Since you're testing with a drop-based kit, go with YOUR numbers and not the pool store's!! Just redo your alk test, and keep adding drops until the last drop you added produces no color change--then count all the drops except that one and multiply by 10 for your alk reading.

As far as shocking your pool goes, you can always shock it, it will never hurt it, but it's really unnecessary unless 1)you have a sustained CC level higher than 0.5, 2) your water is getting cloudy, or 3) you're losing more than 1 ppm of chlorine overnight from sundown to sunup. (I also shock mine sometimes if I've had a few days of really heavy kid bather loads, just 'cuz ).

When you get ready to go on vacation, post back here with a complete set of test numbers, and we can go from there!

Janet