I don't mind working while on a vacation so long as someone is paying my expenses. Come to think of it I'd rather work than do certain summer activities...
Gosh, it's almost summer. I've been pondering our travels for the upcoming months. We'll basically do our same road trip round of going back to the east coast to visit family in New Jersey and Tennessee. It's a frantic fun time, but so much easier when I've carefully mapped out the route and scheduled rest stops and overnight stays. We've done this plenty of times now so I've got the routine down fairly well.
Or do I? Road trips make good metaphors. By the way, I'd mentioned that I'd started writing a song back during April A to Z. Now I've finished it and I think I've got a good one. Next I've got to get some kind of recording made, but that's just part of the process. In this post I'm just establishing the fact that I've written this song just in case I need this as documentation for something someday. I mean--who knows what can happen?
I might also add that this song I wrote is also a metaphor. Not only do I like metaphors, I also like the word "metaphor." But enough of this ramble. No time for this now. Must be moving on to some other things.
Things like...
Battle of the Bands Results
The musical match between Dinah Shore and Ozzie Nelson was another squeaker with my vote for Ozzie almost making this previous Battle a tied outcome. Alas, my guy didn't win, but the lady can take her bow for the win.
Final Vote Tally
Ozzie Nelson 7
Dinah Shore 8
Next Battle on Friday June 1st
In upcoming weeks my Battles will be geared toward summer themes. Summer gets my mind to dreaming and thinking, but I guess that's the case all the time. The mind never really goes on vacation.
How long of a road trip do you think you could endure if all of your expenses were covered? Do you prefer to travel according to a well planned schedule or just setting out on a blind adventure to see where life takes you? Are you going to be following the A to Z Road Trip?
I can do a twelve hour road trip, but longer than that and I'm flying. (And I hate to fly.) If some else is paying, even better - they can buy me a plane ticket.
ReplyDeleteAlex, give me first class please. Otherwise you might as well pack me in a cattle car and send me via train.
DeleteLee
Happy and safe travels! Can't wait to hear your song. I haven't written one in over ten years.
ReplyDeleteTeresa
Teresa, it's been a good while since I've actually sat down to write and finish a song. Lately I've experienced a wave of inspiration. A lot of that inspiration is coming from my granddaughter's pursuit of music.
DeleteLee
If all expenses were paid, I'd love to take a year-long road trip all around the world! It's good to have a base schedule, but sticking to it exactly denies one the chance to discover new things and places. So many people have found treasured new towns, restaurants, parks, neighborhoods, etc., because they took wrong turns or a detour.
ReplyDeleteCarrie-Anne, I've found some remarkable things while being lost. For me, the biggest hindrance to ongoing travel of the kind I would like is the cost. I prefer hotel stays and eating in restaurants and that can get expensive.
DeleteLee
Geez, this is the second battle I readc about that I didn't vote in. Sorry! If it's any consolation, I'd have voted for Dinah...
ReplyDeleteJohn, my voting was down this time around. Your vote would have given Dinah the win by a slightly larger margin.
DeleteLee
Wow - what a close battle!
ReplyDeleteI love road trips! Do take a little time to tell us about your adventures ;-)
Diedre, most of my trip will be time spent at family's houses, but if anything seems particularly interesting to my readers then maybe I'll cover it at some point.
DeleteLee
LEE ~
ReplyDeleteThis was a terrific Battle! My Ozzie didn't win, but that doesn't matter to me. (I rarely concern myself with who does or doesn't win. I just like the fun of comparing and analyzing the songs.) A one-vote margin of victory -- BOTB just doesn't get better'n that!
I don't even know for sure what artists and songs I'm going to use in my June 1st Battle, but I'm already stoked by the many good possibilities I'm entertaining in my mind.
>>... How long of a road trip do you think you could endure if all of your expenses were covered? Do you prefer to travel according to a well planned schedule or just setting out on a blind adventure to see where life takes you?
I'm less of a road trip enthusiast than I was in my youth. Back in my twenties and thirties, I could stay on a road trip for weeks and weeks. But nowadays, a week is about all I'm really good for, and then I start wanting to sleep in my own bed again.
I would say that the best road trips I've taken (and I've taken quite a goodly number) were kind of a combination of Planned / Improvised.
What I mean is that the trips started out planned -- I had definite destinations; there were certain places I set out to see -- but I wasn't so totally committed to my prearranged driving plans that I wasn't willing to improvise a bit when possibilities I hadn't considered presented themselves.
Example: In 1983, a buddy and I set out to drive from New York City to L.A. by first going down the Eastern seaboard into the Florida Keys.
But at one point, while reading the map, we realized how close we'd be to the Okefenokee Swamp. We both wanted to see THAT, so we made a detour there. As a result, we never did get down to the Florida Keys, but the Okefenokee Swamp was perhaps the best highlight of the entire trip.
I've had other great trips like that as well, where I deviated from the prearranged plan to some degree and it turned out better'n it would have been had I remained a slave to the original idea.
~ D-FensDogG
Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...
You and I were in agreement about the Ozzie version. Also about the closeness of the contest being a big part of the entertainment value of a good Battle.
DeleteI'm not as spontaneous in my travels as I might have been in the past. I like to have everything planned out. But I do remember my days of wild wanderings on my own or with friends. The unplanned side trips are often the most memorable.
Lee
Great post Lee, Summertime for me is as far as the beach if the weather is fine.
ReplyDeleteHad the winner of the BOTB and look forward to the next.
Yvonne.
Yvonne, I'd probably stroll the beach if I lived closer to it, but then again I can stroll around where I live and I hardly do that.
DeleteLee
Lee,
ReplyDeleteIf I had all expenses paid then I think I could put with a very long road trip. Generally, when we are fortunate to take a vacation we comply of lists of things we like to do and then try to squeeze as many of the other things that we can related to a given POI. We're not super strict and try to go with the flow of the moment to enjoy life in the moment. I haven't thought about the A2Z Road Trip. I know in years past I tried committing to this but to only fizzle out after a short run. Right now, I'm undecided especially since I'm planning to scale back on blogging with summer at hand. Blogosphere will be like a ghost town for the next three months and I tend to be more motivated to doing things around the house while the temperature is warmer. We'll see where things go, though.
WOW, your BoTB was close! But, my pick won!! Outstanding battle. I'm going to once a month with BoTB through the summer, so my next battle is June 15th. I hope to see you then if not before that time. Have a good week!
Cathy, the A to Z Road Trip doesn't have to be any major commitment. You can drop in on A to Z blogs throughout the year at your leisure. I'll likely be blogging at a minimum during summer, but I guess that's what I've been doing lately anyway.
DeleteLee
Lee,
DeleteOkay, you talked me into it! It was hard for me to pick my favorite post but I narrowed it down to a few before figuring out which one I'd add to the list. I will do my best to visit throughout the year but I usually fall really short in this area. I know, I horrible! Have a good summer and be safe in your travels, my friend. PS: I'm saying extra prayers for y'all.
That's great you've finished your song. Are you going to let us hear it after you get it recorded?
ReplyDeleteLoni, if I can figure a way to get a halfway decent recording that gets on YouTube then I'll definitely share on my blog and wherever else it makes sense. I'm planning on doing this in July when I'm visiting in NJ.
DeleteLee
Congrats on finishing your song! Looking forward to to hear it, one of these days. Your annual road trip sounds like fun! If somebody was paying me, I'd be happy to stay on the road for a few months. There's a nice dream. ☺ Looks like I picked the loser in your battle. Oh well, at least it was close.
ReplyDeleteDebbie D, our road trips always seems to recharge me--I feel better after I've gotten home from one. The cost is the main concern. If we weren't staying with family most of the time the cost would be prohibitive.
Deletelee
We drove from MA to western OH in one shot a week ago and that was grueling. If someone was paying my expenses and I could go in an RV, I'd never go home again. I want to see all of North America.
ReplyDeleteJoJo, I love traveling around the country. An RV might be nice, but I don't know that I'd want to drive it. My real preference is to stay in nice hotels and eat in restaurants.
DeleteLee
Safe travels Lee and enjoy your trip. I'll be going back to visit family and friends in Michigan soon I love road trips.
ReplyDeleteStephen Tremp, road trips are one of my favorite things to do. Hope I've got several more years ahead to do them.
DeleteLee