Like I said, I’m on vacation. In Florida. A family reunion. Nothing like mixing up a vacation with all the stress of being surrounded by people who are related to you. It keeps things balanced.

The occasion is my grandparents’ 60th anniversary. So aunts, uncles, cousins: first, second and third and removed by various degrees; have gathered here in Clearwater, Florida. For a fun filled weekend.

Of course, when I was invited, my first thought was NO Way! I can’t afford to fly 4 of us to Florida and back. My wife suggested that we could drive. That’s a 16 hour drive. So two days down and two days back. Once again, I said no. I’m not using 4 vacation days for a weekend trip. I just can’t see spending more time driving than vacationing.

My wife really wanted to go. I had said that if it was important that we were represented, that I could fly down by myself. That suggestion was met with a stare that married men everywhere would recognize. I told that I didn’t care, if she wanted to go we could go, but I was only using 2 vacation days.

She countered that if I drove all of us down, I could fly back, be at work Monday morning, and she could drive the kids back. She was serious. So here we are. I am sitting here at the Tiki Bar at the hotel. Surrounded by family. Some guy with a guitar singing Jimmy Buffet songs. The smell of salt in the air blowing off the Gulf of Mexico. And I’m blogging.

It’s Ok, they all know that I’m a geek.