Actual conversation between my 7 year daughter and I yesterday.

Daughter: When are we going to Montreal?

Me: Well, I’m not going. You and your brother and Mommy are going next week. I have to go back to work on Monday.

Daughter: Why?

Me: Because my summer holidays are over and now it’s time for me to go back to my job.

Daughter: But why not just stay on holidays for the rest of the summer?

Me: I’d LOVE to. But I can only take so much time off each year because it is expected that I will return to work in order to earn more time off. That way I’ll be able to have another vacation next summer and we can come back to the cottage and do other cool stuff.
Plus, I have a job to do at work and some people are counting on me to do it. And I don’t want to disappoint them. I have responsibilities.

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Daughter: Then why don’t you get a different job where you can do fun stuff with us all of the time and still get paid? Like a fisherman or somebody who rakes beaches? That way you wouldn’t disappoint me.

Me: Ummmmm…
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So… anyone hiring? At my current salary and benefit levels, of course.

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

I love my job. I really do. And my Director doesn’t know I have a blog, so I ain’t just sucking up.

My work is intellectually stimulating, pays very well, varies from day to day, and I am fortunate to work with some real kick-ass righteous folks.

But.

I work to live and don’t live to work. Holidays – time away from work – are what I’m about. Spending time outdoors with my family and mellowing out is what propels me forward in life. I mean, look at my subunits, aren’t they amazing?

Yeah – I’m a proud Papa who likes to spend the bulk of my time with those who matter most to me – The Resident Love Goddess and my kids.

So I am mega looking forward to the next week. Starting Saturday, I will be away from work for a grand total of a week and a bit.  The weather isn’t looking the greatest at this point, but that will (hopefully) change.

I blogged a while back about where we are travelling to so I won’t go into great detail about that.

My biggest challenge will be to keep all of the kids occupied and happy for the week. If the weather holds, it will be a piece of cake. If it rains, we’ll think of something. I figger that ants and other crawly critters will amuse Owen for at least a few days. Addy will be a bit more of a challenge as she needs semi-constant stimulation else the whining kicks in. But she’ll like being around “real” nature.

Torii is bringing a friend along for the trip – yeah, not crazy about a friend coming along on a family vacation but it was either that or having to deal with a moping teen for 7 days and two 5 1/2 hour car trips. I’m a little worried about how exactly Torii will amuse herself for the week.

Here is what I wrote back in March about what Trashy used to do when a teen on this very same lake:

When I became a teen, I was much more preoccupied with “cruisin” in the search of females rather than baiting hooks. And we did find quite a few – females that is. I, along with a childhood friend, Bill – and of course little bro’ Jim – motored around in our 12 foot aluminum boats with the 7.5 hp Mercury outboards clamped to the transoms. We’d see a boat full of bikinis and quite shamelessly pull up alongside to start a conversation and share a smoke or a beer. We met lots of other kids that way who were on the lakes for the same reasons as we were. To meet other teens and to have fun.

Yeah. Speaking of beer. We did lots of stupid things too. Things that would merit my eldest groundings of unequalled proportions. Like, returning from parties at 2am. In the pitch black. With no running lights aside from a Bic lighter. No lifejackets. And we were never drinking, uh, Diet Coke at these parties.

You see why I’m worried?

That aside, I’m pumped.  And if I find the time – and an internet port – I’ll blog a few scribblings while chillin’ in Parry Sound.

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario