Lori's Stories: Extended vacation.

Every year we take an extended vacation of more than a week , planning every single day in detail on a "grid" so we don't forget to have fun or miss something we wanted to do. (This is Mr. Man's rule). I am more of the free spirit. If I know there's a place to sleep that's safe at the end of the day with indoor plumbing, that's pretty much all I require. Otherwise, my plans are flexible and I like to find the fun spontaneously. This year, we're taking a road trip.

It seems as if there's a lot of prep for leaving the house. Rules and directions cleaning and such. I don't want to have the house sitters or pet care givers choking on dust or fur. I clean out the fridge, leaving only the jams , olives and condiments. The refrigerator shelves are usually packed full of tasty tid- bits for our meals and snacks, but as the shelves are cleared and the food eaten, Mr. Man begins to panic about what his dinners are going to consist of . . . especially when we're down to frozen mystery meat and various canned goods of random sauces and soups.

Out of the 4 shelves in the fridge, We are down to 1 with actual edible food and a drawer of soft cheeses. The game begins -to create a meal that can be digested and presentable . (Mr. Man is picky despite his protests to the contrary and likes "attractively arranged" platters of food for dinner. He voices his concern that we have no bread, meats, "good" veges, fruits or "fun snacks" and the fridge is looking far too empty. We're down to half a bottle of white wine, a gallon container of pickle relish, some questionable onions, and a tub of marinated mozzarella balls . The beer is nearly gone. Only 6 pints of IPA left, so the rationing has to be carefully calculated. . until our departure date.

The fridge clean out is a great opportunity to start our new diet plan and refilling it only with the last resort foods because they're good for you stuff. Maybe that's why Mr. Man is anxious about the empty fridge shelves. Good eating habits are only a vacation away!