The first twenty-four hours of our vacation has been a series of almost disasters. The first arose during the car ride from home to Minneapolis. Hiram pulled off the interstate to get some anti-drowsiness munchies only to discover that the on ramp going north was closed, and the detour backtracked six miles. By the time we got back to where we’d stopped for snacks, the munchies were almost gone, and Hiram was sleepy again. But Anne saved the day, reading aloud to him from a highly entertaining Terry Pratchett novel. Disaster One successfully averted.
The second almost disaster occurred when our 9:45 PM flight from Minneapolis to Spokane was delayed because of mechanical problems. But Northwest/Delta Airlines brought in another plane, and we took off 1 1/2 hours late. In the meantime, we napped in the waiting area, and Hiram cashed our fifteen dollars worth of NWA meal vouchers for a new batch of anti-drowsiness munchies we would need once we arrived in Spokane. Disaster Two successfully averted.
The next almost disaster involved the trip from Spokane to Shadow Valley Family Camp in Clark Fork, Idaho. The drive began at 1:30 AM and ended at 3:15 AM. Anne slept in the backseat while Hiram drove, and I kept him awake with a steady stream of chatter and munchies. At one point, Hiram crossed the center line, not because he was falling asleep but because he wasn’t used to the rental car yet. The minute he hit the rumble strip, Anne sat bolt upright, whapped him hard on the shoulder, and shouted “Dad!” With dramatic intensity, she proclaimed “I plan to stay alive,” and fell asleep again. Disaster Three successfully averted.
The final disaster occurred this morning. I was still sleeping when Hiram went down to breakfast with the fam. He grabbed our camera and snapped a few pix to show how the hearty, flexible breakfast crew made pancakes after discovering the electricity was off. The pancakes on the grill were particularly tasty, and Disaster Four was successfully averted.
Do you know what the best thing is? We have eleven more days of family camp and travel ahead. If the past twenty-four hours is any indication, this vacation’s almost disaster capacity could be limitless. And since almost disasters are the stuff memories are made of, this vacation could trump all others. Which means we’ll get our money’s worth from this vacation and getting my money’s worth from anything is what I’m all about. Life doesn’t get much better than this!
