Every time the space shuttle is set to launch it is beset with a multitude of problems which results in delay. Most recently, the delay was due to thunderstorms and lightening. If it’s not the weather it’s something else like; hydrogen leaks, tiles falling off the shuttle, electrical problems, etc., etc.

NASA’s problems with the space shuttle are nothing compared to the problems we have when leaving for a trip. I don’t venture off the porch much anymore except to go to the post office or to the grocery store because it’s too much trouble. In the past we have gone to New Mexico or Branson once a year but the week trip takes a months preparation. For a month in advance, my spouse is washing and mending every garment in the closet in preparation for the week away from home. I usually have the car inspected with at least an oil change or tire rotation but the car inspection usually reveals some major problem that cost at least a thousand dollars to repair. Most recently, it was a steering box and a defective seal in the rear end. The part only cost a few dollars but the labor is out of sight. Then, numerous other things always seem to break as we are ready to depart, such as the sprinkling system when we are in the middle of a drought or the air conditioning when the temperature has been 110 degrees for the past month. NASA has nothing on me as far as delays and mechanical problems.

Packing for even a short trip is also a problem. We literally take everything except the kitchen sink. I have more computer power and electronics than the astronauts had on the original trip to the moon. We are ready for everything. We have more to entertain us than Disney World and enough medical supplies to perform an operation or set up an ICU. My spouse doesn’t always like the linens in the places we stay so we take a fresh supply of sheets, blankets and even a bedspread. The grocery store has to restock after we empty the place into the back of our vehicle and into our portable refrigerator.

So, with all the problems it’s no wonder why I like to stay on the porch and be an armchair tourist. My age and physical problems also limit my travels. It’s all just in time, because GM and the other automakers are about to abandon the manufacture of SUVs. That for sure, spells the end for me. I need a full size SUV or an 18-wheeler just for a weekend get away. Just going to the post office is excitement enough for me. I get to meet all sorts of interesting people and the parking lot of the post office in our little town of Salado is like the LA Freeway. So, I’m thankful just to stay on the porch.