Time out

"Why are you so tired?" she asked, puzzled. "I thought you just got back from vacation."

I rolled my eyes, "Notwithstanding the fact that vacation was one of my most exhaustive experiences in recent memory, I've been on a plane every week this entire month. I am SO SICK of flying!!!"

In real life

Helmets, they're not just for vacation anymore:

Now I'm allowed to ride my bike!!!!

(I know it's a mountain bike helmet, and I realize that I have a road bike, but I liked this helmet best - plus on sale! - and the salesguy swore that road and mountain bike helmets have about the same amount of noggin protection. Also, a nifty visor! [who ever thought I, avoider of visors since I was little and mom was oh so fond of the visor, would ever write that sentence!] I figure that, at the speed and terrain I'm likely to cover [VERY slow, and mostly on sidewalks], I probably won't fall down without the help of an auto, at which point not having paid $200 more for my helmet will probably not be the top on my list of problems...)

A new friend

that I'm slightly afraid of.

I supposed that I'm not strictly afraid of the bike riding bit, so much as the cars all around me when I'm riding part.

NOVA. Not a bike-friendly part of the world. What was I thinking??!!

RW summer 2008

PS7's - again, a strong RW performer. A whole menu (with no upcharges) to choose from, plus a few specials, a GREAT "steals and deals" wine list with a few incredible values (so much so that, instead of each getting a glass, it was actually more "economical" to split an entire bottle! whee!!), attentive service, and a relaxing setting. Pretty much all you can ask for!!! Hmmmm, let's see - the duck ragout gnocchi, short ribs, and berry cobbler. All generously apportioned and very tasty. Yum!

Vidalia - the innovation was 5-courses for $50, which was an unusually generous opportunity to taste a bunch of dishes at one of my favorite places, so, no-brainer!!! The service hummed along, far more efficiently (read: the next course came out promptly as we'd finished the last) than customary in fine dining, but understandable for a Saturday night at one of the stars of RW. The food was top-notch, and we got to taste quite a variety! The salmon was wonderful, and didn't even disappoint my Vancouver-sensitized fish sense. Chicken-fried quail, simply-dressed sea-trout, and melting brisket for me, calamari, shrimp and grits, and tortured (but beautiful and delicious) vegetables for him. To cap it off, the pecan pie and the lemon tart, fantastic as usual. I love this place!!!!

Disconcerting

how once you've reached a certain age, the folks around you (especially office folks, which I find the most odd) automatically greet news of impending nuptials with a quick, obvious, glance to your midsection.

You'd think that they'd react more like my dad, to wit -

Thank goodness, you are getting so old! I thought no one would ever marry you!!

Actually, that attitude I can expect and handle. Bumpwatch for non-celebs (and even the idea of that makes me a little uncomfortable), though, is just plain weird.

Historic Charleston

is surprisingly nice. I guess I'm officially old.

Seriously, I can see why most kids would be bored to tears here. The attractions (that I was privy to, anyway) seemed kind of...slow - shopping, eating, pretty (eh, doesn't really cut it; how about magnificent, awe-and-covetousness-inspiring, history-in-the-making, gorgeously appointed, both inside and out) houses/buildings, significant historical sites, a nice seawall for walkies, neat old graveyards, piles and piles of bricks and cobblestones, and so on. There were a few more exciting moments, like spotting the cannons (sealed up, mocked-up cannon balls all stuck together), seeing dolphins and pelicans hunt and play, but nothing really surprise- or adrenaline-inducing. My parents probably would have been forced to drown kid me if they'd try to vacation in Charleston. These days, however, all these things merely provided a really, really fun (comparatively) conference experience.

Also, I got to eat fried: cod, hush puppies, potatoes, eggs (a stretch, I know), chicken, okra, and pickles. I skipped the fried green tomatoes only because my heart couldn't take it anymore. The historic area of town is also pretty much an ice cream mecca. Within two blocks of our hotel there were about 7 or 8 ice cream shops. A nice mix of chain and local shops, the best was when they ice cream (or gelato) stands were located inside the candy (read: homemade praline factory) stores. They actually call to you on the street from inside the shops, proclaiming, "free praline samples! Come taste!" And we did. Yum!

Forgetful

Currently: on the road again...

I'm always paranoid that I'm forgetting important items when I travel. This is part of the anxiety that keeps me up most nights before I fly. This time, I think the worry was justified.

No:

brush

notebook

toothpaste

lotion

presentation notes

conditioner

Hey, at least I didn't forget (for once) to pack undergarments.

But I want to know!!!

You know what, me too!

For those of you who want to know when the wedding will be, see here and here.

I'LL LET YOU KNOW!

Open to compromise

I'm willing the admit that my idea of vacation might not be for everyone. Heck, even I'm not to fond of it some days (just because I'll haul my butt out of the house at the buttcrack of dawn for certain activities - skiing, flying, etc., doesn't mean I like it). Still, I'm pretty sure that I would be miserable without having planned at least one activity (or perhaps 2, and maybe 3...just to get us through the day) or destination (dining, fun, what have you) each day.

And yet, collapsing each night in utter exhaustion and no downtime between scheduled fun (go, GO, GO!!!) does leave a little...something to be desired. I'm willing to concede that there are more relaxing modes of vacation available. I'm even willing to try out this "relaxing," "lazy on the beach," "not expending any more effort than lifting my daiquiri glass," "sun and surf," "eat whenever/whatever we feel like" model of "vacation." Say, perhaps, in January? In Belize?

See how I suffer for love??!!

Vancouver

is a place I'd like to come back to. It might be too expensive to live there, but it is, especially once the dollar strengthens again, a mighty fine place to visit. I think our delight in the vacation largely stemmed from the perfection of our location. Our room had sky-high views of the entire West End (both coasts!!), our block had enough great food that we never needed to leave (gelato! sushi! sidewalk crepes! Chinese! bakery! izikaya! dim sum!), and we were close (as in, walking distance) to pretty much everything - Stanley Park, beaches, shopping, museums, public transportation, the works...

This was the vacation to eat all other vacations. I've never packed so much adventuring (both outdoors and gastronomic) in a trip! There was biking (around Stanley Park), hiking (groan, Nature's stairmaster indeed! 3000-foot ascent of pain!) , kayaking (wild seals! Playing with us! And a baby!!!!) ATVing (dusty, but fun. And we saw a brown bear!), mountains (I heart Whistler. I want to go back and go Hydrobroncing, among other things, and the views form the top...breathtaking), canyons (viewed from above over a suspension bridge! More exhilarating than I thought it would be, as crowded as it was), rock climbing (only for crazy, naughty boys), museums and galleries (a show on comics and video games can be surprisingly awesome! Especially with vintage games to play!), ziplining (wheeeeeeeeee!!!!! BONK! So fast, furious, and fun!), beaching (walking, glass-hunting, laying around and relaxing), walking in parks (Stanley again, on foot), art marketing (crafts, mostly), festivals (Fireworks to end all fireworks!!!, painting at the art show! Reveling at the Pride Parade! curiously watching the Hare Krishna walk), and flying (as in, parasailing, as in, flying though the air after you run off a cliff. NOTHING like it. I wanted to fly forever!!!! Especially since, that way, you could skip the landing, at which, surprise, surprise, I tumbled onto my a** and brought down both myself and my instructor). Whew! We got up early pretty much every morning (normal human early, not even *my* early, and some days painfully so - 5 AM is harsh in any time zone) and didn't get back until late - no wonder we collapsed nearly dead every night! We talked several times about going out at night but...exhaustion won every time!

Much, much picture-taking took place. Everywhere you looked was abundant natural or cultivated beauty. Much, much eating also took place. I did a LOT of reading beforehand on various food boards, and pretty much every where I spotted a must-eat place. Real ramen, abundant and delicious sushi, plate after plate of Japanese snacks, cone after cone of gelato, walking along with crepes in hand, eating Chinese and Malaysian, great seafood, fantastic fish and chips...I don't think I've ever had so much or such wonderful fish!!! The only disappointment was West, which a blow both to my wallet and in my confidence of food ratings and reviews. I still think we ordered incorrectly, but at that caliber of restaurant, we really should have had a better experience. The rest of the time, however, was more than enough to make up for one sad experience.

Loved, loved, loved the whole Vancouver package. The right location, great hotel, amazing experiences, beautiful scenery, easy traveling (ENGLISH!), wonderful food...next time the exchange rate tips in favor of the dollar (though we were saved a bit, as the dollar rallied late in the week, right when our bigger bills were being calculated), we're there!

Oh - also, yes, a very nice place to get engaged.

And - I like/love/crave vacation!!!!

Moving along

I've gotten more exercise this week on vacation than I've had in the rest of the summer combined. This is both sad and a testament to:

a) how broken I've been

b) how lazy I've been; and

c) how freakin' crazy I was when I planned all these activities.

She said "YES"

He said, "Wow!"

She said, "When?"

He said, "How about right now?"

She said [Holy Hell#$%^&!!! I just made one huge, life-altering, decision and now you expect me to take the plunge right away??!! Dream on, crazy boy!

Oh, and I love you!!!]

And [everything's] been the same since she said "YES..."

Hard headed

Why do all exciting adventure activities require a helmet? I've been wearing a helmet all darn week!!! Unfortunately, a bunch of the pictures only capture the pre- and post- activity, so looking at the photo record, it looks like I'm just wearing a helmet to pretect my noggin for fun in everyday life!! Not that it wouldn't help me, clumsy, easily-bruising oaf that I am, but still!!!

FREEDOM!!!

I just submitted my time sheet for next week - time off, straight down the line. What a liberating feeling!!! Vacation, here I come!