Vacation: The Most Glorious Word In The English Language

I woke up early to run to the bank, then did my five-hour shift at the Acme. Work was steady when I came in at 10, stone-dead by the time I left at 3. Plenty of help, no major problems. Many people had just returned from vacations of their own (if their massive restocking orders were any indication - some orders numbered as much as $600) and were in great moods.

Who could be in a bad mood anyway, between a glorious day and the knowledge that I wouldn't be setting foot in the Acme again for over a week? I went straight to Uncle Ken's after work to do my laundry, which I did. Uncle Ken and his girlfriend Dolores were working on new railings for the porch. Bruce, Jessa, and Bruce's girlfriend Jodie went to some graduation/pool party and were gone pretty much the whole time I was there.

I hit the pool after I put the laundry in the dryer. It was great! The water was warm; the air was breezy and hot but not humid. There couldn't have been a more perfect July day. I swam for about a half-hour. The doctor told me I'd have my knee up for a week, then could exercise it for four, and what better way to exercise a bad knee than with simple swimming moves? I felt more refreshed and energized after that swim than I have in...years, maybe. I just felt so GOOD.

Even the TV was on my side. Bruce had TCM on when I arrived; they were running the last 20 minutes of Casablanca, one of my all-time favorite films. The movie that came on afterwards, Murder of the Orient Express, was equally good. (I'm lucky there was something interesting on for a change; I usually bring a book when I do the laundry, but I was in such a hurry after I got back from work, I forgot).

Most of tomorrow is going to be spent packing. I want to bring far less this time than I did last time so it'll be a lot easier to haul my luggage around four bus terminals. I'll make a quick run to CVS for trial-sized shampoo and conditioner in the morning. (I didn't like the brands the Acme carried, though I did get trial-sized deodorant from them.)