Day 215: Packing Anxiety

Okay, everyone has something that they do not do well ... cooking, dancing, gardening, driving, writing, the list goes on and on with how many tasks we manage daily and the degree in which we perform these chores or activities. Some we shy away from. Others we just never engage in. For me the task that causes me the most anxiety is packing for a trip! Sounds odd doesn't it... I mean you'd think one would be so excited about getting the heck out of town (which I am) that they'd happily throw some items in the bag and hit the road.

For me it's a bit more complicated then that. What if I bring too many clothes? Or not enough? Or not the right clothes... will it be very cold, mildly cold or will an unseasonal heat wave hit the city when I've packed all winter sweaters and scarfs? Such a dilemma I tell you.

The Simon gang departs on Saturday for New York City, yeah! We are going to spend the week and the Thanksgiving Holiday with kid sis Jennifer, her beau Kevin and his 6 year old son Zachary. We are all super excited to be on the East Coast with the cold wintry weather and to spend time with Jennifer & Kevin in their Country home in Hudson, New York.

As you know if you follow my Blog, we usually host Turkey Day and it is always fun & festive.... but this year due to numerous reasons we elected to change it up and try something new. So off we go on Saturday morning. College boy Brandon will fly out of Portland, Oregon on Tuesday and hook up with us then in Manhattan.

We have all kinds of fun activities planned, but that will be another post, today I need to vent about my anxiety surrounding packing the right items ... not just for myself but for the boys too! Can't have them showing up in the city not dressed properly!

So here's the deal for me... as you know I'm a huge accessory queen ... I change my handbag daily to match my outfit. Same with my jewelry... I know it's weird but that's who I am. So when I set out to pack I have to carefully imagine every accessory that goes with each outfit, I sound crazy don't I, again that's me! And I like to have options... do I want to wear slacks, leggings, a skirt out to dinner or walking around .... I don't know what mood I'll be in so I end up bringing all three choices.

It's similar to going to the grocery store and trying to plan dinner for the next 5 nights ... how the hell do I know what I'll want to eat on Thursday if I'm food shopping on a Monday? I need variety and options and don't want to be boxed in ... that's how it is for my clothes!

So tonight begins the process of laying everything out that I believe I will wear and then going crazy because it's all way too much and then I feel overwhelmed and just throw everything in the damn bag... oh such problems!

Day 87: Saying Thank You

I am a believer that when you do something special for someone or give a special gift to someone it is nice to be told "Thank you", however, I don't give or do for others in order to receive the thank you! I give or do because I love the person I am doing for or because I derive pleasure from making others happy.

This all being said though it sure is nice when you are acknowledged in a special way, especially when it is a surprise. We returned home this past weekend from our annual trip up to Bass Lake and the next morning when I awoke I saw a card sitting on my desk titled Mom & Dad.

When I opened it I couldn't believe it ... it was a thank you card from the three boys. It was a card thanking Brian and I for their fabulous trip to Bass Lake. It wasn't fancy. Didn't have a lot of writing on it. Wasn't homemade. But none of that mattered. What counted is that they said "thank you" for something that means so much to them.

Teenagers are a breed onto themselves, us parents of them know this first hand. They are forgetful and sometimes not the most polite in acknowledging all that is done for them. So this little card with all their signed names really meant so much. It was a sweet way to top off a vacation that if you read my blog you know was not the best for me... but the note was sure a warm homecoming!

Day 84: Back Home

Ahh, settling back in to life after a week away! Lots of laundry to fold, phone calls & emails to return, Blogging, unpacking, marketing! Now I need a vacation from the vacation. Which really wasn't a vacation. As I posted yesterday when we returned I was under the weather the entire week in Bass Lake. So now it's back to juggling every one's calendars, family commitments and back to my exercise routine.... which I definitely need after a week off.

Pictured here is the "Bass Lake Gang" ... a motley crew of mixed families & friends, but all together we make our own special "Lake Family!"

How do our lives get so damn busy with all we do? I mean it's suppose to be summer, but the boys - all three of them - still have workouts and baseball, and dental appointments and chiropractor visits, and friends in and out all day long. And oh yeah everyone still needs to eat so there's still that to tend to. And over summer break there are more mouths to feed with kids coming and going. But ya know what I really do love it. Especially the feeding part. Maybe it's the mama bear in me that loves to see my boys and others chow down on a good meal. It's a role I relish. I just wish I was feeling myself. I'm still not and that's a bummer for me as I spend my life feeling healthy and fun and happy and when I'm not, it really takes its toll.

So as I prepare for the week ahead, working out, getting healthy, attending baseball games and figuring out next steps is all on the menu... join me for the adventures, won't you please?

Day 74 - 83: Where Has Robyn Been?

Hi my faithful followers! Have you missed me? Well I sure have missed blogging about my daily escapades. Let me tell ya what's been goin' on!

Finally got the family packed and out the door last Saturday, July 3rd for our annual trip up to Bass Lake with friends & family. As I have written about in earlier posts this is the most memorable vacation for my family.

Pictured above is my family L-R Brandon, Harrison, Me, Spencer, and Brian

My sister Michele and I were introduced to the trip as young girls when our parents were still married many moons ago. I have continued the tradition with my family and other siblings and friends. It is the one trip that my children pine for throughout the year. So we finally arrive, unpack, do the marketing, get organized and we are ready to party! We had our usual fabulous 4th of July Holiday as we watched fireworks on a boat parked in the middle of the lake at beautiful Bass Lake!

Pictured here are kid sister Jennifer on the left (who came from New York with love pal Kevin, wearing the hat, and his darling 6 year old son Zachary) and family friend Suzee on the right. We were on the boat watching 4th of July fireworks!

Unfortunately that's where the fun ended for me! From that night on I was saddled with a horrible sickness and fever pushing 102.8. I was ready to make a run for the hospital but after speaking to my LA Doc I decided against that as goodness knows what the mountain Doctor would have recommended for treatment! We are still not clear on what I had and still have. I never once went in the Lake or water skied or put a bathing suit on the entire week. This has never happened to me before and it was really a bummer to be away on this annual family trip and not be able to enjoy all the festivities.

Pictured here are Papa Joe, the Patriarch of the trip all these 40 plus years, with my eldest son Brandon. This is what it's all about!

Despite my feeling in the dumps, I did however capture moments of great joy. One was watching my son Brandon master wake boarding like a true jock and the other was knowing that Harrison & Spencer were laughing hysterically as they were tossed all over the Lake on an inter tube. Thank you gal pal Jill for being the boat driver for all the teenager crazy boys! And for constantly taking my temperature to make sure it didn't climb any higher!

Another highlight for me was being able to play umpteen rounds of Runmmicue with my gal pals Caren & Jill and hubby Brian. That was very special for me. I love games!
But all in all while my heart was warmed that my boys and Brian and all my darling family & friends were soaking up the sun and having a blast my heart also ached because I just wasn't myself.

Pictured here is Papa Joe wearing a cowboy hat! He's 80 years old and look at him go!

It's bad enough to not feel well when you are at home, but to wait all year for your annual vacation and go away and not be yourself is really a bummer. So because of this and because we had very poor technological support nestled up in the mountains I was not able to communicate with my Blog friends daily. Of course I felt guilty about this, but sometimes you just need to be flexible and go with what you are confronted with. In my case it was just not possible for me to share my lake musings daily which was something I was looking forward to.

So my dear followers please forgive me and know that I will post more photos and anecdotes from our trip as the week goes on. I'm happy to write that we are home safe and sound and I'm feeling better. I know my three sons and all the others had a fantastic week and that really is the best vacation I could ask for. My heart is warmed just looking at this photo of Brian holding the "beef" of the day with that big yummy smile!

Pictured here is Brian in Bass Lake 2010, after grilling our 4th of July yummy steak for 30!

Day 73: Getting Out of Town Stress

I'm feeling very overwhelmed with everything that needs to be addressed before heading out of town Saturday morning. Here's a list of what is swirling around in my head:

*My City Council Candidate's Audit

*Elena Kagen's Supreme Court Nomination (she must get confirmed!)

*Juggling Boy's endless baseball games

*Writing my Blog while on vacation

*Bathing suits for boys
*Packing
*Shopping for trip items
*Work items
*Writing a Letter of Recommendation for a friend
*House sitter

*Personal items like getting a manicure & pedicure before heading off to vacation (ok so this one sounds trivial, but really it's not ... I mean who wants to go on a lake vacation and spend a week in a bathing suit without your toes looking groomed & pretty!

*Family drama

*Mail camp forms

*Pay bills

*Schedule skin cancer surgery

Ugh, the list keeps going! I just can't wait to be in Bass Lake sitting on the dock sipping my evening cocktails and finding some peace from an overloaded life...

Day 72: Getting Out of Town

Well, I'm exhausted and can't wait to get the heck out of town on Saturday. Between the intense audit of my City Council Campaign, summer baseball games for all three boys, political events, family in town, and countless other commitments, I'm craving some R & R up at the Lake! Pictured to the left are Brandon & Brian in 2006 on the Lake soaking up the sunshine!

We leave this weekend for our annual summer 4th of July vacation to Bass Lake. Bass Lake is located about 45 minutes south of Yosemite and is beautiful! I've been taking this trip since I was a little girl! When my sister Michele and I were about 7 & 8 years old we started going with our parents and family friends to Yosemite. Twenty some years ago we started to go to Bass Lake. If I ask my sons what their favorite trip to take is -- including our trips all together to Italy, Mexico, New York, Fire Island - the answer is always a resounding Bass Lake! This is their favorite family vacation! Pictured to the right are the kids getting ready to be taken for a Banana Boat ride on the Lake!

Why? Maybe because it's 100% tradition. They live for spending an entire week in their bathing suits, cruising around the Lake on a speed boat or inter tubes, laughing with family & friends, eating endlessly, playing Charades and Yahtzee & Rummicue, roasting marshmallows and making s'mores. I mean really what family wouldn't love this holiday!?!

My boys won't miss this trip. Not for a baseball game, a job, nothing! And we have made this commitment for all these years. Having a strong bond year after year builds continuity, tradition, and it takes a lot of work to make this commitment. I'm so thankful my parents started this tradition when I was a child. Then Brian started joining us when we were dating as young teenagers and now our children enjoy the tradition. Pictured here are Jill on the left, one of our oldest friends from when we were 13 years old, and our dear family friend Suzee!

It's by no means a fancy trip, but it's a solid one. The memories created with family & friends are priceless. Spending a week in magical scenery, just 5 hours from Los Angeles in the beautiful State of California with your dearest family & friends is really the best trip.

Pictured to the right is hunky Brian driving the kids in the speed boat! What a man!

Can you see why I am craving this trip and in desperate need to get the heck out of town! Looking forward to a good time with my dear family & friends! I need it!