Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Emergency Services Ducks, Buckeye fans make playful wagers ahead of championship game Old stained-glass windows face threats College on the K-12 dime Mobile Health Center pulls out of Gold Hill Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services Emergency services One killed Friday in single-vehicle crash in Rogue River Emergency services Men sentenced in heroin case Politics and Elections Councilman stirs online dust-up with anti-marijuana post State certifies recount showing failure of GMO-labeling measure Education College on the K-12 dime Students forge links between forest health and people Medford School Board meeting deferred because of Ducks game Medford bulks up student support for math, reading Ashland schools to implement chickenpox precautions Environment OR-7 now officially the leader of his pack Ashland trails up for changes Monument expansion expected to increase tourism, protect resources Biologist resigns over LNG reporting failure Bird flu discovered in Winston backyard flock State News Oregon State University plans $60 million forestry complex Washington man arrested in Portland hotel slaying Timber group updates green label forestry standards Attorney: Use Boy Scout files in sex-abuse trial Oregon capitalizes on championship run Nation - World Obama makes Maduro’s ‘insolent Yankees’ line harder to sell Obituaries Ricardo Ruiz-Santillan Richard Thompson LuErna Mae Jacobson Robert Charles Pollock Bob Lozano Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable In memoriam: 2014’s notable deaths Looking back: Do you remember 2014’s biggest stories? Sports Latest Stories Randolph, Grizz win 2OT battle No. 11 Oregon State drubs Oregon again Walker, Matsuyama tied for Kapalua lead Luck leads Colts to upset of Manning, Broncos N.C. State hands No. 2 Duke first loss Varsity 541 College Sports No. 11 Oregon State drubs Oregon again N.C. State hands No. 2 Duke first loss Will players show wear and tear? UO’s resilient receivers stay ready McShay’s take on pro Ducks Pro Sports Randolph, Grizz win 2OT battle Walker, Matsuyama tied for Kapalua lead Luck leads Colts to upset of Manning, Broncos Packers shake Cowboys, to play for NFC title Federer notches 1,000th match win Community Sports Business Latest Stories Business briefs People in Business Blog: Former Meier & Frank stores avoid Macy's hit list Ride & Drive: 2015 Chevrolet Trax Blog: One Frenchman's perspective on Jan. 7 attack Real Estate News Jackson County real estate market headed back to normal Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers People In Business Transportation Medford airport traffic flies to new heights Falling gas prices help spur travel at Medford airport Agriculture Rising prices bear fruit for local pear growers Opinion Latest Jan. 11 Letters to the Editor Our View: A pipeline should not run through it Another View: A few questions to make the AG nominee squirm Another view: Politicians retreat from racism Guest Opinion: FERC fails our planet Editorials Our View: A pipeline should not run through it Other Views: ACLU leader helped change Oregon Our View: It's best to prepare for the worst Our View: Falls has work to do to restore trust Our View: WISE project offers many benefits Letters to the Editor Jan. 11 Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Jan. 9 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 8 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 7 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 6 Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: FERC fails our planet Guest Opinion: East is east and west is west Guest Opinion: Get the best deal on pipeline Guest Opinion: Say yes to clean energy jobs, no to the LNG project Guest Opinion: Loved one chose death with dignity in Oregon Lifestyle Latest stories Chasing the mopes The King's rocky career road ... past his supposed death It's about what we give out Medics in the Woods Resist, reject those uninformed attitudes Food Community blog: Happy New Beer Year! Community blog: Scanty spuds stretch winter greens into salad Entertaining with a gift of treasure Food for Thought: Save time on weeknight meal prep Community blog: Farm share boosts resolve to eat more veggies Home and Garden 11 reasons why we love wrought iron fencing Dear Monty: Eight great tips to ponder before investing in real estate Home Help: Timeless or trendy? Achieve both in your home decor this year Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers Dear Monty: Can a rookie real estate agent be a good choice? Health Dr. Murray Feingold: Separation anxiety common in adults Health Watch: Staying fit as a frequent flyer Community blog: Tale of the Tape Community blog: We Don't Have To Conspire Against Good Health HealthStyle: New year, new you Hiking Biking Faith Churches start new year with messages of hope (No heading) Churches, synagogs host seasonal events Bethel Church helps families at McLoughlin Middle School Milestones and Achievements Old stained-glass windows face threats 50 years and counting: Bulebar Wedding: Lindsey-Maria Rios New arrivals Since You Asked: Sheriff's Office sells off foreclosed homes Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Live Music in Local Clubs Patty Groth's Morning Glory is still a delight 100 Watt Mind unveils 'Creatures' American Guitar Masters play the Imperial Chamber Music Concerts presents Tesla Quartet Theater Tangled up in Dylan OSF's 'Great Society' up for Kennedy Prize Next Stage presents a tribute to an iconic folk artist Camelot's 'Fiddler' is a charmer ACT presents reading of 'The Quality of Life' Music Live Music in Local Clubs 100 Watt Mind unveils 'Creatures' American Guitar Masters play the Imperial Chamber Music Concerts presents Tesla Quartet Blues jam tonight at Little Brown Jug Community Events Art Presence showcases 'Naked Art' New Schneider Museum exhibits highlight First Friday Celebrate winter solstice with the Bad Film Society Tomaseen Foley's "A Celtic Christmas" returns to the Craterian Theater Stefan Baumann and Eugene Bennett highlight Third Fridays Dining Patty Groth's Morning Glory is still a delight Entertaining with a gift of treasure Jackson Creek Pizza Co. is a good downtown haunt Dobra Tea menu offers hundreds of brews Food for Thought: Wintertime wining and dining Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Old stained-glass windows face threats ... Mobile Health Center pulls out of Gold Hill ... Latest attempt at public safety levy targets specific needs ... Old stained-glass windows face threats ... Mobile Health Center pulls out of Gold Hill ... Latest attempt at public safety levy targets specific needs ... It Is What It Is: The best vacation we never took Comment By Lisa Sugarman More Content Now MailTribune.com By Lisa Sugarman More Content Now Posted Jan. 5, 2015 @ 8:12 am By Lisa Sugarman More Content Now Posted Jan. 5, 2015 @ 8:12 am » Social News Remember when we were kids and we came back from school vacation just dying to tell everyone the amazing things we did during our break? We had that tingly feeling that our vacation was the greatest vacation of all time and we just had to share what we did with everyone? Well, I just had the best holiday break ever, and I’m dying to share. Honestly, I feel like I’m 9 again, and I just can’t contain myself, that’s how excited I am. Only, where I went and what I did may surprise you. It may also make you a little jealous, so try not to hate me when the envy starts swelling up in your throat. I spent my holiday break at home. Yup, never went more than 20 miles from the house. But that’s not even the best part. I spent the vacation cleaning. Uh huh, cleaning. I know, you’re overwhelmed. OK, so it wasn’t all spent cleaning and organizing. I’m not a complete masochist. Plenty of the standard vacation elements were sprinkled in there, too. Things like browsing the Food Network for another way to pan sear pork loins and going out for long runs at 4 p.m. Things like sitting at Starbucks and nursing a green tea with no particular place to go except home to take a nap. Which I did, I’m happy to say, for the first time since nursery school. There were long, lazy walks up and down the aisles at the supermarket with plenty of time to stop and read labels and evaluate sodium content. That was a particular thrill. But the thing that elevated my vacation into the epic category wasn’t even any of those things. It was the golden, and may I add completely free, opportunity I had to rip through and organize all the drawers and closets and toolboxes and storage bins that have accumulated in our house for the last 10 years. And when I say organize, I’m talking separating out all the flat-head screws from the Phillips-heads and getting them into the right compartments. (Separating the hex bolts and the carriage bolts alone took a solid half hour.) We cleaned closets and bookshelves, toy baskets and storage bins. Then we moved on to the real money... the kid’s school stuff. You know, all the papers and folders your kids come home with in June that you just toss into a plastic bin and label “Grade 7” and never look at again. We spent hours sifting through every piece of math homework, every study guide and glitter project our kids have ever brought home in the history of their academic careers. We waded through so much paper and clothing and memorabilia that we were convinced we must’ve had at least four more kids living in our house all these years. Now it’s entirely possible that you’re reading this right now thinking that I’m clinically insane and wondering how, exactly, all of this tediousness translates into a blockbuster vacation. Well, I’m getting to that. This was no job for the weak, let me assure you. Eyeballing every scrap of paper and project and notebook under our roof to make sure we didn’t throw out anything worth saving was maddening. There were a couple of times Dave had to slap me because I was on the brink of losing my mind. Probably because I realized that Rubbermaid storage bins have a clown-car- like quality to them — fitting endless amounts of crap in them like there’s no bottom. Where we started gaining momentum, though, was when we saw the bags of junk start piling up and the storage bins and the shelves start emptying. That empty landscape of wire shelving was truly beautiful, almost picturesque: a lot like the view from one of those bungalows on stilts in Fiji. Surprisingly, though, all said and done, it was one of the best vacations we’ve had in years, and we hardly left the house. We got to travel back over the last 20 years of our life together, reliving those beautiful forgotten moments with each other and our kids through pictures and notes and keepsakes that had been buried for years. We got the chance to remember what our girls were like before they learned to ask for money and car keys and stopped cleaning their rooms. You know, when they were still cute. All in all it was an amazing 12 days that left us exhausted and rejuvenated, purged and cleansed — the true measures of any successful vacation. Oh yeah, not to mention leaving us with a lifetime supply of empty storage bins and enough free space to put a swimming pool in our cedar closet. Told you you’d be jealous. Lisa Sugarman lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Read and discuss all her columns at itiswhatitiscolumn.wordpress.com. She is also the author of “LIFE: It Is What It Is,” available on Amazon.com. By Lisa Sugarman More Content Now MailTribune.com By Lisa Sugarman More Content Now Posted Jan. 5, 2015 @ 8:12 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501