Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Nursery Rhymes and Sand

Well, I have Internet access as long as my daughter's laptop is here---until Monday. The condo has wireless. What luxury! My laptop is totally USB and there is no such thing here. (They actually have two PCs in a room at the workout area for those folks who absolutely must check out the stock market in between workouts and massages, or in between a sauna and a pedicure.) I don't really fit here, because I am a little too Puritanical with my money and a little too close to a fixed income.

We are at Hilton Head which is hoitey toitey, yes, but also relaxing and fun. Almost everyone vacationing here is a set of grandparents with children and pre-schoolers of the children. The scenes are disgustingly like the postcards and condo ads.

We have been spending much of our time at the beach and at the pool teaching Xman about sand-walking, seagull chasing, and blowing bubbles in the kiddie pool. I have been taking lots of family pictures just like every boring grandparent that you meet.

We drove to Savannah for my daughter's birthday dinner last night and spent a LOT of money, but I was trying to reward her for being such a good mother. It took almost an hour to get there and she seemed to have had a wonderful time. We did a little walking around the waterfront and the town squares with the big trees and historic statues. It is very Southern and slow and gentile. Think "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" with fewer exotic characters.

Hubby and daughter and son-in-law have headed for the driving range this morning before an afternoon storm and I am baby-sitting watching my Xman learn about sliding doors, reading a book to himself and playing a music machine. He is very good at entertaining himself when his tummy is full.

We are going shopping this afternoon, which is definitely not a hubby thing, but definitely a daughter/husband thing. Thus far it has been a good and not too stressful vacation...not like those where everyone is trying to please everyone else and in general having a miserable time!

It is hard for me to believe that sometime in the future I will have free time like this for as far out as the eye can see. I have lots of things that I want to do, but it still a little intimidating. It is almost as if I MUST enjoy myself in retirement and that is a big order. I think subconsciously I may thing I will fail---if one can fail at retirement?

4 comments:

  1. "Fail at retirement" You will succeed at retirement and get all
    A's.

    Your trip to HH sounds great especially the bonding with grandson.

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  2. Aaah, how great is that! I was worried you wouldn't be able to post for quite some time.

    Glad to hear you and the family are having a good time. I'm sure it's a much-deserved break for everyone.

    And I am the same when I know I have a bit of free time in store (though not as huge of a chunk of free time as retirement, of course). I stress myself out trying to figure out what to do, as though it's expected that I should accomplish something.

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  3. Hello and happy to see that you were able to post! Sounds like you're having a nice, relaxing time down there. Good deal.

    You make a good point about retirement. I am unofficially retired and it was interesting to me that upon leaving my last job, people would call me days later to ask "so how are you going to spend your time now?"

    It felt like pressure! I was on center stage and the world was watching to see that I did the "stay at home" thing exactly right.

    Just enjoy ... even if it means curling up with good books and hot tea.

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  4. I'm with you on "hoity toiety" places, but you sound like you're having fun. It's a blessing on "family" vacations. LOL

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Take your time...take a deep breath...then hit me with your best shot.