Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Vacation by the #'s

Hi all. It's been long enough since I last posted that I had to clear the cobwebs, crack my knuckles a couple of times, and try to remember how to get started. A couple of weeks ago, before departing Terra firma, bound for a tiny speck of land in the middle of the mighty Pacific, I made the decision that I would devote my vacation to enjoying the company of my wife and son, soaking in the tropical sunshine, and clearing my mind of all things work and blog.

It was a good decision, as for the past year and a half I have not gone more than a day or two at a stretch without writing, analyzing, or thinking about one post or another. It was, among other things, a vacation from Blogging.




Since I did such a fine job clearing my mind, I felt I needed to borrow a concept from someone else. This will be a 'By the Numbers' post. Thanks SciFi Dad.

So, without further adieu, here are some of our vacation facts, by the numbers.

0 - Number of pairs of socks worn during vacation.
0 - Number of jackets worn during vacation. (packed them "just in case")
1 - Number of lost valuables. (My video i-pod didn't make it home.)
1 - Number of hours Mrs. LIAYF and I each slept on the 6 hour red-eye home.
2 - Number of hours Lukas slept on the same red-eye. (We were more hopeful going in)
2 - Number of Mai-Tai's I consumed on flight from Seattle.
2 - Number of meals eaten at a restaurant during trip. (Our child does not sit still long)
2 - Number of nice parent couples we exchanged contact information with. ("Ok, next time we are in Europe we will look you up. . .")
3 - Number of tubes of California Baby sunblock used on Lukas. (He is a fair skinned child)
3 - Number of hot and muggy playgrounds visited. (warning: sun + slides = screaming child)
3.5 - Number of hours Lukas 'Not Happy' on red-eye flight home. (to put it mildly)
4 - Number of body parts slightly sunburned on Lukas (counting each cheek as 1)
4 - Number of pairs of socks packed. (Not sure what I was thinking here)
4 - Number of jackets packed. (Forgive us, we are from Seattle)
5 - Number of beautiful beaches visited. (Quality, not quantity)
6 - Number of nights I grilled dinner at the condo. (First vacation where I came home not feeling fatter than when I left)
6 - Number of new 'toddler friends' that Lukas met and hung around with during the trip. (It was a very child friendly place to stay)
8 - Number of days on vacation. (2 weeks would have been ideal)
10 - (Days) Age difference of Lukas and boy at opposite end of aisle 11 with matching Elmo dolls ('action figures')
12 - Approximate number of times boys screeched "Elmo!" back and forth at each other while waving the 'action figures' in the air.
40 - Number (also approximate) of times Lukas yelled "Out, peas!" during red-eye. (I tried to avoid eye contact with the other passengers attempting to sleep)
250 - Number of miles driven around The Garden Isle while Lukas napped.
300 - Number of pages read in book 'The English Passengers'. (A well written account of the plight of the aboriginal natives of Tasmania. Recommended.)

And finally:

2 - Number of parents reluctant that the fun-filled, sunny vacation has ended. As with our previous trips to the Islands, this was a terrific vacation. And, as always, over too soon.

Now it's back to work, and also back to blogging.

11 comments:

Ed said...

Sounds stressful--in a relaxing sort of way.

SciFi Dad said...

OK, so there's you... and Mrs... and Lukas. Who was the fourth coat for? Are you trying to tell us something? Huh? wink, wink... nudge, nudge...

Being us... said...

Glad you survived! Paul and I are still reluctant to go on such a long trip or at least one without a plane trip involved!!

Jason Roth said...

Sounds like a great vacation to me. Welcome back.

Martin said...

don't trust those Europeans...

Lady Mama said...

I too have done a red eye with a young child - except ours was 6 months and screamed for about 3 hours solid (and just as he'd stopped crying my husband got up to change him and banged his head on the bulkhead and instantly the crying started up again). I spent most of the flight trying to avoid the evil glares of the other passengers. Fun times!

James (SeattleDad) said...

@Ed - Very relaxing, with a smidge of stress thrown in for good measure.

@Scifi - No, just some way over prepared packers.

@Being Us - Getting that 1st trip out of the way is key. Then the next one doesn't seem so bad even when there are moments.

VegasDad - It was indeed. Thanks.

@Xbox - Yeah, and they were from the Netherlands too.

@Lady Mama - Oh my, sounds like great times alright. But you survived, as did we. And, it makes for a great story to scare your friends with. Thanks for stopping by.

Pinoy Daddy said...

Happy father's Day. Let us celebrate the joys and the triumphs of fatherhood!

Martin said...

heh, the Dutch are VERY literal.

Expect a knock on the door this time next year.

Scary Mommy said...

So glad you survived the big trip. Vacations aren't quite the same these days, huh? :)

James (SeattleDad) said...

@Pinoy Daddy - Thanks. That is my first Happy Fathers Day wish for the year.

@Xbox - That would be just fine with us. Like I mentioned, they were a nice couple.

@Scary Mommy - Ha! Not at all. But that is ok with us. Still got plenty of sun and relaxation.