Funny how these things happen.

Ten years ago, I was the one doing the travelling on business. In sales, I
was the one tapped to attend many a convention, which meant doing the 5-day
stay in several nice cities around the U.S. (and several not-so-nice ones).
Since I changed jobs, my phone is blissfully silent and I rarely have to
pack a bag. Now it's my wife's turn.

While most of my road trips were within the U.S. and Canada, she has to jet
around the globe - from Argentina to Colombia, to all of the great cities in
Europe. She gets to go to Florida in January or Sweden in the summer. At the
moment, she's in Seattle, and, at her request, I'm joining her there this
weekend.

Sometime late last year, she REALLY asked me to join her in Phoenix later
this month. She knows I'd rather sit in my La-Z-Boy and watch Law & Order
reruns, but when I "politely declined" (something like, "Hell, no!"), she
got that hurt sound in her voice that turns me to Jell-o. She also dangled
the option of renting a Mustang convertible and driving up to Sedona, and I
jumped at it. Once I agreed to the Phoenix trip, she threw Seattle at me,
too. Now... Phoenix at the end of April sounds great (and I've never been to
Arizona), but Seattle this weekend?!? Yuck. I've scheduled a couple of extra
days off afterward, to get over it.

Now, there are two -and only two- things I'm really counting on in Phoenix.
One is that Mustang. Although I know it's probably (definitely) a 6-cylinder
model, it'll be my first experience driving the new Mustang. I fear that
when I arrive I'll be told that there are no Mustangs available, and I'll be
offered an "upgrade" to either a Chrysler PT Cruiser or a pickup truck.

The other thing I'm REALLY looking forward to is having dinner at a Marie
Callander restaurant. I've been hooked on their frozen dinners for years,
and I think they're the best on the market (although WHY the fixation with
broccoli, I'll never understand). I surely do hope that their "live" meals
are even better than the microwaved versions. (Or maybe they're one and the
same...?)

A Mustang and Marie's. That would be a successful trip.

Here's the other funny thing.

When I was travelling, my wife felt a bit sorry for me. It's no fun being
taken away from house and home to work far away, usually including weekends.
I made a mistake and offered to take her with me on one trip to New Orleans.

What she saw was that I stayed at great hotels in great cities, eating great
meals. She didn't see me working, since she was out exploring New Orleans
and the French Quarter, while I was. After that trip, she never felt sorry
for me again.

Now that SHE's travelling, it is, of course, a different story. Oh, it's all
work work work, and -sure- she gets to stay at nice hotels, waited on hand
and foot, but it's SUCH a grind... The only thing to look forward to is
getting home, dropping the bags, and getting back to comfy clothes.

Work sucks.

dwight