Vacation 2007, Intermission

We arrived back in Ohio on Thursday afternoon after an incredibly long drive from New Hampshire. The distance was the same as when we drove out there, of course, but several obstacles (including accident-induced traffic jams, torrential downpours, horrendous thunderstorms, and ubiquitous construction zones) combined to make the trip much, much longer than we wanted it to be. Nonetheless, we are home...for a few days at least. On Monday evening, we will fly nonstop to Denver. (I think it may be the first time I have flow nonstop anywhere!)

On the drive home from NH, I had plenty of time to think as I drove. I recalled a comic strip from the Calvin and Hobbes series that I read several years ago. Calvin, the ever optimistic young man that he was, was compiling a list of things that annoyed him. Why he was doing this I don't know. Furthermore, why I am doing the same thing, I don't know either. Yet, as I drove, I couldn't help but think of a few things I would put on my list, so...here they are with no further ado and no edificational value whatsoever:

THINGS THAT ANNOY ME

1. Those little stringy portions on the side of a banana

2. Female sportscasters

3. The entire state of Connecticut

4. Comedians who laugh at their own routines

5. Each and every prescription drug commercial ever made (Does anyone really ask their doctor if such and such medicine is "right for me"?)

6. Whoever in the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is in charge of road signage

7. Drivers who try to let you know that they want to get around you by tailgating and swerving their cars back and forth impatiently

8. Fast food restaurant employees with an attitude

9. The phrase, "How are you?"

That is just the short list. If you have any of your own to add, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. We can all use this post as a therapeutic way of venting our frustrations about life's little annoyances without doing any real harm.

Please don't misunderstand. I'm really not in a bad mood. I just wanted to make a list. So I did. Life is good, and I'm on vacation. Part II is coming soon...

Vacation 2007, Part I

"How could something that seemed to make so much sense before I did it, seem so stupid after I had done it?"

This was the question I posed to myself in the early morning hours of Thursday, June 14th. I was in our faithful Chevy Cavalier driving the last few miles of the journey between Heath, Ohio and Francestown, New Hampshire where my in-laws live. The final minutes of trip seemed to be moving in slow motion. We had loaded the car on Wednesday afternoon and pulled out of our driveway at exactly 3:28pm. Here we were, 750 miles and 14 hours later, and we were all exhausted. Why did we drive through the night when we didn't have to? You might ask. My answer is--I'm not really sure. It seemed like a great idea before we left. I must clarify, and tell you that Danielle didn't really want to go at night--It was mainly my idea. Eldan didn't express an opinion on the subject. I thought that the drive would be cooler (our AC is on the fritz), and that we would make better time. Both of those things might have been true, but I didn't account for the wear and tear the long night hours would bring upon my wife and son. In the end, we arrived safely, but it took us several days to recover from our little nighttime junket.

We are spendng about a week and a half here in New Hampshire. It has been a relaxing visit so far. Mostly, we've hung out here at the house, but today we went to a local lakeside and did a little swimming. It took Eldan a little while to warm up to the idea of the water (which was quite cool), but he did enjoy splashing around with his cousins. I had a blast playing with a frisbee and some water guns. It was nice to get out in the sun for a while.

We will remain here in NH until next Tuesday or Wednesday when we will drive back to Ohio--during the day!

Hope this post finds each of you doing well.

(PS - If my brother Jeremy is reading this--remind me to tell you about the first picture...)

Something New

The time for mysterious and vague language is over. The time has come to bring the truth out into the open. In my last post, I alluded to "something new" I have been considering incorporating into my life. Several of you asked about this, and now I am here to tell you what it is. (I hope you won't be disappointed after all of the buildup and suspense.) The big new thing is this--I am attempting to launch a small side business to be operated primarily during my summers. This business will offer high quality videography and DVD production for reasonable prices. (At least, I think they are reasonable.) I am offering my video production services to the general public for things such as weddings, parties, graduations, special performances scrapbook videos, home videos and the like. Basically, I want to produce sharp-looking DVDs for people at non-professional prices. (Just Google "wedding videos" and you'll get a good idea of what "professional prices" are.) The name of this video business will be none other than...Eldansdad Family Films. (What can I say? I like the sound of it!) The video at the top of this post is just a beginning. I would like to get together a more substantial promo video soon. Anyway, that is my big decision. If you or someone you know might be interested in some work, please contact me right away. (Several of the packages I offer do not require me to live in the same locality as the customer.) I have price lists and order forms available. I have established a new e-mail address for my business eldansdadff@yahoo.com. I don't really know what to expect, but it will be fun to see what happens!

Return from the Abyss

Well, it's June 4 (one day before my 27th birthday, consequently) and I am finally adding a new post to my illustrious blog! (That means it's time for my brother Jeremy to rotate his tires or buy a new mattress or something.) I am truly sorry that it has been soooooo long, but I guess blogging doesn't always make it to the front burner, so to speak. Because it has been nearly two months since my last post, and because I know most of you would rather look at pictures of Eldan than read my drivel, I will just summarize for you--April and May were very hectic months around here. Today is the first day of my summer vacation, and I am working on plans for something new in my life. I hope to have more information about that in the very near future--it might interest some of you. Anyway, I hope to update with more consistent regularity over the next few months. Enjoy the pictures. Enjoy the day. Enjoy the summer--it'll be over before you know it! (BTW - The last two pictures are from my recent directorial work on a high school production of The Hound of the Baskervilles)