My lovely crabapple tree in bloom.
As a follow up to a previous post on the Winter Palace, I planned to post a blog about Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo today, but all of my plans for this week have been derailed by forces beyond my control.
Here in Texas, this is spring break week. It seems indecently early to a girl who grew up in the north, but spring has indeed sprung.
We had modest plans for this spring break — a weekend of tent camping at one of the lovely Texas state parks, and a one night trip to South Dakota to visit Mount Rushmore, both of which would allow us to return in time for the hockey games that were so conveniently scheduled on the last two days of our week off.
The climbing rose that's threatening to bring down the iron fence.
Instead, we have the flu. The middle child (it’s so easy to blame him for everything!) came down with it first and within a few days, had passed it on to all of us. Luckily this flu is not one of the vomiting versions, but so far has just caused high fevers, massive headaches, and assorted body aches. Now our plans have been reduced to survival. Dirty dishes and tissues are strewn about the house, the laundry is piling up, and we’ve gone through an obscene number of disinfecting wipes. But we will prevail.
I have no idea what these bushes are called, but the bees seem to like them.
Have your vacation plans ever been ruined by forces beyond your control? Please entertain me with some interesting comments. I’m begging you! My head hurts too much to focus on a book and if I’m forced to watch one more episode of a tween show on Nickelodeon or the Disney Channel, I refuse to be held responsible for my actions.
I feel horrible for you Ally. Hope you are all up and better soon. Huge bummer about your week plans though. My hubs and I road tripped it to Mt Rushmore last summer and I loved it. A great sight to see, so I hope you make it there.
As for vacation plans thwarted, the only time was about 3 years ago when I took a position in a different department. We had a 2 week vacation planned (the road trip to Mt Rushmore…lol) and they wouldn’t give me the time off if I took the position. Talked it over with hubs and we postponed for a year and I took the position which I now have to admit I regret taking. LOL
See how that bit me in the butt.
LOL. There must be something about Mt. Rushmore. With all the fabulous books you have coming out this year, I’m sure you’ll be able quit the day job soon.
Poor Ally. I really feel for you. The flu is no laughing matter. I practically had my whole summer vacation ruined when I was in grade school. We were playing Army and I jumped, barefooted, into a fox hole we’d dug. Unfortunately it was close to the road and someone threw a beer bottle in it which had broken. I sliced my foot, which put me out of commission for most of the summer.
Ouch. My husband did a similar thing as a child. He and his friends were playing at a construction site and he dropped a broken bottle on his foot. It severed part of his big toe and it had to be sewn back on. Bleck! Thanks for stopping by today.
I am so sorry about your flu experience. The camping sounded like great fun to me. I’m also sorry about the Nickelodeon. Really. 🙂
Thanks, Brinda. I appreciate the sympathy, especially from someone who can commiserate about the Nickelodeon.
Sorry to hear, Ally. I would love a trip to SD (location of my current wip). Hope your child is feeling better soon. Just in time for school, no doubt. We had a similar thing happen years ago when my daughter was about 2. We had a trip planned to Vermont, a retreat kind of weekend with my in-laws. We were really looking forward to it. We decided to bring our daughter even though we’d be camping. She got sick almost as soon as we got there. We went into a restaurant and were walking by a table, my DD in my husband’s arms, and she threw up. Right on someone. “Luckily” the person she threw up on was my sister in law. We dashed to the back of the restaurant to the bathrooms, cleaned DD up and realized that we had to walk back through that restaurant. We left VT soon after. My SIL always loves to remind my DD (who’s now almost 16) about that incident. 🙂
Eeek. Good think she thew up on someone who was related to you. I’m very thankful this flu does not cause vomiting as I really hate cleaning up other people’s vomit, especially when I’m sick. Thanks for commenting.
Would a case of bad attitude count! My husband forgot his golf clubs when we went up north, and we all paid the price because he had to rent clubs and golfed like poop!
Feel better soon,
Neecy
LOL…I think that counts!
That definitely counts. My husband would be the same way.
I hope you and your family are better soon!
I remember as a kid my parents took me and my brothers and 2 cousins to Disney World in Florida. We drove…as if that wasn’t bad enough. But, we had purchased a brand new tent. Yep, you guessed it, it rained the entire week we were there and the tent leaked.
Yeah, that was fun…NOT.
I was fortunate enough to grow up and marry a man who believes in hotels!! Whoo hoo!
-Cheryl
Tent camping in the rain is NOT fun. I’d rather have snow. Glad your hubby believes in hotels. There’s a time and place for camping, and Disney World is not it.