Knackered Anticipates a Three Hour Tour with Benzos

   Hey there, Knackered here.  ‘Gilligan’s Island’ was a popular sitcom that started in 1964 and ran for 98 episodes until 1967.  I’m sure that it still exists in syndication somewhere on Earth TV.  The show, of course portrays the comedic struggles of a cast off group of vacationers who are stranded on an unnamed island somewhere in the Pacific.  The venture started out as the infamous ‘Three Hour Tour’ that left them shipwrecked and stranded for the duration.

   Although the lyrics of the opening ballad, ‘A Three Hour Tour’, may have disappeared from the airways, it still lives on in contemporary vernacular. People still use the term to refer to any venture where participants start out with great plans and good intentions, soon to find everything in a state of chaos.  

  In just 43 hours, Knackered and the entire Knackered family are to depart for an island destination where we will have what has become the annual summer reunion.

  Although carefully and thoughtfully planned, Knackered has taken little part in the preparations, and even less in the enthusiasm surrounding it all.

Most of that is due to the fact that he currently is surfing what has quickly become the ‘wave from hell.’  

   This, of course, was not planned, not wanted and certainly not anticipated.  Nevertheless, it’s all happening at exactly the wrong time, to the wrong person, for reasons unknown.  

   Pleas of mercy and requests to remain home with the home guard dog in order to secure the Knackered household over the fourth of July have fallen on deaf ears.  He’s expected to plant himself in the family auto Sunday AM, and drive.  The driving ‘till I die’ is his idea.  At this point, any type of distraction is needed to just get through the initial journey to the destination.  

   There are many wonderful places with endless ‘take out’ venues and even a beach or two within an hour’s driving distance of our home. But, our travels plans, providing  everyone is willing to stop while I run in for another rest stop wee are some six hours, plus a good hour long ferry ride to the north.  

   Once there, there will be a holiday parade, fireworks-both private and public, yard games and evening sunset viewing.  All this sounds like great fun for the lot of us.  

   While all this is going on, I promise to engage when possible(?), and maintain my cardio workouts while running back and forth from the bedroom to the bathroom. It should end on the return date, just after the celebration of the US independence day. 

   The only advice I was able to sort out from the resources I have on hand are from a book on my shelf, “The Tao Te Ching” by Lao-tzu.  An ancient Chinese philosopher, his traveling advice is as follows:  “A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.”  Sounds good, right?  Actually it’s a set up for a modern day ‘Three Hour Tour.’