How fast is "fast enough"

    Ever since I first learned to drive one truth has been self evident.   No matter how fast you drive, somebody will want to pass you.  This question is not about them.  They are welcome...nay encouraged to answer it, as is everybody, but this question is about the self.  How fast do you think is fast enough?  or as I am currently answering (well explaining, to be followed by answering) the question, how fast is fast enough for me.   The answer seems to be temporal in nature.  I have found that over the course of years, I have gone through several stages of relationship with the speed limit.  From thwarting it at every opportunity, just because I could, to strict and fierce adherence.   What can I say...people change, they are changing all the time, and I am no exception.   

    I am typing this in April of 2020, at my desk in my home in Donald, OR,  USA.    It is a unique time because much of the country is not commuting, which has freed up the highways and byways.  Those of us who are still commuting have found fewer restrictions from other people, and much more freedom to find a comfortable speed for us.  There are still police officers pulling people over, so the sky is NOT the limit, but within the buffers of the legal system, there is space for every person to drive at a personally comfortable speed.  My personal comfort speed is 70 miles per hour.  At least on the Freeway, I am happy to drive 70mph all day long.   In my state most posted freeway speeds are 55-65 mph, although a couple of years ago I found in the very rural areas, it does go up to 70 mph.   I find when there is space, if I set the speedometer to 70 mph, it's fast enough that I feel efficient, but I do not fear getting a ticket, or being a hazard to others.  obviously, I cannot drive that fast during a typical morning commute.  But with lessened traffic 70 mph works.  I don't like it for rural highways.  Where the speed limit is typically 55 mph, sometimes 45.  For that I don't like to go above 60 mph, and am happy to stay at 55.  The primary reason is that there are a lot more unknowns on the rural roads.  Deer, joggers, bicyclists and a whole lot more curves.   55 mph is plenty fine, and is also the speed limit mostly, which is convenient.  

    And that is about it.  This question has been rolling around in my brain for a while, and it needed an outlet.  I apologize to those of you who were expecting a metaphor.  All I can say is that, if you really want to see one, you can build a metaphor in there.  It might take some work, but it would totally be worth it.  I am curious about what other people think of as "fast enough" and how the conclusions were reached.  I know there are people out there who think "if there is empty space ahead, I can go faster."  and that is fine,  I do wonder why though.   It is good to get that out of my head.  

Another airport another slow

     Slow is not really fair.  But even an hour wait seems to drag when you are sweating like there's a fireman opening every one of your pores.  Or something silly like that.

     It is interesting to me (and probably no other person) that thus vacation log is primarily going to be reflective rather than first impressions.  For first impressions you really should be following my Twitter feed.  (This is where somebody who is trying to self pro,mote would add their feed address in a parenthetical statement, so you can begin to see what type of person I am(although somebody like that probably would have sent people here from Twitter...so I can't win either way (is it a competition?)))

     Anyway I have been having an enjoyable time but the days have been full, with little time to type.  And when I do have time to type I am tuckered out.  Typically a vacation is slower and camping and there is time to reflect and write.  On the other hand those also are typically written by hand so they are not uploaded much faster.  I haven't written anything by hand because for some reason it's not comfortable writing by hand indoors.  But that's probably me being strange.

Do you think Alice and wonderland would be different had Lewis carol visited Hawaii? Do you think it would be better?  Do you think I am intentionally ignoring that it says and instead of in?  Where does through the looking glass fit in to al this?

Fast forward just a little

WOW!   What a day.  Things have been a little bit wonderful with brief periods of confusion, frustration and terror thrown in.  Honestly I would say more like minor fear than terror, but what are you going to do?  It is Thursday evening and my wife and I are sitting alongside a closed pool relaxing in the cool even get air.  I am quite comfortable temperature wise by the frogs are getting at my ears.  I am assuming they are frogs due to nocturnal chirping, could be birds, but i don't know any bites that are this loud this late.  Then again, I am not from around here so I don't claim to be an expert.  There are also insects adding to the ambiance so whataryaginnado?  

      So unless you followed my tweet you missed a day of travel and today of volcano amazement and wonder.  I have been unable to really connect to the blog or the Internet for the past couple of days.  (Astute readers might call fibbery on that last statement based on my claims to have twittered).  I have typed at least three posts between my I-thingee and my phone.  I do plan to copy and paste at some point.   (I have dienloaded a blogger app to my phone which makes available time, tiny keyboard, a non scrolling screen and autocorrect the only enemies to getting things posted). 

But...I haven't talked about the loud bar, the volcano goodies or any other fun stuff yet.  Don't you worry none, I will share, but maybe I will hand write my thoughts to start organizing.  Heck I even forgot the cruise ship until just now.  

Still...what's-her-name is claiming cold, so I think the fresh night air with frog cacophony (I've been waiting to use that all post.  I'm sure somebody saw it coming.). I will leave you with my current favorite picture and spoilers for tomorrow. 

A lava formation that looks vaguely like a skull. 

     Tomorrow we are going to look at gardens and the tiny "island" next door to the hotel.  Then look at the macadamia factory, because we  often go to the Tillamook cheese factory and enjoy it, so. We should enjoy the macadamia nut factory as well.  I am excited to find/try the macadamia equivalent of curds.

Vacation Log 2: Prologue to adventure

Vacation Log Take 2 Wow! I haven't typed on this thing since 2010? That is so wacky. Of course I have had distractions and life and just stuff. But here we go an amazing life event, a celebratory journey and a couple learns to take joy in each other. Anyway today January 12th 2016 my beautiful life and I have been married for 25 years. So naturally we celebrate by me working until 9:30 at night and she driving around like a madwoman getting everything done and caring for people. Then we have dinner in a Shari's restaraunt and toasting a successful life together with a glass of whatever random pink wine the waitress found to put in a glass and a drop top Amber ale. All in all a nice commentary on our life and comfort together. Now. 11:30 at night she is desperately trying to get some sleep while listening to Jungle Jam and Friends the Radio show while I sit here typing a blog that few will read and fewer enjoy. Both of us simultaneously dreading and eagerly anticipating the 4:30am wake-up call that will begin us on the real journey. Well anniversary journey...well flight to Hawaii. I love keeping vavTion logs, but this one will be a mix of this blog and hand written in a spiral bound notebook. But it will eventually all wind up here. There may, However, be a bit of time skipping and disjointed pacing. But probably you will have the first thoughts from the plane ride which I am curious about for lots of reasons. Things to ponder Do you think a vacation two Hawaii is enhanced by beginning it with a cold dark walk I. The damp weather chilling your face and hands? Do you have a favorite memory of great anticipation? Would you be willing to shar it? Does anybody use the phrase " you're going down" for friendly rivalry trash talk anymore? See you probably tomorrow unless I forget. Oh. P.S. How do you feel about vacation pictures here (as in this specific vacation log on this specific blog)? No photos? Only the occasional photo related to something I am typing about? Visually document every thing I have been talking about? Gratuitous vacation photos of anything that strikes my fancy regardless of relation to content?

Lifelog supplemental-commute rant

I have decided that it is time to start paying my stupidity tax again. It has been quite some time since I have seriously considered paying my stupidity tax, but life has progressed to a point that my stupidity has been once again activated.

It is not that I have any illusion that I can actually win, I'm not that stupid. But by paying the stupidity tax I buy a ticket to dream of freedom. It's not that I hate my job. I actually take a certain amount of pride in my job. ( perhaps a little too much pride.) I am very good at it, and very knowledgable. While some aspects have changed over the years. I still get to help people have a better life. (why am I hearing echos of "code monkey"..."this job fulfilling in creative ways". Yeah) Beyond all that I like most aspects of my job.

I think what I actually hate about my job is the commute. I mean, honestly, well again I am hearing a song echoing 2NU "Frank's chair" has a line. "...when you live in a society whose philosophy is "Why make small problems when you can create a holocost?" then you have to make your way home in a society that maintains that philosophy in their driving".
(or something like that). It's the driving. ONE WHOLE HOUR of my life ripped from my soul in the company of people who's only goal in life seems to be either to get in front of me and slow down...or to position their vehicles in such a way that I cannot get into the lane I need to be in. EACH WAY. And it doesn't seem to matter what day, orwhat time I sm driving. They are always there waiting for me. Sure, sure there is some variation in the thickness and hostility of the traffic. I have even noticed a correlation between the volume of traffic I encounter and the pace of my day. (more on that later unless I get distracted). In the interest of complete honesty I have to admit here (Well, I don't HAVE to, but if I don't say something it will be stuck in my brain and bug me for many days(not necessarily in a row) so here it is) I have voluntarily extended my commute. After a couple months I could not take driving on the freeway for 45 minutes twice daily with the only hope of some distraction from the drivers crowding my car like a bunch of sardines with seperation anxiety. So, I took a stand, made a lifestyle choice and decided tocdrive the backroads through a small town and along a river. It lengthened my commute by 5-10 minutes (up to 15 depending) but it removed 20 minutes of freeway travel (per direction). Plus, I get to drive along a river which I can convince myself is peaceful if/when I'm not stuck behind a string of cars all deciding to go travel 7 mph below the speed limit until I try to pass. I swear they go out of their way to make my cruise control useless.

I mentioned earlier that I noticed a correlation between the volume of traffic and the pace if the day. I think there is anoylther correlation. I think mist people enjoy their work. Or get sone kind of satisfaction out of it. People tend to stop doing things that make them miserable (except perhaps driving which is interesting) and yet people constantly complain about their jobs. I blame traffic. I think that commuting is so horrible that it influences the perception of work. I mean honestly the bookends of the workday is the commute and however that turns out creates the frame in which we view our job. I hear a voice in the crowd saying that they work from home and are still miserable. The question I ask is...sure you work from home,but how many meetings do you have to travel to attend?How many in a day? Sure you do not have a big commute but several tiny commutes throughout the day is even worse.

So I gave decided it's worth occasionally pay some stupidity tax. Dream of opening a game store, or a snack bar, of anything. Just something I can walk to in about 7-15 minutes. I could still get the fulfillment of doing a job and doing it well. But it would not be tainted by the horrors of driving. Of course there is no chance of actually winning the lottery (hense the term stupidity tax). But the occasional (maybe once or twice a month) dollar to dream is acceptable. It won't solve my troubles but indulging in the dream will help distract from the horrible people my fellow men (andw women) turn into when you get more than 5 of them on the same road.


Questions inspired

1)is there a way to force people to listen to the songs I mentioned in this rant?
1b) should I force people to listen to the sons mentioned in thus rant?

2) why is it that if I doublespace after a questionmark the frustrating I-thingee I am using turns it into a period?

3)why don't I just look for a job doing the same thing closer to home?

Convention log

Here I am halfway through gamestorm. I am kinda tired. Stayed up playing until 2am. One of my friends mentioned it's like Vegas. The lights are always on and you never leave the hotel. True enough. Maybe I will get fresh air today. We shall see. I've played tons of games. And I haven't. Lost them all either. Which is kind of surprising. I saw Wes a really good friend from days Gond by. Isn't that a fantastic phrase? "Days gone by" kinda Old or traditional sounding. I think more people should say that. Of course it depends on the circumstances. For example if somebody were to ask " what's for breakfast?". Days gone by would not be an appropriate response. Unless, of course, you were a cronovore. But then we probably wouldn't. Be having this conversation because I would be fleeing in terror. Although... I don't really know what a chronovore looks like, so I guess that could be prejudism on my part. I am getting a little more relaxed here at the convention. I have decided that I don't care if they failed to reschedule my rum & pirates game. Wow, spellcheckers or...what's the word? Word completion software? When I type on my I thingy it gets bored with my ramblings and decides to guess my words as I type them. If it guesses right I press the spacebar. (except it's really not s bar because I am using a touchscreen so I guess it's the space space. But I digress (all the time).). Anyway if I indicate it's correct it locks the word in and scores a point. I don't see it as particularly fun but it's that behavior I am talking about when I say word completion software. The two funny things about this are 1) it's bad at the game, and 2) It cheats. It's bad at the game because it guesses stupidly. For example when I typed "cheats" it guessed chests. Or when I typed games earlier, I accidentally hit fs instead of ga. It guessed fsme I didn't let it use that. But I mean come on put some thought into your guess I-thingee (another example. I just typed "thingee" and it guessed "thonged" I mean honestly is thong even a verb?

But it makes up for it's lack by cheating. For example if I type the word "I" it guesses I am typing the word I and takes credit for the win. Admitedly that does save me the trouble of capitalizing the I but it's still pretty unethical to claim points for a 1 letter word. That is not the only way it cheats. If I am typing a word and it guesses a different word with the same number of letters. It will score it's word without souch as a "by your leave" which is another cool phrase that should be used more. Except that cylons have corrupted and ruined it. So anyway that's the mid-point gamestorm update. More later.

Empty nest blog recap

Okay it has been a long time past that empty nest started. So I am going to recap and hit the highlights here.

First off what you have to understand is that empty nest starts before the child actually goes off to college. This is a weird time for both the child and the parent. The child is exploring it's independece, and the parents are trying to figure out where the boundaries are. Relationships need changing but rarely do those involved know how to change them. We are after all human and more inclined to emotion than ration. So even in the most ideal relationships ideals pre-emp common sense. Basically nobody knows where they fit they just know that things will change and try to prepare.

The preparation is itself worrisome. How far to go? How far to let go? Admitedly I fared on the side of long windedness. But still how do I speak with authority. Where does my gerisdiction reach?

iPod log phase 1 (aside perhaps?)

Okay so here goes nothing or something. I don't know but i am typing from my itouch thing and it is totally different than having a keyboard. But, it's better than not logging at all. Well not really the thing is I totally need s video game because some days are worse than others. So, what happens when you get an ithingee and only have like a dozen cd's to add to it? Well in my case you fill the stupid thing up with podcasts and free apps. Although if I were going to be completely honest it is not even half full yet. Still I can play cribbage and roll dice and score boardgames. And now apparantly I can post to my blog as well. The sad thing is that this doesn't work when you turn it sideways. Okay that isn't truthful completely because it "works" BUT...it doesn't slide the keyboard into the wide and less likely to hit the wrong letter thing. So, I am not writing this in order to complain about the stupid tiny keyboard, but more so that I can talk about th podcasts I listen to and what i think about them. It's funny because the look of the keyboard reminds me of when I was a kid. For Christmas one year my father got the family a computer. Specifically s timed Sinclair 1000. With the big block extra ram and a cassette storage device. Ahh the hours of fun playing "dukedom" and then the even more fun changing the program to triple my crops. Bug that silly thing had s membrane keyboard which is exactly nothing like this "touchscreen" keyboard. EXCEPT. The fact that you cannot type forcresl on either one. still it was my first introduction into the wonderful world of technology. And now where an I? I've got e cell phone without the phone and I have actually concidered a facebook account. What I really want to know is why in the ever-lovin turbid world can't I log my games through my ithingamajobby? There is a bgg app but it doesn't log plays. Or am I just to technophobic to actullu check for that? One thing I have learned is that I still forget what I'm typing mid sentence. Oh yeah I learned that wifi is not near as common as media portrays it.


Questions to ponder:

Why do people feel a need to pretend like they are going to pass me and then just pace me as the lanes end?

Do they make the screen keyboards so cramped to discourage parents with fat fingers from emulating their children?

How likely am I to post more frequently now that I can do it in a new and tinier yet more portable way?

Staycation Log day 1 phase 1(actual date 8.4.9)

Up @ 6am busy, busy, busy.  Ellen offers to let me sleep while she showers but I will feel guilty.  So I get up & make coffee & look @ computer.  Ellen is quick shower today.  She thought no time for dilly-dally. (Donald only allows 2 hour street parking 6am-8pm so we need to move.)  I tell her there is time for dilly, but not for dally.  Then I bring her coffee.   We hit the road by 7am coolness.

   First stop mechanic.  Drop the albatross Rav off  and park it neat and tidy.   Leave the key and a note in the drop box provided for that exact purpose.  Then it's off to get rid of the U-haul.  The Internet said U-haul place opens at 7am.  So figure we can kill all our birds on the fly and go home to duck soup.  It's further to the U-haul place.  I am following Ellen because she has the directions, and am trying to be trusting.  Then like some kind of beautiful sunrise there is a lot full of orange & white vehicles.  WOOHOO.  Pull into the parking lot and we see a guy getting a fan out of his car.  weird but okay.  

  Turns out that's the guy we need to see, and he is a little put out because he was under the impression that he opened at 8am and had just shown up early to take care of some paperwork.  But we are there so he deals with us.  He is a little surly.  He goes & checks the truck and comes back and says  "Didja Haul alot of dirt cause that's mostly what's in there?"   I will admit I reacted poorly.  I got defensive and grumbled about camping stuff and was starting to warm up into a really fowl tirade, but I got the opportunity to sweep out the truck.  That gave me a chance to cool my temper down decide not to slit some tires, or even write nasty things about him on the internet.  When I came back in he was being fairly reasonable I don't know what kind of charm Ellen worked, but he and I were nice to each other.  I told him about the engine and he charged us $18 extra because we wen't over our mileage.  And everybody parted happy.   Ellen & I rushed home to take a nap.

Vacation Log Day 6 Phase (actual date 8.3.9)

(Disclaimer: due to the lateness of arrival this was actually written on 8.4.9)

ROAD NOTES:
   Next day so some of the edge is taken off, but here goes.  Marty the Mechanic is a horrible person.  He recommended I remove part of the drive shaft to keep from ruining my transmission.  I am sure he knew it couldn't be done with a wrench.  But it did cause us to sink another $20 (rounded) & 2 hours. 

Then I got stuck being helped by a an incredibly generous yet reeking of alcohol transient fellow.  Which got a little bit weird and threatened to involve the whole of Crescent City.  He literally knocked on the window of a Jeep as it pulled into the parking lot to ask the operator how his drive shaft worked.  Finally I gave him $7 for his "help" and talked him into leaving.  (Mostly so that we could get on the road ourselves because we were resigned to another hotel or travelling, but couldn't go anywhere while he was "fixing" our troubles.)  So it's 8pm and we finally start the long slow march home. (at 45mph) 

The agreed upon goal over everything else:  GET OUT OF CALIFORNIA!!!!  The plus side was that it was very pretty for the 2 hours the sun was up.  Very scenic:

  Would have been more enjoyable in our own car but apparently vacationers cannot be choosers.  WE do settle into a slow but cramped:

 routine and things were as good as can be expected.  But we hit our first steep grade.  I engage the brakes in an effort to control our descent and suddenly the engine starts revving like a first time driver trying not to kill the engine after a stoplight.  (Except this has an automatic transmission)  The Tachometer is up between 4 & 5K RPM  & it only goes to 6,000.  I say words I am certain my teenage daughter has never heard her friends say.  And fight it back under control.   This fight repeats itself over every steep grade all night long. 

   It being 10pm Ellen Realizes she might be hungry & states a desire to stop "Somewhere" to eat.  For all my enjoyment of writing I am unable to come up with words why  would rather avoid pulling into a parking lot where I would have to back up a 24 foot U-haul with a rav-4 strapped to a tow dolly attached to the back.  In some ways I guess I thought it would be self evident.  We "compromise" on a rest area and using some of the camping food.  (which basically means Sandwiches again )  So crawling along using every slow moving vehicle turnout I can find (there are more in California than in Oregon) and breathing a sigh of relief every time I receive a passing lane (to let others go by)  and dreading steep grades. We slog into Oregon:

(a Milestone hooray)  Round about Grants Pass, just as we merge onto I-5 the Check engine light comes on.  How cool a vacation story would it be if the U-Haul broke down on us.   so dinner (sandwiches)  @ Rest Area north of grants pass  & we notice the Rav is slipping loose from it's restraints.  So we back it off the dolly.  Reload and tighten down firmly.  Also check engine fluids due to check engine light.  (because it couldn't' have anything to do with the transmission and it's behaviour on steep grades.)  They look good.  And we are off.  Ellen doesn't really want to sleep but half-heartedly dozes.  As the night drags on I notice that I am driving a little bit faster.  Never over 55mph but getting home and done with this is taking precedence over safety and junk.  Round about 10 to 1am Bug pops her Monster & gets wired.  She is bouncing & singing & talking a mile a minute.  You know the child is out of her mind when she starts telling me how much she likes love songs.  But it works she helps keep me awake and aware.  Finally we roll into Donald @ 3:30am.  We have to park downtown and drive the Camry to ferry our junk home.  2 trips and we are completely unloaded and in bed by 4am.

Questions Inspired by the day:

Do I ow stupidity tax for my foolishly taking it down the 6 mile dirt road with an empty tow dolly behind?

Excluding the Naval to Kneecap zone what part of my body has not been sunburned?

Why does California hate me so?

How successful do you expect a casino to be if it looks like a barn?

Vacation Log Day 6 Phase 2 (actual date 8.3.9)

Waiting again.  The good news is the Rav is waiting for us.  We are out & the rangers are not going to cite us, but will give us an escort out.  So safety is an option.  Bug is sulky but it's 4pm and no lunch.  Good times.  Vacation on!  Lots of cars I am glad for the escort.  It's funny how stress ebbs & flows.  And fortunate.  Mine is leaving as Bug's rises.  Bug was fine when mine was scattered.  I was packing when Ellen was uptight.  (I believe)  at least we are ll understanding & tolerant of each others stress.  I believe that once we are travelling, or at home it will all be good.  I just wish there were a better way.

ROAD NOTES:
  I haven't towed a trailer since the Army.  I hated bringing it down the road.  Apparently a the U-haul violated the 24 ft limit.  Fortunately no citation for stupidity & poor judgement.  All our camping gear looks like so little stuff in a 24ft moving truck.  Everyone is being sympathetic and cool.  IT is amazing how different a gravel road with blind corners looks when you are white knuckling a 24ft truck with empty tow dolly. Good times and another lesson learned.  I am tired of being sunburnt.

Obligatory Rav on U-Haul pictures:

Vacation Log Day 6 Phase 1a (actual date 8.3.9)

$1300 and Wednesday Night...... U-HAUL Here We Come!

Vacation Log Supplemental

Reflections on a Fire stick

     Do you ever wonder about the first "medicine stick" or "shaman stick"  I wonder if it started as a fire poking stick.  We have a nice piece of driftwood with a blackened end which has been serving as our fire poking stick.  It had obviously been used by others before us.  And every other campfire I have ever witnessed or been a part of has had a special stick used to poke and never burned.  And when people want to adjust the fire they ask for that specific stick.  Admittedly sometimes in the beginnings two (or more) people will start their own fire pushing stick.  But it always settles down to one stick and the others get burned.  Generally (and to my memory always in my experience)  if there are to be multiple fires over several days (ie a camping trip)  the same stick is used for the duration.  (occasionally in a bit of a ceremony we will burn the fire pushing stick as the last item added to the last fire.)  But this is human nature.  Every campfire I have ever seen somebody has a special fire pushing stick.  And I have come across several old campfire sites which had an obvious fire pushing stick.  (relatively big, sturdy, one end blackened)  there is never more than1 fire pushing sticks at these sites.  (In my admittedly anecdotal experience)  So my theory is that way back when fire was a survival necessity rather than a camping comfort & treat, the job of keeping the fire was much more important.  Perhaps almost as important as hunting/gathering food.  Most probably a job to take pride in.  I can see how a fire keeper might decorate his fire pushing stick so it looks more like a tool of office important and worthy of pride and less like just a pointy stick with a burned end.  I can see the passing of the fire pushing stick to an apprentice being a super-big deal.  (at least to those involved.)  And, I an see how a fire pusher who keeps the secret of fire, might  when he felt slighted, try to enhance his position.  Merely by letting the fire go until he receives the respect he feels he deserves.  From there it is not a giant leap to inventing "fire spirits" who need to be appeased in order to keep the vital fire going.  From that stone it is merely a hop to inventing other spirits for other things.  Soon the fire is left behind.  The fire pushing stick has lost it's burned tip but kept it's decorations of office.  The once humble fire tender is now tribal medicine man, and secure with power locked in by shaping a culture over time fire need not be kept a secret.  It can be shared with all.  Yet the fire pushing stick remains.  Locked in human genetic memory pointing back to where it all began.  Or not, who knows.  But it's an interesting thought to play with.  I bet I am not the first to think of it.  I am going to do a Google search when I get home.

Vacation Log Day 6 Phase 1 (actual date 8.3.9)

  It's 7:16AM, the fire is started & coffee is perked.  I am telling my self that I am not going to worry about time.  But I am having difficulty convincing myself of same.  I think part of the problem is that you should not include me in plans.  If I have a plan I want to follow it.  I finally get the hint & adapt as evidenced by previous logs.  But I do believe in the value of plans AND I am admittedly a little anxious (right word?) to have a resolution to our transportation issue.  Either they can fix it by Wednesday for a reasonable cost.  Or we haul the thing back home & fix it there.  I honestly cannot say which one I would prefer.  On the one hand there is so much we have not done down here that I would like to do.  On the other hand outside the naval to kneecap zone the only part of my body not sunburned is my shoulders.  (because I refuse to go shirtless)  I guess also the soles of my feet.  And it might be nice to be home with a couple of days off to relax & get the car fixed.  But if/when we do get home Malika is going to zoom off to her boyfriend (and I cannot blame her much) and Ellen is going to "shoulder all the burdens and stresses of everyday life.  Most specifically taking care of her mother, being bullied & lectured by her sister and taking on responsibilities and commitments for the various organizations she is involved with.  And she will (after being filthy for a week) want to clean & clean & clean.  I will clean the camping gear and dishes.  But she will do laundry (maybe I can convince bug to help/do that) and just because she feels dirty from camping will start going overboard on the house.  But back to the 1st hand.  If we fix the car we have less control over our fate & time.  They call them estimates for a reason.  So, honestly I cannot say which way I am leaning.  But I definitely would like an answer.  7:40am to roust, or not to roust?  that is a question.

Vacation Log Day 5 Phase 3 (actual date 8.2.9)

     Just finished my Duck, Duck, Go! review.  It's nothing special but I enjoyed writing it.  After lunch we played Corsari followed by Bohnanza twice.  Bug didn't like the whole "can't adjust our hand" concept.  But she grasped it and never forgot.  It was fun, but as a family we are too nice for negotiation games.  And we made some very generous trades all the way around.  But they both liked it.  But that caused a late (after dark) dinner & after dark dishes & now it's bed time.  NOT the day that had been planned.  But a good day.  One with laughter, frolicking, games and family.  Tomorrow we see about the car & plot the rest of our vacation shenanigans.

Questions Inspired by the Day:
Do you think people apply to be a janitor with the forest service, or is it a punishment?

Why to they bother to perforate 1-ply toilet paper?

Who in their right mind packs SPF-4?

Why does it take so long from the time I push the button to the actual taking of the picture?

Vacation Log Supplemental

A REVIEW OF DUCK, DUCK, GO!

(Raw version.  I will be cleaning it up & submitting to BGG but this is part of the vacation log so in it goes)

 

     I am writing this review while sitting on the beach watching my wife & child frolic in the waves.  I am occasionally stopping to try and get a picture of said frolic but usually am a hair too late.  So please forgive if I lose my train of thought.

     I purchased Duck, Duck, GO! as a present for my child when she became little miss head honcho of her local rainbow girls Cell.  Her mascot is/was the Rubber Ducky.  I thought it would be cute to give  her a rubber ducky themed board game.  In the interim 6 months she has played it with friends and told me it was not bad.  Last night by Coleman lantern. we played 2 games of the basic game and one of the Advanced.  These are my thoughts.  (such as they are)
   The game board is a set of ____ modular pieces.  Each with  a central hexagon surrounded by 6 other hexagons.  These are all double sided.  4 of the modules are special and have the same front & back.  One has the drain in the middle.  (oh I should probably talk about the theme of the game before this.  I will just slip it in front later & nobody will be the wiser.) 

THEME:

(cut & paste to the front of the review please)

  The theme of the game is a bunch of rubber duckies having fun racing around the kitchen sink.  (although at times it feels more like a bathtub.)  This is very cute & the rubber ducky components help with the immersion.  (get it?  Yeah, okay never mind moving on.)

   The other 3 special pieces have differently shaped buoys.  These are the goals or Targets that the duckies must contact before reaching the drain which is the aforementioned finish line.  (did I mention a finish line?  Oh well I can always slip in in later & nobody will be the wiser)

   Let's take a quick break to dip our toes in the water.  That is cold.  Wife & child are nuts.  But the ducks have the right idea.  Swim in a controlled temperature. 

   So anyway the rest of the modular tiles are double sided and different. they have water & anywhere from 0 to 2 life saver inner tube floaty things in different configurations.  I believe there are 2 each of 0, 1 tube in center hex, 1 tube in an edge hex, and 2 tubes in opposite outer hexes.  Which gives you a variable and somewhat customizable game board.

  The inner tubes serve as starting spaces for ducks and also as "teleportation pads".

  There is a deck of 54 cars (conveniently numbered 1-54) with pictures of different moving and facing instructions.  These are how the duckies get around the "sink".

     Lastly, there are the rubber duckies.  Real, honest to goodness rubber duckies in a whole panoply of shapes & costumes.  Well technically you get six with the game.  But you can customize the six if you order online & you can find similar ducks @ party stores an in the oriental trading catalog.  But the ducks are really neat.

  Ooops wife & child are done so will continue on to how you play & junk later.

     The wife & child are showering off the ocean.  So now is the perfect time to tell you how the game works.

THE BASICS:

     Players are dealt 3 cards for their hand.  Then each player gets 1 card face down in front of them.  Then in order from lowest # to highest players place their ducks on a starting life preserver thingee. (so when configuring the game board it is important to have at least as many life preserver thingees as ducks in play.)  Once all the players have placed their ducks the game begins.  A turn is simple.  Everybody draws cards until they have 3 cards in their hand.  Then each player selects a movement card from the hand of 3 and places it face down on the playing surface.  Once everybody has selected a movement card (and in the case of my wife stops changing her mind) everybody simultaneously reveals their cards.  The ducks are moved in order form lowest # to highest number.

         SPECIAL MOVEMENT SITUATIONS        

 

• The 1st time a ducky touches (lands on, or passes over) one of the "target buoys" that ducky receives a token showing it touched the bout. 
• If a ducky ends it's movement on a "target buoy" the player may immediately (with time permitted to think) lay down another movement card and regardless of the number on the card move the ducky again. (If the player has no more movement cards they draw the top card off the draw stack and MUST use that card for movement. (and it serves them right for doing so well.)
• If a duckies movement carries it into one of the lifesaver doodads that ducky immediately "teleports" to any  unoccupied lifesaver thingee and faces any direction the player chooses.  That duckies movement stops even if the card played had more movements left.
• If the ducky has tagged all three buoys and touches (lands on or passes over) the drain it's movement ends.  If it is the first to do so it wins & the game is over.  If it is the second or more to do so you are using "house rules" and I cannot help you.
• IF the ducky has not tagged all 3 buoys and this the drain it "bonks".  It's movement ends (even if the card the player used has more movement) and the duckies facing is rotated 180 degrees.
• If the ducky hits any other obstacle (the outer edge of the playing area, another ducky) it "bonks" exactly as described above except in a different hexagon.

     Once all the duckies have performed all their movements the round is over.  Repeat rounds and turns until a player wins.

Back from showers  LUNCH!!!! advanced rules to follow.

    In the advanced rules there are a few changes which make the game a little bit more interesting.

    First each player gets dealt a hand of 4 cards at the start of the game and gets to choose which card to use as their start player option.  Not a huge change, but it does give a better feel.  Less like everything is left up to chance.  (It is still mostly what you get dealt, but it feels like you have more control.)  You will still wind up with a 3 card hand but you get there by a slightly different journey.

  Next we have the "birddog".  This is like the evil anti-ducky.  The "birddog" (comes with the game it is a rubber ducky with doggie features) races around the sink chasing duckies.  IF it catches one (runs into it like a "bonk" from the basic game) the player working the "birddog" places the ducky on any unoccupied lifesaver whatchamacallit it chooses.  (the player's who's ducky got moved gets to choose the facing so that helps)  the birddog (I'm tired of the quotes and you get the idea) is run by the player who is in last place.  Placing determined 1st by number of buoys tagged and secondly by movement number (on card for that turn)  so it is kind of a catch-up mechanism.  (OH CRAP cut & past to earlier in birddog section...The birddog moves at the very end of the round after all the other duckies have moved.)  The player who works the birddog can either use a movement car from his hand, OR choose any 2 generic movements from a set of 4 basic doggie movements.  (the same movement can be choosed twice)

   The duckies also gain advantages in the advanced game.  Each player gets a disk which she can turn in for a 1 time option of drawing 3 movement cards from the deck.  Mixing them in her hand and then choosing 3 cards to discard back down to the starting hand value.  This can be handy.  Also, every time a ducky receives a token for tagging a buoy (so up to 3 times per duck per game) the player receives a little disk with a random 1 shot bonus power.  These are always nice and helpful.

  The last and coolest change in the advanced game is that when playing with fewer than 4 players each player runs 2 duckies.  This adds to the duck-laden chaos & can be challenging.

         SPECIAL 2 DUCKY PER PERSON RULES        

• Hand size is increased to 4 cards.  (5 cards for the initial "choose starting player" hand)
• In the start player phase everybody places their 1st ducky in numerical order (based on cards) then after everyone has placed 1 duck they place their second ducky in the same order.
• Each ducky counts buoy tags separately.
• A player only needs to get to the drain with 1 fully tagged up ducky to win the game.

    So I've been writing all day it's gotten dark and I still haven't said how I really feel about the game.  I was honestly disappointed with the basic game.  It was okay...but only really fun when the cards were working against me.  I can see how it might be a decent introduction to programmed movement games for younger kids.  But I would start anyone over 12 (?) out with the advanced game so they don't lose interest.

   I enjoyed the advanced game much more.  Trying to maneuver with more ducks & using bonking and blocking to your advantage was more important.  Trying to track 2 duckies could get confusing but it was also fun and good for a laugh.

   I don't know how this compares to other programmed movement style games as it is the first one I have tried.  (other than a flash "robo-rallyesque" game online which I don't count)  I suspect from what I have read that it is a good introduction to the genre.

    I will definitely suggest my daughter bring it to thanksgiving.  It is very simple to explain and moving & bonking duckies is a very thanksgiving thing to do.  I like the customizable modular board.  I think that can be used to adjust the challenge and replayability of the game.  On the whole I am glad my daughter mostly like the game because I am mostly on the fence about it.

Vacation Log Supplemental

Reflections on an Earlier Time

As I sit here staring at the fire I think what life must have been like in a "simpler" time. Once your basic needs were taken care of your time was totally free & unobligated. (In my imagination anyway) This is not to say it was not stressful. I am sure making sure those needs were met took a lot of time and effort. But those times when there was plenty of food and good weather must have been very nice. Rest meant something more back then I would think. Judging by the weaving & dolls & other items I saw in the museum there was time for patient and detailed tasks. I am sure boredom was an uncommon disease. In many ways it kind of makes me want to become a subsistence farmer. A step in-between primitive & modern. Where you plan your needs meeting ahead of time and then see to it. You set out the days chores and when they are completed your day is done. Again, NOT EASY, high stress and probably requiring knowledge I do not posses. But the reward. Rest is meaningful. And in both these systems (subsistence farming & "primitive") your time is your own. The way it works now is your my time is not your my own ever. I am fairly certain most people suffer form this. your The work schedule is set by your the employer, which means the rest of the schedule is set by the employer. If all chores are done, you are not done. You have to keep busy. Vacation HAS to be requested. You can't say "i have built up enough to be secure for a time, I am going to weave, or explore, or carve, or just plain rest." you just keep going & hope that you will need be ready for and able to take the vacation that was scheduled 3 months earlier. On the other hand it is much easier and less stressful. The system rewards the ignorant because he just has to do 1 job. Not all the jobs.

I think there is also a disconnect that the "modern" system has built in. We don't matter to each other anymore because we don't have to. A person can get a job, earn enough money for himself & buy all he needs (and a little more) And not ever worry about anybody else. In subsistence farming everyone bands together to get the job done so that everybody eats.. If one person does not do his job, everyone suffers & less gets done to compensate. So everybody has a vested interest int he health, welfare, and work ethic of everyone else. It is important to teach the children rather than just sending them to school to learn, "What they need for modern society."

Hunter gatherers/ primitive societies were (probably) even better for the whole human connection aspect. The elders while perhaps weak & unable to work were needed for their knowledge. The young had to be taught work ethic & the value of everyone & caring for everyone. A sickness or injury had to be cared for or it was one less necessary task that got done. I think that's one reason pride is so prevalent in primitive cultures. Pride gives a personal reason to care for & belong to the group. "I am special because my people are the ________ and we _______!" Pride is especially good for teaching children to care for society. (most) children are naturally selfish & need a personal reason for motivation.

I think pride is another huge loss in modern times. Honestly if we actually had pride as a society would our politics be the way they are? (possibly, but I don't think as bad) some would say there is no justification for pride but there is. A huge national infrastructure, discoveries. Up until recently a working representative republic, All working with each other and taking pride in ourselves. rather than shaming each other and trying to change it all. Which is not to say never disagree. Disagreement is healthy and brings change and growth. But if a people are proud of their society. Then they can put that first ahead of pettiness. That would be a cool and strong thing. But perhaps only possible in small groups. I don't' know, but it's not my job to figure out. I just need to learn how to rotate the corn & how to know if the cows are ripe enough to pick.

Vacation log Day 5 Phase 2 (acutal date 8.2.9)

Keen observers may notice we are not actually in a redwood forest hiking, but we are on the beach next to the ocean with the sun mercilessly blazing down on us. M & E are frolicking in the ocean while I (against all common sense & decency) am sitting on the beach in shorts watching our stuff. And occasionally taking blurry pictures which will probably not be recognizable as my wife & child:

But whenever I pick a camera up they stop frolicking & just stand there.

I am wearing a long sleeved shirt because the sunburn is so bad the hint of sun is agonizing. So my legs will probably wind up just as bed. We will see. What kind of person packs SPF 4???

It looks like the tide is going out. Which is okay but gets the ladies further away and even more blurry. I swear I saw a lone sea lion playing in the waves just beyond E&M. I just wish I had been quick enough on the uptake to snap a picture.

For the record the whole ocean instead of the forest is just fine. While I want to walk through natures majesty, I want everyone to enjoy the trip and Ellen Loves the water. She deserves the opportunity to play & we have been amongst the redwoods off & on for the whole trip so it's all good. Again the main thing this trip is giving us is time together as a family and that is such a rare treasure, what we do during that time is immaterial. Ellen lost her shoe. (salt water sandal) Sad, but not a tragedy. But she's looking for it. I am kind of curious with waves & undertow & currents just where it might end up. I kind of hope we find it or they or somebody does. But it's also kind of neat to imagine it floating across the pacific & washing up on some deserted island. Then buried in a volcanic explosion to be unearthed years later by geologists & be a minor (if uninteresting) mystery. How cool would that be?

Vacation Log Day 5 Phase 1 (actual date 8.2.9)

Dunno the time. I could have checked but why bother now. It would involve going i the tent again & disturbing my wife. So for now I am happy sitting by the 1 match fire writing in my log. Fire is going & as it may be one of the last I decided to use some newspaper for ease of lighting. Coffee is going. The recalcitrant stove has been working fine. My guess is there was sand or something blocking something and it finally worked loose. It's Sunday. Vacation is winding down But everything is up in the air. the mechanic is closed today so the car doesn't rule our actions. So we will be hiking & finally seeing nature up close & personal. I am excited.