When the Jimmy Buffett tune came across the radio…

I was immediately filled with a combination of jealousy and sadness.

My husband’s vacation was just a few days away and we had no plans.

I mean none other than work in the garage and scrape and paint the deck.  (yay!)

Every other summer we try to plan a “beach vacation” and this was that summer.

For months, I’ve endured everyone’s Facebook vacation pictures while longing for the beach.

(Insert dramatic sigh!)

But…being practical people, this summer, we’d opted for a “Garage Make-Over” instead.

Don’t get me wrong… I love our new garage.  (another post for another day)

I just love the beach too.

Truth is…  I have a teen-ager.

The thought of him being stuck with two boring parents away from his friends,

his music and games for a whole week sounded like torture to him.

He was not interested in the least.

I know we should of made him go.

But… I wasn’t sure that I wanted to spend all that money to take a sulky teen.

So, we opted for practical instead.

But… when I heard the song on the radio, it reminded me of our favorite Mini Golf place

the one on Myrtle Beach where they play nothing but Jimmy Buffett songs.

I told my husband when I got home, and…being the good man that he is…

he checked for last minute cheap airfare and hotels.  (what a guy!)

But… practicality won out again and we decided for something closer.

A trip to Lake of the Ozarks.  (romantic I know)

When we opened the door to our room, on the Marina, we were struck by the amazing view.

Our son, who’d refused to bring his swim trunks was now having second thoughts.

Seriously, you could fish off the patio.  (Which he immediately did.)

Neither one of the guys had been in a cave before.  So we did that.

The real highlight of the trip was when we rented the boat and took it out on the lake.

Driving a boat for the first time, girls waving from the other boats, actually brought a smile

to his face.  I didn’t catch it on camera, but it was definitely there.

It was a great trip, a great memory and I’m so glad we went even if it was for just a few days.