Great Escapes

By Al Horn

For some, escaping the everyday routine is just a matter of going out their front door, jumping in their car and driving off to some new destination. For others, there is a certain amount of planning involved. Luck can also be involved. In my case, luck is usually a huge factor.

One of the neighbors in our cul-de-sac is a single man a few years younger than myself. Like the other men of the court I assume he has certain obligations in regards to his personal finances and maintenance for his home. Although we are on a first name basis, I can't say I know everything about him. Still, from my standpoint, it would appear that all he would have to do is ask for the time off at work then jump in his car and go.

The rest of the guys in the court have spouses, children, and in some cases, pets to consider in how their time is rationed. Breaking routine can be a little harder to do on a moments notice. I once managed to grab one of those guys and the single man for a little golf outing. All in the name of fostering good relations with our new neighbors I had told the Barmaid. Events have conspired to prevent another meeting of the local boys club.

I wish I could blame the wives but it just wouldn't be true. The Barmaid has encouraged me to try to set up similar social activities. The very best we were able to accomplish was to gather in the court on a few warm evenings with cold beverages in hand and discuss various landscaping projects we had planned. Despite the fact most of these projects had been inspired by our spouses we all agreed that they would enhance the look of our court as well as our property values. It's hard to argue with constructive construction. Of course, any gathering of men wouldn't be complete without discussing kids and recent acquisitions of power tools.

The two neighbors to our left have young children like we have. When my daughter shows up with the other two grandchildren then we have every age represented from six down to the one family's newborn. The other neighbor has teenagers that have been helpful for babysitting on short notice.

When it comes to power tools, I am thankful my fellow property owners merely want to hang with the Jones' not try to keep up with them. We have all bought different tools since moving into our houses and not much in the way of one-ups-man-ship has taken place. Several times I expressed an interest in a tool someone had bought and had been told not to buy one, just come borrow theirs. I have made similar offers.

Eventually talk turns to getting together for some manly activities; golf, hunting, or racing. At best, two of us might be able to find coinciding dates to meet but that doesn't accomplish the idea of a group gathering. Recently we noticed it was getting harder to find time for our own personal activities. After comparing notes I think we all had a few ideas for breaking the normal flow of our lives.

I am currently engaging one of those ideas. I must admit that a stolen moment can be very sweet...

Darn... it looks like the Barmaid and the grandkids have discovered my hiding place in the attic. Oh, well. If it hadn't been them I'm sure it would have been the battery in this laptop that would have returned me reality. I wonder if it was the eight-foot ladder that tipped them off?