♫V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N!♫

Since I retired 8 years ago, I consider every day vacation interrupted with the little annoying things like cleaning house and doing laundry but Bruce and I wanted to get out to WI to see his sisters and families. Last week we had a small window in between fishing trips, I lined up my chore girl down the road and we took off Monday morning.

Along the way we got to vote what to have for dinner when Jean called to ask and meatloaf won out. It was the BEST meatloaf we've every had! The evening turned into a party when Bruce's other sister, Shirley (Gerb), husband, Rich and daughter, Katelyn came over, along with Jean and John's youngest son, Mike who is always a part of the Salzwedel Boys fishing trip in early June. We also got to meet Jean's longtime friend, Sandy and her daughter, Britt, we ate and ate and ate and declared everything delicious.

Tuesday morning Jean, Bruce and I made our way to 'Tommy Tuckers' where I was hoping they could repair my Bissell carpet cleaner that refused to work the last time I used it. I'd tried to repair it myself with the help of You Tube but ended up with a part left over that I could not figure out where it went! Jean and Bruce were chuckling in the background while I explained my dilemma but the girl took it in stride, packaged the extra piece and wrote a note to explain it. (Edited to add that the Bissell was beyond repair.)

Obviously she had dealt with this before or she had the good grace to wait until we were out the door before falling to the floor laughing. Then we made the long awaited trip to the brand new Cabelas where Bruce shopped and shopped, I even got a new rain coat out of the deal.

Tuesday afternoon Bruce and John went to a farm show, Jean got her hair cut and fixed and I napped, being on vacation is exhausting. That night we went to a little bar for Taco Tuesday, I was thinking Taco John's tacos, these were tacos on steroids, HUGE!! Their daugher, Lori and oldest son, John C, along with Rich, since he was batching it with Gerb and Kate, gone to her college orientation, met us there. John snapped this picture with his phone.

Wed morning John and Bruce went golfing with cousins, Dennis and Brian so, of course, Jean and I went out to eat. We headed for a Mom and Pop pizza joint that is so good but found, to our dismay, that they didn't open till 4. Oh, well, there was a Mexican restaurant nearby that Jean recommended.

It was 5 o'clock somewhere so we ordered raspberry margaritas, not knowing that we were going to get a gallon jar. Sorry about the quality of this picture of Jean, I'd been sipping on my margarita and wasn't seeing too straight.

It was a good thing I had a designated driver, I'm not sure I would have made it back to the house.

I don't remember much of the afternoon, I spent it on their deck, wrapped in a cushy throw, curled up on a bench.

I really can't handle my liquor very well.

Bruce and John were pooped when they arrived back from golfing and Jean got this picture of the Bobsey Twins. Bruce hates it when I take a picture of him sleeping but this time it wasn't me.

We had a good supper of BLT's with homegrown tomatoes and that seemed to revive everyone for a bit. It was our last night there, we needed to leave early to get back home so Bruce could go fishing again at the cabin - life is tough on the farm!

We were both awake before dawn so dressed as quietly as we could and stole away, like two thieves ditching their hotel bill.

 Looks like our proprietor isn't very happy about this.

We got home a little after noon, Bruce emptied his suitcase of dirty clothes, sniffing the ones he wasn't sure about, filled it with clean clothes, ate a bowl of cereal, kissed me goodbye, jumped in the truck and went to pick up Delmer and Joe.

I felt a little abandoned but with Mollie and Murphy dancing around, "You're Home! You're Home!!", that feeling didn't last long.

I took the 4-wheeler to the pasture and found our last heifer had calved while we were gone!! No fuss, no drama, HURRAY!!

Oh it is good to be home.