Vacation Time

                        <!--        @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in }      P { margin-bottom: 0.08in }     -->       <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Natalie and the boys left today to go to a family wedding in Cincinnati, OH.  I am unable to go because I was  not able to schedule the time off of work.  It is my own fault really.  I might have gotten the time off if we had not originally thought that we were not going to the wedding.  There is one good thing from all of this, Natalie and boys may be able to spend more time with everyone because my schedule is no longer in the equation.  They will be gone for 11 days.  If was going with them, it would have been somewhat shorter.  At least this way, there is a chance that they will be able to spend time with my parents, even if I am not able to.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">At least we have the phones and the Internet to keep in touch while they are gone.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">About once a year since we were married, Natalie has been away for about a week a year without me.  Sometimes more, sometimes less.  Since the boys were born, they have always gone with her.  We can never figure out how I would keep them and still go to work.  Natalie has been the day care since Sam was born almost 8-and-a-half years ago.  And while I could work from home without anyone noticing, I don&#39;t think I would be able to manage house and boys and work at the same time.  Maybe in a couple more years.   </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">And this is a kind of vacation for me, too.  I get to choose to do whatever I want without having to worry about Natalie and the boys schedule.  Of course, being I am boring, there is not much that I will do.  Well, maybe hang out with some of the neighbors.  They are always good for that.  Boy did we get lucky with the neighbors.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Beyond that, I might also make the time to finish a couple of ideas that I had for the website.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Today has been a long day already.  I was up at 04:00 to do some testing for work.  By the time that was done, Natalie and the boys were up and getting ready to go, so I helped them.  And then I cut the grass and watched <em>The Fountain.</em><span style="font-style: normal">  </span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span style="font-style: normal">So, now I am starting to think about dinner and maybe finding the July starkly for Myst Online.</span></p>