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Time to breathe
It was late on Sunday night and early Monday morning that we watched the Perseid meteor showers, which put on a free show every August for those who can stay awake long enough. Susan and I and Jackie and Howard took in the display of nature. The feeling of not having to hurry because I didn't have to get up early Monday morning for a long day at work came into play, because I was on vacation. I spent all but two days and one night of this week's hiatus at home, a rarity for us because we usually like to travel and see something new.I had that same feeling all week. It must be how retired people feel who don't find too many volunteer activities to take up their time. Going swimming Friday evening was very relaxing and peaceful. It is so nice to sometimes be able to slow down and not worry about how long I can spare for this activity or that project. I even had this same sense of peace when I played golf with my dad. It was my second golf game this year, about twice the normal number for a year. My dad, who will turn 83 in a couple of weeks, is an avid golfer. He plays twice a week whether he wants to or not - but he always wants to. I played fairly good for me but my dad beat me by 18 strokes. He regularly shoots in the 80s. My dream is to one day break 100. Our one trip was to Atlanta. We went to the Georgia Aquarium and a concert at Chastain Park on Thursday and the World of Coca Cola and an Atlanta Braves game on Friday. Thursday night, we stayed at the posh Grand Hyatt Atlanta on Peachtree Road in Buckhead. It features a 30-foot cascading waterfall indoors. With Susan's state employee discount, we got about half off of the normal price for a room. I knew there was a reason I married that woman. However, they weren't willing to give us a break on the food. After my eyes popped out at the prices on the breakfast menu I didn't even bother to look at the dinner prices. A pot of coffee was $11. Oatmeal was $7, pancakes $12, grits $14 and two eggs $14. For $14 I could buy seven cartons of eggs at the grocery store or 84 eggs. Of course I would have to cook them myself. We ate supper at the Cheesecake Factory, a nice restaurant. When we drove into the small parking lot in back of the restaurant, a couple of men rushed the car. I didn't have time to roll the windows up or reach for a stick to defend ourselves. The men demanded our car keys. It was valet parking. They got the keys and we saved about 15 yards of walking. Of course, that was 15 yards each way. But I still felt compelled to tip the guy. He looked kind of menacing. Friday morning we ate breakfast at I-Hop. I had pancakes, eggs, toast, sausage and coffee. It cost $5.50. I figure the same breakfast at my hotel would have set me back about $57. For that difference in price, I could stand the atmosphere at I-Hop, clanging dishing and barking waitresses included. Besides, breakfast has never been a romantic meal for me, at least not until after some coffee.
Next week, I'll relate our adventures at the four varied entertainment sites we visited.
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