Vacation 2007 Post Mortum

Hey all ...

After a much needed, and much appreciated vacation, I'm back to the grind at the office and preparing for the onslaught of activities that 'back to school' brings with it for the kids next week.  As you read below, the family and I spent the better part of two weeks up in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire.  Last year Mother Nature threw us a curveball with unusually cold and rainy weather - to the point we even ended the stay up there early out of utter disgust.  Fortunately, the 'ol woman has a heart and made it up to us this year.  The weather was absolutely perfect, minus one day when it was a little too breezy to spend on the beach and made the chop on the water a bit excessive.  Every other day, the weather was in the 80s with blue skies.

However, that isn't to say there wasn't a few things that could have changed with the vacation.  First, I regret not getting off my ass and getting the certifcation to boat on the lake.  My in-laws have a 20' pontoon boat and a sweet jet ski, capable of 55ish mph on the water.  Now, let me say this - not having the certification didn't stop me from using the jet ski.  It did however make for an uncomfortable exchange when I finally got myself stopped by the NH Water Patrol for being a little too close to the rest of the gang on the boat as I trailed them.  I figured 100' would be ok ... nope, law is 150'.    Fortunately, the 'cop' was cool and just let me bring it back to the dock and spend the rest of the week spotting for the kids on the tube behind the boat.  Next year tho'...I'll be ready to go full bore on that bad boy. 

Then, there's the wife's family as a whole.  They're not bad people, but like everyone else they all have their own quirks and such.  And while it's easy to take them in regulated doses, of the entire two weeks vacation up there, we had one day out of the two weeks when there wasn't someone from her family, at least one random sister and her kids up at the summer house with us.  Well, by the end of the time, it was getting old for both the wife and I.  Again, just as much our fault as anyones for not explicitly letting my wife's parents know we'd like some personal time with just them up there...no additional family.  Her entire family, minus one brother, live right in the neighborhood of her parents, and can use the house whenever they like, on any given weekend.  We need to dedicate a huge chunk of my annual vacation to do it.  I don't think it's too much to ask. 

Finally, after the fun up in NH, we made the trek back down home.  And, wouldn't you know it, just in time for Bioshock to come out.  As you were able to see with previous blogs, I'm was a bit of a fanboi before the game's release.  Now, after playing it for the better part of a week solid, I can say that every single one of my moments of anticipation were worth it.  The game absolutely rocks!  In playing it, I can't help the feeling that I had when I first played some of the more innovative and groundbreaking titles throughout my gaming 'career' - games like Bard's Tale, Fallout, Deus Ex - you get the idea.  I said it in one of the forums: the game plays more like an exceptionally well written, flawlessly produced, and unique interactive movie than a routine single player FPS.  I could go on, but you've seen these types of praises in others blogs in the past week.  Long story short - it's definately IMHO a strong canidate for game of the year.

So, yet ends another summer with the family vacation.  I can look back and say the two weeks were great, and can't wait for the next opportunity to unplug and get away from the stressors of regular life.

B.