I'm so TIRED

Guys, I know, I know...

I just had a happy, cheerful post a few weeks ago, but I gotta be Debbie Downer again...

I am just so tired... 

2023 started out well. Finished Celebration Half-Marathon (though there were some issues that weekend). Finished Gasparilla 15k and 8k. But everything kinda went downhill from there. 

Hubby hurt himself at Aquatica. 

I DNF'd at Gate River Run. 

Our refrigerator died. 

Our water lines needed replacement. 

Our sink drain pipes needed replacement. 

I had to take care of Steve the Cyst.

Hubby had appendicitis and appendectomy.

I had to have my Epidermoid Cyst completely removed. 

I had to have a precancerous mole removed. 

I got a nail in my tire and had to drop $250 on a new tire. 

And, AND...

Just last week, we had to have a tech come out and fix our AC (that is less than 10 years old). 

I know that the Lord only gives us what He knows we can handle, but Lord... please, I beg of you... can you give me some breathing room? 

I'm broke. I'm tired. 

I just want to simply exist for a while. 

We're Gonna FLY!

How about a happy post? I've been quite the Debbie Downer this year, and I need something happy to look forward to!

We're gonna FLY!!

Okay, let me back up...

Like many people, Hubby is afraid of flying. He's almost 50, hasn't been on a plane since he was a tiny kiddo. Me, the last time I flew was as a teenager in 1993, when we went from Florida to NYC. I remember liking flying, though I'm sure flying in 1993 was a lot different than it will be now!

Anyway, last year, when The Kiddo came to visit for Christmas, she flew home from Wisconsin. She, similar to her father, has a fear of heights, so flying had always been out of the question for either of these humans. I'd resigned myself to never being able to vacation anywhere where we had to fly to get there. Well, I guess Hubby felt a little... I dunno, intimidated isn't the word, but I can't find what I'm trying to say... Kind of "Hell, if she can do it, I can do it too!" 

Now, why is this important? Well, there's a little event happening next spring, across the country, from Texas to Vermont. A Total Solar Eclipse, in April 2024. There's an Annular Solar Eclipse in October 2023, but from what I'm reading, a Total is the best kind because it gives you this cool white light around the sun that you can see without glasses on. Oh yeah, that's what I want to see.. and try to photograph! 

2017 Total Solar Eclipse (via NASA)

But all the places to see it are more than a day's drive away, and some of the best places to see it are even further than that. So with Hubby's newfound bravery, we've decided that we're going to fly somewhere to view this eclipse!! 

Right now, I'm thinking either the Austin, Texas area, or the Poplar Bluff, Missouri area. Both are big city areas near large airports, that will give us plenty of options for VRBO/AirBnBs to book. They're near a lot of areas we want to visit. It's really a decision of if we want 'desert' (yes, I know Austin isn't desert), or 'mountains.'

We'll kick around ideas, see what other things we want to do, see what types of VRBOs are available, and what we can afford. 

No matter what, though, we're getting on an airplane and FLYING somewhere!!! 

Anybody know how to book a flight on TransAmerican?