Vacation

I'd like to take an afternoon to clean my fridge, but...

President Bush is getting the kind of break most Americans can only dream of -- nearly five weeks away from the office, loaded with vacation time.

The president departed Tuesday for his longest stretch yet away from the White House, arriving at his Crawford ranch in the evening to clear brush, visit with family and friends, and tend to some outside-the-Beltway politics. By historical standards, it is the longest presidential retreat in at least 36 years.

The August getaway is Bush's 49th trip to his cherished ranch since taking office and Tuesday was the 319th day that Bush has spent, entirely or partially, in Crawford -- roughly 20 percent of his presidency to date...

"Dear America, wish you were here. Man I love August, getting away from the grind that I've been going through from mid-June to late-July."


"Dear America, can I please go home now?"


"It's good to get a chance to see the ranch and nature in all its peacefulness and tranquility, even if it would be better used as a strip mall."


"Mortars, IEDs, rifles, machine guns, it's one piece of man-made destruction after another here. What I wouldn't give for a quiet day in the country with my wife, my kids, my friends."


"Just kickin' back with my lower father, playin' some golf, drinkin' some non-alcoholic beer. Life couldn't be sweeter. And I've worked hard bein' President, I've earned it."


"And what am I accomplishing? I look into the eyes of Iraqi kids and they fear me, and I think deep down, they hate me. Who is a friend?"


"Yep, it's good to unwind, a lesser man would have been broken by the pressures of Washington by now, of bein' a War President."


"Take care."