Streeeeetch

We woke up this morning to 57-degree weather and at the same time, Bruce and I both said, "Oooh, that's chilly."

It was nearly 80-degrees by the time we finished breakfast and Lil E played a few rounds of putt-putt on the practice green next to the pool, so we were OK. It just didn't take very long for us to be completely out of our element before adjusting to this crazy, winter weather (Arizona style).

Also out of our Thanksgiving element, we didn't contribute any dishes to last night's feast, we didn't have seconds or even stick around long enough for pie and coffee. Lil E was fading fast, so Bruce wrapped up his round in the cribbage tourney and we headed back to the hotel. While he slept in our room, Bruce and I settled in across the hall in my in-laws room, watched a Top Chef marathon and shared candy from front desk convenience shop. It wasn't homemade double-crust apple pie over Scrabble, but there was quiet and chocolate and that was surprisingly good.

Since we ate dinner at Bruce's uncle's friend's house (got that?), there weren't leftovers today (except styrofoam boxes with tacos all carbon). No tiny wedges of pie snuck in with breakfast, no little turkey and cran sandwiches on dinner rolls. No turkey soup simmering on the stove all afternoon. No waiting in line with our plate at the microwave and no arguing over whose turn it is to unload the dishwasher again.

Pushing ourselves further outside our element, we went to WalMart for snacks and water and supplies. We have a general guideline not to head out on Black Friday for frantic shopping, but we even braved the toy aisle for a while. We rarely shop at WalMart because there isn't one in Chicago (yet) and I'm not sure I feel entirely OK with spending (even the smallest portion of) my salary there, but we did it. And damn, I got some good deals.

Finally, not having a schedule or even any real plans has set me well outside of my element.  We are with Bruce's family and so I am challenged trying to keep our time-keeping only to naps and bedtimes and then just (deep breath) go with the flow. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm like a small child who can't enjoy coloring this one page until I know that snack is next and then ni-ni follows twenty minutes later. What can I say? Maybe I'm not as good at the vacay as I once was.  Maybe I'm not as good at the extended family vacay as I'd like to be.

Maybe all this living on the edge - or at least outside the lines - is good for us, for me. Maybe I'll even post pool-side tomorrow or test my healing tummy with a margarita. We'll see. I'll just put on my sunglasses, slip off my flip-flops and see.

Comments

[2Jmama]

Yes Yes YES!! Whle I was still in my own home, and it was 60 degrees here I too spent the day trying to go-o-o-o with the flow. I like plans, I like to "do", I like to go....hanging out inside watching three movies when it was 60 degrees in November just isn't my idea of fun. But, I'm t-r-y-i-n-g.