vacations?

[Lin]

My childhood memories of vacations are not good. We took them, but most of the trip was spent listening to fighting between my parents. Cooped up the car for 12 hours or so...noplace to go to a closet and shut the door to block the fighting.

One vacation we were going to my grandmother's hours abotu 3 hours away. After abotu half an hour my dad had harped and harped abotu my mother in the back seat smoking. He asked her to crack the window to let out the smoke, but he did not ask her very politely. He asked it very angrily. My mother opened the car door and jumped out of the car. We were probably going 25 MPH and she jsut jumoped out. She walked back home...probably got a ride, but we never asked. He slowed down and asked one of us to shut the door and we kept on to my grandmothers house. When we got back she was there and still mad.

One vacation I remember was when my older brother was 16 and able to help drive. We went to Florida for a week and left my dad at home. That vacation there was no fighting at all.

Now, as an adult with my own alcoholic hubby, I often have that "walking on eggshells" on a vacation. If I say the wrong thing, roll my eyes when he orders a beer, etc. Then I am told we are packing up and leaving reight now...it does nto matter that we will have to pay the reservations because of late canceling. Sometiems we DO leave and go home and sometimes he falls asleep and forgets abtou his threat the next day.

Today I am going on a vacation to the Smokey mountains. We did this 2 years ago and we had no arguments. I kept the eye rollling to myself and he barely drank at all. We laughed, we enjoyed the sights, we enjoyed each other's company. It was great. I am hoping for a repeat.

What are yout vacation memories?

See you soon!
LIN

[caressa]

We never took vacations as a family. Occasionally, when we were younger, mom would pack up the three of us and go on the train to visit her mother, father and sister. My grandmother died when I was 7. The only things I can remember about those visits was my aunt and mom sleeping together and the bed breaking and going crash in the night. I also remember them putting two arm chairs face to face and making a bed for my sister who was small.

We didn't have an inside toiled, and had moved to the farm when I was six and had no running water, electricity, and very much country. Going to the city was a big deal. I can remember my grandmother's toilet. It had a chain hanging down from a container high on the wall to flush the toilet. I remember being fasinated by all the lights of the city. My mother use to say that on the bus or train I could never sit still and would go and socialize with all the people, chatting them up.

Any holidays I had was before I got married. I went on a couple of long drives with my ex-husbands. With husband #2 it was a booze cruise. We did go to Akron, Ohio for his cousin's wedding with his mother and two sisters. I was too hung over the next morning to help with the driving home. Needless to say, that was before I knew about AA.

I went with my best friend and her husband and two kids with my son to Atlantic City. That was before I did much drinking. My son was four. My first time camping. She got sick and I had to do all the cooking.

We occasionally went on Sunday drives with my Dad as a family. One time I took him and his girlfriend for a drive in my VW. I shocked him by taking him on a road he had never been on. He was a truck driver for years and travelled in construction and on the railroad. I scared them both when I realized that my sister was suppose to arrive at 4 p.m. and we were in Gravenhurst about 60 miles from home. I raced a sports car all the way home inbetween heavy traffice heading south after a weekend at the cottage. I made the trip in about 40 minutes. My father later said, "All I did was hold on and pray all the way home."

Went on a holiday with a friend, more of a long time acquaintance, who I got to know more than I would have liked on the trip. She was totally out to lunch and helpless. Took her an hour to get ready to hit the road in the morning. It was totally frustrating for me as I am a wash and wear person.

[Lin]

wash and wear person...have not heard that one before.

I am in Nashville. Yesterday I bought 3 really nice dress suits and 4 silk tops. Everything was on sale so I only spent $550.00 on the 3 outfits. I woke at 1 AM. Since I can't go to wal mart like I do at home, I will go back to th hotel fitness center for a little bit. At 6 ...breakfast and then we'll leeave for Pigeon Forge Tn. (Smokey Mountains)

WhenI was a kid we traveled to Oklahoma to see my grandmother and Denver to see my Sunt. We went every summer. Those long trips were a night mare with all of the arguing.

So far on this trip hubby and I are doing great...no fussing, no drinking...3 nights in the Smokies next.

See you Wed. night when I get home.
LIN

[caressa]

LOL. It means I have natural curly hair. I wash it, let it dry naturally and it is done. Even at the ripe old age of 67, I don't normally wear make up. Once in a while when I go out to bridge if I think of it, I may put on some lipstick. Don't like the stuff, generally chew it off and forget to put it back on. What you see is what you get.

Attachments:

[SunnyGirl]

Oct 18, 2009 2:12:28 GMT -5 Lin said:

So far on this trip hubby and I are doing great...no fussing, no drinking...3 nights in the Smokies next. See you Wed. night when I get home. LIN

Most excellent news Lin and I am glad you are having a
good time, you and hubby enjoy your vacation.

Come back safe and renewed and know that you've been
missed. Looking forward to seeing you at the meeting
if you can make it. HAVE FUN.... Hugs, SG

[mrsspanish]

we never went anywhere as kids