Have you ever used one of those peeling thingies to peel a potato? If you have no idea what I’m talking about, then this entry will hold little interest for you. Even if you have it’s probably touch and go. Anyway, imagine what happens to the peel when you use the peeling thingie on a potato. It works so well because it is open on top to allow the peeled substance to drop away. This is precisely why your finger nail makes a lousy peeling thingie (that and it’s not nearly as wide as a peeling thingie, but that’s not important right now). Peeling a potato with your finger nail is not recommended because it’s just not the best way, but at least it won’t cause any permanent damage to your finger. Trying the same exercise on wood paneling is another matter. While a potato is significantly less rigid than your finger, shards of wood paneling are significantly more rigid than the tissue under your finger nail. Imagine my surprise when I notice the shadow of a 3/4 inch piece of wood paneling under my finger nail. Now imagine me hoping around, going through the list of words I don’t want Beth to say.

Let me leave you with this nugget of learned wisdom: it hurts just as much to pull it out as it does to shove it in.

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.