Cold. Rain. Fireplace. Dig it? We had the misfortune of starting our vacation in the Georgia mountains with Tropical Storm Bob. Some might find this a bit of a drag, but I didn’t. I like my vacations to be relaxing. I can’t conjure up a more relaxing image than a mountain cabin in the woods, a hundred miles from the city, rain patting the roof, with a fire crackling in the fireplace.

We have successfully completed the first leg of our summer vacation; a five hour drive to Tifton, GA. We’re staying in “everyone’s second home”, the Tifton Holiday Inn. Right off the bat the hotel exceeded my expectations – free local calls! With my iBook handy, I am ready, willing, and able to milk that deal for all it’s worth. Beth and Mem-May (sorry kids, I’m in no mood for a French lesson now) went down to the pool. Cheryl and Pep-pay are off in search of frozen treats. Me? My waist line has grown a good three inches since dinner; so I’ll stay in, thank you very much. Those of you who have spoken to me lately may know that I was a bit disappointed with the prospect of breaking our eight hour drive to north Georgia into two days (a bit disappointed is the diplomatic way of saying I was throwing a bit of a frustrated fit). However, the drive did turn out quite nice (even if I did want to keep going when we stopped). Everyone was in a good mood and the conversation was very pleasant. No, we didn’t do any singing (if there were I would have tied myself to the roof and ridden outside). I hope this first leg is a sign of things to come.