Vacation by the #'s

Hi all. It's been long enough since I last posted that I had to clear the cobwebs, crack my knuckles a couple of times, and try to remember how to get started. A couple of weeks ago, before departing Terra firma, bound for a tiny speck of land in the middle of the mighty Pacific, I made the decision that I would devote my vacation to enjoying the company of my wife and son, soaking in the tropical sunshine, and clearing my mind of all things work and blog.

It was a good decision, as for the past year and a half I have not gone more than a day or two at a stretch without writing, analyzing, or thinking about one post or another. It was, among other things, a vacation from Blogging.

Since I did such a fine job clearing my mind, I felt I needed to borrow a concept from someone else. This will be a 'By the Numbers' post. Thanks SciFi Dad.

So, without further adieu, here are some of our vacation facts, by the numbers.

0 - Number of pairs of socks worn during vacation.
0 - Number of jackets worn during vacation. (packed them "just in case")
1 - Number of lost valuables. (My video i-pod didn't make it home.)
1 - Number of hours Mrs. LIAYF and I each slept on the 6 hour red-eye home.
2 - Number of hours Lukas slept on the same red-eye. (We were more hopeful going in)
2 - Number of Mai-Tai's I consumed on flight from Seattle.
2 - Number of meals eaten at a restaurant during trip. (Our child does not sit still long)
2 - Number of nice parent couples we exchanged contact information with. ("Ok, next time we are in Europe we will look you up. . .")
3 - Number of tubes of California Baby sunblock used on Lukas. (He is a fair skinned child)
3 - Number of hot and muggy playgrounds visited. (warning: sun + slides = screaming child)
3.5 - Number of hours Lukas 'Not Happy' on red-eye flight home. (to put it mildly)
4 - Number of body parts slightly sunburned on Lukas (counting each cheek as 1)
4 - Number of pairs of socks packed. (Not sure what I was thinking here)
4 - Number of jackets packed. (Forgive us, we are from Seattle)
5 - Number of beautiful beaches visited. (Quality, not quantity)
6 - Number of nights I grilled dinner at the condo. (First vacation where I came home not feeling fatter than when I left)
6 - Number of new 'toddler friends' that Lukas met and hung around with during the trip. (It was a very child friendly place to stay)
8 - Number of days on vacation. (2 weeks would have been ideal)
10 - (Days) Age difference of Lukas and boy at opposite end of aisle 11 with matching Elmo dolls ('action figures')
12 - Approximate number of times boys screeched "Elmo!" back and forth at each other while waving the 'action figures' in the air.
40 - Number (also approximate) of times Lukas yelled "Out, peas!" during red-eye. (I tried to avoid eye contact with the other passengers attempting to sleep)
250 - Number of miles driven around The Garden Isle while Lukas napped.
300 - Number of pages read in book 'The English Passengers'. (A well written account of the plight of the aboriginal natives of Tasmania. Recommended.)

And finally:

2 - Number of parents reluctant that the fun-filled, sunny vacation has ended. As with our previous trips to the Islands, this was a terrific vacation. And, as always, over too soon.

Now it's back to work, and also back to blogging.