Life Update & Vacation!

I know I haven't been around here all that much and when I have, it hasn't been a whole lot about "me"!  Part of that is a "sharing" backlash.  Oh, I am sharing plenty on Twitter and Facebook... but that really seems to be more than satisfying the quota of what I want to share and, more accurately, what other people want to hear! 

I am questioning this "evolution" (and I use that term very, very, very, very loosely!!) of what online communication has turned into is a good thing.  I am certainly feeling more ADD than ever, so that's another big reason I have been around here less often...but I am also sensing folks not having the attention to read more than 140 characters or perhaps a sentence or two more on FB.

Another reason for the dearth of posts was trying not to be too negative.  While it is good to get things out, I think there is a limit or a point where you get diminishing returns on it.  That said, I think my mental health has improved over the past few months.  I had a rough/uncertain period there with work and while I am still not 100% ... or even 80%... capital H, Happy about it.. it is slightly better, though right at this very minute, I am in a sort of a negative wave as others can't seem to have their acts together or at least don't tackle things with the responsibility and reliability that I do... or at least I think I do.  I have my issues, but when it gets down to it, after the grumbling/bitching I get down to it and get it done. 

Part of the improvement in the mental health department has also been the physical.  Again, I won't harp on it too much because I think when one starts talking about diet/eating it can get to sounding pretty preachy... but things continue to move in a positive way since we've made conscious efforts to eat healthier.  Over this past week, I past the 7 lb weight loss (from about mid-June, so 6-ish weeks)... and while my own goal is to lose 7 more, to get to ideal BMI I would have to drop about 7 more beyond that.  So we shall see, in  tracking my weight it is still showing a good downward trend... but at some point I think I will reach equilibrium and get to the weight I am supposed to be.  But the important part is that I am starting to feel better about my physical self.  While I was never had super-duper self-image about my looks/body, it is starting to feel good to at least be turning away from "negative" back to "indifferent"

I think I may have mentioned that we got a Wii about a month ago... if not, we did!  And while that has caused ailments and aches/pains to nearly every major joint in our bodies, it has been good that at least we are moving around a bit, in addition to the healthier eating.  We got Wii Fit and more importantly EA Active and those have been really good at getting us some basic exercise and somewhat motivating when it comes to tracking our weight.

And something that will always improve one's outlook... something positive to look forward... vacation!  We had been playing it conservative financially (well, kinda... one does not get a Wii and all the other things that are needed if one has money worries) when it has come to travel, which tends to be our biggest splurges of the year.  We did painfully turn down an offer for a Australia / New Zealand / Fiji trip presented to us at the beginning of the year and at a really great price (though at the time, I think it was a wise $$ decision and also in retrospect since it was a group tour and we've learned that we prefer to do things "on our own" if at all possible)... so while we did do the spring-time trip to Vegas, that didn't satisfy our always hungry getaway/vacation beast. 

One of my frustrations was hearing over and over (and over) again about all these great deals and how hotels and airlines are just slashing prices that this is the best time ever to travel if you have the cash.  Well, after months of on and off research, we had yet to find that "bargain"... and believe me, I would have jumped on pretty much anything if it looked like a deal. 

But alas, we finally buckled down on Friday... with time running down as Todd was in a "use it or lose it (donate it to the company)" 3rd Quarter vacation situation... and booked a one-week-ish (6 night) trip to...

Maui!

This is our first "repeat" vacation... but I am sure there are certainly worse places one can repeat other than Hawaii.  I am not sure if we got tired of looking, but ultimately I do think we ended up with a pretty good deal when you factor in the total package of air, hotel (ocean view!), and a car.  Best yet, we even got a direct flight to Maui from Phoenix, so don't have to fly thru Honolulu (or anywhere else, for that matter)... so that was extra nice!

I think it will be a nice and relaxing vacation.  Since we are sort of familiar with Maui, we know our way around and don't have to repeat some of the stuff that we did last time... like the all-day (but totally worth it!) Road to Hana.  Also, we won't be splitting our time between two islands... so I think that will take off the pressure that things need to be done on a tight schedule when you only some place for 2-3 full days.

It is also nice that it is just next month... so it's kinda going to come up quickly and it's not like waiting around for Memorial Day weekend when it's still February, which seems to be how we've kind of done it in the past. 

Comments

[jen maiser]

I read an interesting blurb this week (notable that I did not even click through to the article, nor can I remember how I saw the blurb) that things like twitter are having an interesting effect on blogs. Instead of using our blogs to get out the drivel, we're doing that on Twitter, FB, etc. Which is allowing us to "hunker down" on our blogs somewhat and use them for more solid content (or I should say others, as I haven't updated my blog in forever). Just thought that POV was an eye-opener.

[Joanna]

Hey Ed,

I have also been blogging less but not necessarily tweeting more so I am not sure what my deal is. Anyway ...

We have also repeated Hawaii - sort of. The first trip we went to Oahu only and loved it. Round two we went to Maui and loved it more. We are now hoping to make it a three-peat sometime in the not so distant future.

Totally jealous!

Joanna

[Wes]

I've been a lurker for several years now. I love all things tennis and reality TV. My partner and I are taking a trip to Maui next month as well! Cheers to a great trip!