When Bob began planning a weekend getaway, I responded with my usual support. Oh the cost, the travel, the summer is my favorite time of year at home, I bitched. Talk to me in February when I can’t remember why we live in Chicago, I moaned. But in that we are headed into his busy season at work and six day work weeks will become the rule and not the exception, I acquiesced. That and he was starting to get uncharacteristically crabby and there is only room in this marriage for one crab.
We had heard good things about Saugatuck, Michigan and the two and a half hour drive seemed manageable for a weekend trip. Bags were packed, beach chairs were purchased and the car was loaded up for our road trip leaving Friday afternoon. About four hours into the two and half hour drive with a very cranky pilot, I the copilot, realized that I had forgotten my iPhone charger. Despite my best efforts, I grew sullen. I could live without my iPhone for one weekend; I just didn’t want to have to. And contrary to Bob’s accusation of Twitter dependence, it is just a really handy device for things like getting directions and finding points of interest. I explained all this as I tried to locate a convenient Best Buy store on his Blackberry with no luck. And just as I was moving from sullen to despondent, like a mirage in the desert, there appeared on the horizon a giant blue sign with a big yellow tag on it: Best Buy. One charger, a bathroom break and a fine dinner at the golden arches later we were back on the road. We reached our destination literally minutes before the hotel desk closed for the evening.
Bob chose a hotel with a pool. Visions of relaxing poolside while being served refreshing cocktails danced in his head. Those visions were shattered as we left our room Saturday morning and were greeted with calls of “Marco?” and “POLO”. The pool was monopolized by goggle wearing swim wing flapping children afloat pool noodles engaged in a game in which there were clearly points for volume. “So we’ll be going to the beach, then?” I asked as we passed the chaos. He nodded.
As we took the way-cute chain ferry across the Kalamazoo River, I snapped a picture of a happy family of ducks. As I did I noticed the flashing battery indicator and immediately recognized that I had not packed the charger. The weather was not beachy on Saturday and so after some breakfast and shopping (and inquiring after camera battery chargers) we were off on our second pilgrimage to the holy land for the technology dependent. This time we went to the one in Holland, Michigan where the fake windmills prompted Bob to ask if the real ones are used for making cheese or shoes. The verdict on Michigan’s Best Buy stores: they have very helpful sales associates and clean rest rooms. The verdict on Bob: he is a bit blond, but but he’s cute.
Sunday we were determined to spend some time at the beach regardless of the weather. What began like this:
ended like this:
We relaxed, ate our weight in homemade full fat ice cream, loaded up with white chocolate covered Oreos for home and called it a weekend: an excellent weekend for us and Michigan’s economy.