On Vacation

"Too much work, and no vacation,
Deserves at least a small libation.
So hail! my friends, and raise your glasses,
Work's the curse of the drinking classes." - Oscar Wilde

"A vacation trip is one-third pleasure, fondly remembered, and two-thirds aggravation, entirely forgotten." - Robert Brault

"The rainy days a man saves for usually seem to arrive during his vacation." - Unknown

"The alternative to a vacation is to stay home and tip every third person you see." - Unknown

"Babies don't need a vacation, and yet you see them at the beach.  It pisses me off!  I'll go over to a little baby and say, 'What are you doing here?  You haven't worked a day in your life.'" - Steven Wright

"Laughter is an instant vacation." - Milton Berle

"The thing I love most about going on vacation is that I get to leave behind any kind of schedule.  My entire life is scheduled from morning to night, and when I'm on vacation, there is no schedule." - Kelly Clarkson

"I envy people who can just look at a sunset.  I wonder how you can shoot it.  There is nothing more grotesque to me than a vacation." - Dustin Hoffman

"I honestly if I get a vacation I'm gonna go and sit on my couch in New York 'cause that's the one place I haven't been for a very long time." - Matt Damon

...and if you couldn't tell from the quotes, starting today, I'm on vacation. 

No, really.  I know I've said it before, usually as we're driving away on a trip somewhere and I'm checking my e-mails and messages every time we stop.  But this weekend we're flying to Bermuda, a place that's so expensive there doesn't seem to be any point bringing mere dollar bills.  Each call on my cell would cost $1.99 a minute; each text coming in a nickle, and each text going out half a dollar.  None of that really sounds like much till you take into account how tied to my cell phone I've become.  Heck, I burn through 200MB of data a week, and that doesn't include calls or texts. 

I'm turning it off.  Once I get on the plane, that is.  You know how they announce that, despite their being no real documented need to do so, you have to turn off all electronic devices in order for the plane to be able to close its doors and take off?  I will.  That's nothing special--I always do, Mr. Compliant that I am.  But I also am always one of the first people to turn it back on as soon as the plane's wheels are on the ground and they announce that it's okay to use them again.  That, or as soon as the guy next to me turns his on, whichever comes first; I figure I can always blame him if the plane really does explode due to cell phone usage. 

Not this time.

I'm turning it off.  I'm disconnecting.  I'll turn my cell back on when the plane lands back in the states upon my return, but till then the world will get on just fine without me for a while, I'm sure. 

Have a great week!

- TOSK