My wife and I spent last weekend in Branson.

Branson, of course, is one of those one-word places, which like one-word people – Elvis, Cher – need no further explanation. Everyone knows exactly who or what you’re talking about.

We’ve met Tippah folks in Branson in years past. We didn’t meet any this year, but we saw at least one Tippah tag pass by in the heavy traffic which characterizes the town before and after shows.

Branson is one of those words you can use to begin a conversation with a complete stranger. Ask any 10 people you’ve met for the first time if they’ve been to Branson, and at least one of them will probably answer in the affirmative. Others who haven’t been will likely have an opinion – they plan to go or know someone who went.

Branson’s a wonderful place to go. There are generally more than 50 different acts or performances being staged twice daily six days weekly. The humor and language is such that you can take the kids to any of them. No “V” chip needed here, folks.

Good vacations make you glad you went, and eager to go again. This short getaway met those criteria.

When we got back Sunday evening there was the usual post-vacation catch-up work to do. Unpack, catch up on the mail and the newspapers, start a load of laundry, water the plants.

Monday morning it was back to business as usual. I was up at 5:30 a.m. did the two miles walking and running with the dog and the step-dog, did the sit-ups, the weights, got done about 6:30 a.m. and got breakfast. Sandra was already up, headed to the Wellness Center for her workout; she eats after she gets back.

Most vacations involve different food, water, beds other than what most folks are used to. The human body isn’t happy about being propelled to the vacation site at 70 mph, or stuffed into a steel tube and fired there at 600 mph.

It takes awhile to adjust when you get back from a vacation. It’s a form of jet lag, I guess. Even if there’s no jet.

We’re not complaining. We’re going back in six weeks or so…