How do I do this every year? Before the summer even starts, I’ve already committed myself for every minute of vacation time I have available.
I guess I ought to point out that not every one of my vacation days is going to my summer plans. I’m saving plenty of ‘em for the fall hunting seasons, of course. But between this summer and the fall, I’ll be wiping out my entire allotment of days off.
Even my weekends are spoken for. Between weddings, the boys’ birthdays, County Fair obligations, and other family vacations, there won’t be a weekend we don’t already have plans until after Labor Day.
I’m not complaining. At least, not a lot. A couple of those weekends have fishing trips penciled in on ‘em, and there are one or two campouts on the schedule, too. The only trouble is the schedule itself. When it’s all laid out like that, it starts feeling sort of obligatory. And fun shouldn’t seem obligatory.
But that just seems to be the way it all works now. It’ll probably be that way until the kids are grown and gone. I should probably get used to it.
Besides, there should still be plenty of time for spontaneous fishing trips on the occasional weekend when our original plans fall through or after work. Heck, in this part of the country, it stays light long into the evening, and I know of at least 20 good fishing holes within an hour of the house.
Those afternoon excursions might be few and far between, but one thing’s for certain; the summer won’t be anywhere near long enough. That’s already perfectly clear, because we had to turn down a ton of plans we just couldn’t shoehorn into the schedule.
Here’s wishing you an eventful summer, too, no matter when it starts or how much you already have planned. Just try to save a little time for spontaneity.
