As my wife would say, "I am just like my Dad". Its true, I admit it. I am my father's son. Now, like most things in life this has both advantages and drawbacks. An advantage is that I have inherited an unique ability to be able to find a way to put an expansive amount of items into little oh so tiny areas. Yes, the ability to pack tightly has benefited on many a camping trip or holiday. The drawback is I have also inherited an obsessive need to break out the tape measure and level, every time I have to hang a picture on a wall. For some reason it is deathly important to me that every picture is hanging PERFECTLY square and level.
Today, I learned I have succumbed to yet another of my Fathers idiosyncrasies. I remember laughing at my Father's "geekiness" a while back, when he was planning his New York vacation. He had a compulsive need to organize everything so neatly, that he made a vacation binder with every activity, location, hotel and pee break carefully and logically planned out.
I'm not laughing anymore.
Today, I made a vacation binder for our trip to Los Angeles. Initially I rationalized it was just a place to keep our airline ticket confirmation and hotel info. As hard as I tried not too, I found myself adding to my binder...Universal Studios tickets, don't want to lose those, into the binder. Tickets to Six Flags Magic Mountain? Into the binder! Guess where the car rental info is? You got it! Maps? You better believe it. Maps from map quest for every possible driving scenario. Hotel to Long Beach, Ca? Got it. Santa Monica Pier to Rodeo Drive? Yep. Rodeo Drive to Grauman's Chinese Theater? Oh yeah.
The madness didn't stop there either. What about getting back? I mean I don't want to chance trying to reverse the all these directions mentally on the fly...no, I better print out the reverse routes too. The madness has taken over. I am no longer in control. This is no longer just a place to keep track of receipts and ticket stubs. It has even surpassed the title of a mere "Vacation Binder", no this has become the "Vacation Bible".
It wasn't even enough just to put all of these items into the binder. No, by this time I was in too deep. Every page had to be in one of those clear plastic "pocket protectors". The maps? Every single one organized back to front so both pages are clearly visible and of course, listed in chronological order.
Even now, as I type, I am fighting off the urge to open photo shop and start working on a really cool title page for the bible. This is a fight I almost certainly will lose. I have to do it, the binder will not seem near as absolute or as perfect with out a neat title page, complete with names and dates of the trip.
What can I say? I am my Father's son.
I blame you Dad!
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4 comments:
You know what they say Justin, Resistence is Futile.. You have been assimilated by YOUR FADDA.. Sigh, you had such potential, you almost got away, but no, you had to pick up a binder. There can be worse things though. Not to knock our trip to New York the binder came in very, very handy and we used it lots.. So, in the end it's not all that bad..you will be surprised at it's usefullness. so i say.. Go ahead.. Make the title page.. it's a good memory.
Well, what do you know? What to some might seem insane or inane sometimes is not so. Perhaps I feel like I am beginning to be understood. The only thing that will make it complete, however, is when people in the family finally learn how to load the dishwasher, there is the right way [my way] and then there are the other ways.
There are mutiple places for cutlery, but that does not mean you put large forks, small forks, large spoons, steak knives, etc. into a massive conflagration. They need to be separated, be with their own kind, it helps them get clean you know -- and it saves a whole lot of time when you unload the dishwasher.
A travel binder is one thing, and it is a GOOD THING, but take that talent and appply it to the dishwasher and then you can conquer the world.
You still have a few things to learn Justin -- but you are closer today than you were last week. Congratualtions!
The DAD Guy.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! This is one of the funniest things I have ever read. It is sooooo true!!!!!!!
Hmmm, a trip binder. What a fabulous idea! This is the best idea you've had since "you should ask out my sister!"
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