What I did on my Summer Vacation...

By Thimbelle.

My summer vacation was supposed to be really KEWL, but it totally sucked.

We drove and drove (for, like, forever) and we had to drive right past DisneyWorld, and didn't even get to stop!

Florida is full of bugs. I HATE BUGS!!! There was a little gecko that lived on the windowsill. My mom calls him a "Geico". Too funny, mom.

My mom, who moved to Florida, even tho it totally gets chewed by hurricanes, like, all the time, was fully ill when we got there. That totally sucked, and completely harshed my mellow. She's like way sick, and spends a lot of time going to the doctors there.

We only got to go to the mall once, and that totally sucked too, cuz we could only stay for like an hour and a half. That is not even enough time to shop for anything real!

We had to leave to come home WAY too soon, and we drove, like, 500 miles every day. It was way too harsh, and nobody in the car was happy.

Then, when we got home, my best guy was so happy to see me that he bought me a NEW DELL LAPTOP, which totally rocked!!!

But, then it crashed after like, just three days, and the tech support people were, like, all overseas, and it is totally too hard to understand them. Plus, the phone lines were like all static-y and cut out all the time. They so need new phones! That really put a cramp in my happy. But after like a zillion phone calls and emails they fixed everything, so that was cool.

My new laptop totally rocks now, and I can fully play the Sims 2 on it, even with all the settings on high. So, that part is great.

And that is what I did on my summer vacation.

The End.

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Not really.

Well, sort of.

500 miles a day, and I can get to my Mom's new place in three days. Twinks and I are veterans of the two-day 800 mile round-trip to and from Hospital City, so you would think that three 500 mile days would not be that difficult.

You would be wrong.

It was terrible. Exhausting. Three days to get there, and each of those three days we got stuck in a traffic jam on a major Interstate highway that was the result of a horrific traffic accident.

The first day started off a bit hectic. The Wrench always gets really upset whenever we travel without him, and as we packed the minivan with suitcases, the laptop, an ice chest, and picnic supplies, he grew increasingly unhappy. By the time we were ready to pull out of the driveway, he and I both were on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Most of the time, I don't mind traveling without him, even though we do miss him tremendously. But this time, I wanted so badly for him to be able to come with us. I knew that he couldn't - he had already used all of his vacation for the year - but it didn't stop me from crying when we pulled away. I cried off and on for the first hundred miles or so.

This trip marked a bit of a milestone for our little family - it was the first time that Twinks has been old enough (and tall enough) to sit in the front. Until now, she always sat in the middle row, passenger side seat. It was a bit weird at first, but I was very glad to have her company up front with me. She's a great navigator, and an excellent traveling companion.

The day was warm, sunny, and clear. We made good time until we got about 50 miles from our hotel. Rush hour traffic, road construction, and a huge, terrible accident all conspired to run us another 30 miles out of our way. We finally pulled into our hotel about two hours later than we should have.

That first night we stayed at a brand-new Holiday Inn Express. They had an all new line of linens; a cotton-rich blend, with a white-on-white ticking on the sheets. Four pillows on each bed - two "soft" and two "firm". (so indicated by the little embroidery on the edge of the pillowcase). A cotton blend duvet cover over a nice, plump duvet. Also, a soft cotton throw across the end of both beds. The room was nicely appointed - a microwave, mini-fridge, 25" TV, and my favorite part: An armchair and ottoman. The beds were very comfortable, and very tempting, but we were hungry, and so walked across the parking lot for dinner.

Local BBQ joint; I had the pulled pork, with their "mild" sauce. The sauce was good, but a bit on the vinegary side for my taste. We walked back to the hotel just at sunset, and Twinks changed into her swimsuit for a little bit of pool time. The pool was warm and full of kids; I sat on the deck, sipped a Diet Coke, and chatted with a couple of moms from Ohio that were there for a family reunion that weekend. Finally coaxed Twinks out of the pool with the promise of microwave popcorn in the room, and we went back to our room for the night. She had popcorn, I sank into the armchair, propped up my feet, and surfed a bit on the laptop. Sent The Wrench a love note and it was lights out.

Next morning, we found breakfast in a lovely room, with high ceilings, big windows, and a nice assortment of tropical foliage. Holiday Inn Express serves these cinnamon rolls that are *so* good; soft, warm, with just the right amount of icing on top. I could eat those little stinkers non-stop, they are so good. I showed remarkable self-restraint, however, as I wanted to be able to actually fit behind the wheel of the minivan... After breakfast, we packed up and started driving again.

Day two was interesting for a lot of reasons...