Rant #2,221: V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N

Finally, the day is nearly here.

Tomorrow, my family and I start our vacation.

We just have to get through today, and it will be here.

This has been an extremely difficult year for myself and my family, and finally, we will be able to relax and take it easy ...

We hope.

Hurricane Florence is spiraling toward a path of destruction in the Carolinas and Virginia, and will almost certain make its way up the rest of the East Coast, although it probably will not hit land past those three states.

However, it might alter our travel plans.

We are going on a cruise, and a cruise to Bermuda, one of the areas greatly impacted by this hurricane, which is expected to hit Category 5 intensity later in the week.

Its existence is already playing havoc with numerous cruises which are already out there. In fact, the cruise that my brothers-in-law are currently on--the one that my family and I were supposed to be on (another story for another time)--has already been forced to bypass Puerto Rico as one of its stops.

As for our cruise, I have checked, and everything is still on for us.

But then again, that is of yesterday. Florence is supposed to impact Bermuda today and tomorrow, and then move closer to the U.S. mainland, where it will unfortunately weave its path probably by Thursday at the latest.

We are leaving from New York, so we might just skirt whatever it is going to do here, where it is supposed to have its greatest impact on Friday and Saturday.

But if it greatly impacts Bermuda, who knows if we will ever get there?

Right now, we are slated to go to Bermuda, and that is all I know. According to the cruise line, everything is on, so we have to go with that.

Honestly, at this point, I don't care where we go as long as we go somewhere.

As I said, this has been an extremely tough year, and wherever we go will be a welcome respite for me, personally.

My wife and son also need a break from routine, and I know that we are going to enjoy this cruise.

All I can say is that I hope Florence isn't as bad as predicted, and that everyone who is in its path comes out of it OK.

And I hope our cruise can continue to its destination, and that Bermuda is relatively untouched.

I know that is probably a pipe dream, but it really and truly what I hope for.

So Bon Voyage to myself and my family, and I won't be at this perch for awhile, probably not posting a new Rant until September 20.

In that time span, it will also be Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.

So to all my Jewish friends, I wish an easy fast and a great New Year.

To everyone else, I will speak to you soon, and hopefully have nothing but good things to say about our vacation.

I think it is going to be a memorable one.

Speak to you next week.