We're back home. Yes, the water heater is in process of being replaced. (I have to say, if you stand to the side in the shower, get your head wet first, and then just scrub and only rinse in the water, it's really not that bad..Tracey wholeheartedly disagress with me on this) The grass needs cutting, there is a trip to the beach coming up in a few days, I'm flying to Vermont on Wed and the pile of laundry Tracey is tackling could swallow one of the kids. We've suddenly gone from "no care" to "no time". It's amazing how that happens.
Today went by so fast....one project to the next....I just came from 11 days of drive, unpack, eat, play, fire, bed, breakfast, drive, unpack, eat, play(you get the drift) and suddenly we're back in the mix of the everyday. Oh well, as "toeside Tom" says, "That's life".
The RV is washed and ready for return. The bumper is bent, but I'm at peace with this. (again, "That's life") I can't wait to see Brad tomorrow and hand him the keys to our recreational vehicle, though, I would like to have an old one to park out front as a playhouse for the kids. I'm thinking that we could actually charge admission to the kids in the neighborhood. Everyone thinks it's quite cool that was our "house" for 11 days.
One bit of reflection that Tracey and I did while sitting along the stream, outside Gatlinburg (not in Twin Creeks mind you, that was the campsite we "thought" we had a reservation for, we were actually at Outdoor Resorts of America, I know they sound similiar) we offered up some "I hope...." statements...such as:
I hope that our kids had nearly as much fun as we did.
I hope that we aren't charged full price for the accidental damage to the RV.
I hope that in 2 years, we do this again, but with less distance, more days, and more nights at great campsites.
I hope that if my kids are ever in need of help, that they'll encounter people like Ronnie Livingston, Bill from Twin Creeks, The lady at the KOA in Texarkana and her husband, The guy next to us at Loretta Lynns place, and the list could go on and on, from the doorman in Nawlins to the kid offering samples in a Lake Charles, LA restaraunt...everyone we came across was more than nice.
I hope that there will always be clean streams with access from a road to play in....and that I'll take the time to do it.
I hope that the folks in Gulfport, Waveland, Pass Christian and other towns devastated by Katrina get more help.
I hope my kids will always get along as well as they did on this trip.
I hope that with 24 hours left on our trip we don't do anymore damage to the RV.
and that's just the highlights....this list could go on and on and on.....and oh yeah, one more, I hope that the Tennessee Two doesn't ever show up on our doorstep!
Great times for the Hanburger family. It's interesting that now that we are home, with the kids in their rooms, with Tracey upstairs, me down here on the sofa typing, we all seem so far away. It's obvious that you get close from living in close quarters, but in this instance, I feel so much closer to my family, from living in those close quarters and I miss that closeness already. I'm sure it's there, but we're spread out and getting re-aquainted with things like friends, to do lists, etc.
My last "I hope" is that we can do something like this often, just Tracey, the kids and I, out and about seeing things, having fun, and enjoying each others company.
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