I'm up to my earlobes in planning this year's surprise family vacation.
However, don't get too excited (I love how so many people eagerly question us about our trips because they all want in on the big reveal). It's going to be a lesser affair this time around. Additionally, Jeff knows where we'll be staying for one night of the 6 day venture, so he's not completely in the dark like he usually is. The kids, however, are completely clueless.
(By the way, Jeff likes being surprised about the details--everything from where we're going, how we'll get there, who we'll see and what we'll eat. It was his initial casual remark of "surprise me" years ago when I was planning our first official family vacation that started this whole clandestine tradition. What I'm trying to say is that I don't do this because I'm some control freak. My control issues are completely separate from this annual occurrence. ;) )
As I was saying...we're doing a scaled-down version this time around, so when you come here to read about it later on, don't cue your internal drum roll as you click on my blog. Your internal kazoo might be more appropriate.
One of the reasons for a diminished venture is because we think it's time to tour some colleges with the kids. Tobias is a junior this year and Delaney's right behind him in 8th grade. It won't be long at all before they consider where they'll go to school and they can't do that very effectively without being familiar with some universities.
Another reason is that Jeff couldn't get any time off of work in the summer and most of the places we like to go are frozen over until mid-June. (We're a woodsy-lakey-mountainy-kind-of-family.)
Anyway, several people have asked me questions about trip planning and I thought I'd share a few tips. That brings me back to my original question...
Jeet yet?
If yes, were you pleased? If not, is that because you weren't sure where to go to do so? Well, let Trip Advisor help you!
When planning a trip, Trip Advisor is probably my favorite website.
Let's say I know we're going to be rolling through Port Angeles, Washington right around lunch time on day 3 of our trip. I know we're likely to be very hungry because we will have had a cheapo continental breakfast four hours earlier and will have spent the morning hiking around Hurricane Ridge up in the Olympic National Forrest (I wish!). So, I cruise over to TripAdvisor and type "Port Angeles, WA" in the search bar at the top right.
Next, I choose 'restaurants' from the column on the left.
I know that we'll have a long drive to Portland ahead of us after lunch and we probably won't want anything too heavy sitting in our guts the entire way, so I'm thinking Thai food. (Hmmm...when am I not thinking Thai food?) Therefore, I scroll down in the 'cuisine' box until I see 'Thai' and check the box next to it. If you're going to be in a big city, you'll get a list of several Thai restaurants in order of best reviewed to worst reviewed (or not yet reviewed). In the case of Port Angeles, there's apparently only one Thai place.
Click on the restaurant's name and scroll down to read the reviews of customers. Wow, apparently, Sabai Thai is really good. Yay for Port Angelesians.
I like to read several reviews to get a feel for the place. Sometimes people will mention a specific dish that's especially good or they'll warn you that it's a cash only place (which I've learned is important to know!).
If I'm sold on the place, then I'll Google-map from Hurricane Ridge to Sabai Thai so we can easily find it.
Obviously, you may suddenly feel like eating pizza instead of the Thai food you planned a month prior. Then change things up! I do find it helps things run more smoothly if I plan things out but we don't always stick to it.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Ruing the Day
A couple of years ago, I happened upon a very entertaining blog by a
woman who lives somewhere out there in Cyberville. Her
posts were witty and full of great photos which she had taken herself.
It was good stuff. Additionally, I was impressed by her honesty and
straightforwardness. I became a regular reader.
After a while, I began to wonder if she was sharing too much. What she had to say about other people often painted them in a bad light. Of course, I didn't know these people (though I saw what they looked like from her prodigious supply of pics), but lots of people who read her blog did know these people. Her life wasn't a sit-com or a drama where we could all watch and feel fine about our intense feelings for the different "characters". These were real people who didn't have an effective way of answering for themselves if they felt misrepresented.
Anyway, one day I was greatly saddened to read a post in which she referred to her teenage son as an ***hole and a ****head. Now, I don't for one instant doubt that those were the words that popped into her mind when he committed whatever nefarious act upset her so much and I'm not saying there's never a time for her to share that sentiment with a couple of close friends, but to declare it on her public blog?!?!
I am a huge believer in acknowledging reality. I find it vital to think about and discuss many issues even if they are uncomfortable or distasteful.
Not, however, in any situation nor in any manner.
There are times when the recognition of subjects is inappropriate. For example, if doing so will result in an unnecessary burden for the hearer, then what is the point? Also, we need to consider who ought to hear the things we say since it can be very destructive to involve others needlessly.
This notion greatly influences what I write about here. I realize that readers who don't know me well may come here and get the idea that I live a nearly perfect life without trial nor tribulation. That is not at all the perception that I want to give. However, due to the completely public nature of this blog (anyone with internet access can come here, though not many actually do!) I don't lay out all my issues for others to see.
Why?
It's primarily because most of my problems have to do with people and I don't deem it appropriate to fill your computer screen with my own one-sided dirt.
Take my children, for instance. They are wonderful and I love them more than life itself. However, my relationships with them are regularly upsetting. I'm not denying that reality by not including details of these trials here for you all to see. In fact, I often would like to type up some situation because I think it could be helpful to other parents to read about my experiences. Yet, I am very cautious in doing so.
The reason: I value my relationships with my kids and I don't want to jeopardize them. Whenever I include something about my kids (or my husband) here and I wonder if it will embarrass or offend them, I ask them to read it over before I hit the 'publish' button. I ask them, "Do you mind if I share this? Do you feel I represented you fairly?"
Then, according to their answer, I may or may not alter the post.
Again, the issue isn't: "Is what I'm sharing true?" but rather: "Is my sharing of this appropriate?"
Once my kids are grown and off enjoying their own adventures in parenting, I may very well write a book about our previous years together full of lots of amusing and/or distressing illustrations. Now, however, we are still in the midst of it and I don't deem it proper to do so.
Once you have declared something, you can't undeclare it. You can deny it. You can apologize for it. You can even claim temporary insanity...
...but it'll still be stuck in the minds of everyone who heard or read your original proclamation.
A few years back, someone I love very much appeared to be making (what I considered to be) a huge mistake. In my intense desire to keep "Pat" (do you like how I'm using a unisex name to help maintain this person's anonymity?) from making this beyond-a-minor-blunder, I decided to be honest...ferociously honest.
I explained what I saw as a likely outcome on the road Pat was treading. To add credence to the reasonableness of my opinion, I included references to some of Pat's past blunders and present foibles.
It was not a pleasant conversation. It was not a conversation that I wanted to have. I looked and sounded like a first class witch and I knew it.
The only reason why I was willing to say what I said was because I sincerely love Pat and thought that my ruthless onslaught of reality could save him/her from an even more intense heartache than what I was presently inflicting.
Well, my friends, I regret a lot about that situation. Sadly, I believe that I will until my dying day.
Yes, what I said to Pat was true and my intentions were excellent, but those aren't inherently good reasons for saying just anything.
Thank God it was a private conversation. Publicity would have exponentially compounded the problems resulting from my savage dose of honesty.
Now, with all this said, I acknowledge that there is most definitely a time and a place for us to go to war verbally in both private and public settings. We just need to make sure it's the correct time before doing so...
...or there will be regrets.
After a while, I began to wonder if she was sharing too much. What she had to say about other people often painted them in a bad light. Of course, I didn't know these people (though I saw what they looked like from her prodigious supply of pics), but lots of people who read her blog did know these people. Her life wasn't a sit-com or a drama where we could all watch and feel fine about our intense feelings for the different "characters". These were real people who didn't have an effective way of answering for themselves if they felt misrepresented.
Anyway, one day I was greatly saddened to read a post in which she referred to her teenage son as an ***hole and a ****head. Now, I don't for one instant doubt that those were the words that popped into her mind when he committed whatever nefarious act upset her so much and I'm not saying there's never a time for her to share that sentiment with a couple of close friends, but to declare it on her public blog?!?!
I am a huge believer in acknowledging reality. I find it vital to think about and discuss many issues even if they are uncomfortable or distasteful.
Not, however, in any situation nor in any manner.
There are times when the recognition of subjects is inappropriate. For example, if doing so will result in an unnecessary burden for the hearer, then what is the point? Also, we need to consider who ought to hear the things we say since it can be very destructive to involve others needlessly.
This notion greatly influences what I write about here. I realize that readers who don't know me well may come here and get the idea that I live a nearly perfect life without trial nor tribulation. That is not at all the perception that I want to give. However, due to the completely public nature of this blog (anyone with internet access can come here, though not many actually do!) I don't lay out all my issues for others to see.
Why?
It's primarily because most of my problems have to do with people and I don't deem it appropriate to fill your computer screen with my own one-sided dirt.
Take my children, for instance. They are wonderful and I love them more than life itself. However, my relationships with them are regularly upsetting. I'm not denying that reality by not including details of these trials here for you all to see. In fact, I often would like to type up some situation because I think it could be helpful to other parents to read about my experiences. Yet, I am very cautious in doing so.
The reason: I value my relationships with my kids and I don't want to jeopardize them. Whenever I include something about my kids (or my husband) here and I wonder if it will embarrass or offend them, I ask them to read it over before I hit the 'publish' button. I ask them, "Do you mind if I share this? Do you feel I represented you fairly?"
Then, according to their answer, I may or may not alter the post.
Again, the issue isn't: "Is what I'm sharing true?" but rather: "Is my sharing of this appropriate?"
Once my kids are grown and off enjoying their own adventures in parenting, I may very well write a book about our previous years together full of lots of amusing and/or distressing illustrations. Now, however, we are still in the midst of it and I don't deem it proper to do so.
Once you have declared something, you can't undeclare it. You can deny it. You can apologize for it. You can even claim temporary insanity...
...but it'll still be stuck in the minds of everyone who heard or read your original proclamation.
A few years back, someone I love very much appeared to be making (what I considered to be) a huge mistake. In my intense desire to keep "Pat" (do you like how I'm using a unisex name to help maintain this person's anonymity?) from making this beyond-a-minor-blunder, I decided to be honest...ferociously honest.
I explained what I saw as a likely outcome on the road Pat was treading. To add credence to the reasonableness of my opinion, I included references to some of Pat's past blunders and present foibles.
It was not a pleasant conversation. It was not a conversation that I wanted to have. I looked and sounded like a first class witch and I knew it.
The only reason why I was willing to say what I said was because I sincerely love Pat and thought that my ruthless onslaught of reality could save him/her from an even more intense heartache than what I was presently inflicting.
Well, my friends, I regret a lot about that situation. Sadly, I believe that I will until my dying day.
Yes, what I said to Pat was true and my intentions were excellent, but those aren't inherently good reasons for saying just anything.
Thank God it was a private conversation. Publicity would have exponentially compounded the problems resulting from my savage dose of honesty.
Now, with all this said, I acknowledge that there is most definitely a time and a place for us to go to war verbally in both private and public settings. We just need to make sure it's the correct time before doing so...
...or there will be regrets.
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