back to life...back to reality

we're back from the smoky mountains. it is so gorgeous up there that i do forget about reality for a while. we got in pretty late last night - around 11pm. we got stuck in traffic because of a horrid-looking accident that shut down the entire freeway. we sat there for about 30 minutes and i was getting annoyed. then i felt bad about being annoyed because i would bet you money that someone had either been killed or seriously hurt - and all i could think about was how inconvenienced i was. human nature, i guess.

so what did we do on the trip? we went to the aquarium on the day it was 40 degrees and raining. then the weather greatly improved, so we went to ober gatlinburg, hiking to a waterfall, drove up to clingman's dome (where there was still a lot of snow), slept, relaxed in the hot tub and ate, ate, ate! it was very nice, but not as nice as it could have been. our traveling companions have now been dubbed "king, queen and prince high of the land of maintenance." let me tell you why.

king high has obsessive-compulsive disorder. we knew this going in, so it was our bad to make plans with them. he wanted to plan out every minute of the trip. the captain and i tend to be "wherever the wind takes us" kind of travelers. fortunately, the king is good natured and takes ribbing well when i call him "monk." so, we felt like we had to walk on eggshells when we changed our plans to go on a hike instead of going to the indian reservation and when blowing off the dinner show. queen high is currently pregnant, so she has a bit of an excuse. generally, she is not that obsessive about much...except food. she kept asking the waiters stuff like "is your lemonade made from powder?" we hid behind our menus. prince high has inherited his odd little rituals from his father. he has to have things organized in a particular way - and he is only six! it was humorous for us to watch them. king high had the bed made 5 minutes after he and his wife got up for the day. we hardly ever make our bed anyway, so we were certainly not making it while on vacation! the king spent most of his "down time" calling places, organizing things, and planning. i feel a little sorry for him. as someone who's suffered from anxiety most of my life, i know how uncomfortable it can be. i guess all the planning, etc. makes him feel a little more in control of things.

so, we're back - the captain went into work today and i shall see clients tomorrow and friday. punkin had a great time but is ready to go back to school. so...i feel pretty refreshed, but a little annoyed that my relaxation time was not as good as it could have been. it's hard to doze in bed when your travel companion is saying very loudly right outside your bedroom door, "we'd better get going soon or we'll never make it!" just go, man. just go.