Happy July 4th!
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| The New York City fireworks over the East Village of New York City. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
It's been two weeks since I left Los Angeles to start out on a prolonged vacation. Time passes so quickly and I never seem to be getting as much done as I had hoped. I can use the argument that I'm on vacation, but still there is much to be done while I'm away.
We had a wonderful trip across the country on our first leg to Houston, Texas. After getting on the road at 5:30 in the morning of Saturday June 20th, we had smooth sailing throughout the day. For me a highlight of that first day came about 60 miles before we got to Las Cruces, New Mexico.
It was about 5:30 PM Mountain Time when I happened to tune into a classical radio station at the moment they started playing the Third Symphony of Camille Saint-Saens which is one of my top three favorite symphonies. For the next 40 minutes my drive was invigorated by some of the most wonderful music to be found. This is truly one of the best symphonies ever composed.
My stay in Houston was very restful as I took many naps throughout the week. My wife noted that my nighttime sleeping habits had vastly improved. After that week of personal recharge I was ready for my next adventure--a two day drive by myself to Tennessee. My wife will be staying in Houston until August 5th. I'll be on my own visiting my family members while she stays to help her daughter.
So far I've been in East Tennessee for almost a week. With my brother and sisters we're still working on settling up my mother's estate. There's lots of housecleaning and touch-up repairs to get her house ready to put on the market. We all hate to see the property leave the family, but selling it seems to be the most practical solution since none of us wants to live there--or in my case I don't live in this town.
I'll be here another week and a half or so before I begin wending my way to New Jersey. There's still plenty to be done in Tennessee and it's not going to all get done while I'm here, but I'll hopefully help make some progress during my stay. And then there's trying to make it to see some old friends. Time will be kind to me I can only hope.
Have a great 4th or whatever day you read this. May your every day be the best one yet.
How do you feel about traveling long distances alone? What music inspires you most when you are on the road? What did you do for the holidays?
