Mini-Vacation




Vacations can come in any size as long as the goal of truly getting away from the rat race is accomplished.  I had such a vacation Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning.  Yes, it was a whirlwind trip out-of-town, but I did indeed escape the monotonous routine of work and then home.  Such an seemingly endless cycle can grind on a person till insanity sets in.  Once off work Wednesday morning, I immediately got cleaned up and packed at the apartment only to leave less than an hour later.  By Noon, I was trying to get checked in to the hotel.  (Great time considering I spent about twenty minutes at the Czech Bakery in West, Texas.)  Turns out, I couldn't claim my room, even though a reservation had been made, until 2 p.m.  This set me free to see the sites of the local community.  First on the list was the Dr. Pepper Museum.  Even though I hardly ever drink sodas anymore, Dr. Pepper is by far my favorite.  There is a lot to absorb at this gem of a place, but I mainly touched on the highlights as I could have very easily spent all day reading every bit of historical information.  Then it was off to Golden's Book Exchange.  Me in a bookstore?!  Yes, I was asking for trouble as the last thing I need is another book.  Thankfully I showed restraint.  Once out and about again, I made my way to the Texas Ranger's Museum.  Utterly fascinating!!!  Both my mother and step-father would really enjoy this place.  Information overload, to say the least!  Of course I took pictures all throughout the day.  This is another activity I could have spent all day undertaking.  To finish off the evening, I stopped off at a local coffee shop called Common Grounds.  What an awesome and inviting place!  As soon as I set foot inside, I was instantaneously reminded of the Spider House in Austin, Texas.  (It had that kind of vibe as both coffee houses are situated near a college campus.)  The time spent enjoying the ambiance included a Red Eye (coffee with an espresso shot) and a phone conversation with dear ol' Mom.  The whole day was like a kid in a candy store.  On Thursday, I spent part of the morning with a friend in the neighboring community of Cameron.  I hadn't seen this guy in roughly a year, and we both enjoyed the time of fellowship smoking on his back porch.  At some point, he did need to head in to the office and I wanted to make my way back to the D/FW Metroplex.  I must get away more often as my overall demeanor and psyche were both soaring with the eagles.  Anyway, I am now back to reality in Fort Worth.  The question is, what shall I do for my two days off next week?  Any suggestions?!


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