Detox Weekends

What’s on the iPod: Overjoyed by Bastille


So how do you recover from two weddings in two weeks, a huge rehearsal dinner, and guests to entertain?

You run away. That’s just what we did.

It was my birthday gift from my husband, and it fit like it was made for me. We cut our workday short on Friday and headed north to the Poconos. We found a great place to have dinner — The Frogtown Inn in Canadensis — and we checked in to a nice B&B for the weekend.

Funny thing about relaxing; sometimes it takes some strenuous activity to fully relax. After a good, long sleep, we woke Saturday with the thought of hiking. After breakfast, we drove a short way to the Delaware Water Gap area, and found a trail.

See, when you’re used to hiking on occasion, you often overestimate your abilities a little. We had the option of taking the easier blue trail, which we didn’t realize was found via the Appalachian Trail head we were seeing, or the demanding red trail.  We opted for red, thinking we’re both gung-ho enough to make it to the top of this mountain.

It started smallish, like the mountain here in the park that I walk up. Soon, however, it became a hike up a steep, rocky hill. Nothing worse, in my opinion, than trying to hike rocky terrain uphill. Or come down it, for that matter. Tough on the heart going up, and on the knees and ankles coming down.

Then things got hard with a capital WORSE. After the steep, rocky climb, we were suddenly looking at a steeper rock face that we had to navigate not just straight up, but also on a right-side trajectory. That took five minutes and one water break. We were home free.

Not. By then, my legs were like melting sticks of gum and my heart was pounding incessantly somewhere in my hair follicles. We were about ten minutes from our destination (we’d been climbing straight up for at least 30 minutes at this point. This is when I shouted (or whimpered — in my head I was shouting) “I’m done. I can’t. I’m stopping.”

I collapsed onto a short rock on the side of the trail. He sat on the other one, and we downed Clif Bars and I drank the rest of my water. Dangerous as it was a hot day and we were certainly sweating, but necessary. After five minutes, I stood up assuming we were going to head downhill. Nothing doing. Up we went.

It was worth it. The view was superb — I can only imagine all those mountains in full color in October (because there’s no way in hell I’m doing that climb again). We were sitting there admiring the view and sharing his water when along comes another couple and their dog. The Siberian Husky was just over a year old, and she collapsed without warning right at my feet. She panted profusely, which to me is more a sign of distress than fatigue. Her owners watered her immediately and let her rest right where she dropped. They were a bit scared, but did the right thing by letting her determine when they continued.

The trip back down was much better and took 20 minutes. Hell on the knees and ankles, but we were careful to walk in switch-back fashion where we could.

Then the commotion ahead of us stopped us. I saw a deer, which is no big deal since we have them walking through the neighborhood nearly every night, and she was as tame as they are here. However, people weren’t paying attention to her. Instead, they were watching the timber rattler take its time across the trail (and who’s to tell a rattler to get a move on?). It curled up under some underbrush, and that was our sign to keep moving. When they coil, they’re protecting themselves. Bites come next.

We spent a few minutes in the visitors center buying a new shirt, then I took that shirt to the washroom, used my old shirt as a washcloth, cleaned up and changed. There was a soccer game, and he was dying to see it.

Turns out we saw the end of it, not the beginning (he had the time wrong). We found a little bar in Stroudsburg and devoured grilled cheese and liquid until Brazil won. Then back to the B&B to change for dinner. Then home to sleep.

If only we could. I wish I could educate the masses on what B&B stays should be and how to behave in someone’s home. There were three or four couples traveling together, all celebrating their 40th birthdays, which sounds like great fun. It was — while we were trying to sleep. You might expect a loud laugh once in a while or someone talking a little loud before realizing people were sleeping. You don’t expect screeching laughter and screaming. These were people who were loud at breakfast (to the point where we couldn’t hear each other), so we should have expected it. We didn’t complain because, luckily, they shut up somewhere after midnight, or I simply fell asleep despite them.

People just don’t get it. It’s become a society of outside voices indoors, of shouting being the way to have fun, and of ignoring one’s surroundings, and of not considering anyone beyond one’s immediate circle. It’s not how I was taught, and it’s sure not how my children were taught. And it’s surprising who are the worst offenders — at my daughter’s wedding a few weeks ago, there were hotel guests who were up at all hours, shouting across the halls to each other while their kids were racing down the halls.

Yesterday we were spent. Sleepless night for him (he’d had caffeine), and not great for me (AC in my face), so we packed up and drove the long route home. I’d say we were glad to be home, but we were greeted by our trash, piled high on the curb since Thursday night, that we’d expected to have removed on Friday. That’s one trash company that’s about to be replaced. Today’s task.

I have one job to finish this morning and some research for an article assignment this afternoon, along with my usual marketing. I’m about to pump up the marketing efforts, so I’ve allotted an hour each day this week to the new efforts.

With Independence Day close at hand, work is about to dwindle as companies become summer-minded. So I’m looking into areas where work is always needed — magazines, marketing firms, etc. Where the usual gaps are there are nearly always fillers and interim work.

How was your weekend? How do you market during the summer months?