Vacation????? was it???

[frkelly74]

We took off for Michigan on Vacation from Florida and I have to say I am tired and ready to head home any day now to rest. We have done a lot of visiting and everyone we visit seems to have a project to do, and foolishly, I brought tools. We have been to Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Saginaw, Niles, Allegan, Otsego and Hopkins. WE have seen my dad, With whom I had the nicest visit I have had in many years, two of my sisters, Who seem to be aging fairly gracefully,My wifes buddy from work at Bronson Hospital who graciously gave us a place to sleep, and needed help with tearing out and patching up the walls where a closet used to be, Our daughter who has 6 kids and her husband who pops in for meals once in a while, who is selling their house and needed a rafter sistered up for the home inspection. We visited our friend in Niles who needed some quite extensive electrical repair and had been living without hot water for several months. We visited Michigan Lutheran Seminary In Saginaw where we are thinking of sending Noah, our last son for High School. ( It is great , we got tee shirts and mugs) . I went to On Target and got a new mauser 6.5 Carbine and some bullseye powder, and talked to my old buddies there. I went to Schantz Supply in Otsego and got some primers, they had a deal on powder where you could get a 8 lb jug of Unique for $130 if you bought $100 worth of other components. They had all kinds of powder on hand and have been cheap on whatever I have checked. We went to the Allegan range and shot up some ammo and I got my High-point carbine sighted in to pop can accuracy finally. We visited our Financial Advisor and according to him we are doing well and our money should outlast us. We got to shop at Menards and Meijer which we miss a lot. We have yet to visit My wifes brother in Solon near Cleveland Ohio and then we can head south. Our grass should be wild and in need of some attention when we get there.

[crowbuster]

Wow. Sounds like you need a vacation ! haha Seriously, you helped out a lot of folks in your short stay. Good on ya for that. Hope it gets paid forward. Nice job !

[smoked turkey]

WOW! What a vacation. Lets see, we did go to the Grand Canyon last May. Somehow that doesn't seem like a big deal compared to yours. Seriously your vacation was spent helping others, and having yourself some fun too. You did good.

[jcwit]

Hey, you visited a few of the places I shop at, or used to. Now have most everything I need. Bet all those you helped are really grateful, and glad you and you'rs enjoyed yourselves.

[Pipefitter]

Oddly enough I was in On Target this morning and my wallet is considerably lighter from the experience. Did not know about Schantz Supply, will have to make that a stop on the next shopping trip. Sounds like you need a vacation when you get home to recover from the vacation you just had.....

[MaryB]

When I visit family I always drag my electronics tool kit with and whatever I need to work on PC's because someone always has something not working right. Last time I visited mom I fixed her kitchen TV back light that was getting dim. 25 cent capacitor in he power supply for the back light and back to like new...

[frkelly74]

Electronics are pretty much magic as far as I am concerned. But if it involve #12 or #14 wire and circuit breakers I can do it usually.

We also got our older daughter still at home to her violin camp at WMU and she was principal Violin and Concert Master. They gave a really nice concert Friday Night and her Concherto on Saturday was wonderful. We got to talk to the head of the Music department and were informed that as far as she was concerned that performance would take the place of her audition to get into the music program. We had figured that we would have to travel back to Michigan in January for the audition but now we don't have to. So that saves a trip. And acceptance at WMU has become kind of a foregone conclusion. now we need to beat the bushes for some scolarships.

[w5pv]

Except for a couple of 1st cousins I have out lived the rest of my family but my son is good about coming over and doing things that he can do but he is no spring chicken himself.

[popper]

Know what you mean. Jut got back from Waco(Magnolia Co), Austin ( Capitol & Bullock museums), Fredricksburg (Pacfic War museum), Kerrville, Waco (Dr. Pepper). >100F every day. The couple from Kansas we went with aren't in great health ( Parkenson's - good ol agent orange), the other couple - she just recovered from knee replacement but had to go in for pancreas tumor removal. Had a great time but I need to sleep for a couple days. Supposed to get a new mould from Tom for the 30/30, maybe I'll try it Tues.

[mold maker]

I took the kids and then the grandkids to Disney, but I don't do vacations. It takes me too long to recover.
Having to work twice as hard the next week makes all the fond memories much less spectacular.

[MaryB]

My idea of a vacation these days is a cabin next to the lake, fishing off the dock(I can care less if I catch anything), grilling out for supper every night and in general relaxing with no electronics to bug me. My sisters husband brought his phone one year and it went swimming because we all had agreed no phones except one that was to be turned off unless it was an emergency. My sister grabbed it and skipped it like a rock into the lake... he went swimming for it but it was dead when he found it.

[leadman]

My wife and I are planning a trip in the next couple of weeks to Michigan in our almost 30 year old motorhome. No rush and only need to return to Az is for scouting for an October elk hunt. We will end up in Grand Rapids also.
With my back and other issues the trip will be slow as it is a strain to drive much more than 5 hours or so.
Will be nice to leave the heat here in Phoenix for awhile. I know Michigan is warm right now but hope it cools some before we get there.
Glad you had a nice visit/working vacation but I know how tiring it can be.

[10x]

One bad thing about going on vacation is that when you get back to work, your boss actually expects you to work.
Most vacations I have taken ended up in me needing a few days rest to recover.

[Plate plinker]

My wife and I are planning a trip in the next couple of weeks to Michigan in our almost 30 year old motorhome. No rush and only need to return to Az is for scouting for an October elk hunt. We will end up in Grand Rapids also.
With my back and other issues the trip will be slow as it is a strain to drive much more than 5 hours or so.
Will be nice to leave the heat here in Phoenix for awhile. I know Michigan is warm right now but hope it cools some before we get there.
Glad you had a nice visit/working vacation but I know how tiring it can be.
The nights will start getting cool enough soon. Right now you can expect mid 60* nights in Michigan. Warm days cool nights that why it is a great place to visit in the summer. Right on the lake.

[lightman]

I know what you mean. My Wife packs so much stuff that I feel like a pack mule. A couple of days loading and unloading and I'm ready to go home.