have to eat foreign food. I have grown somewhat accustomed to that. I certainly eat out a whole lot more now than when I was a child. Never did my family go out to eat, at a restaurant. When I was a teenager we did order pizza out a few times but that was about it. They built a McDonalds at one point and I went there. It was a good drive away, all the way to Southampton. I expect it was five to ten miles. We did go to the drive in as a family a time or two. Got popcorn and soda from the concession stand, if that counts as eating out. I am looking forward to genuine New York pizza. Can't wait to fold it and pour that grease right in ! When I was in high school I started eating out for lunch. Would go downtown for fries and a coke. Mom wasn't too happy about that, but just shrugged her shoulders and said, if you want to eat junk you can pay for it. I did.
The worst part about going on vacation though is the bathrooms. I like my own bathroom please. And now I guess I had better keep my eyes open for them trans people. Can't say I have ever seen one for sure, have seen some pretty ugly women though, although not in the men's' room. You have to be aware of your surroundings that's for sure. I remember being told to put my wallet in my front pants pocket to deter pickpockets. That and put a few dollars in your shoe in case you get robbed. Thieves never look in your shoes. You know that is true because isn't that where you put your valuables on the beach ? Ever had anyone steal your sneakers ? Not when I was growing up they didn't. Now those sneakers cost a few hundred dollars so I'm not as confident.
Daylights a burnin' as the saying goes and I had best get ready. Get a fresh shower and a shave. Make sure to put on clean underwear in case of an accident. No, I'm not that old, I mean an automobile accident. I'll have to make sure everything I the house is turned off and the bed is made. Can't go anywhere with an unmade bed ! I think that might be a federal law or something. So enjoy your day and I'll be traveling. I'm going on a " road trip. " That's what the kids call it to distinguish it from other kinds of trips. Maybe I'll try one of those trips where you never leave the farm. Would be better than just falling down. I'm outta here.
You would think that I would be used to traveling because of my Naval service. I'm not intimidated by it but don't relish it either. I'll enjoy the visit but not the drive. I don't understand why we don't have transporters by now. We don't even have those flying cars the Jetsons' had. Well my bags are packed, I'm ready to go, I'm headin' out the door oh Babe I hate that drive ! Not exactly what John Denver wrote but you get the idea. I'm not takin' a Jet plane either. I have taken a plane that wasn't a jet, have you ?
I tell the grandkids about when I was their age and the things we did or didn't do. Sometimes they just look at me with a puzzled expression. What do you mean you never went to the movies as a family. I mean just that. I went to the movies but never with Mom and Dad ! Old folks didn't go to the movies in my day. At least not where I came from they didn't. That cost too much money, be patient, it'll come on television in a few years. And yes, television was free to watch, either channel. We didn't go on family vacations either. I knew a family that did though. It was pretty exceptional and progressive. Of course the Dad was some kind of engineer or something and made a lot of money. You had to be rich to go on vacation. And now here I go, just taking off down the road like I don't have a care in the world. I can only imagine what Grandma would have to say about this. I can remember her leaving her home only once, came to my house for Christmas in 1965 or so. I lived three miles away and that was far enough.
So now I have to eat foreign food. I have grown somewhat accustomed to that. I certainly eat out a whole lot more now than when I was a child. Never did my family go out to eat, at a restaurant. When I was a teenager we did order pizza out a few times but that was about it. They built a McDonalds at one point and I went there. It was a good drive away, all the way to Southampton. I expect it was five to ten miles. We did go to the drive in as a family a time or two. Got popcorn and soda from the concession stand, if that counts as eating out. I am looking forward to genuine New York pizza. Can't wait to fold it and pour that grease right in ! When I was in high school I started eating out for lunch. Would go downtown for fries and a coke. Mom wasn't too happy about that, but just shrugged her shoulders and said, if you want to eat junk you can pay for it. I did.
The worst part about going on vacation though is the bathrooms. I like my own bathroom please. And now I guess I had better keep my eyes open for them trans people. Can't say I have ever seen one for sure, have seen some pretty ugly women though, although not in the men's' room. You have to be aware of your surroundings that's for sure. I remember being told to put my wallet in my front pants pocket to deter pickpockets. That and put a few dollars in your shoe in case you get robbed. Thieves never look in your shoes. You know that is true because isn't that where you put your valuables on the beach ? Ever had anyone steal your sneakers ? Not when I was growing up they didn't. Now those sneakers cost a few hundred dollars so I'm not as confident.
Daylights a burnin' as the saying goes and I had best get ready. Get a fresh shower and a shave. Make sure to put on clean underwear in case of an accident. No, I'm not that old, I mean an automobile accident. I'll have to make sure everything I the house is turned off and the bed is made. Can't go anywhere with an unmade bed ! I think that might be a federal law or something. So enjoy your day and I'll be traveling. I'm going on a " road trip. " That's what the kids call it to distinguish it from other kinds of trips. Maybe I'll try one of those trips where you never leave the farm. Would be better than just falling down. I'm outta here.
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