{"id":3132,"date":"2014-05-28T10:50:46","date_gmt":"2014-05-28T15:50:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/maryanninprogress.com\/?p=3132"},"modified":"2014-05-27T22:30:22","modified_gmt":"2014-05-28T03:30:22","slug":"lessons-learned-from-a-family-vacation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maryanninprogress.com\/lessons-learned-from-a-family-vacation\/","title":{"rendered":"Lessons Learned from A Family Vacation…"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"chihuly\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Warning: War and Peace<\/em> was shorter.\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

I just finished a trek to the lovely state of Washington with my hubby, daughter, the DSL<\/a>, my brother-in-law and my father-in-law. While I adore both my own family and the one I married into, there are always little surprises along the way, even though I’ve been to this destination before and have been on vacations with this same group of people. \u00a0Here’s what I learned this time:<\/p>\n

1. I don’t pack well under pressure.<\/p>\n

2. The final episode of Survivor<\/em><\/a> is more important to watch than packing.<\/p>\n

3. I proved # 1 true yet again.<\/p>\n

4. When # 1 occurs, I always forget something. Even if I make a detailed packing list.<\/p>\n

5. I forgot my PJs.<\/p>\n

6. Workout clothes make a good substitute for PJs.<\/p>\n

7. I worked out once while on vacation.<\/p>\n

8. I wore street clothes to work out because I was too lazy to change into workout clothes.<\/p>\n

9. Glad I packed 5 sets of workout clothes.<\/p>\n

10. TSA pre-check<\/a> status rocks.<\/p>\n

11. The hubby who surprised me with a TSA pre-check<\/a> status rocks even more.<\/p>\n

12. When going through TSA pre-check, I have flashbacks to trips I took in the 1990s.<\/p>\n

13. I have more circles under my eyes than\u00a0I had in the 1990s.<\/p>\n

14. I’m pretty sure TSA put those circles under my eyes after 9\/11.<\/p>\n

15. I don’t respond to TSA instructions well under pressure.<\/p>\n

16. Did I mention I like TSA pre-check<\/a>?<\/p>\n

17. We would super-glue the DSL’s belt to his pants to help him through security, but TSA wasn’t laughing when we suggested this.<\/p>\n

18. Someone needs to get TSA agents a sense of humor.<\/p>\n

19. Belts to hold up pants are lethal weapons and that’s why no one wears them in Seattle. See # 17.<\/p>\n

20. I didn’t know there was such a diversity of boxer shorts in Seattle. See # 19.<\/p>\n

21. Anyone under the age of 30 in Seattle shops at Goodwill<\/a> and purposely puts polka-dots, paisley and plaid together. Color coordination optional.<\/p>\n

22. If I go through Pike Place\u00a0Market<\/a> 10,000 times, I will still feel like I’ve never seen it all.<\/p>\n

23. Beecher’s Cheese Mariachi Mac ‘n Cheese is da bomb. Next time I’m getting the large, economy-sized helping even if 4 wheelbarrows are required to carry me out of the place afterwards. Even if I have to make use of 1 set of workout clothes for something other than PJs.<\/p>\n

24. The beautiful bouquets of flowers at the Market are way under-priced. And yet I walked away empty-handed because I had no place to put them.<\/p>\n

25. # 24 is cruel and unusual punishment.<\/p>\n

26. The Underground Tour never disappoints even if the new tour guide is…well…new.<\/p>\n

27. Did you know “Lincoln” was a superhero and had a cape and everything? See # 26.<\/p>\n

28. In the 25 years plus since my last Underground Tour my allergies have made it nearly impossible for me to go on the Underground Tour. Grr.<\/p>\n

29. Pioneer Square is still one of the prettiest parts of Seattle.<\/p>\n

30. I can play in a wind-up toy store for a solid half an hour. Maturity went right out the window.<\/p>\n

31. Chocolate pasta and sweet potato orzo are just too difficult to resist in bringing home in crumbs in my suitcase.<\/p>\n

32. The flying fish never disappoint, even if no fish are flying.<\/p>\n

33. I am in awe of tea sets that are in the shapes of peacocks, phoenix (What is<\/em>\u00a0the plural of phoenix??? Phoeni? Phoenixes???)<\/a>, hummingbirds and other assorted fowl.<\/p>\n

34. I’m not in awe of the price of # 33….at least not enough to bring it home in pieces in my suitcase.<\/p>\n

35. O’Asia is not an Irish Asian restaurant, but the food there will make you feel lucky to visit.<\/p>\n

36. When forced to choose between an interactive music museum and a world-renown glass artist, MaryAnn picks the glass artist.<\/p>\n

37. When the hubby is forced to choose between an interactive music museum and a world-renown glass artist, the hubby picks the interactive music museum.<\/p>\n

38. Neither one of us felt cheated.<\/p>\n

39. Dale Chihuly is a genius.<\/p>\n

40. The Hamilton Middle School string orchestra and jazz choir will make you wish your kids were raised in the Seattle public school system.<\/p>\n

41. I don’t do Kenyan curry well.<\/p>\n

42. I do potato chips and yogurt much better.<\/p>\n

43. The daughter is as giddy as a kid at Christmas when taking new forms of transportation. Let’s just say Ms. Master’s Graduate liked the ferry ride.<\/p>\n

44. We adore the houses on the shore at Bainbridge Island. We doubt the owners of these houses adore the ferry still coming into the nearby dock at 2 am.<\/p>\n

45. The drive from Bainbridge to Sequim is breathtaking.<\/p>\n

46. MaryAnn needs to quit saying the phrase, “Pretty, pretty.”<\/p>\n

47. When the hubby needs a GPS holder, he recruits his wife.<\/p>\n

48. The GPS holder has a lot of arthritis that doesn’t do well holding a GPS for 2 hours straight.<\/p>\n

49. Sequim is pronounced, “Skwim.” I’ll remember that the next time I order my skinny latte.<\/p>\n

50. There’s no fish and chips like the fish and chips prepared by a Kiwi.<\/p>\n

51. They do xeriscaping in Sequim.\u00a0Ummm….why? Is there a shortage of lawn mowers or something?<\/p>\n

52. I lost count of the number of lead changes in the Indy 500 at lap 50.<\/p>\n

53. I lost count of the number of drivers leading laps at lap 100.<\/p>\n

54. I shouldn’t go 7 days without an allergy shot.<\/p>\n

55. I went 9 days without an allergy shot.<\/p>\n

56. If I go 9 days without an allergy shot, I should bring my Vitamin E, Vitamin C and Beta Carotene with me.<\/p>\n

57. I get terse when I forget Vitamin E, Vitamin C and Beta Carotene.<\/p>\n

58. There is nothing quite like fried raspberry cheesecake when I forget Vitamin E, Vitamin C and Beta Carotene.<\/p>\n

59. The worst cup of coffee I had in “Starbucks Central” was in Seattle.<\/p>\n

60. They don’t even give you pretzels on a 4 hour flight anymore. What is<\/em>\u00a0my $ 50 for a checked bag going for???<\/p>\n

61. The EPA has decided that having a non-oil smelling airplane is good for my health. I now know what the $ 50 is going for.<\/p>\n

62. I think I will invite the EPA to fly with me the next time I go to Seattle.<\/p>\n

63. I will not<\/em>\u00a0invite the EPA to go through TSA pre-check with me.<\/p>\n

64.\u00a0When you get 5 seasoned fisher persons together with 2 rookies. the rookies will score the big fish.<\/p>\n

65. If you want to avoid starvation, go with the rookies.<\/p>\n

66. Because of # 65, I’m now divorced.<\/p>\n

67. Did I mention I like TSA pre-check<\/a>?<\/p>\n

68. There’s no place like home and still no better family.<\/p>\n

Friday’s Post:\u00a0<\/strong>The Real Memorial Day…<\/p>\n

You Might Also Like:\u00a0<\/strong>Lessons Learned from Lumosity.com<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Lessons Learned from 7 Years on Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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