Day 54

Rocking the Man Cycle.

No, this post isn't about my newly acquired bicycle, which by the way arrived this day and is more than I would have hoped for.  This post is for the fairer sex.  Ladies, let's be honest here, there is at least one week a month when getting along with your spouse is next to impossible, right?  He of course is quick to blame this marital strife on your biology, am I right?  The truth of the matter is, I am a firm believer that he may well be the one to blame.  Believe it or not, we too have a monthly visitor and are sympathetic to your plight at least on some level.  I call it the "man cycle" and I believe I am currently on mine.   Keep a close eye on your man this month and you will see I am telling you the truth.  What to watch for?  Irritability, poor complextion, and a general lack of enthusiasm for life as a whole.  We get bloated, retain water and have lowered self esteem as well.  Sound familiar?  So, next time he tries to blame you for marital distress, simply dismiss it as a byproduct of his "man cycle".

My man cycle has hit me particularly hard this month and my face it pitted like a 13 year old boy.  None of my clothes fit right and I find very few things terribly humorous which has probably colored the content of my posts for the week.  I apologize for this fact and promise things will liven up a bit more once my hormones stabilize.  We have a big weekend planned, so the mis-adventures will continue in short order.  We are going to do a bit of traveling over the next few weeks whenever we can squeeze it in to mom's busy work schedule.  This weekend we are planning a short trip to the Pyrenees and the Basque coast.  Then in the following weeks we will be traveling to Barcelona for a week or so.  The problem with both of these locals is that the language changes again and not necessarily for the better.  I am actually quite proficient in Spanish and one would think that this would serve me well in the upcoming travel destinations.  This is not the case as the folks in southwest France and northern Spain speak Basque which I understand is virtually impossible to decode.  Barcelona will be no better as the prevelent language there is Catalan.  Fortunately these are tourist hotbeds, so I trust my English will see me through.

The day was uneventful for the most part as I spent most of the day waiting around the house for my bicycle to be delivered.  It came in a big ass box and my youngest wanted to know what Santa had brought.  The bicycle came 90 percent complete and with the exception of a few minor tweaks was ready to ride in moments.  One small problem, when airing the back tire, I pinched the tube which will now require a trip to the local sporting goods store for some bike tools and a replacement tube.  That isn't all bad because I really love that store.  We also need to pick up an icebox for our weekend trip.  This is as good a time as any to describe one of the newly realized differences in our cultures.  They really do take their time off quite seriously here.  There are no working holidays.  They work long hours, but when it is time for family, it is time for family and work will not be thought of or spoken of.  This is quite different from the US where an executive is expected to always be on the clock and even though it is permitted, we often do not take all of our vacation for fear of either the massive amount of work we will have to catch up on upon our return or the view from our superiors that we do not take our job seriously enough.  They do not have this pressure here and it is expected that you take your time off and enjoy it without worry for your job.  The do have this concept figured out, but how they spend it is a bit confusing.

They will take 2 or 3 weeks off at a time without concern, and that is a good thing, but the way they often spend it seems less than fullfilling.  See, I am a camping guy.  I love the outdoors and my pappy has trained me well in all matters of the wilderness.  To be honest I think I could likely teach Bear Grylls a thing or two.  Their idea of camping is a bit different.  They camp in campgrounds, not that this is uncommon in the states, but they do so in either caravan, preset tents, or mobile homes . . . that's right, mobile homes.  Now I have lived in a mobile home for a fair period of my life and despite the rustic nature of my particular 1970 model single wide, I wouldn't necessarily call this "camping".  It had the feel of an Appalacian mountain retreat with fake wood paneling and flying critters upon you the moment you leave the door (junebugs . . . don't ask), but still I would not call this campting.  If I wanted to stay in a house, I would stay in my own.  I know what you are thinking, how is a hotel any different?  The difference is that I only sleep at the hotel and in fact spend most of my time away from it.  These folks seem to travel to these magnificent destinations and then hang out at the camper of the mobile home.  They set up shop and stay in the campground for the duration.  Now the campgrounds do offer all the amenities you can imagine, but ultimately I ask where is the adventure in it all?

I am certain that there are more earthy alternatives, and will be keeping a keen eye on the roadside for such opportunities.  I will keep a journal of all the best spots for those travelers like minded as I that would like to hit the road less traveled.  That is all I have for now, so stay tuned for a weekend or adventure.  I will take my computer with me and if desperate, I can certainly stop into a "campground" and use their wifi connection.