Anticipation of Vacation

    Anticipation, will make anyone, especially kids, HDAD. Do you remember your
Mom or Dad talking about what the family was going to do on vacation. When I
was young my Dad got three weeks of vacation, and Mom and Dad would start
planning a month in advance.
    By the time vacation got time started, us kids were all in trouble anticipating
vacation. Once that adrenalin starts flowing, there is no switch to turn it off. The
rubber band in a child, keeps getting wound tighter and Tighter and TIGHTER!
    What's a kid supposed to do?
    The first hundred miles from the house, us kids, had all ready been threatened
with grounding, pulling the car over, swatted with a fly swatter, or do you want me
to come back there and anything else our parents could think to do with three kids
in the back seat of the car, there weren't any seat belts in those days, just climb over.
    The anticipation of vacation, looking back on it is more than funny, sometimes
it's downright hysterical. Our vacations were usually from California to Oklahoma.
it wasn't like we were going to be there any time soon. In fact our first overnight
rest stop was Albuquerque, New Mexico, a good 15 to 16 hr. drive including potty
breaks.
    Next stop, Holdenville, Ok., Wewoka, Ok, or when we got older Mustang, Ok.
That's where my Grandma on my Dad's side lived with Grandpa Mac, and my
Dad's youngest brother lived. The funny part for us kids, was my Dad always
referred to Uncle Jerry as his little brother. My Dad was 6'1" and when I was
young, my Dad weighed about 250 lbs. Uncle Jerry, my Dad's little brother, was
6'5"+ a fraction and out weighed Dad by at least 50 lbs.
    My Aunt Sammy, short for Samantha, was barely 5'0" tall. If you remember the
old bee hive hairdos, my Aunt Sammy with a bee hive hairdo could walk under my
Uncles outstretched arm and not mess her hair up.
    They were always fun vacations, our family consisted of my two sisters and me,
a boy. My Uncle's kids were a few years younger, but also consisted of two gils and
a boy. We'd all go to church on Sunday and take up a whole row, all by ourselves.
And Sunday dinner was always a big meal, either we would all go out, or Mom,
Aunt Sammy and Grandma Mac would cook, and I swear these women would cook
enough food to feed the whole church, but there was only the twelve of us eating.
    Left overs on Monday were always good though, sometimes even better than
eating on Sunday. Maybe you have some vacation stories to share, a good laugh
is good for the soul, at least that what my Daddy always told me, anyway.