N.G. Bob, Nat, Ma, T, Maria, Kitty, Milky - Did I leave anybody out?
Oh, right. Me.
Since I had five weeks off (and hey, I could have taken six, as far as my surgeon was concerned) from June 12 to July 16 for hip replacement surgery (and yes, that's a very fast recovery. If I live to see grandchildren, I will be bragging about it to them), I feel that asking for time off through the summer, the way radio staffs are so limited in size these days, would just be - I don't know - uncool.
By the way, since I'm 50, I'm allowed to use uncool.
My generation coined it.
So, for fun - and because I'm really only a tenth of my age when measured on the Maturity Scale - I thought I'd create a virtual vacation for myself...one which would be expensive to duplicate, and one to make you envious of its dynamic scope and far-reaching-ed-ness. Do-lotsa-stuff-ed-ness.
Never mind.
So, here's me. Thanks to T, I found I could turn myself into an M&M at their website. Yes, I chose to look like this, for the purposes of this exercise and this holiday. I personally think the smirk is eerily accurate.
However - since you should never take your guitar on holiday unless you have a paid gig, or you're planning on playing it around a campfire, (which can be annoying if the other people around the campfire really don't want you playing it, and remember - they will eventually need more wood for the campfire, so...), I chose this look instead:
It's actually always good to bring a microphone on vacation, especially if you're traveling with your family. For instance - if you're talking, and they interrupt - as my family often does - you just have to turn yourself up, and drown them out. It might annoy them, but you've already left your guitar home, for goodness sake. How many sacrifices are you expected to make?And so, on with the trip.
Of course, the rental broke down, so I had to hitchhike - but at least the weather was nice.
The blaster doubles as a karaoke machine, and since I was miles out on the ocean with it, no one knew how badly I was singing. That whole 'tree falls in the forest' theory thing.
I should have tied the shoelaces. I wiped out badly a couple of times. Great thing is, when you're this colour? You don't get sunburned.
Of course, had to do the nerdy thing...find a street named 'John'. Mr. Excitement, or what? Notice how I'm standing in the shadow of the lamp post, yet I'm not casting a shadow? This blue sunblock is amazing!
The rental company were very generous when they found out the trouble I had with their car. Check out the ride home. I look like I'm on Spaceship Idol or somethin'.
Luckily for me, the spaceship driver was very accomodating, and - since we were up there - I managed to talk him into taking me to the one place I've wanted to visit since the seventeenth time I saw Spinal Tap. Bet no one ever thinks to actually land on top of it to get their touristy photos. Nyah, nyah, other tourists!
Sadly, all vacations must come to and end, unless you win the lottery (and Lottery God, if you're reading this, please make it happen this Wednesday). Actually, the saddest part about coming back is that I'll walk into work Monday morning, and three quarters of the sales staff won't even know I was gone.New pictures of the twins will be coming shortly, as soon as I find some bandages and some of that grindstone injury ointment for my nose.
