Thursday, February 19, 2009

Off.... - Dan Rodgerson

About two hours after getting my passport in the mail, I purchased a ticket to make this whole gig a reality. The cruise idea did not work. I looked at tickets to Cozumal and Cancun, called my brother to see if he could use my truck while I was gone. He was on the way to new York for my cousins wedding. I thought, hell, he is my cousin too.

Checked with Orbitz with a multi-destination fare through new York was just as cheap as the direct flight to Mexico. Salt lake to Denver. Layover. Denver to New York. Wedding on Sat and fly into cancun on Monday. Funny how weddings and funerals bring everyone together.Want to get in and out of Cancun as soon as possible. Seems like the tourist areas are so much more expensive. Hopefully get to Tulum by Monday night. Some of the goals of this trip. Avoid cities of over 10K. Try to live off $20 per day. Pack it ready. Mostly old clothes that I can shed or throw away if I packed too much. Medicines for just about everything including pain killers if a kidney stone decides to be a problem. Filers for water. Shot records, passport etc. I feel like a turtle with everything on my back.

The wedding was yesterday. My brother Scott and I walked in thinking it would be so excited to “catch-up” with all of the cousins and everyone would be so surprised to have the rocky mountain realitives there. Something felt off. After asking three of my aunts and uncles where my cousins were I was given a similar response. A strange response. Apparently, none of the cousins were invited! I quickly went from the long lost cousins coming home to reminisce with family to a wedding crasher. Couple that with an open bar for three hours and not drinking out of respect for my folks, the wedding was nearly painful. Cute couple. She was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar. That much is true. Note to self....don't show up to a wedding unless you are actually invited!I never realized how my family gatherings actually look like an episode of the Sopranos. No gift, just everyone discretely swapping envelopes. Older ladies in cheesy fur coats. Brooklyn accents attitudes and swaggers. As they raised their glasses in a toast, they all said “salud” That sealed the deal.I have a theory that people back east are about on the average two inches shorter than adults throughout the country. This therory has not real basis other than the fact that for the first time in my life I feel tall. Maybe it was just that I was at a family function and my grandmother could have been techincally classified as a midget. (I am not kidding I thnk she was three foot five....in heels) I felt like Dorothy in the wizard of oz who landed in munchkin land. (I know that I could have associated myself with one of the other characters in the story but did not know whether to pick the guy without a heart, brains or courage) Need to run around a bit today and do everything I can to get out of going to church. Hopefully four inches of snow will help.

Danny Rodgerson


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