Dem's Da Berries

I was SO looking forward to my vacation.

Four days in the famed Niagara Falls region, with visits planned to both the U.S. and Canadian experiences.

Seven days on serene Lake George. Kayaking, boating, hiking, caving, relaxing.

Three days on the sea shore in Gloucester, exploring the quaint fishing village.

The best laid plans...

Sigh.

My two-week vacation got shortened to just three days:

Day 1: Drive 7+ hours to Grand Island, just minutes from Niagara Falls

Day 2: Visit Niagara Falls in the morning. Discover that our A/C has failed in the afternoon.

Day 3: Drive 7+ hours to get home.

Quite a vacation, right?

This is one of the disadvantages of vacationing in our RV. When things go wrong, it's not always quick or easy to get them fixed. With outside temps in the 80s and 90s, that makes for indoor temps that are over 100 in our under-insulated tin-can home on wheels. I know people who would have been OK with that, but I'm not one of them.

Getting RVs fixed is tricky right now. RV repair shops are swamped due to the explosion in RV sales over the last few years. I called around. The soonest I can get an appointment is mid September.

So that's it for vacation.

Once we arrived home, I was contemplating going straight back to work, or trying to scrape together some staycation plans when I got hit with a cold. Now, when most people get a cold, they feel lousy for two or three days, then they're right back in business. I used to be like that. Man, I miss those days. I'm not like that anymore. When I get a cold, it's good for two or three weeks of misery, a trip to the doctor, and a prescription for steroids to fight bronchitis.

So I'll spend the rest of my vacation fighting this cold, trying not to let it take up residence in my lungs.

Wanna join my pity party?? It'll be fun, I promise. They'll be music and dancing and Doritos.

I'm lying. It won't be fun. There won't even be Doritos. Don't come. Worst party ever!

If you've ever played the board game Outburst, you may be familiar with the phrase:

Dem's Da Berries

Or maybe you're not familiar with it. Depends on if you're the type to read the rules or not.

If you cared to read the rules, you'd find that there is a disclaimer there that says the the game is not fair, and you'll certainly be ticked off at some point by the answers listed on the cards, or by those that are not listed. According to the rules, that's too bad. You've got no recourse to complain, you just have to accept that it's not always exactly what you'd want it to be.

That thought is succinctly summed up with the phrase "Dem's Da Berries".

Which, of course, is the only answer to my disappointment at my lost vacation. I had high expectations. My plans fell apart. Dem's Da Berries.

Or, as my kids' marching band director used to say, "Suck it up, Cupcake".

So here I am, trying to suck it up. Trying not to wallow. Searching for a silver lining.

One silver lining: I would have gotten sick weather we came home or not, so my vacation plans were going to be seriously altered either way. At least this way, I saved some money.

Also, being sick in an RV causes the walls to close in very quickly. Being sick in a house is the better experience, by far.

So there you go. Silver linings. Very small ones, but still.

And one significant thing to note: that 1/2 day I spent at Niagara Falls was absolutely amazing.

Seeing the power of the Niagara River, live and in person, was indescribable. The sheer natural beauty of the U.S. state park is stunning. The Maid of the Mist boat ride was one of the best tourist attractions I've ever experienced. Look for a separate post on that shortly, along with photos.

Final thought on the subject: Niagara Falls isn't going anywhere. I'm not ready to cross this one off my bucket list yet. When the time is right, which'll be either when the weather cools down or when the A/C is fixed, I'll make a second attempt. For now, I'm just mentally putting my vacation on hold. I'll keep my finger poised over the "Resume" button until better days.

Thanks for listening to my whining!

Kimba

About the Author

Kimberlee Martin is a free-lance writer with a background in software development. In addition to the miscellaneous musings she posts here, she writes a technical blog on Microsoft Access and Excel at www.northportsolutionsllc.com.

Kim can be reached at kimba1228@gmail.com.

© Kimberlee Martin, 2023. All rights reserved.