A New Reality

I'm sure my running commentary of our spectacular vacation bored and sickened you.

I understand. You ask: "What's the big deal? It's only Maine, for Christ sake. It's only for a few days."

I get it. You vacation in Paris. You vacation in Mexico. I appreciate that. I actually envy you that.

We are not there in our life. This vacation is a pretty big deal to us and it is a tradition. A tradition that was radically altered this year but we responded in amazing fashion.

We are home now. Got home around 1:00 yesterday afternoon.

Loved up the cats massively. We really miss them and they really miss us. It is a soft and warm feeling to come home to them after they have essentially been alone for 72 hours, adjusted for the kindly visit of Craig & Karen on Friday.

When you return home from a vacation, one that gave you everything you asked of it, you have to be very careful.

Warm memories can become regrets.

Honestly, very shortly after walking into the house I became depressed. Because the house represents a return to the same old same old.

I fought off the feeling immediately because we had all day yesterday and all day today still left to enjoy. We don't go back to work until tomorrow and it would be lunacy to ruin what is left of this sweet release with poison thoughts.

Still, when I woke up this morning I severely missed the sound of the ocean. I am thinking about getting some kind of ocean soundtrack that I can listen to while I sit here. Maybe something like that will soften the cruelty of another vicious New England winter.

But it has to be authentic. Cheesy ain't gonna cut it.

A change of scenery makes a huge difference. I have taken as much time off as possible this year and most of it I spent at home.

It is relief to get away from The Idiot and the sheer stupidity and boredom of the job but it is never enough to just stay home.

Old Orchard Beach, the ocean, the seagulls and the sun were enough. Refreshed the perspective, soothed the nerves, brought out natural humanity.

The trick is to ride that into a new reality.

Is that too much to ask?