Settling Back In

I've been home from vacation for four or five days now and I hate that it's starting to feel even longer than it is.  I've been on the go since the plane landed and I'm afraid I'm undoing all the good I did for myself while I was away.  As I've said before, I've been pushing myself really hard with work, with the new house, with exercise... With every aspect of my life.  It got to be too much and I really needed a break.  I had no intention of going anywhere until December when we go on our next cruise.  I've been hesitant to spend money since buying the new house because I'm still not sure where we are financially.  There's still stuff we need to do and to have done to the house.  Once we're all up to speed on that stuff I'll feel better.  But a few weeks ago Ken asked me if I was planning on doing anything, like going back to Austin.  He was trying to schedule work for the house, visits from friends and all that jazz. Until he brought it up, it really didn't cross my mind as a possibility.  Then the wheels started turning, I contacted Freddy and it seems like within twenty-four hours, I had a vacation schedule set and plane tickets.  And very little time to think about anything because the trip was coming up quick.  I could justify this vacation in my head because my two major expenses didn't exist.  My plane fare was $10.  Ken and I have a Southwest Airlines Visa and we earn plane tickets.  It costs $10 to turn in the miles for actual airfare.  My second major expense was hotel.  Fortunately, I have my own room at Chez Freddy, so that was covered.  

I originally planned to just spend a week in Austin.  Last year I think I spent 12 days and I didn't want to inconvenience my hosts as much this year.  Both my arrival and departure dates were not available with the free tickets (it's what I get for booking so closely to the trip), but a day before and a day after those dates were available.  So rather than 12 days this year, my trip was a rather short 10 days.  But what a great 10 days.  I landed in Texas right around lunch time, so one of the first things I got to do was eat.  I really wanted to try to control myself this year.  Last year I ate everything in site.  I didn't want a replay of that.  I've worked so hard to try to find some self-control, I wanted to keep it.  And it worked for me.  It really did.  Over that first meal.  After that, the eating habits of fat Walt emerged and I'm still trying to make them go away.  

Freddy is an amazing planner.  It's a talent I just don't have and it's one that I will never have.  Luckily I have Ken for all of that.  I was asked if there was anything on my "must do" list.  I had a thing or two, but not very much.  I needed to visit the Converse Outlet (which I only found out about after getting home last year!), I wanted to go to Toy Joy, I wanted to see my friends Diane and Gregg and I think that was about it.  There might have been one other thing on the list, but it's escaping me.  Wait.  It was a trip to Austin Books.  Otherwise, I just wanted to hang out with the family.  I missed them all a lot.  It didn't really hit me how much until I was in their presence again. Seeing Freddy at the airport for the first time, or Jed at his work or picking the boys up from school.  I get stupid ass emotional over stuff.  I tried to keep it inside, but I know I didn't always succeed.  

Before leaving for vacation, I made sure I had my phone and my regular camera.  I was hoping to take 1000s of pictures again this year.  But somehow it didn't quite happen.  I think maybe because I took so many last year that it didn't seem necessary this year.  I never even took the camera out of my backpack.  I used my cell phone and only took about 100 pictures or so.  Still a lot, but not at the same time.  I kind of regret not getting a few more pics.

At dinner the first night I had my first real negative thing happen.  We were at the Mighty Cone and I wanted to snap a picture of not only the trailer, but also the food.  That's when I realized my iPhone was completely and utterly dead.  And I had a slight panic.  It was my lifeline to everyone I know and most importantly, my lifeline to home.  That night we scheduled a trip to the Apple Store and by lunchtime, I had a new phone.  I was relieved, but still panicked because I had no contact info in the phone.  But once I got over it, it was really liberating.  I was on vacation and away from everyone!

The week was so much fun.  I ate a lot.  We went to a place in San Antonio where they have cinnamon buns bigger than my head.  We went to an old Mission.  I ate some more.  We went tubing.  I drank. I got all caught up on Project Runway (which I'm now behind on).  We went bar hopping. I ate.  I got to bond with the boys even more this year than last.  We went bike riding.  I foursquared and gowalla'd up a storm.  We got to see Annie.  I got to see a couple people I met last summer again.  I really, really had an amazing time.  

The day I had to leave was tough.  I hate saying goodbye.  And like I said before, I get stupid emotional.  I think I managed to keep myself together pretty well (for me, at least).  I'd be lying if I said I didn't cry a few times on the trip home.  Because I did.

I was going to post some pictures here with this tonight, but I'm sleepy and need to get to bed.  I'll do that tomorrow night.

It was really hard to write a straight forward blog post rather than a love letter to my Austin family.  Because again, I get way too emotional and sentimental.  And they already know how hard I them all.