Got them "vacation's over, back to work blues"

Yet another vacation draws to an end. Nine days off from work and school both! Yipeee. It has been awesome. This must be what it feels like for someone who just won the lottery, or just retired from their job. No alarm clock ... no deadlines ... no appointments ... no responsibilities ... lol ..... but of course, tomorrow it's back to reality. Actually, it's back to reality tonight since I do have class tonight at CPCC.

So what did I do on my vacation you ask? Ok .... you didn't ask but I'll tell ya anyway.

I got up on Sunday morning the 5th and drove up to Kernersville and spent Sunday, Monday and part of Tuesday with my folks. Dad put me to work for most of that time. We had to repair a fence that got blown down in a storm. It wasn't all that bad. Mainly just setting posts in the ground and concreting them in. Digging two foot deep holes 6 feet apart down the side of a driveway is not my idea of fun, but it went pretty well.

Tuesday and Wednesday I mostly lazed around the house. Cleaned up, did a few odds and ends ... and went for a bike ride at Francis Beatty park.

Thursday I drove up to just west of Morganton, NC and went trout fishing at a state-stocked stream called Curtis Creek. It's about 2 miles of a quickly running stream, mostly about 3 feet deep .... deeper in some places ... which is chock full of rainbow, brook and brown trout. Caught a few trout on fly fishing tackle and had a generally great day. There is something genuinely refreshing and destressing about standing in a cool mountain stream surrounded by nothing but trees and wildlife .... gently casting a fly-line upstream in hopes of luring a big chunky rainbow out from his hiding place behind a rock. I could do that every day if it weren't so far to drive!

On the way back to Charlotte, after fishing, I passed through Belmont and stopped off at Belmont Food and Beverage and shared a couple pints of beer with my bestest friends in the whole world, Larry and Dona. A perfect ending to a perfect day!

Friday I decided to hit a local pond I frequent and do some bass fishing. Not much luck with the bass, but once again it was a golden day out by the water. Fishing rod in hand, birds singing in the trees. No stress!!! After fishing, another stop at BFB to sip a few ales with Larry and Dona!

Saturday my bud Jeff Austin drove down from Kernersville and we spent the day watching some ACC basketball and sitting around in my living room with my two acoustic guitars, picking out some blues tunes. Later that night we joined two other friends up at Midtown Sundries for some cold Guiness Ale and some redhot pool sharking! Ha! After a slow start, I actually was smoking the pool table by the time we packed up and left. My pool cue is still glowing red hot! heh heh

Sunday I watched the ACC Tournament final and then headed down to Gastonia with my neighbor, Don, to once again join Larry and Dona .... this time at RJ Gators, where we drank a few cold brews, snacked on bar food, and watched the NASCAR race. Gotta let my redneck flag fly once in a while! lol

Today .... Monday ..... chores and a quick mountain bike ride down at Renaisance Park. I'll be heading to class in about 4 hours and that will officially be the end of my awesome vacation!

Sometimes I come to the end of a week off actually looking forward to going back to work, but not this time! I could keep on keeping on like this forever! lol

Life is good!! (when you don't have to work!)