Saturday, January 15, 2011

Priorities

So I got all worked up about tickets to Tampa to see Jimmy, and I waited until 10 am today to hop online and score some passes to Margaritaville for the family.
SCORE! I had a lock on 5 tickets in the third row! The clock was ticking in the little box to the right. I had two minutes to decide. I was so excited I never checked the price.
$787.00  What the..
I was a bit shocked, then adding the airfare, and I was a bit dismayed. I just couldn't hit the button to purchase. Solar panels, wind generator, watermaker, new batteries, refrigeration, all flashed before my eyes. Several thousand dollars for four hours of fun just didn't click, and neither did the mouse.

Well, Jimmy, maybe I'll see you on the beach somewhere warm in a few years. I'll bring my guitar.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

One of those days

We have a plan. In less than 900 days we hope to cast off from the cold waters of Lake Ontario, and head out the St. Lawrence to a new life. We are not retiring, just re-living. We desire a much simpler life, with a focus on the world around us. So much time has passed, where we were focused on the day to day "chores" that our lifestyle required. Don't get me wrong, we had some great moments, and were blessed with good jobs and our children mean everything to us. It just passed by so fast, that we never really paused long enough to get the maximum enjoyment of those moments. Life demanded that we keep moving, get to work, got a project due, get to hockey, soccer practice, quick dinner, mow the lawn, etc. We just want it to slow down.

Today I'm especially bummed about not getting away. As the news unfolds about the Arizona shooting of Senator Giffords, and the killing of Judge Roll, a nine year old child, and so many others, I feel a need to just leave. Sounds like running away from problems, but I just need a break from the crap politics, the hate speech on the radio, the TV talking heads spreading lies and hate, the citizens taking sides, us against them, red state blue state, conservative, liberal, blah blah blah. Why can't we all just be Americans, fighting for freedoms as one? Why do we let people divide us, and incite the crazy a-holes among us?

I need a beach.