Away for a while (maybe)

[JamminR]

Wife and I are going on (a much needed) vacation.
I'll be gone Sunday 8/29 to Sunday 9/5
I say maybe because the room (and several around it) supposedly have wifi routers.
She got new job after old one started sucking really bad (long time coming, especially worse over past month) (long story)
New job/vacation plan was kind of last minute (I've known for 2-3 weeks, but wasn't sure enough to post)
She planned it well enough that last day of old job was Friday, 8/27, new job starts 9/7
Using time in-between to "detox" as she put it.

I'm just lucky enough to accompany her. She didn't want to go by herself.

She found this video and purposely chose this cabin. She didn't want to have to look left or right from the balcony and see neighbors.
Corner condo. Even the living room has a window where any other wouldn't.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/U3n4B_MykkU?fs=1&amp;amp;hl=en_US" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/U3n4B_MykkU?fs=1&amp;amp;hl=en_US</a>

[MrPresident]

Awesome! Have fun. I know how nice it is to have much needed relaxation time.

We'll still be here when you get back (maybe)

[Megiddo]

Congrats! Have fun on the vacation.

I'll try not to burn the place down while you're away...

* Megiddo puts the lighter away

[JamminR]

As I sit here in the screened in porch listening to the sounds of the surf hitting the sand, enjoying the constant breeze, occasionally looking up over the top of the monitor as a parasail catches my eye, my wife says to me while looking at my computer "You could have stayed home and done that!"

I look her in the eye, point to the wonderful scene around me and say "Are you kidding? It doesn't get any better than this."
PC + ocean + nice screened in porch.. yeah, I wish this was home.

* JamminR sips from his bottle of beer

[MrPresident]

Hah! Nice. You are one lucky sob... that's for sure.

As I look above my monitor at the wall of my old bedroom that I am staying in while I'm home on leave. Looking at the wallpaper that is peeling away from the wall. Listening to the crickets outside... yeah...

[Stickly Man!]

* Stickly Man! looks outside to my backyard to my neighbors side yard all the while shivering from being 2 feet away from the swamp cooler pointed almost directly at me.

I must concur JamminR, access to a computer with a good view would definitely be one of my ideas for a perfect vacation!

Just make sure you still have access if we end up releasing in the near.. this week.. hopefully.. range

[Megiddo]

Oh, Stickly! That reminds me, we're not releasing this week because I'm going to go to an anime convention in Dallas.  Sorry.

[MrPresident]

Yeah Stickly... priorities.. come on!

[JamminR]

Oh sheesh that reminds me. Megiddo, make sure you pick up the lighter before you go.
Think what might happen if the children were to get to it.

MrPresident, How long on leave?
For some reason I was under the presumption that you weren't just done with tour of duty, but actually done with full term. That not so?
Re-enlisting?

Stick, ok, I should probably use Google, but, what is a swamp cooler?

[Stickly Man!]

Swamp cooler: A massive thing that blows lots of air in from the outside, and uses water and these weird pad things to cool off the air coming inside:
http://afterhoursplus.com/images/shannon_swamp_cooler_outside.jpg

And massively blows, it does! Gets pretty loud and stuff


And I'm sorry Mr. President, my attempt to prioritize The Ulysses Project over anime was a disgrace to.. most normal societies


Ooh, can I have that lighter?

[MrPresident]

Nah, Jam... My contract was for 5 years 34 weeks. I don't get out until December of 2013. So for now, I sit at home on block leave they allowed us to have to reintegrate with our families.

[Megiddo]

Okay, starting the long haul of classes, then I'll immediately leave for animefest. I'm purposely not taking my computer with me to try to get over my separation anxiety...

If any emergencies should arise, Stickly and JamminR have my number. See y'all again late Sunday! And you go enjoy your vacation too, JamminR.

[JamminR]

But, I am. Wife and I just finished a movie. She's gettin comfy for bed, I'm sitting out on a dark balcony in the gleam of my laptop, loving the sound of the surf, sippin a mojito.
It's friday night.
One more day, then we head back home.
*cry*
Took us about 6:15 to get here. I bet it takes longer to get back.

MrP. How long you get to "integrate" with the "family" unit?
Any idea (if allowed to state) where next deployment will be?
If you get sent to whatever Fort is in south Kentucky (Campbell?) for a reasonable amount of time and have a few hours leave, (when not on vacation) I'm not far from it (2-3 hours, I think, highway speeds)

[MrPresident]

I'll have to keep that in mind, though I think that I'll be spending the next few years here in Washington. I rather like it here. Also as far as when and where my next deployment will be... your guess is as good as anyones. They are telling us we'll be stateside for 2 years.. but that is a perfect world scenario. No less than 12-18 months though before they can deploy me again.

[Megiddo]

At least you know you have a certain time frame promised, Mr P.

Glad to hear you're not a laptop zombie yet, JamminR

AnimeFest was great, got lots of new anime, met lots of crazy people, and learned a para-para dance! (the dance was similar to this)