Sunday, June 11, 2006

Travel Destination: Mills Park





No, Mills Park is not a resort destination or tourist trap, but it does have a swimming pool, tennis courts, volleyball nets, and a walking trail, all conveniently located in the heart of...Bryant, AR, about 15 minutes down the road from me. Unfortunately, I think it may also be my 2006 summer vacation destination. I came to the depressing realization that, thanks to summer school, I'll be going nowhere else this summer. This week, my family will be heading down to the Redneck Riviera without me. I'll stay here with no sand or surf, but plenty of sun, and I'm NOT saying that Bryant is a "redneck" anything, but this nice park, with nice trees, a nice playground, nice basketball courts, in the middle of a nice neighborhood...also has signs posted that say "All Hunting Prohibited." All I'm saying is...should we really have to post signs like this in the middle of a town park? (You have to read this with a shrug of your shoulders). The really fat squirrels are happy for the signs.


I'm taking a break from cramming my head with information on yield curves, spot rates, forward rates, present values, future values, dollar durations, modified durations, and the other elements that affect the interest rates we pay (real rate, inflation, maturity, liquidity, default risk, tax, and other risks) to take my dog for a walk at Mills Park this afternoon. Someone sent me a doggy thing via e-mail that said "If your dog is overweight, you need more exercise." Now, Darcy is perfectly healthy, not too chubby, despite a terrible addiction to Milk Bones. I, on the other hand, could use some help (not with a Milk Bone addiction, more like pizza and cookies), so I told her she needs to take me for more walks. She was cool with that.

She really likes Mills Park, redneck or not. Of course, the 90+ degrees and 1000% humidity didn't make walking for an hour in a fur coat, a black fur coat at that, an easy task. At one point, she laid down beside the path...that was a little scary for me. Laying down is normal...at home. At the park, pulling me a little bit faster...always just a little bit faster is normal. As soon as we got home, she was recovered enough for a Milk Bone, so I think she'll be OK. I kind of wanted to rest on the path, too, but I felt like I had to be strong for the both of us.


So...the best thing about my vacation, is that it will be easy enough to get back here. For the last 2 years, I've spent my summer vacation in Peru...not Peru, Illinois, but Peru, South America. I really want to go somewhere requiring a passport. Even a day trip would be good. And, no, a day trip to Fox, AR, for the reunion SO DOES NOT COUNT as rest and relaxation. I'm saving my pennies for a nice trip next year. Unless I get some more pennies going, I may be lucky to make it to Hot Springs, but I'll keep working on it.

As I was thinking these deep thoughts walking the Mills Park path, I realized that THIS is why people tell me I'm so quiet (usually only people who don't know me all that well). It takes a lot of concentration to come up with this cleverness!

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