And We're Off

In preparation for our imminent departure on vacation I finished packing the car this morning while Ginger and the kids took the cats to the vet for boarding. Then once everyone was back home we were on the road. Somehow every year we go on vacation we end up taking more space than we did the year before. This year Ginger even bought one of those things that goes on top of the car and even with that we still managed to fill up the car completely.

We were leaving for vacation a day early so we could stop over in Richmond and let Ginger have a day or so to spend with her Grandmother. Apparently my help was also required because they were getting a hospital bed delivered for her grandmother and they needed help moving the old bed out.


We were rushing because we thought we needed to be there by two for the bed to be delivered, but it didn't end up showing up until after six. And then even once it arrived my help wasn't really needed. Once that was no longer on the agenda the kids and I took Grammy's dog Joey out on a walk while dinner was being prepared.

Here's the conversation between Ginger and myself as I was leaving went:

Me: Where exactly do they normally take him on his walk.

Ginger: Don't worry about that, the kids know the way. But don't go to the park, you don't have time and dinner will be ready soon.

Anyone care to wager a guess as to where this is going? So about half an hour into the walk I have no clue where we are. I ask Quinn and Catherine and I get things like "I think this is the way" and "I might remember that house." I should add at this point that I had neglected to take my cell phone with me so I couldn't call back and get directions on where we were. And if I had been allowed to take Ginger's iPhone with the built in GPS none of this would have been an issue (actually I'm sure I would have been allowed, but since I didn't remember my own cell phone there was no way I was going to remember to take Ginger's).


Apparently on one the times the kids have been on this walk before Grammy must have pointed out a house that has an elevator in it because for the entire trip I kept getting "Look, that's the house with the elevator. I'm sure of it, this must be the right way." About the fourth time they said that I started getting a tad concerned. So eventually as someone pulled into their driveway we walked over and I asked where we were. Once I got past the strange look that seemed to be masking them thinking "Is this man about to rob us? Wait, why would he bring two small children and a tiny dog to a robbery? Who is this guy and how can he not know where he is?" they were nice enough to tell us that we were going completely the wrong way. In the kids defense we apparently missed one turn and that would have gotten us back just fine. The funny thing is Catherine had insisted we take that turn earlier, but Quinn had told us that wasn't the way (and in his defense Catherine had made a couple of wrong calls earlier, so at that point Quinn's track record had been better which is why I went with his call).


Eventually we ended up at the park, which is exactly where Ginger told us we shouldn't go before we left. But the good news is that both kids knew the way home from that point. Next time, I'm taking the iPhone.