Sturgis Envy
So, yesterday Amb Bob left with a pack of friends for a 2-week motorcycle ride to the annual Sturgis motorcycle rally and other points West. And I am feeling...well, envious (a lot!) and a little left-out. I was doing really well with it until yesterday morning, when they all met Amb Bob at an IHOP here in Frederick, and I went to breakfast, too, to say goodbye before they all hit the road. That was, in a way, a mistake, because seeing all our friends there on their motorcycles, everyone loaded up and hyped up for the big trip, made me really, really, REALLY wish I was going with them. I would have been better off just saying goodbye to him at home and going back to bed. Before I go any further into a pity-party, let me say that I am perfectly fine with Amb Bob going on this trip without me. It's something he has always really wanted to do, it's not his fault I couldn't go with him, and I am perfectly fine staying home alone (unlike Amb Bob, I enjoy having days to myself alone at home). I am not the type of spouse who thinks he shouldn't have gone just because I couldn't.
So why didn't I go? Well, one day last Fall Amb Bob told me he had made hotel reservations for us somewhere about an hour's ride from Sturgis. I had to gently remind him that I probably couldn't go, as I expected to have just started in a new civilian job (post-Army retirement) at the beginning of August, and didn't think I could leave for 1-2 weeks at the very beginning of a new job. He eventually got linked up with the friends he's riding with. And now, even though I don't have a job lined up yet, and so am not working at the moment, I still couldn't go, because I need to be home actively working on finding a job.
The trick would have been if I had lined up a job, but it wasn't starting until after the Sturgis trip. That would have been interesting....Without going into any soap-opera details, let's just say that this was supposed to be a small, select group of people who could ride fast and all-day on their motorcycles, and who all got along well. It grew to 7 people, and not everyone was happy about that, nor about some of the Johnny-come-lately's. Lodging will also now be trickier and cramped. I'm glad, in an odd way, that we didn't have to cross that bridge, because it had the potential for being rather awkward, and could have caused problems.
On the other hand...this is gives me a great excuse to go guilt-free adventuring later, doing something Amb Bob isn't interested in doing (or doesn't have enough vacation time for), but that I would like to do. Like a week-long horseback riding trip in Scotland or somewhere. Or a Windjammer cruise. I haven't gone on any big adventures while I've been on TL, for several reasons, but two of which were related to Amb Bob: he couldn't have gone with me, because he wouldn't have had enough vacation time to do both Sturgis and something with me, and because I know how much of a pain it would be for him to take care of the dogs while I was gone. Hah!! Well, I'm not going to worry about that anymore...he'll just have to deal with it when it's my turn to go somewhere.
Probably the big difference between us in all of this is that Amb Bob wouldn't have gone if he hadn't linked up with friends (which isn't a problem for Sturgis, as thousands of people go every year, including lots of people we know); he doesn't like traveling (for fun/vacation) by himself. I, on the other hand, frequently go adventuring on my own, and am quite happy to do so if it's the only way I can get to do/see something. Time to start making some plans....
So why didn't I go? Well, one day last Fall Amb Bob told me he had made hotel reservations for us somewhere about an hour's ride from Sturgis. I had to gently remind him that I probably couldn't go, as I expected to have just started in a new civilian job (post-Army retirement) at the beginning of August, and didn't think I could leave for 1-2 weeks at the very beginning of a new job. He eventually got linked up with the friends he's riding with. And now, even though I don't have a job lined up yet, and so am not working at the moment, I still couldn't go, because I need to be home actively working on finding a job.
The trick would have been if I had lined up a job, but it wasn't starting until after the Sturgis trip. That would have been interesting....Without going into any soap-opera details, let's just say that this was supposed to be a small, select group of people who could ride fast and all-day on their motorcycles, and who all got along well. It grew to 7 people, and not everyone was happy about that, nor about some of the Johnny-come-lately's. Lodging will also now be trickier and cramped. I'm glad, in an odd way, that we didn't have to cross that bridge, because it had the potential for being rather awkward, and could have caused problems.
On the other hand...this is gives me a great excuse to go guilt-free adventuring later, doing something Amb Bob isn't interested in doing (or doesn't have enough vacation time for), but that I would like to do. Like a week-long horseback riding trip in Scotland or somewhere. Or a Windjammer cruise. I haven't gone on any big adventures while I've been on TL, for several reasons, but two of which were related to Amb Bob: he couldn't have gone with me, because he wouldn't have had enough vacation time to do both Sturgis and something with me, and because I know how much of a pain it would be for him to take care of the dogs while I was gone. Hah!! Well, I'm not going to worry about that anymore...he'll just have to deal with it when it's my turn to go somewhere.
Probably the big difference between us in all of this is that Amb Bob wouldn't have gone if he hadn't linked up with friends (which isn't a problem for Sturgis, as thousands of people go every year, including lots of people we know); he doesn't like traveling (for fun/vacation) by himself. I, on the other hand, frequently go adventuring on my own, and am quite happy to do so if it's the only way I can get to do/see something. Time to start making some plans....
posted by Zookeeper | 12:01 PM
3 Comments:
You should plan something fantastic! I'm like you, I love having the time to myself and never really mind traveling alone... so I say do it! Go somewhere great!
That is an OUTSTANDING title to your entry. : )
And, boy, you are lucky that you are willing to do things on your own. Although I have not been alone for more than a few hours in years, it is not something I really enjoy.
K
Thanks! What's funny is that when I first thought of it, I wasn't consciously thinking about the obvious connotations/similarity to another well-known phrase...but I guess my subconscious was!
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