Reprieve from the Rat Race

On Saturday, May 17, I took off out onto the open road once the shift relief showed up at work.  Surprisingly, I was wide awake and alert for the drive.  I had been up since three o'clock that morning and had a concern about being able to safely drive to Yoakum.  Even after a few stops to visit and take pictures of historical sites, I arrived at Mom's house around 5:30 p.m.  We visited a short while before heading to bed.  I was exhausted!  Our next four days of vacation in Corpus Christi would provide an exhaustingly good time as well.  The time spent was a whirlwind of activity from almost the time we woke up till we arrived back at the hotel.  Honestly, I don't remember the last time I was in the area.  May have been over forty years since I've been on this section of the Texas coast.  We had a blast!  We did all the touristy type stuff: Art Museum of South Texas, Museum of Science and History, Texas State Aquarium, U.S.S. Lexington, Bayfront Park and the seawall, Spohn Park, South Texas Walk of Fame, and so much more.  It was the good kind of exhausted at the end of each day.  Our last hurrah was to visit two cemeteries where distant kinfolk are buried.  I found each and every headstone on my list, with some help from the staff.  We ate lunch in Goliad before arriving back in Yoakum on Wednesday.  After taking a day of rest on Thursday, I'm about to head back to North Texas.  I will spend a portion of the day in Waco.  There are a few sights I would like to visit: The Mammoth National Monument, and the Sculpture Park, to name a few.  The weeklong vacation has been a great reprieve from the routine of life in Fort Worth.  Now I can head back very refreshed and ready to take on life.  I encourage everyone to take time away from the humdrum of life for one's own mental health.  What are your plans for the summer?

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