Vacation all I ever wanted

Yeeeee!!! It's early the first morning of my nine day vacation from work. I'm about bouncing with excitement looking ahead at all the things I have planned, potentially planned and just the possibilities that go along with having so much time off. And then I laugh at myself because I know from experience I'll likely be sitting in this exact spot a week from now wondering where the time went and if I can actually accomplish going through every toy and piece of clothing in the house and shampooing the carpet and getting a haircut and, and.... In one day? Nope, it won't happen! But it will be ok because we will have had a great week anyway. I hope. That is definitely the plan!

So far, every day is booked. Today Kaylin is getting together with her friend Zoe. Following the most awkward phone conversation EVER that involved having to call Zoe back because Kaylin was completely covered in slime (fortunately she was outside) and then Kaylin running inside and handing me the phone to work out the details. I assumed I would talk to Zoe's mother, but no, this was apparently a learning tool so I had to talk to the excessively shy Zoe while she questioned both me and her mother. I was so eager to end the call, I'm honestly not sure whether Zoe is coming here to play or just to pick up Kaylin and go back to her house. I don't care. Getting off the phone was worth the uncertainty!

Tuesday and Wednesday I'm going to Cincinnati with a friend from work. We have some behind-the-scenes tours scheduled at the zoo. The kids will be with my parents. Thursday is Kaylin's orientation at her new middle school. Friday through Monday the kids and I are heading to the zoo in Omaha and I have no idea what else. We may drive down to the Topeka Zoo because they have a newborn hippo calf I'd LOVE to see! We also might drive up to Sioux Falls for no other reason than I've never been to South Dakota. Or do something else entirely... We shall see. School starts Tuesday the 31st, but it's only for a couple of hours. That will be the day I try to accomplish 60 hours of housework in 3 hours and will feel sad for 5 minutes over my lack of accomplishment.

My diet change is going well. I was feeling discouraged by my upcoming vacation time (and having to eat on the road for 5 or 6 days) so I broke down and weighed myself. I planned to not weigh myself for at least a month, but following two weeks of no fast food, no frozen prepared dinners and lots and lots of fruits and vegetables, I lost 5 pounds! That was eating 5-6 times a day and definitely NOT starving myself in any way, just not eating crap. I don't doubt this week will be a setback- there just won't be much choice in food at zoos and on the road. I plan to take along a lot of healthy stuff for snacking and just fill in with the best possible choices in junk when I have to.

My new fun thing to do is try the "diet" items on restaurant menus. Carlos O'Kelley's = awesome chicken enchiladas in fat-free tortillas with rice. Yum! Bob Evans = boring omelet that doesn't even come close to being as good as the ones I make at home. Bartonville Family Restaurant = possibly the most hilarious dining experience ever. I ordered from the "diet" section of the menu and got the California fruit plate. It came with a gigantic bowl of soup, bread and butter and a cracker basket. I ordered the BLT soup, thinking despite the bacon, it was probably tomato based. Wrong! It was cream based and the quantity was huge! A large soup bowl filled to the rim. Then the entree... According to the menu, I was supposed to get peaches, pears and pineapple with cottage cheese and a piece of raisin toast. I received a giant platter with a mound of cottage cheese in the middle. "Growing" up from the cottage cheese was one of those tree-looking celery stalks decorated with rings of black olives. The canned fruit was sectioned around the tree/cottage cheese mountain, placed on top of lettuce greens and divided by triangles of toast. Peaches, pears and pineapple (all in heavy syrup) as well as Mandarin oranges and strawberry pie filling. The waitress was trying hard not to laugh while delivering this work of art, but burst into laughter at my reaction. It was the most amazing presentation of canned goods EVER! Colleen took my picture and I'll post it if I can ever figure out how to post a pic from my phone. I'll have to guess that not many people who come to this diner with giant booths to accomodate 350 pound men order off of the diet menu!