About Me

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I am the creator of steampunk reviews, a woman in love with history, mystery, and the fine things of life, though not necessarily in that order. As a self-styled aristocrat, I've aimed to cultivate an old world (real or constructed via movies being irrelevant to me) sense of elegance and taste, and have been going to great lengths to fulfill that goal. It is my aim to live a life that is enjoyable, rather than one obsessed with being 'perfectly good for me in every way'.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

I'm more hothouse orchid than hardy highland rose.

I love to 'get away from it all' as much as the next person. How the next person and I do so, however, tend to be very different things. In my mind if one is going to take a vacation it should be to a splendidly comfortable place that requires one to merely arrive and enjoy oneself. One should not have to clean, cook, run from bugs, or anything else that is even the tiniest bit taxing. Luxurious? Yes. Decadent? Absolutely. Hence why if I had my way I would vacation very rarely, but when I did I would be doing it in the grandest style I could reasonably afford. I am a fan of the spa, the five star hotel, the best restaurants and plays, and, as you, my dear populace may have realized from my list of things I'd rather not be doing, the vacation I am currently on is not exactly my preferred method of relaxation.

It is true I've had a fairly good time thus far, though there have been considerable hangups. The largest of these has been the fact that I was recently eaten alive by chiggers, and the bites tend to get more aggravated when I'm sweating or stressed which makes me itch like mad and want to peel my own skin off. The other prime issue is that the isolated nature of the house my family is occupying means that we're all in contact a great deal, and at least two members of the family - myself and my mother specifically - are not huge people persons (or, more accurately, my mother isn't a huge people person while I am not exactly adept at social interractions with others and will often simply retreat to my boudoir when I feel cornered). This means that toes get trod on, fangs to get bared, and tempers can flare. Finally, there is a general feeling that one should be doing something all the time, and, as stated above, in my mind a vacation should be a time in which one is obligated to do absolutely nothing. Why on earth would one go way the hell out of one's way to continue the same tired routine one carries on at home?

Now, however, I do have to say, that, in said vacation's defense, it is far from bad, and, in some ways, the paragraph preceding this one was more an excuse to vent than anything else. On the plus side I've visited some of my favorite shops, gotten alot of writing done (a new review will grace us in the near future), and caught up on alot of things I've been let slide (like reading the third book of the Dark Tower series and updating the inventory I keep that records all the minerals and rocks I've collected over the years). So it's all a matter of balance, and I can at least thank my lucky stars that I'm in an actual house and not a camper, or, god forbid, a tent. I have running water and toilets that don't require the user to kick them to make sure bats don't fly out (yes, I have experienced that). The food has been lovely, and the company, when we put our rayguns down and stop trying to recreate the Mexican standoff from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, has been most pleasant.
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............................The bugs still suck.

4 comments:

  1. The good news, milady, is that this too shall pass!

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  2. Just found this blog..Awesome! =)
    Steampunk is marvelous, i really like the theme and does a little crafting in steampunkstyle myself.
    See ya!

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  3. I have a definite love-hate relationship with vacations. I absolutely LOVE getting away from the humdrum rut of my daily 9-5 grind (even though I generally enjoy my employment and co-workers). I also rather enjoy "getting away from it all" and leaving my home/neighborhood worries behind.

    However, I can relate to the moments when spending 24/7 with family can get trying. Especially when I generally have an ~8 hour change of pace each day and suddenly do not.

    That's not to say that I don't absolutely love my family. Given the choice, there's nobody I'd rather spend every waking hour with for days on end. However, even the people I love the most can eventually get on my nerves.

    Add to the fact that vacations often involve later nights and earlier mornings than the normal day-to-day and after a few days of that, it takes its toll on all of us (particularly the younger children).


    I haven't ever had the luxury of a 5-star vacation. I've been on a pseudo cruise once (a day cruise from Florida to the Bahamas on a refurbished Russian liner with adequate customer service). I hope someday to do the "all inclusive" cruise experience complete with simplicity of dining, relaxing, and frequent convenient and fun excursions.


    I also really love relaxing vacations in the mountains or near a beach. Fortunately I am not generally plagued by insects, though my wife and daughter are.



    I think the end result to me is that a vacation is great and should be made the most of, but sometimes returning home from vacation and growing distanced from it makes the memory that much more appealing.

    I agree with what the Anonymous poster said above...the various trials and tribulations of your vacation will rapidly become memories and before you know it you'll be planning your next family excursion. :)

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