Time to get out of town again – End of the Day for April 10. 2014

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I am feeling that familiar feeling again. It is time to get out of town for a while or I risk blowing a mental gasket. Despite having lived in Los Angeles for almost 28 years, I am still a small town boy at heart (New London, Ohio – Pop. 2000 or so) Most days I can deal with the big city, but over time it starts to wear on my nerves. I often din’t notice it much until I have a day like to today — filled with little annoyances, troubles and — in the case the the city streets — outright danger. By the time I made it home I was ready for some major detox time and a small (ok, large) cocktail. It has taken me most of the night get my mind back again, but it is also a clear sign I need to blow this town for something smaller and quieter.

To be clear, I know I couldn’t possibly live in a small town anymore. I’ve gotten too used to having access to nearly everything, but I could easily spend a few weeks somewhere else. There was a time, back when Rosanne was writing for television, when we flirted with the idea of buying a house in Idyllwild in the San Jacinto Mountains. It is at times like this that I regret we never made that happen. In 2 hours I could be back in a small town, high in the cool mountains and get a chance to recharge to face the good fight again.

Sedona Trip

Douglas and Joseph in Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona, Arizona

Our schedules don’t allow any escape during the school year, so I am already planning for some “away time” this Summer. We haven’y been up 395 in a while so I am thinking a trip to Mammoth Mountain, Mono Lake, and Bodie Ghost Town might be in order. There are a couple of other fun sites in that area that we haven’t seen on previous visits so it seems like a good chance to do a bit of old and new. I was joking with Joseph earlier that it might be a good time to get in some driving practice if he gets his permit before we go. There are some lonely roads out there that would be perfect for a little low stress driving.

So, I bide my time and try to block out the city for a little while each day. It can be really difficult, but for my own self preservation I need to try. It is definitely time to get back out into our local mountains, at least, and spend some time walking and hearing the gravel crunch under my feet instead of the cars on the freeway.

  

Previously on End of the Day:

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