A family's plan to camp in Yellowstone National Park |
Contest Entry “Best Made Plans” We had planned and made our reservations last January. We were taking our trailer to Yellowstone National Park, starting tomorrow morning at 6 AM. All the planning and the organizing would soon pay off! Jodie, my 16-year old, yelled out, “Everything is packed, Mom!” “Do you have everything, including your clothes? Did you check with your brother? “Yes. Good grief, Mom. Give me some credit!” Brad, my only begotten son, worried me. He was very undependable. Only a few things were required from him, namely the dog and himself. Now John, my husband, was an “organized ace.” He had made the reservations, checked the tires, filled the gas, water and loaded the heavy things. Me? I had spent days cleaning, shopping and planning meals. A pizza was delivered and it arrived cold. Complaining that no one does anything right these days, John shook his head. It grew late. We said our “good nights” and headed off to bed. The morning came too soon. John loaded the cooler, raised the thermostat, and grabbed his cell phone and the reservations. We were in the SUV waiting, before John reached the truck. Handing the reservations over to me, John looked us over with a happy grin and said, “Did everybody do what they were supposed to? Did you remember our dog, Brad?” Earphones on, Brad never heard a thing. Jodie rolled her eyes, pointing to the far back seat. Shelby, our dog sat attentively, waiting patiently. “Okay, we’re off!” We were about two hours out when I finally read our reservations. “Oh, my God. This can’t be happening!” I shoved the paper under John’s nose. It read June 23, 2009. Today was July 23, 2009 . My “organized ace” vomited all over the car….and me. Word Count: 295, counting title. . |