Time truly flies when you are having fun. That was so true of this vacation. All too soon it was time for us to leave the home of our most gracious host and hostesses, and I have to say that we all could have enjoyed each others' company a couple of more days, but there is no need in wearing out a good welcome. Actually though, we stayed with our hosts for two days longer than we had first planned due to untoward weather in San Antonio. Our original vacation plan called for two days in the Houston area then a race to San Antonio for two days at SeaWorld. My lovely bride and I were actually pleased with this development because we were enjoying the visit in Angleton so much.
But, the fifth day of vacation inevitably arrived, and it was time to depart for points west. First, though, (I hope this is not TMI) I took a final long, hot shower and borrowed (once again) my new niece's Wacky Melon hair and body wash. I thank her so much for her generosity in this measure, and I am sure I raised a few eyebrows about town as I radiated the fragrance of Wacky Melon all over the Third Coast. So thus smelling, I helped Honey pack our things, then we both helped our little Cole man pack his things as well. Honey and I were surprised to find a short note from our new niece waiting for us on the dining table. In just such a short time I had grown so fond of this little girl who is so proud to call me Uncle Wes, or occasionally Crazy Mr. Meeks, depending on whether or not I remembered to take my medication each morning. Truthfully though, it is a great blessing to add our new niece and our new sister-in-law to the family roster. They are both super nice people.
After packing, the entire group went to luncheon and my uncle's house. Uncle Duane and Aunt Gayle set a nice lunch table, and the conversation is always enlightening, especially as pertains to learning facts about relatives that those particular relatives wish the others did not know. Mostly though, my Aunt and Uncle are two of the most generous people I have ever met. Both would give the shirts off their backs to anyone. Well, okay, Aunt Gayle might not give the shirt off her back, but she would certainly find another one to give. They took me in a couple of years ago at a time that they did not really know me well at all, but made me one of the family, and I have grown to love them since then, as well as my Cousin Gaylon, who is a definitely one of a kind himself. It was great to see all of them, even though our time together was so short. After lunch, it was time to say goodbye and commence the first leg of the return journey - Waco, to drop off our little Cole man.
We reached Waco around 5 PM and dropped off our little grandnephewson. He was so happy to see Mom once again. We said our goodbyes to the relatives in Waco and hit the trail once more. It was at this point that we encountered fire engines and first responder vehicles from all over Texas as the men and women of these departments began to make their way home from the memorial services for the fallen first responders in the tragedy at West. It really gave me a feeling of Texas pride to be a part of this state, to know that so many stand ready to serve and protect the rest of us. It was an honor to share the road with these men and women. Some of them had travelled from points north of Midland, some from even further west than Midland, in order to pay their respect to their fallen comrades.
Finally I saw the familiar Exit 144 sign. My lovely bride and I breathed a collective sigh of relief to finally be home again. Vacations are great, seeing the relatives is a blessing, but coming home again to our own little abode was a blessing of its own. It was nearly midnight. We had travelled from Houston to Midland, just over five hundred miles, in about nine hours. It was so nice to hit Terra Firma once more. With jelly-like legs, we unpacked only the essentials. I really don't remember much after that. My next memory is of regaining consciousness sometime after 10 AM the next day. This was one of the most stress-free vacations I have ever taken. No, it was not a trip to the tropics or some European destination, but I actually felt refreshed and de-stressed when it was all over.
I am sure our next trip will be to some more touristy destination, but I certainly advise everyone to take a no stress, not really super-planned vacation some day. It is the kind of vacation that does not leave one wishing for another week of vacation to "recover." There are still a lot of sights I would like to see someday, but I can tell you honestly that if I never see Yellowstone or the Mayan ruins, I will still remember the good times and the love we shared on this vacation. We had our Cole man all to ourselves for a week, I got to know my new sister-in-law and my niece (in-law), spend some time with Aunt and Uncle Franks, and we saw one of my cousins whom I had not seen in so long. We are already planning another trip, but no tourist attraction we could visit could outshine the good times we shared on this vacation, and I believe our welcome is still intact in Angleton.
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